Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott have announced a return to Manchester on their autumn UK tour.
The tour will include some of their biggest-ever shows as a duo, with support from special guest Billy Bragg at all dates.
They’ll be gigging at the AO Arena in Manchester, as well as the O2 Arena in London and Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.
And despite such massive arena shows on the cards, they’re promising tickets will remain at just £30.
Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott’s tour will be in support of their upcoming new album, N.K-Pop, which is due for release on 7 October.
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Two songs from the album, Still and Too Much For One (Not Enough For Two) have already been released.
Paul & Jacqui UK tour announced with special guest @BillyBragg including dates at Manchester @AOArena & London @TheO2. All tickets £30! Qualify for presale access by pre-ordering the new album at https://t.co/iXyR5p7hCq by 4pm Monday. Presale codes/links emailed from 5pm Monday. pic.twitter.com/RTjD2d8DZl
Their previous album, Manchester Calling, went straight to number one when it was released in March 2020.
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In 2022, Paul Heaton’s songwriting was recognised with a prestigious Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection.
With some 15 million album sales under his belt, his music career has included stints as the frontman of The Housemartins (the same group that gave us Norman ‘Fatboy Slim’ Cook) and, of course, The Beautiful South, who released 10 hugely successful albums.
In 2001 Heaton took a break from The Beautiful South – where Jacqui Abbott was lead vocalist between 1994 and 2000 – and released his first solo album Fat Chance, followed by two more solo records.
In 2011, the pair reunited for Heaton’s musical, The 8th, and have since released four albums as a duo.
Earlier this year, Paul Heaton cemented his place in the nation’s hearts by putting £1000 behind the bar of 60 pubs across the UK and Ireland, so fans could have a drink on him on his birthday.
Tickets for Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott’s autumn UK tour will go on sale at 9.30am on Thursday 1 September through Gigs and Tours.
Full tour dates are:
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November 26 SWANSEA Arena 27 LLANDUDNO Cymru Arena 28 BLACKPOOL Opera House
December 1 BRIDLINGTON Spa 2 GLASGOW OVO Hydro 3 STOCKTON Globe 5 PORTSMOUTH Guildhall 6 NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena 8 BIRMINGHAM Resorts World Arena 9 SHEFFIELD Utilita Arena 10 MANCHESTER AO Arena 17 LONDON The O2
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Gigs & Nightlife
Green Island Festival and Nell’s team up for bank holiday street party in Northern Quarter next month
Emily Sergeant
Green Island Festival is teaming up with pizza pros Nell’s and taking over the Northern Quarter for a big street party early next month.
For one day only, Edge Street will be locked off and a ‘fiesta’ will be taking over.
This early May bank holiday weekend, Green Island Festival will be linking up with Manchester’s favourite New York-style pizza merchants, Nell’s, for a special street party takeover right in the heart of the Northern Quarter.
Set to take over from midday on Saturday 2 May, families are first invited to join in on the bank holiday fun, as Born to be Wild Child – celebrated for their family-friendly parties – will be first up, encouraging all daytime ravers to get down early doors with their little ones.
Deptford George then takes the reins afterwards with his signature blend of soulful house, disco, funk and deeper electronic music, while Manc heavyweights Sprechen are guaranteed to bring a mixture of groove, soul, and energy with no limits.
Into the evening, Manchester-based collective Me Gusta will be taking things up a notch, so you can expect to hear sounds ranging from Afro-Latin and Caribbean, to Middle Eastern musical diaspora.
Closing the street party is La Noche, who again, will be bringing the best of Afro and Latin music to the streets of the city.
Green Island Festival and Nell’s are teaming up for bank holiday street party in the Northern Quarter next month / Credit: Supplied | The Manc Group
All day long, Nell’s famous New York-style pizza slices and pies will be available to feast on, as will Yard & Coop’s legendary buttermilk fried chicken, burgers, wings by order.
And then to wash it all down with, RIPE Beer are also getting involved, so partygoers can sip on delicious pints of beer as they dance the night away right through to 9pm.
Green Island x Nell’s Bank Holiday Street Party is landing on Edge Street from 12-9pm on Saturday 2 May, and it’s completely free to attend with no booking needed – just turn up on the day.
Featured Image – Supplied
Gigs & Nightlife
Manchester Village Pride reveals first wave of artists for 2026 with ‘historic’ fair pay union agreement
Emily Sergeant
The first 10 acts taking over the main stage this summer for Manchester Village Pride 2026 have now been announced.
In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced back in October last year that Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – had entered into voluntary liquidation, but was then confirmed earlier this year that it would return, once again, this August bank holiday weekend as Manchester Village Pride CIC.
And now organisers have announced the first 10 acts who’ll playing the festival this year, alongside a landmark commitment to fair pay – marking the first UK union of its kind for a Pride event.
Manchester Village Pride 2026 wristband holders will be treated to a wide range of pop hits and queer performances this year, as the first wave of acts includes the iconic Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner, Danny Beard, noughties R&B and hip hop collective, Booty Luv & Big Brovaz, and award-winning singer Alison Jiear.
Russell Small and vocalist Katherine Ellis, as well as powerhouse singer Michelle Lawson, Newcastle’s drag cabaret comedian Gladys Duffy, and three of Manchester’s best-loved drag performers, KY Kelly, Misty Chance, and Shania Pain, also join the lineup.
This first wave reveal is said to be one of the first of many announcements coming up, as the new organising team curates a lineup that ‘reflects its core promise’ – rebuilding Pride for the community.
Central to this promise is a guarantee that all artists performing at Manchester Village Pride will receive fair pay, and that professional industry standards will be upheld.
This commitment was formalised last week through a partnership with Equity, establishing a historic precedent for Pride events across the UK.
Manchester Village Pride has revealed the first wave of artists for 2026 / The Vain Photos | Manchester Pride
“Our Village party is returning thanks to the incredible support of our LGBTQ+ community, especially those who have already purchased wristbands to help get us up and running,” commented Carl Austin-Behan, who is the founding board member and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride CIC.
“We cannot wait to see these ten icons take to the main stage, and we are just getting started.”
Carl added that the important difference in the festival this year is that organisers are ‘putting on Pride for the community with grassroots values at its heart’.
He added: “That means paying artists properly and being completely transparent about where the money goes. No one at the organising level is taking a salary this year – funds from wristband sales go straight into event logistics, artist pay, and our five amazing charity partners.”
Manchester Village Pride 2026 will take place this August bank holiday weekend from Friday 28 – Monday 31 August, and you can get your wristbands here.
Featured Image – The Vain Photos (@thevainphotos – Supplied)
Daisy Jackson -
25th August 2022 
