New flexible train tickets catering to passengers travelling to work two or three days a week are available to book from today.
The paperless tickets offer travel on any 8 days in a 28-day period – with no need to select the dates in advance.
The government says the new passes will save commuters hundreds of pounds, providing greater choice and flexibility.
Commuters can now visit an updated online ‘season ticket calculator’ online – which highlights the best value tickets based on their journey, working pattern and individual needs.
New flexible tickets could save some commuters hundreds / Image: El Pollock via Geograph
The flexi-tickets have been introduced as part of a planned shake-up of rail transport in Britain – with a new body Great British Railways (GBR) integrating the railways and setting most fares and timetables.
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GBR is expected to take over the rail system from 2023 – but the new flexi-tickets have been introduced earlier to accommodate current work habits of visiting the workplace two or three times per week.
Government analysis said that 2 day-a-week commuters from Liverpool to Manchester, for instance, could save over £230.
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To encourage more passengers to travel by rail, train companies will also offer a “book with confidence guarantee” until December 31 – allowing people to rebook journeys or receive rail vouchers without an admin fee if their plans change.
Flexible train season tickets in England will go on sale today, to be used from June 28, as part of an overhaul of rail travel.
The new scheme offers discounts on certain routes for those who travel two or three days a week.https://t.co/PpQufvCF2a
However, Tony Miles, rail expert and contributor to Modern Railways magazine, told the BBC that people needed to understand the new system offered a limited number of journeys.
“These really aren’t season tickets – this is a bulk purchase of tickets,” he explained.
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“A season ticket effectively gives you unlimited travel. The big difference with this is you’re buying a fixed number of journeys at a discount price but if you decide at a weekend to do some extra journeys that will start ticking off your credit.”
Kylie Minogue in Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘Tension’ tour
Thomas Melia
The unofficial Queen of Australia and Britain’s adopted pop princess, Kylie Minogue, is bringing her dance tracks to Manchester, taking up residence in AO Arena for two nights of pop perfection.
Whether you first got to know Kylie from her stint on Neighbours, her delicious range of branded wines or her marvellous discography, it’s safe to say this star has built quite a legacy.
She loves coming across the pond to the UK and Manchester, specifically, playing the legendary AO Arena over 30 times, and we’re grateful for every single one, especially these two upcoming shows.
Kylie has played at AO Arena, Manchester over 30 times and we’re certainly not complaining.
Now Kylie is returning with her long-awaited ‘Tension Tour’ which features the huge phenomenon that is ‘Padam Padam’ as well as her newest single ‘Lights Camera Action’.
Kylie Minogue UK tour dates
Fri 16 May – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Sat 17 May – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 19 May – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Tue 20 May – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Thu 22 May – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Fri 23 May – Sheffield, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 26 May – London, UK – The O2 Arena
Are there tickets left for Kylie at AO Arena?
If you’re ready to get into the ‘Real Groove’ with this Aussie act, there are two Manchester dates you can get tickets for, and if we didn’t know any better, we’d say she did this ‘Especially for You’.
Fancy spending a night like this with Minogue and her crew on Monday, 19 May? You’ll be able to find tickets HERE.
Better still, if you fancy seeing her back to back or can’t make the first date for whatever reason, she’ll be playing again just 24 hours later.
Kylie Minogue ‘Tension’ tour setlist
According to her most recent gig recorded on the ever-trusty Setlist.fm, anyway…
Lights Camera Action
In Your Eyes
Get Outta My Way
What Do I Have to Do?
Come Into My World
Good As Gone
Spinning Around
Taboo
On a Night Like This
last night i dreamt i fell in love
Better the Devil You Know
Shocked
Things We Do for Love
Dancing
The Loco-Motion
Hold On to Now
Cupid Boy
Kiss Bang Bang
Chocolate
2 Hearts
The One
Where the Wild Roses Grow
Say Something
Supernova / Real Groove / Magic / Where Does the DJ Go?
Confide in Me
Slow
Timebomb
Edge of Saturday Night
Tension
Can’t Get You Out of My Head
All the Lovers
Padam Padam
Love at First Sight
What are the stage times for Kylie in Manchester?
Kylie is heading to AO Arena, Manchester for two nights of the ‘Tension Tour’.
If you’re head is ‘Spinning Around’ trying to work out your plans ahead of the big night, fear not as doors open from 6pm with the show commencing at 7:30pm.
Support comes in the form of Jodie Harsh, a London-based drag queen and music producer, who’ll be tailoring a DJ set especially for both nights of the ‘Tension Tour’.
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm, meaning you can watch this pop princess in action and don’t have to wait ‘A Second to Midnight’ to hear all her timeless hits. Last pun, we promise…
How to get to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through 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.
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About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Manchester named one of the most in-demand places to buy your first home
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been named among the best places in the UK to buy your first home in 2025.
There’s no doubt the property market in our region has been booming over the last decade or so, with average house prices seeming to rise year-on-year, and more and more areas becoming viewed as the places to live.
You may remember that one Greater Manchester area was recently named a ‘property hotspot’ for 2025 by Rightmove based on last year’s data, while not too long ago, neighbourhoods such as Bramhall, Broadheath, and Bowdon were identified as being the places where houses prices were shooting up the most.
Another recent national ranking by Savills singled-out two of our region’s neighbourhoods as being some of the ‘most desirable’ Britain has to offer.
But this time round, it’s the city itself getting its chance to shine.
Manchester has been named one of the most in-demand places to buy your first home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
Rightmove has compiled a list of what it believes are the top 10 best areas in the UK for first time buyers looking to get their foot on the property ladder in 2025 – and Manchester has made the cut right near the top.
Rightmove analysed the 50 highest-populated cities in Great Britain to see where first time buyers are looking to settle down in the most this year.
Manchester takes second place on Rightmove’s list though, with average asking prices just below £211,000, with Edinburgh following closely behind in third at £251,000.
Top 10 most in-demand UK areas for first time buyers 2025
Glasgow
Manchester
Edinburgh
Leeds
Sheffield
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Nottingham
Southampton
But it’s Glasgow that has been named Britain’s most in-demand city for first time buyers.
Here the average asking price for a typical first time buyer property in the city is £148,979, which is significantly below the national average first time buyer asking price of £228,551.
Overall, Rightmove says the data from this year’s analysis shows a trend of first time buyers looking towards northern cities, with five of the top 10 locations situated in the north of England, considering Leeds takes fourth place with an average asking price of £182,420, while both Sheffiled and Liverpool round out the top six.
Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham, and Southampton complete the list, with Bristol having the highest average asking price among the top 10 at just above £283,000.
The Manc -
21st June 2021 
