Last night marked K-pop group ENHYPEN’s first-ever visit to Manchester, the UK and Europe as a whole, so it was no surprise the crowd was ready to get ‘Loose’ as they took to AO Arena.
The lights dimmed, the fans screamed, and it had finally dawned on Manchester that it was officially ‘En-O’Clock.‘
It’s a bouncy bassline, synth-stinted number also known as ‘Brought The Heat Back’ that kicks the show off, and on a day when our city was surprisingly warm, this three-minute performance was very fitting.
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ENHYPEN performing ‘Loose’ for 21,000 fans at AO Arena in Manchester (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
‘Future Perfect (Pass the MIC)’ had the crowd quite literally jumping for joy, ‘Given-Taken’ saw a similar response, while a personal highlight was ‘Bite Me’.
With lyrics like “Come here and get some” and “Just come over and bite me”, this song follows a perfect pure-pop formula that works every time; it’s hard to ignore.
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‘Your Eyes Only’, which makes reference to the previous hit “You can bite me / You can play me”. Did we like this song? “Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya” we did.
Disco belter ‘Sweet Venom’ had the crowd captivated for just under three minutes with its “Swe-hee-hee-t” earworm lyrics in every chorus.
K-pop boyband ENHYPEN played ‘Tamed-Dashed’ during their ‘Walk The Line’ tour at AO Arena in Manchester (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
An extended electronic synth introduction plays out as the staggered-vocal single, ‘XO (Only If You Say Yes)’ begins, and it’s easy to see why this is a fan favourite.
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Whether it’s the fact that it has an easy-to-follow but incredibly addictive chorus or due to it featuring on the soundtrack for the Netflix rom-com and To All The Boys I Loved Before spin-off, XO, Kitty.
Following this was the 2010s-reminiscent ‘Bad Desire (With or Without You)’, which felt like a callback to ex-boyband star Justin Timberlake and his return with magnum opus ‘Mirrors’.
This song warranted such a roar of cheers and applause that the band decided to give it a second play later in the set, although this time they opted for the English version, which was equally appreciated.
All seven members of ENHYPEN interacting with fans during their Manchester show (Credit: BELIFT LAB)
During interactions with fans between songs, ENHYPEN discuss what they recognise Manchester for, stating, “This city is really famous for its football”.
Instead of declaring their support for the reds or blues, the band opted for a smart and conscious, “We’ll leave it there” – well played, boys.
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‘Paranormal’ signalled that this night of incredible dance-packaged music was coming to an end, but ENHYPEN’s version of an encore is much different to any other musical act.
These seven singing sensations decided to play not just one or two songs before saying goodbye to the Manchester crowd, they opted for five plus – phenomenal.
Harry Styles One Night Only will be strictly phone-free – with thousands of real cameras handed out instead
Daisy Jackson
Harry Styles’ show in Manchester on Friday night will have a strict no-phones policy, it’s been confirmed.
Instead, the lucky few thousand of fans heading to his One Night Only gig will be handed proper disposable cameras to capture moments from the night.
Rumours of a phone ban had been swirling online for weeks after job adverts appeared for extra staff to help promote a phones-free event.
But the news has now been confirmed by the Co-op Live itself, following the announcement that Netflix would be filming the full Harry Styles show.
In a statement, the venue said it hopes fans will ‘take this opportunity to enjoy the show fully and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the experience’.
Any use of cameras, smart glasses, smart watches, or other recording devices won’t be permitted in the venue on Friday night.
Fans will instead have to secure their phones inside recyclable bags, which will allow them to be used in normal ways for communications, but without the camera.
At the end of the night, your phone will be removed from the bag and the bag will be recycled.
Anyone caught using a digital recording device during the Harry Styles One Night Only phones-free show may be asked to leave the venue.
Instead of a sea of phones, Harry Styles will be asking fans to capture their memories from the night on disposable cameras, which will be included with every pair of tickets sold.
Harry Styles’ One Night Only gig in Manchester will be the subject of a Netflix documentary
The statement shared by Co-op Live says: “We are looking forward to seeing you on Friday 6th March to be part of a very special live performance – Harry Styles One Night in Manchester at Co-op Live! We’re pleased to announce Netflix will be filming the full show for everyone to enjoy and re-live again and again, it will be available globally from Sunday 8th March at 7pm GMT.
“We hope you will take this opportunity to enjoy the show fully and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the experience.
“The use of cameras, smart glasses, smart watches and similar recording devices will not be permitted in the event space. Phones will be secured in a recyclable bag, kept on your person upon entry to the event, and will still be able to be used in a normal way including all communication functions but without the camera. All other recording devices will not be permitted in the building.
“At the end of the night your phone will be removed from the bag and the bag will be recycled. Please note that anyone using a digital recording device during the performance will be asked to stop and if they do not, they may be asked to leave.
“Each pair of tickets sold will receive a disposable camera on the night so you can still capture your own special moments and share them after the show.”
Manchester hosted The BRIT Awards 2026 and proved why it’s the best city on earth
Clementine Hall
It was a monumental night for Manchester as the BRIT Awards 2026 were held at the Co-op Live Arena for the first time.
If you’ve been around Manchester over the past couple of months then there’s no doubt you’ll have been caught up in the BRITS buzz.
First launched in 1977, it’s the first time the awards have been held outside of London and we may be biased, but we reckon it’s the best decision they’ve ever made.
In the lead up to the awards, the city welcomed a whole host of special gigs as part of BRITS Week in aid of War Child.
Images: The Manc Group
I was lucky enough to see the incredibly talented Olivia Dean at the Albert Hall as part of it, whilst DJ Josh Baker took over the Pink Room in YES and The K’s took to the stage at Gorilla.
So it’s safe to say that when the actual award ceremony came around, the city was ready and raring to go.
Kicking off the show was of course Cheshire’s own Harry Styles, performing his return single ‘Aperture’ in a crisp white shirt, tie and work trousers. Not what you’d usually expect Mr Styles to be rocking, but it certainly worked and there was enough screams from the crowd to prove it.
It was an electric start to the ceremony, with everybody on their feet two-stepping to the tune which has dominated the charts over the past couple of weeks.
The entire evening was stuffed to the brim with captivating performances, from Dua Lipa’s surprise entrance on a disco ball to celebrate the achievements of Mark Ronson to James Blunt playing the piano for Alex Warren (yes, really).
A standout moment for me was the magnificent Rosalía who performed ‘Berghain’ in front of a huge string section and vocal choir. And as if that wasn’t enough, she then proceeded to welcome the utter legend that is Björk on stage. Just ridiculous really.
A truly magnetic and vocally impressive performance that proved why, amongst other things, she went on to bag the Brit award for International Artist of the Year that evening.
There was one lady though who completely dominated the night and that, of course, is Olivia Dean.
The woman of the hour scooped up four BRIT awards including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year, and do you know what? We can’t think of anyone more deserving.
A true class act that has put the graft in and deserves her flowers, her performance of global hit ‘Man I Need’ on the night was one we’ll be watching again and again for years to come.
Noel Gallagher was awarded Songwriter of the Year and shocked the masses when he thanked his brother whilst accepting the award, whilst Tim Burgess led a touching tribute to legendary Stone Roses bassist Mani who sadly passed away at the end of last year.
The entire evening felt like a real love letter to Manchester, and whilst Jack Whitehall may have poked fun at us whilst hosting it actually made us even prouder to call this wonderful city our home.
The BRIT Awards it was lovely to have you, and we’ll see you again next year.
Thomas Melia -
26th August 2025 
