London rapper Central Cee has just announced a mega Manchester gig date set for this year which will be nothing short of stellar.
After dropping his debut album just last week, Central Cee (also known as Cench), has now released dates for his first ever UK arena tour.
2025 may have only just started but Central Cee is making sure to celebrate his successes in style and now he’s bringing his fans along for the ride too.
Known for hits like viral track ‘Doja’, Lil Baby link up ‘Band4Band’ and Dave collaboration ‘Sprinter’, Cench is no stranger to a hit record or two.
There was a time on social media platform TikTok, where you couldn’t open the app before hearing the well-known and widely referenced lyric, “How can I be homophobic? My B*tch is Gay.”
The Shepherd’s Bush superstar is packaging his all too familiar drill beats alongside his first LP ‘CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS’ and turning all these tunes into a highly anticipated world tour.
Our UK native made sure he’s stopping off at various cities up and down the country as well as Manchester including Birmingham, London, Glasgow and just over the pond with a slot in Dublin too.
Alongside a roster of stacked singles and collaborations, Cench is also known for his signature tag which he likes to fit into all of his songs; “Alright.”
Central Cee, who’s real name is Oakley, has dropped a select number of shows in America too. He’s already familiar with this nation after appearing on US rapper Ice Spice’s ‘Did It First’ last October.
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So far, the drill artist’s first album has four singles with one of the latest ‘GBP’, a collaboration with 21 Savage, receiving a music video less than two weeks ago.
Central Cee is bringing his ‘Can’t Rush Greatness Tour’ to Co-op Live in Manchester on 19 April. Co-op members can access tickets from 29 January with general onsale taking place on 31 January from 10am HERE.
Robyn: The Sexistential Tour – Co-op Live, Manchester | Review
Lonnie Bowes
There are pop stars, and then there is Robyn.
There’s something about the Co-op Live that still feels new, but last night it felt like it had been waiting for a show like this. The Swedish icon brought her long-awaited Sexistential Tour to Manchester, and from the first beat drop, the arena was hers.
Opening with a wall of robes, strobes and a euphoric rush of synths. Robyn didn’t so much arrive as materialise – already dancing, already fully committed. The production was immense; towering LED rigs, carefully crafted lighting, and a stage that somehow managed to feel intimate despite the sheer scale of the room. It was a proper spectacle.
Images: The Manc Group
The setlist drew from across her catalogue, weaving newer material around the bangers with real care. Honey felt celestial. With Every Heartbeat did what it always does. And when the opening bars of Dancing On My Own finally landed, the roar that met them was something else entirely – the kind that gives you goosebumps on the back of your neck. Even if you’ve heard the song a thousand times it still landed it like it was the first time.
What strikes you most about Robyn, though, isn’t the production or even the songs. It’s how real she seems up there. She throws herself into every lyric, dances like nobody’s watching, and radiates a kind of joy that feels hard-won rather than performed. In an era of very calculated pop, that matters.
The Sexistential Tour is exactly what it promises – big questions about love, loneliness, and what it means to just exist, set to some of the best pop music ever written.
Manchester, she owned us and I think we are all okay with that.
Manchester institution ‘a little emotional’ after receiving a visit from rock icon Hayley Williams
Daisy Jackson
Rock icon Hayley Williams has been spotted shopping at Manchester institution Afflecks.
The legendary independent retail emporium said it was ‘feeling a little emotional’ after its halls were graced with rock royalty.
And not only did the Paramore frontwoman and acclaimed solo singer-songwriter come for a browse, she even gave Afflecks a shout-out on stage later that night.
Hayley Williams headlined two solo shows at Manchester Academy on Monday and Tuesday this week.
The shows are in support of her third studio album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party.
And despite being known globally as one of music’s best lead vocalists, this is actually Hayley Williams’ first solo tour (her previous dates were cancelled because of Covid).
While on stage in front of fans last night, she said: “I’ve learnt some Mancunian, and I’ve been to Afflecks!”
It sounds like she’s as lovely as she is legendary, with Afflecks saying that the star hung around to chat and take photos.
Sharing photos of the star inside the building, Afflecks wrote: “So a very special visitor stopped by Afflecks yesterday…
“A huge thank you to Hayley Williams for taking the time to visit us, say hello, and pose for a photo. She was so super lovely, kind, and welcoming, and to top it all off she even gave Afflecks a shout-out during last night’s show.
“Safe to say we’re feeling a little emotional about it. Thank you again Hayley for supporting Manchester’s small businesses.”
Thomas Melia -
28th January 2025 
