British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
ADVERTISEMENT
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
ADVERTISEMENT
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Inside Voyeur, a mysterious new post-punk 80s-inspired cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
A brand new cocktail bar is set to open in Manchester this week, with dark and mysterious interiors, 80s inspiration, and a raunchy theme.
Voyeur is opening in the heart of the Northern Quarter, and here it’s all about modern drinks in a post-punk 80s setting.
The walls are decorated with beautiful voyeurism photography from the 80s, including artists like David Hockney, Nick Taggart, and Malerie Marder.
Even the menus celebrate the artistic side of voyeurism, with drinks presented within a book of photography.
Those drinks include creative twists on drinks dating back more than a century, from the Kaleidescope of Lies (a two-in one cocktail inspired by a pina colada, with a strawberry daiquiri foam top) to The Voyeur (made with coriander-infused tequila for a savoury punch).
There’ll be monthly themed specials, kicking off with The Breakfast Club, where seasonal drinks take inspiration from Lucky Charms cereal, chai latte and an acai bowl.
Cocktails inspired by The Breakfast Club at VoyeurCocktails at Voyeur in the Northern QuarterInside Voyeur, a new Manchester cocktail barInside Voyeur, a new Manchester cocktail barVoyeur on Oldham StreetThe cocktail menu is presented as a photography book
The dark space is lit by marble table lamps and a glittering green disco ball (and not much else), perfect for an evening spent sipping cocktails into the early hours.
Between Thursdays and Sundays, Voyeur will have DJs spinning vinyls.
Voyeur is opening this week on Oldham Street and will be open from 5pm to 2am between Tuesday and Sunday.
Metalcore favourites Motionless in White are heading to Manchester for a massive arena show
Danny Jones
Heavy metal and metalcore band Motionless in White are returning to Manchester for a massive arena show in 2026.
The provocative and Gothic-inspired outfit has been going for more than two decades now, becoming increasing favourites within the passionate sub-culture over the years.
Known for thrashing guitars and drums, striking visuals and plenty of eye makeup, Motionless in White have a die-hard following all over the globe.
Led by charismatic lead singer and frontman Chris ‘Motionless’ Cerulli, the in-your-face five-piece are coming back to Manchester for a huge show
Although you’d be forgiven for mistaking their dark aesthetic for something out of Transylvania, Motionless in White are from Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Close enough.
It’s fair to say their genre is a far cry away from the familiar upbeat jingle of The Office US theme song too, as they mix heavy, industrial and nu-metal influences to create what is sometimes labelled as a contemporary ‘gothcore’ sound.
Best known for tracks such as ‘Another Life’, ‘Thoughts & Prayers’, ‘Masterpiece’ and ‘Sign Of Life’, it’s punchy, raw and aggressive.
You’d expect nothing less from a world-renowned metal artist.
While the band have cycled through various lineups at this point, the current Motionless in White formation is just as ferocious as ever, and fans will get to see them on their biggest stage in Manchester yet as they arrive at the legendary AO Arena early next year.
The band will be playing the iconic Manchester music venue on Saturday, 7 February 2026, with support acts scheduled to be confirmed in June, along with additional UK tour dates.
If you’re a metalhead interested in going along, you’ll have two shots are early access, with Three+ pre-sale tickets going live from 10am this Wednesday, 23 April, with AO’s own pre-sale available from the same time on Thursday (24 April).
As for general admission, they’ll be up for grabs from 10am on Friday, 25 April. You can get ready to secure yours HERE.
Thomas Melia -
23rd April 2025 
