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AJ Handley-Rowe - 10th November 2021

Westlife at Co-op Live, Manchester – stage times, setlist, tickets and more

Daisy Jackson

Westlife announce huge Manchester arena gig on upcoming 25th anniversary tour

Westlife are bringing their 25th anniversary tour to Manchester this October – and demand has been so great, they’re doing THREE nights at the Co-op Live.

Fans of the Irish pop group can look forward to a night of nostalgic singalongs, soaring ballads and some of the biggest hits of their 25-year career when Westlife arrive in Manchester for their Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour.

The original Manchester announcement featured a single show, but a rush of demand saw additional dates added – Westlife are now set to spend three consecutive nights at Co-op Live.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Manchester concerts, including dates, tickets, support, setlist, and how to get to the arena.

When are Westlife playing Co-op Live in Manchester?

Westlife are scheduled to perform at Co-op Live on the following dates:

Friday 23 October
Saturday 24 October
Sunday 25 October

All three shows are part of the Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour, celebrating the group’s milestone anniversary with a set built around their best-loved songs.

The venue lists a 7pm show start, with general admission doors opening at 6.30pm. Earlier entry is available for certain premium and hospitality ticket holders. Check the timings on your own ticket before travelling.

How to get tickets for Westlife in Manchester

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There are still some tickets available for Westlife’s gigs at Co-op Live.

On Friday 23 October, tickets are priced between £61.20 and £123.75, with a few more options for resale – you can see the latest availability HERE.

Ticket prices for Saturday 24 October are the same as above, with the latest availability HERE.

And Sunday 25 October has the best availability of all, with tickets for £61.20, £101.20, £112.20, £123.75, £141.35, and £151.85 still on sale HERE.

Who is supporting Westlife?

Singer Ana Sky is listed as a support artist for the Manchester shows.

The Los Angeles born alt-pop singer-songwriter has gone from a career in biology to international stages, topping the charts with her song King of Hearts.

Her emotional anthem Sleeping Without You has also amassed nearly one million views on YouTube.

What songs can fans expect to hear?

Westlife’s anniversary tour celebrates the songs that made them one of Ireland’s most successful pop groups, from late-1990s favourites to more recent releases.

Based on the reported setlist from their Cardiff show on 19 October, Manchester fans can look forward to a strong selection of familiar hits.

World of Our Own
Uptown Girl
Bop Bop Baby
What About Now
When You’re Looking Like That
What Makes a Man
I Have a Dream
I Lay My Love on You
Starlight
Queen of My Heart
Chariot
Fool Again
If I Let You Go
My Love
Unbreakable
Mandy
Flying Without Wings
Hello My Love
Encore
You Raise Me Up
Swear It Again

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

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 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

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.

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.

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 on 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 Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
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 on 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.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Featured image: Publicity picture

Manchester’s smash-hit Pitbull 5km run is back in town this week

Daisy Jackson

Manchester's smash-hit Pitbull 5km run is back in town this week

A 5km running event where participants dress up as Pitbull is returning to Manchester this week.

Runners will be donning bald caps, drawing on goatees, and shrugging on their suit jackets as they hit the streets for a very silly run.

The Pitbull Party Run has been organised again this year by Slow Run Club, and Run the Street MCR, who’ll be spurring runners on with plenty of daftness inspired by the man himself.

It’s part of a series of shakeout events taking place all week before the 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness.

The 5km shake-out run will be soundtracked by non-stop Pitbull party anthems from warm-up all the way through the run to the cool-down.

Last year’s event proved to be a massive hit and had dozens of Pitbull look-a-likes running through the streets – so now they’re hoping to make it even bigger for this year.

Runners will meet outside The Tap House in Circle Square from 6.30pm for a warm-up, ready to run from 7pm.

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And all participants will get a free Lucky Saint beer to celebrate finishing the race.

24-Hour Run founder Thomas Lewis said: “We’ve got a great programme of events lined up across Greater Manchester.

“These shakeout events are all about bringing local running communities together while spreading the word about the 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness in November.

“The Pitbull party run got a great reception last year, and we’re delighted to be teaming up with Run The Streets MCR and Slow Run Club to put on this event again.”

The Manchester 24-Hour Run Against Homelessness is a charity relay challenge that invites runners of all abilities to take part in a continuous 24-hour relay made up of a 5km loop repeated throughout the 24 hours.

Runners can join for as little or as much as they like, whether it’s one lap or 20. The event takes place from midday on Wednesday 11 November to midday Thursday 12 November.

The 24-Hour Run supports the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s A Bed Every Night scheme, and last year saw cumulative distance of over 16,000 km covered and raised over £70,000 for the charity.

Tickets for the Pitbull Party Run are £3, which all goes to the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity to support The Manchester 24 Hour Run’s goal of £100,000.

Featured image: The Manc Group