Becky Hill didn’t just sing her songs at her AO Arena show – she transported us all on a free trip to Ibiza too with back-to-back club bangers that the crowd knew every word of.
The most successful The Voice UK contestant in history and Bewdley-born belter, Becky Hill put on a show that no audience member will ever forget with her stacks of addictive radio hits and even more fascinating deep cuts.
Supporting was Charlie Boon, who made the stage his own first bringing nothing but tunes playing some nostalgic and modern dance records to get the crowd up and moving, from the likes of ‘Free From Desire’ to ‘Prada’.
Next it was the drum and bass artist Catching Cairo and her house DJ guiding the AO Arena through a 30-minute slot of fast-paced melodies packed with snares, intricate loops and patterns merged with beat drops galore.
As she introduced her song ‘Touch’, she placed her microphone on the stand and schooled the crowd with her effortless vocals. If that microphone hadn’t been so held down by its stand, her vocals would’ve had it floating through mid-air in no time, what a musical force!
Becky Hill had the AO Arena audience up on their feet for the duration of her show full of non-stop dance hits, feeding Manchester‘s legacy as a 24 hour party city.
Hill made sure she respected Manc culture too, as later on in her set she gave a special shoutout to our music capital explaining ‘This is where the Haçienda was born’ and ‘UK Dance music and clubbing both originated in Manchester’.
Having her debut single reach the top spot in 2014 is one feat but having over 14,000 people chanting the verses and choruses to almost every song on the setlist is an achievement many can only dream of.
The crowd captivated by Hill’s back to back dance anthems. Credit: The Manc Group
When it came to the inescapable ‘Afterglow’ the crowd were pumped. She may have just been a self-described ‘Little 19 year old girl from the West-Midlands’ when it released, but this song has a legacy of its own, one which the audience knew every single word to.
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Dance music has always been an important foundation to the UK soundscape and with 19 UK Top 40’s Becky Hill’s discography has contributed to keeping the genre alive and kicking.
Rileasa, Drag Queen and collaborator on ‘One Track Mind’ even made an appearance onstage to perform the album track duet together before hitting the splits mid-song, much like Hill’s latest album title we’re not making this up, Believe Me Now?
Hill is making sure everyone in the crowd gets the chance to see her up-close and personal this tour with a mini stage perched in the heart of the arena.
Fans were graced with some acoustic versions of her radio hits like ‘I Could Get Used To This’, giving us clubbers a chance to regain our breaths after a back-to-back dance workout, swapping rises and drops for intimate vocals and chilled piano chords.
Becky Hill getting up close and personal with fans on the B-Stage. Credit: The Manc Group
As the night went on, alongside delivering vocals upon vocals, the 30 year old would connect with fans during song changes. At one point, the star even commented on her own outfit joking ‘I feel like I raided the fancy dress shop’.
These pauses and interactions really showed off her down to earth nature, but then when the instrumentals for her singles including dancefloor filler ‘My Heart Goes (La di da)’ began, popstar mode was activated.
The Dance and EDM singer closed out the show with her epic number and magnum opus ‘Remember’ and was greeted with roars from the crowds of Manchester’s magnificent 14,200 concertgoers.
Based off the crowd’s reaction to the rest of the set and the tour closer, this concert is one we will certainly never forget.
Featured Image: The Manc Group
Manchester
Heaton Park’s historic tramway will be back up and running this summer after major funding secured
Emily Sergeant
Historic trams are set to run through Heaton Park once again from this summer thanks to some major new funding being secured.
For just over a year now, trams have been unable to run through Manchester‘s largest suburban park as the electrical substation which powers the Heritage Tramway needed an overhaul to bring it up to current safety standards – but now, some substantial funding has been secured to enable the essential restoration work to begin in the spring.
The trams operate on the only remaining section of the original tramway in Heaton Park, and offer locals and visitors alike a real glimpse into the past.
This piece of local history is operated by the volunteers of the Manchester Transport Museum Society (MTMS) on behalf of the Manchester Tramway Company Limited (MTCL) – a joint venture company between the Manchester Transport Museum Society and Manchester City Council.
This major investment into the existing infrastructure will ensure operation of the trams can continue for many years to come.
The £481,000 funding investment – which has been secured from Manchester City Council – should mean the tramway can restart in summer 2026, which just so happens to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Manchester’s first electric tramways in 1901, so it’s a big deal.
“Our support of the much-loved Heaton Park Tramway not only preserves an important piece of local heritage, but a piece of living history,” commented Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council.
“The vintage trams hold a special place in the hearts of many people.”
Heaton Park’s historic tramway will be back up and running this summer after major funding was secured / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph)
Geoff Senior, who is the Chairman of the Manchester Transport Museum Society, called the securing of funding ‘wonderful news’.
He added: “It represents a huge vote of confidence in the hard work and dedication [volunteers] have shown in the last 50 years of working to build, develop and run this vital piece of Manchester’s transport heritage, not only for the citizens of Manchester but those who travel to the park from wider afield.”
As mentioned, upgrade works to the Heaton Park Tramway will begin this spring – with the hopes trams will be back up and running again in the summer.
Featured Image – Adam McKendrick (via Wikimedia Commons)
Manchester
Harry Styles announced as latest performer at the 2026 BRIT Awards
Danny Jones
Yes, in what is set to be his Co-op Live debut (yes, the venue he’s literally invested in), Harry Styles has been confirmed as the latest blockbuster performer at this year’s BRITs.
The lineup for the 2026 BRIT Awards was already pretty stacked, but this just takes the cake.
Not long after FINALLY announcing his fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally and releasing the new lead single, ‘Aperture’, the Cheshire-born singer-songwriter is coming to the Co-op Live arena for the very first time as part of the ceremony’s live music lineup.
Absolute scenes. Screaming, crying, throwing up.
we've got news… Harry's coming home 💋🪩@Harry_Styles will be making his live TV performance debut of music from his new album 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.' at The BRIT Awards 2026
Watch the performance live Saturday 28th February on ITV1 & ITVX in the UK and on… pic.twitter.com/Aax3lV03xM
The 31-year-old former One Direction member turned solo artist and global megastar recently revealed a raft of live shows this coming May (and there’s been plenty of discussion surrounding ticket prices), but he’s sadly overlooked Manchester for now.
However, anyone who already secured a seat at the first-ever BRITs here in Manchester will no doubt be doing cartwheels now following the announcement.
As if that wasn’t a mega enough name, he will be joining the likes of the wonderful, already award-winning and fellow multi-time nominee, Olivia Dean.
As quite literally two of the biggest musicians on the planet right now, we couldn’t pick a better roster if we dreamed it up ourselves.
Speaking of Ms Dean, she is also one of several acts confirmed to be playing a series of intimate acts across the country – and her’s is right here in Manchester.
You can see the full lineup of gigs HERE – all we’ll say is that there’s some seriously big hitters playing very small capacity venues on this list.
What a great few weeks for music, eh?
Taking place on Sunday, 28 February, public tickets for the show unfortunately sold out some time ago for what will also be his first-ever live musical TV performance.
Perhaps his booking is at least partly why we haven’t got a standalone Harry Styles Manchester gig on the ‘Together, Together’ tour, but we’re still keeping everything crossed that he’ll announce a second leg of shows here in the UK.
You’d think he’d fancy properly headlining the gaff he helped pay for, or maybe a return to the Etihad Stadium across the way, right?
Find the complete shortlist of nominees, as well as the rest of the live music lineup for the 2026 BRITs ceremony here in Manchester, down below; and if you see on screen trying to clutch at Harry’s ankles, we’re sure you’ll understand…
Thomas Melia -
21st October 2024 
