Tina – The Tina Turner Musical has announced its first-ever UK and Ireland tour, and it’s coming to Manchester.
The smash hit West End production, which documents the life of the iconic singer and is packed with her biggest hits, will visit the Palace Theatre.
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical has been running at the Aldwych Theatre for more than five years, smashing box office records, and eight productions have opened worldwide.
The show is currently on tour in North America and Australia but details of a UK and Ireland leg have finally been announced, with a huge run in Manchester.
The glittering production tells the story of the 12-time Grammy Award-winning Queen of Rock n Roll.
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It’s a true and inspiring story which captures how she dared to dream fiercely, shatter barriers and defy the bounds of age, gender, and race to conquer the world against all odds.
Its soundtrack includes her hits like The Best, What’s Love Got To Do With It?, Private Dancer and River Deep, Mountain High.
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Producer Tali Pelman said: “Tina Turner played to packed out arenas across the UK and Ireland throughout her extensive career.
TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL. Credit: Matt Crockett Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is coming to Manchester’s Palace Theatre. Credit: Manuel Harlan
“We’re thrilled to now be able to bring her extraordinary story to stages across the UK and Ireland for the first time with TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, celebrating the life and times of a truly inspirational woman whose story continues to move and elate audiences around the world every night.”
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is dedicated to the memory of Tina Turner, who sadly passed away in May 2023.
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Tina – The Tina Turner Musical will be at the Palace Theatre in Manchester from Tuesday 25 November 2025 to Saturday 3 January 2026.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 5 March here.
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical UK tour dates in full
Thursday 6 – Saturday 22 March 2025, Leicester Curve
Wednesday 26 March – Saturday 5 April 2025, Sunderland Empire
Thursday 8 – Saturday 26 April 2025, Bristol Hippodrome
Tuesday 6 – Saturday 24 May 2025, Grand Opera House, Belfast
Tuesday 27 May – Saturday 14 June 2025, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin
Tuesday 17 – Saturday 28 June 2025, Birmingham Hippodrome
Tuesday 1 – Saturday 12 July 2025, Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Tuesday 15 July – Saturday 2 August 2025, Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tuesday 12 – Saturday 23 August 2025, Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Tuesday 26 August – Saturday 6 September 2025, Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Tuesday 9 – Saturday 20 September 2025, Sheffield Lyceum
Tuesday 23 September – Saturday 4 October 2025, King’s Theatre Glasgow
Tuesday 7 – Saturday 18 October 2025, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Tuesday 28 October – Saturday 8 November 2025, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
Tuesday 11 – Saturday 22 November 2025, Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh
Tuesday 25 November 2025 – Saturday 3 January 2026, Palace Theatre, Manchester
Tuesday 13 – Saturday 24 January 2026, Theatre Royal, Norwich
Tuesday 27 January – Saturday 7 February 2026, Milton Keynes Theatre
Tuesday 10 – Saturday 28 February 2026, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Tuesday 3 – Saturday 14 March 2026, Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Tuesday 17 March – Saturday 4 April 2026, Leeds Grand Theatre
Rochdale Feel Good Festival announces headliners with MAJOR 90s act
Thomas Melia
The highly-anticipated Rochdale Feel Good Festival is returning to Rochdale Town Hall for a night of impressive live music.
Summer is fast approaching and one way the residents of Greater Manchester town Rochdale know this is the line-up for its major outdoor festival has just been released.
The festival has been running since 2007, taking place right outside the distinctive Rochdale Town Hall , this will be the shows grand return since its massive renovation.
This town centre music celebration is known for drawing in some of music’s biggest names like Cast, Scouting For Girls, Razorlight and most recently Heather Small.
Rochdale Feel Good Festival is coming to the main stage at Rochdale Town Hall this summer / Credit: Press Shots (Supplied)
Rochdale Feel Good Festival has continued this streak of securing some big pop stars and this time is no different as they’ve bagged a major 90s act with some equally notable bands on the line-up too.
Topping the bill is legendary pop-soul artist Gabrielle, known for chart-topping hits like ‘Dreams’ and ‘Rise’ as well as ‘If You Ever’, ‘Out Of Reach’ and ‘Sunshine’.
This phenomenal UK act has seen her 1999 LP Rise and 2001 compilation album Dreams Can Come TrueVol. 1 get certified platinum not once but four times.
Gabrielle is headlining Rochdale Feel Good Festival on Saturday 8 August / Credit: Press Shot (Supplied)
Gabrielle might be more familiar with Rochdale than we think, as she recently collaborated with Middleton born singer-songwriter for his single ‘Sad Song’.
Also announced is indie-rock band Ash, who have seen similar chart success by achieving 18 UK Top 40 hits such as ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘Shining Light’ and ‘Goldfinger’.
Another act joining the main stage is critically-acclaimed rock band Starsailor and with tunes like ‘Alcoholic’ and ‘Silence Is Easy’ it’s about to be a stellar night of performances.
Recognised rock bands Ash and Starsailor are also joining the line-up for Rochdale Feel Good Festival Credit: Press Shots (Supplied)
If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, Rochdale Feel Good Festival will be announcing more acts in the next few weeks making this line-up one of the best yet.
Rochdale Feel Good Festival is coming to the main stage at Rochdale Town Hall on Saturday 8 August with Gabrielle, Ash, Starsailor and more acts to follow – tickets and more info HERE.
Featured Images – Rochdale Borough Council / Press Shots (Supplied)
Manchester
The lost but still much-loved Greater Manchester food and drink spots that Mancs miss the most
Danny Jones
Unfortunately, these days, it feels as if we read about another place closing across the Manchester boroughs almost every week at this point – in fact, many of you might find out about those very closures right here on The Manc.
But, like anyone, we often just sit thinking back on some of our favourite bars, restaurants, takeaways and more that have sadly closed over the years.
10 of the most missed restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs in and around Manchester
1. Danish Food Centre
Starting off with the one we saw the most in the comments is the Danish Food Centre on the shopfront of the Royal Exchange on Cross Street, before sadly closing during the mid-1980s.
Exactly what it sounds like, this old Scandinavian spot first opened back in 1965 and was even known for a traditional sarnie known as ‘The Danwich’, as well as an interior lounge dubbed ‘Copenhagen Corner’.
That being said, many people used to nip here on their dinner break, to meet friends for lunch and a brew, or even to buy things to take home. It was eventually shut down by the Danish government, and we still envy those who got to experience it; still, without the original, we’d never have the likes of KRO Bar.
2. Horts/Ronnie’s Cafe Bar
Another one that popped up plenty in the long list of replies was Horts that used to sit on St. Ann’s Square and the attached Ronnie’s.
The former was more of a wine bar and the latter your standard cafe, but together, they were an ideal city centre favourite that served locals day and night.
By the late 80s, both had sadly disappeared, but people still reminisce about “the grand piano sat under a gorgeous glass dome” and how much they “loved the comfy leather Chesterfield sofas.”
Also up there in the trio of most-mentioned places below the post was the legendary Dutch Pancake House – no, not the one that rears its head at the Manchester Christmas, but at least you can still look forward to your annual fix.
The one we’re talking about was the busy corner of Elisabeth House (now 1 St Peter’s Square), which served a giant menu of sweet and savoury pancakes.
We lost it in the 2000s after developers bought the building, and lots of people are still angry about it.
Number four is Blinkers French and Bistro, which held that border between Salford and Manchester, and was owned by Cheshire-based millionaire, Selwyn Demmy.
The Wilmslow-born businessman may have been known for his famous ‘Hunter’s Moon’ in Wilmslow, but he was also the man behind the bar, restaurant and club which used to be on King Street West.
Before that, it was called the Le Phonographe, and it’s also not to be confused with the modern-day Blinker Bar now serving up top-notch cocktails over on Spring Gardens. By all accounts, it was a real ‘if you know, you know’ kind of gaff…
Next up is the old Grinch bar and grill, which used to be on Chapel Walks just off Cross St, and sadly closed back in 2016 after more than two decades.
More than a few Mancs said they “loved” either visiting and/or working here back in the day, and another cited that “their fried chicken was amazing”.
There’s plenty still open around there these days – including the likes of 10 Tib Lane, New Wave Ramen and the ever-reliable Town Hall Tavern – but evidently, there’s still plenty that really miss it. These days, it’s a pretty good Korean place called Annyeong.
6. Dry Bar/’Dry201′
This next one is a location that does still exist and is technically still a very busy bar most evenings, weekends and sunny afternoons if you can get a seat in the window.
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However, many will argue that nothing quite compares to the old Dry Bar, a.k.a. Dry201/’FAC 201′, over in the Northern Quarter.
Nowadays, it’s home to the new and improved Freemount, which moved from its previous venue on Oldham Street; nevertheless, countless people still recall the watering hole in “the original format” as one of the best bars in town.
Their social presence still exists. (Credit: Dry Bar via Facebook)
7. UCP
One we’ve heard tales of now and again over the years, but still slightly wince whenever we hear the full name. In case you’re unaware, UCP is an abbreviation of United Cattle Products, which was the name of a company that had a big presence here in Greater Manchester.
To be fair, it was a pretty familiar brand across the region and the North as a whole, but their flagship four-storey shop over at Market Street/Pall Mall was the go-to place for lots of meat products.
We’ll say it, one of the main things people would go there to seek out was that word that still makes lots of people squirm: tripe – but remember, for generations this was a very common ingredient in various meals and for some, still is.
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8. Croma
Ok, this one is more of a recent one that we’re sure lots of you still remember like it was yesterday, because in relative terms to most of this list, it kind of was.
Croma in Manchester city centre shut in 2022 after the pandemic, their Didsbury restaurant closed by March 2023, and the Chorlton site followed suit just last year.
However, we still maintain we’ve had some of our best pizza nights in these places.
For our/your penultimate pick, a fair few people noted Henry’s, which also lay claim to being Manchester’s ‘first’ cafe bar back in the day – that, of course, is still up for debate.
The group behind this brand opened up a venue in our city centre back in 1986, near Parsonage Gardens, but only made it to 2007 despite remaining fairly popular for a long time.
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It went on to be replaced by another chain in Revolution; however, they are also closing locations all across the UK. Gutting.
It was arguably better known in London, such as in Mayfair. (Credit: Ewan Munro via Flickr)
10. Cornerhouse
Last but not least, the legacy of the Cornerhouse cinema needs no explanation, really, but there’s a lot to be said for the lasting love lots of people had for their memories made in there and the joint bar next door, quite literally spitting distance away.
Still sitting like a bittersweet reminder on the (you guessed it) corner leading up to Oxford Road Station and Whitworth Street, the theatre itself is home to little more than gig posters and an ever-changing rotation of murals these days.
However, you will be glad to know that the bar and visual arts centre across the road is still Manchester Metropolitan’s Arts, Culture and Media Hub, so it’s still alive in some fashion.
We (well, I*) couldn’t wrap up this round-up without paying tribute to one of the best places this city has ever seen, let alone just NQ.
It might not be right at the top of your dream revival list, but we’re sure plenty of you will agree that, for a period of time, CBR+B was the place to be.
Daisy Jackson -
29th February 2024 
