Gigs & Nightlife

A big Taylor Swift listening party is coming to Manchester to celebrate her new album

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Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 20th August 2025

An iconic Manchester music venue is hosting a Taylor Swift listening party to celebrate the release of her upcoming album this autumn.

The devil may work hard, but Ms. Swift sure works harder – as less than 500 days since the release of her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor has announced her twelfth LP titled The Life of a Showgirl, meaning the pop titan is back in full force with an era full of glitter, glitz, and showbiz glamour.

To celebrate, Manchester’s historic Deaf Institute is hosting a night dedicated to the newest era, and you’ll certainly be able to make ‘make the whole place shimmer’ as you walk into this Grade ll-listed building this October.

Get ready to hear everything from Taylor Swift’s stacked discography – including her humble beginnings like ‘Tim McGraw’, all the way through to her claiming the title as the ultimate ‘Anti-Hero’.

The DJs on the night will be spinning every single new track from Swift’s twelfth studio album too, all while mixing in some of her other standout songs.

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Anyone keen to attend this Taylor Swift ‘Wonderland’ must be over 18 years old, and have their ID with them on the night, as unfortunately, there’s no ‘invisible string’ you can use to sneak yourself into this venue.

And if you’re turning 22 -or celebrating any other birthday – between 4 and 18 October, then you can score yourself free entry into this live music venue too, isn’t that ‘Gorgeous’?

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Deaf Institute is hosting The Life of a Showgirl album launch party on 11 October from 11pm onwards, with tickets on sale HERE;

Now you’ve got tickets secured, the next ‘Question…?’ is which era are you dressing for on the night?

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Featured Images – Disney (supplied)

Gigs & Nightlife

Lorde at AO Arena, Manchester – stage times, setlist, tickets and more essential info

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Lorde will perform at the AO Arena in Manchester this week

Lorde is performing a huge gig at the AO Arena in Manchester this week, as part of her Ultrasound World Tour.

The New Zealand-born singer burst onto the music scene at the tender ages of 16 with her smash-hit single Royals, way back in 2013.

Since then, she’s gone on to break several records with the releases of her four studio albums, and scooped up a handful of GRAMMYs and BRIT awards along the way too.

As well as her gig at the AO Arena here in Manchester, Lorde will also be calling at major UK cities including London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

The tour comes hot off the heels of the release of her latest album, Virgin, which once again topped the Official UK Album Charts.

If you’re heading to see Lorde at the AO Arena, here’s everything you need to know.

Lorde UK tour dates

  • 15 November – AO Arena, Manchester
  • 16 November – The O2, London
  • 17 November – The O2, London
  • 19 November – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
  • 20 November – Utilita Arena Birmingham

Who is supporting Lorde at the AO Arena?

Experimental musician and producer Blood Orange, otherwise known as Devonte Hynes, will be the main support act for Lorde in Manchester.

The British musician has worked with the likes of Florence and the Machine, Mac Miller, Kylie Minogue, and – of course – Lorde, and will be warming up the crowds ready for our headliner.

Also taking the stage before Lorde will be electronic and indie pop star Jim-E Stack, whose solo releases have featured everyone from Bon Iver to Charli XCX.

Tickets for Lorde’s gig in Manchester

Lorde will perform at the AO Arena in Manchester this week
Lorde will perform at the AO Arena in Manchester this week
Credit: Thistle Brown

At the time of writing, there are just a handful of random tickets left for Lorde’s gig.

These are priced between £48.60 and £161.30.

Otherwise, your best bet is to look at resale tickets from a reputable site.

Stage times for Lorde at AO Arena Manchester

The AO Arena hasn’t yet confirmed the exact stage times for Lorde, but has said that doors will open from 6pm with a start time of around 7pm.

At other shows, Lorde has typically arrived on stage at around 9pm.

You can roughly expect stage times to be as follows:

  • Doors 6pm
  • Jim E-Stack 7pm
  • Blood Orange 8pm
  • Lorde 9pm

Keep an eye on the AO Arena’s socials for the latest.

Expected setlist for Lorde at AO Arena

  • Hammer
  • Royals
  • Broken Glass
  • Buzzcut Season
  • Favourite Daughter
  • Perfect Places
  • Shapeshifter
  • Clearblue
  • Current Affairs
  • Supercut
  • No Better
  • GRWM
  • The Louvre
  • Oceanic Feeling
  • Big Star
  • Liability
  • Man of the Year
  • If She Could See Me Now
  • Team
  • What Was That
  • Green Light
  • David
  • Encore: Ribs

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Featured image: Thistle Brown

Gigs & Nightlife

Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of special ‘Christmas Cracker’ and New Year’s shows

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bongo's Bingo Christmas New Year's Eve show dates 2025

Britain’s beloved Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of massive end-of-season specials to ring in the new year, announcing a number of their famous ‘Christmas Cracker’ and festive parties.

They’re also holding a ‘Big Fat Bingo of the Year’ (we don’t see any trademark issues whatsoever…), including one for NYE.

As one of the best nights out, not just in the North but in the country, they’re hoping to send you into 2026 singing, dancing, laughing, and hopefully with some lasting memories and maybe a prize or two.

Confirming the latest raft of shows starting this month, you can expect all the usual Bongo’s madness and more, plus all the bells and whistles, as well as plenty of tinsel and holiday cheer.

bongo's bingo mcr dates 2025
We’d love a new hoover for Christmas, to be fair. (Credit: Press shot)

Returning to Albert Hall as it regularly does throughout the rest of the calendar, Bongo’s Bingo is promising to give Manchester a Christmas and New Year’s period they’ll never forget.

As they put it, the hosts will be “transporting everyone back to the time when coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme, because the halcyon days of turkey with all the trimmings, mini bottles of Babycham and not a naughty elf in sight are BACK big time at Bongo’s Bingo.”

Bloomin’ ‘eck, they don’t half know how to get a crowd fired up even before they’re in the room, do they?

Set to deliver all the best festive tunes, “dodgy Santa Clauses” – their words, not ours – as well as plenty of foil hats fresh from the Christmas cracker, they’ll be partying with us Mancs multiple times throughout December, not to mention a bonus show at the end of November as we fully swap autumn for winter.

As for the ‘Twixmas’/’Christmas gooch’ period (again, not our words…), the format will then switch to the Big Fat Bingo of the Year, with quiz elements featuring all the biggest memes, tunes and cultural moments of 2025. 

You can see the full list of Bongo’s Bingo festive dates for 2025 down below:

Bongo’s Bingo Christmas Cracker and Big Fat Bingo of the Year dates

Christmas Cracker

  • November – Fri, 28
  • December – Sat 6 Dec (day and night), Sat 20 Dec, Sun 21 (day), Mon 22 and Tues 23

Big Fat Bingo Of The Year

  • Sat, 27 Dec (day and night), Sun 28 (day) and NYE 2025

If you’re interested in booking onto Bongo’s Bingo this Christmas and/or New Year’s, you can find out more information and grab your tickets right HERE.

This festive period really is shaping up nicely.

First look at Albert Square as Manchester Christmas Markets return to their spiritual home

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Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)

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