The red-headed, guitar-strumming, lyrical genius, also known as Ed Sheeran, is back, and he’s heading to Co-op Live for one night only as part of his current UK tour.
‘Bad Habits’, ‘Shape of You’, ‘Thinking Out Loud’, Sheeran has built quite an impressive music catalogue over the years and amassed a whopping 60 billion streams while doing so.
The UK music heavyweight scored his ninth number one album with Play, all while adding two more top ten hits to his discography with ‘Azizam’ and ‘Sapphire’, driving his overall top ten singles total to 43 – that’s ‘Perfect’.
Last week, Sheeran dropped his latest musical addition, Play (Deluxe), which features 14 brand new tracks, and lucky fans who have tickets to these upcoming shows will be eager to see which ones he adds to his setlist.
Ed Sheeran at Co-op Live, Manchester – all the key info you need to know
Ed Sheeran is performing a run of ‘intimate’ shows in the UK (Credit: Press Shots via Petros Studio)
Now he’s bringing his huge hits to Manchester’s biggest indoor entertainment venue, Co-op Live, just across from the ‘Castle on the Hill’, Etihad Stadium, which Sheeran has performed at on eight occasions.
If you’re patiently trying not to get your hopes up, thinking about tickets for Sheeran’s latest gig while simultaneously saying ‘I Don’t Care’, think again.
All you ‘Beautiful People’ after tickets to go see Ed Sheeran when he plays out at Co-op Live on 7 December, you’re in luck as there’s a handful waiting to get snapped up HERE.
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Ed Sheeran setlist
Prepare yourself, but with 43 top ten hits next to his name, it’s no surprise Sheeran’s setlist is quite a lengthy one; here’s what he performed at his Paris show earlier this month:
Give Me Love
Castle on the Hill
Shivers
Sapphire
The A Team
Don’t
Boat / Life Goes On
Galway Girl
Nancy Mulligan
Old Phone
Celestial
One / Photograph
Thinking Out Loud
Eastside / 2002 / Cold Water / Little Things / Love Yourself
I See Fire
River / Peru / Beautiful People / I Don’t Care
Camera
Slowly
Perfect
Symmetry
Bloodstream
You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
Shape of You
Azizam
Bad Habits
Afterglow
Merry Christmas
What are the stage times for Ed Sheeran in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can ‘2step’ to this chart-topping superstar’s tracks and get tucked up in bed before the early hours of the morning.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open from 6pm, and not one but two very special guests as the support acts: contemporary Irish band, Biird, and folk duo, Nizlopi, who Ed Sheeran has been a big fan of for a long time now.
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You can hear more about his connection with the group down below.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
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Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
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Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images — Petros Studio and Mark Surridge (via Press Shots)
Gigs & Nightlife
Disney On Ice is returning to Manchester this winter on latest UK arena tour
Danny Jones
Whether you’re looking for something to give your children a thrill, or you’re a fully fledged ‘Disney adult’ yourself, you’ll be glad to hear that the smash-hit Disney On Ice show is coming back to Manchester city centre later this year.
Returning globally for its 45th anniversary and celebrating over three and a half decades here in the UK, Disney On Ice is set for its 16th edition here in Manchester this winter.
Bringing iconic characters, storylines and scenes to life with incredible choreographed ice-skating routines, as well as all-singing-all-dancing musical numbers, you won’t find many more spectacular family-friendly live shows than this one.
Well and truly a staple of the annual entertainment calendar around the globe, these performances attract millions every year, and now thousands more will get to watch the latest version at the AO Arena.
As written on the social media post confirming the next batch of dates, the venue wrote: “Follow the quest for Tinker Bell through the dazzling worlds of Coco, Moana, Frozen, and Beauty and the Beast.
“Experience thrilling skating and memorable moments from Aladdin, Toy Story, and The Little Mermaid. Watch Stitch crash the action with mischievous surprises. It’s non-stop fun for the whole family!”
Dubbed ‘Discover The Magic’, this upcoming iteration of the Disney format is said to be all about “celebrating love and bravery”; expect more than 170 dazzling costumes made by over 100 artisans using thousands of yards of fabric, adorned with hundreds of thousands of hand-set Swarovski crystals.
One of the most impressive parts about these performers – besides their obvious gifts for music and movement – is how quickly they change outfits, transforming in under 30 seconds before stepping back out onto the impressively designed stage, which is estimated to weigh in excess of 12,000 pounds.
You can take a glance at the scenes from their most recent spring tour of a similar name down below.
Such an impressive display all-round.
You can find the full list of UK shows here – we’ve highlighted all the Northern ones for you:
Disney On Ice UK tour dates – winter 2026/27
Birmingham bp pulse LIVE: Oct 28 – Nov 8, 2026
Newcastle Utilita Arena: Nov 11 – Nov 15, 2026
Nottingham Motorpoint Arena: Nov 19 – Nov 22, 2026
Aberdeen P&J Live: Nov 26 – Nov 29, 2026
Belfast SSE: Dec 3 – Dec 6, 2026
Sheffield Utilita Arena: Dec 9 – Dec 13, 2026
Manchester AO Arena: Dec 16 – Dec 20, 2026
London The O2: Dec 24 – Jan 3, 2027
With the likes of other big Disney Concerts and the Entertainment group productions coming to Manchester over the next year or so, including the recently announced Worlds Collide UK crossover tour, there are plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in all kinds of classic movie magic.
The pre-sale opens from 10am this Friday, 12 June, which you can prepare for now; as for general admission, tickets will be available from the same time on the last Friday of the month (26 June).
All-new VIP magical passes have also been added for the very first time this year, meaning guests of all ages can enjoy all the glitz and glamour possible.
Whatever package you and/or the kids fancy, you can get ready to grab yours right HERE.
For anyone interested in seeing other animated and digital favourites brought to life in the flesh right here in the city centre, this one might interest you, too…
Calling all self-declared otakus, cinephiles and gamers – this one looks right up your street. 🎼
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AO Arena)
Gigs & Nightlife
Gig review | Lola Young’s Manchester comeback – A joyous return to stage at the O2 Apollo Manchester
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston
The excitement in the air is palpable in the O2 Apollo Manchester, the crowd is itching for her to make her way onto stage and is chanting her name – Manchester has missed you, Lola Young.
After an extended hiatus since she collapsed at the All Things Go festival in New York last September, Lola is back on a short tour to find her feet again. Whilst Manchester isn’t officially the first show, it is the headline performance for her comeback.
Lola’s break had come at a pivotal moment, with her third studio album, I’m Only F***ing Myself (2025), earning huge acclaim, performances across the globe, and endorsements from the likes of Elton John for her talent.
After cancelling all of her shows ‘for the foreseeable future’, Lola asked fans for their forgiveness, writing in an emotional statement: “I really hope you’ll give me a second chance once I’ve had some time to work on myself and come back stronger.”
Tough to handle for anyone, let alone a young rising artist.
It was clear to everyone that her hard work on herself had paid off, as this was a different Lola Young from the one I saw at Glastonbury last year: there was a calmness to her – she seemed more centred and more confident.
That calmness, however, did not mean a lacklustre performance: she is still a powerhouse; her stage presence is just magnetic, and it is clear to see how loved she is by her fans. The energy in the room didn’t falter the entire time she was on stage.
She kicked things off with ‘Sad Sob Story’, a song about moving on from a toxic relationship, which seemed fitting as she steps away from the drama and difficulties of last year into a fresh start. A wall-shaking opening number that set the scene for what was to follow with the rest of the show.
As part of her healing journey, Young stated that she has decided to write something special and specific for each show to tell herself if she’s worried or doubting her ability.
She shared her Manchester mantra with us: “When you are connected, when you express what you feel is true to you, when you open yourself up and share your very unique experience, remember you are electric… Those who want to listen will lean in, no matter your volume.”
Although she was clearly introspecting, she was also speaking to her audience, her fans, and expressing gratitude for them still being there. Shouts of support echoed out through the venue, her fans truly loving and supporting her as they have since day one, perhaps more so than ever.
Her performances of songs like ‘Big Brown Eyes’, ‘Not Like That Anymore’ and ‘Conceited’, showed just how much fun Lola was having on stage, being back and being surrounded by people who truly loved her.
At times, the crowd were singing along so loudly and passionately that she laughed and told the audience, “I can’t even hear myself in my own ears.” She had to occasionally take moments to step back and take it all in, seemingly overwhelmed with joy at the outpouring of love being reflected back to her.
Her band were also a stand-out, sharing in her energy and passion. It is clear that Young and her band could easily fill huge arenas with their talent and fervour, but this more intimate venue just seemed correct.
Lola continued to prove throughout the night why she was so deserving of her BRIT Award for ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’, and her Grammy nominations for ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Best Pop Solo Performance’.
Her vocal talent, emotional depth and electric stage presence were showcased in songs like ‘why do i feel better when i hurt you?’, ‘Post Sex Clarity’ and the incredible ‘You Noticed’, showing an extremely vulnerable side to her that had many audience members tearing up.
We saw all sides of Young during this show, with her iconic songs ‘One Thing’, ‘d£aler’ and ‘Messy’ practically blasting the roof off of the O2 Apollo Manchester.
The fans could hardly contain themselves, screaming the lyrics back at her – it was truly a night to remember for everyone.
With another night in Manchester due to popular demand, Lola promised to be back soon. Could it be a bigger tour, bigger venues, new music?
Who knows, but for now we’re just glad to see her healthy and have her back in our lives again.
Thomas Melia -
5th December 2025 
