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Kylie Minogue announces huge Manchester shows at the AO Arena

SCREAMING.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 19th September 2024

Global pop icon Kylie has just announced details of a huge 2025 tour, which will include TWO shows at the AO Arena in Manchester.

This will be Kylie Minogue’s biggest tour since 2011, kicking off in her native Australia before heading around the globe.

Last time she performed in Manchester was in 2019 when she did a surprisingly intimate show at Castlefield Bowl – prior to that, it was the Golden tour at the AO Arena.

Now the princess of pop is back with her highly-anticipated Tension Tour, with more dates across Europe and America still to be announced.

Kylie said: “I am beyond excited to announce the TENSION TOUR 2025. I can’t wait to share beautiful and wild moments with fans all over the world, celebrating the Tension era and more!

“It’s been an exhilarating ride so far and now, get ready for your close up because I will be calling Lights, Camera, Action … and there will be a whole lot of Padaming!”

The tour comes in support of Tension II, a brand new collection of 13 songs that’s set for release on 18 October and follows the chart-topping Tension.

The new album will feature nine brand new studio tracks, plus dance hit Edge of Saturday Night with The Blessed Madonna, as well as collaborations with Orville Peck, Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo, and Sia.

Kylie Minogue announces huge Manchester show at the AO Arena
Kylie Minogue announces huge Manchester show at the AO Arena
Kylie Minogue announces huge Manchester show at the AO Arena
Kylie Minogue announces huge Manchester show at the AO Arena

Kylie said: “The Tension era has been so special to me … I can’t possibly let it be over just yet! Welcome to ‘Tension II’.”

This year alone, she’s taken home the Global Icon Award at the BRITs, win the Best Pop Dance Recording Grammy for the smash hit, ‘Padam Padam’, attend the Met Gala, complete her inaugural Las Vegas Residency, perform at WeHo Pride and release a series of high profile collaborations.

Kylie will perform at the AO Arena in Manchester on Monday 19 May 2025, and the newly-added date of Tuesday 20 May 2025.

Tickets for the UK dates will go on general sale at 10am Friday 27 September.

Fans will be able to sign up for venue pre-sale through the AO Arena here.

Kylie 2025 UK tour dates

  • Fri 16 May Glasgow OVO Hydro
  • Sat 17 May Newcastle Utilita Arena
  • Mon 19 May Manchester AO Arena
  • Thurs 22 May Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
  • Fri 23 May Sheffield Utilita Arena
  • Mon 26 May London The O2
  • Tues 27 May London The O2
  • Fri 30 May Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
  • Sat 31 May Birmingham bp pulse LIVE

Featured image: Erik Melvin

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Adidas drop Liam and Noel Gallagher SPZL trainers

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Adidas drop Liam and Noel Gallagher SPZL trainers

Liam and Noel Gallagher have teamed up with adidas once again to create their very own SPZL trainers.

The sportswear giant has today dropped the designs for the adidas LG Achille SPZL and the adidas NG Marathon SPZL.

The sure-to-sell-out trainers will officially hit shelves in the new Manchester adidas store, and other stockists, next weekend.

The footwear drop coincides with the ongoing Oasis reunion tour, which attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the city when they played five nights in Heaton Park.

Liam and Noel themselves have maintained a close relationship with Gary Aspden, curator of the adidas SPZL range, for more than two decades.

They’re often seen sporting the iconic trainers and creating product collaborations, and now they’re back with a new Three Stripes partnership and their very own new adidas SPZL trainers.

Up first is Liam Gallaghers’s adidas SPZL, with the Oasis frontman asking to bring back a revised version of an archival runner, the adidas Achille.

Adidas drop Liam and Noel Gallagher SPZL trainers
Adidas drop Liam and Noel Gallagher SPZL trainers

The LG Achille SPZL features a khaki mesh base, chocolate brown stripes, a beige suede T-toe overlay, and a sand outside, with a motif of Liam on the tongue of the shoe.

Noel Gallagher’s NG Marathon SPZLs are his first collaborations with the brand since his immediate sell-out shoes back in 2017.

His are a new hybrid inspired by the adidas Marathon 85 silhouette, keeping the suede upper and rubber outsole of the Marathon 85 but with a deep navy/sky blue palette with a reworked toe box and midsole, as well as details like the Eco-Tex tongue and tonal eyelets.

Both shoes feature a portrait of their namesakes on the tongue, as well as spare laces, co-branded sock liners, and commemorative packaging.

The adidas LG Achille SPZL and the adidas NG Marathon SPZL are set to launch via adidas SPZL stockists and the adidas Carnaby and MCR retail stores on 16 August.

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Featured image: adidas

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Oasis are being linked with a massive outdoor gig next year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Oasis rumoured for Slane Castle outdoor gig 2026

After 16 long years of waiting, Oasis are officially the biggest band on the planet again (not that they ever really stopped), and now they’re being linked with a rather big outdoor gig at the storied Slane Castle next year.

They’ve already done Knebworth, so why not tick another one off the list?

With the Live ’25 reunion tour well underway, and rumblings over what they’re going to do once this run of global comeback shows is done, Britpop fever hasn’t just had fans of the band reliving the 1990s – it’s practically taken over the music world.

There’s already plenty of talk circling – including a potential return to Knebworth – but now Oasis is pretty much the first and only name being tipped for a huge headline slot at Slane Castle, after 2026 dates were slated by the estate’s owners.

slaine castle gigs
Slane Castle hosted natives, U2, for their Go Home live concert film back in 2002. (Credit: Sara Einarsson via WikiCommons)

While Harry Styles played Ireland’s historic and equally iconic venue back in 2023, the Co Meath concerts, located in the heart of the Boyne Valley, have somewhat dried up in recent years.

Prior to the former One Direction star, the last major musicians to play there were rock and heavy metal veterans, Metallica, more than half a decade ago.

However, the new lord of the manor, Alex Conyngham, is now looking to carry on where his father, Henry Mountcharles, left off in carrying on their live music legacy; and given that another legendary rock and roll band is pretty much anyone can talk about at the minute, their name has already been put forward.

As per the Drogheda Independent writer, John Kierans, Conyngham is reported to have said: “We want to bring the shows back, we miss them. It is not just about the revenue, but keeping the name of Slane as a rock venue on the map.

“It is what Slane Castle is known for, and I don’t want that legacy to fade away. This is one of the world’s great rock and roll venues with the most natural setting. We are working on plans, and hopefully we can pull something off for next year.”

While Oasis are due to play two nights at Croke Park in Dublin later this month, there is now a strong belief/expectation that a number of 2026 dates will also be announced. But will the stars align?

The Gallaghers’ obvious Irish connection has only added further fuel to the fire, though some people believe that Liam has already let the cat out of the bag regarding a second residency at Knebworth – or rather, third, in his case.

It’s also worth mentioning that they’ve played the 1,500-acre grounds before. Twice, in fact.

The first occasion was in July 1995, supporting R.E.M just before they hit arguably the height of their own powers with the release of their second album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? just a few months later, on 2 October.

Burnage‘s most famous sons and their bandmates go to do it all over again in 2009 (the same year they would eventually split up), with some incredible ‘warm-up acts’ in The Prodigy, Kasabian and Glasvegas.

Phwoar…

Let’s be honest, either of those artists could probably book and sell out the place these days, so god knows how much a ticket for that lineup would set you back present day.

Regardless, if there’s one band that fits the billing to bring back the Slane Castle gigs at their boldest and best, it’s the almighty Oasis.

Whether or not the heavily rumoured 2026 dates are domestic to the UK and Ireland, we’ll have to wait and see, but the clamour is already there, no matter where they sign on to perform.

If you were at Heaton Park or had the fortune of seeing any of the Live ’25 shows, you’ll know they still sound as good as ever.

Oasis are clearly doing something very deliberate for the as-yet-unconfirmed Live ’25 reunion album

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Featured Images — Sitomon (via Flickr)/Kinsie84 (via Wikimedia Commons)/Press Shots

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