News

Peter Kay to play two huge Manchester shows on first stand-up tour in 12 years

The beloved Bolton-born comedian is back.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 6th November 2022

Peter Kay has announced that he is to play two huge Manchester shows as he makes a return to live comedy on his first stand-up tour in 12 years.

This is not a drill.

It’s fair to say this has been a very long time coming, and it’s been heavily rumoured for many years on end now, but it’s finally a reality – Peter Kay is heading out on a stand-up tour of the UK for the first time in over a decade, and it’s happening much sooner than we were all probably expecting too.

Reports began circulating earlier this year that the legendary Bolton-born comedian and actor could finally be making his long-awaited return with a huge “comeback tour” in 2023, but it’s now been announced that the 49-year-old will be doing two massive shows at the AO Arena on Friday 2 & Saturday 3 December 2022.

He will then head on over to Birmingham for a huge show at the Birmingham Utilita Arena on Saturday 17 December 2022, before making his way across the rest of the UK and Ireland in 2023.

ADVERTISEMENT

After Kay was forced to cancel his last stand-up arena tour – which had sold out across all 100 scheduled gigs – back in 2017 due to what were said to be “unforeseen family circumstances”, he has largely remained out of the spotlight since and has left many fans questioning when he would be stepping on the stage again.

He had made a few notable stage appearances in recent years, including two Q&A sessions for the Doing it for Laura charity back in August – which were fundraisers organised for University of Manchester student Laura Nuttall, who was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme in October 2018.

ADVERTISEMENT

In recent months, Kay had also taken to the stage for his hugely-successful ‘Dance For Life’ tour – which raises money for Cancer Research UK.

But now, the star of Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere, and Peter Kay’s Car Share is officially back doing what he does best, and heading out on tour and gearing up to entertain over 1.2 million people.

Peter Kay Live 2022/23 Tour Dates / Credit: Supplied

Kay’s 2010 tour still officially ranks with the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest selling comedy tour of all time.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It’s good to get back to what I love doing best,” Kay said ahead of his return.

“If there’s ever a time people need a laugh it’s now. And with the cost of living at an all-time high, ticket prices are starting from £35, which is the same price they were on my previous tour in 2010.”

Tickets for Peter Kay’s nationwide tour start from £35, and will officially go on sale on Saturday 12 November at 10am.

You can get them from See Tickets here.

Peter Kay Live 2022/23 Tour Dates

Friday 2 December 2022            Manchester AO Arena
Saturday 3 December 2022        Manchester AO Arena
Saturday 17 December 2022       Birmingham Utilita Arena

ADVERTISEMENT

Friday 6 January 2023                Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Saturday 7 January 2023             Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Friday 20 January 2023               Leeds First Direct Arena
Friday 17 February 2023             Sheffield Utilita Arena
Thursday 23 February 2023       Belfast SSE Arena
Friday 24 February 2023             Belfast SSE Arena
Thursday 9 March 2023              Newcastle Utilita Arena
Friday 10 March 2023                  Newcastle Utilita Arena
Thursday 23 March 2023            Birmingham Resorts World Arena
Thursday 6 April 2023                 Dublin 3Arena
Friday 7 April 2023                     Dublin 3Arena
Friday 05 May 2023                     Glasgow OVO Hydro
Saturday 06 May 2023                Glasgow OVO Hydro
Friday 19 May 2023                      Leeds First Direct Arena
Friday 16 June 2023                    Cardiff International Arena
Saturday 17 June 2023               Cardiff International Arena
Friday 14 July 2023                      Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 15 July 2023                 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Friday 11 August 2023                 Sheffield Utilita Arena

Featured Image – BBC


 

News

Olly Murs at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Olly Murs Co-op Live Manchester gig times

The ‘Troublemaker’ himself Olly Murs is ready to cause some more chaos, and this time he’s returning to Manchester with throwback boyband, Blue.

X Factor and British star Olly Murs is embarking on his latest UK arena tour, which feels more like lads on tour with a helping hand from UK boyband, Blue.

Back in the late noughties, it was hard to escape the blazer-wearing, trilby-wearing popstar as he was dropping back-to-back bangers like ‘Heart Skips a Beat’ and doo-wop inspired ‘Dance With Me Tonight’.

Now, this cheeky chappy is embarking on the ’15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025′ tour, where he’ll be belting out all those classics as well as some more recent tunes too.

Olly Murs is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester this week.
Olly Murs is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester this week.
Credit: Marcos Moreno via Wikimedia Commons

Olly Murs UK tour dates

  • Thu 8 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Fri 9 May – Leeds, UK – first direct arena
  • Sat 10 May – Sheffield, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Mon 12 May – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Tue 13 May – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Thu 15 May – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
  • Fri 16 May – Birmingham, UK – bp pulse live
  • Sat 17 May – London, UK – The O2 Arena
  • Sun 18 May – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley
  • Thu 22 May – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
  • Fri 23 May – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
  • Sat 24 May – Birmingham, UK – bp pulse live
  • Sun 25 May – London, UK – The O2 Arena

Are there tickets left for Olly Murs’ Co-op Live gig?

There are just a few tickets left for Olly Murs at Co-op Live, so make sure you bag yours before your ‘Heart Skips a Beat’.

To see a range of tickets and prices in all sections of this impressive new entertainment venue, Co-op Live, tickets can be found HERE.

Plus, even if you miss out on the Co-op Live, we wouldn’t worry too much, because the British popstar is also coming to AO Arena later this month near the end of his tour with tickets HERE.

Olly Murs 2025 tour – ’15 Years Of Hits’ setlist

This Essex chap might have a solid setlist which he follows night in and night out, but he’s no stranger to being a bit ‘Unpredictable’ – I mean, he’s bringing a flamethrower on stage…

No, seriously, LOOK:

After being on our screens and airwaves for almost two decades, it’s no surprise that this setlist is lengthy, totalling at just over 20 songs, give or take the 80s medley weaved into the mix.

Who doesn’t love a bit of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ paired alongside Murs’ stacked setlist?

  • Troublemaker
  • Right Place Right Time
  • Please Don’t Let Me Go
  • Thinking of Me
  • Oh My Goodness
  • Heart Skips a Beat
  • Kiss Me
  • Army of Two
  • Hand on Heart
  • Up
  • Die of a Broken Heart / I Found Her / Dancing on Cars / I Hate You When You’re Drunk (Marry Me Medley)
  • Seasons
  • You Don’t Know Love
  • I’m Your Man / Never Gonna Give You Up / Livin’ On a Prayer / Beat It / Careless Whisper / I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) / I’m So Excited (80s Medley)
  • Dear Darlin’
  • Years & Years
  • Never Been Better
  • Wrapped Up
  • Save Me
  • Dance With Me Tonight

What are the stage times for Olly Murs in Manchester?

Olly Murs sporting his usual blazer and top-hat style back in 2013.
Olly Murs sporting his usual blazer and top-hat style back in 2013.

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be ‘Wrapped Up’ in the Essex popstar’s hits without having to worry about getting home too late. It’s a school night after all!

Doors for Olly Murs’ ‘15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025’ are scheduled for 6:30pm, with a kick-off time of 7:30pm and support from 2000s UK boyband, Blue.

The BRIT Award winners, Eurovision-performing and one-time chart toppers, are back together once again and about to take us back to pop school as we re-learn the words to boyband textbook classics, including ‘All Rise’, Best in Me’, ‘Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word’ and more.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, fortunately, it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre; they run until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

ADVERTISEMENT

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there are limited parking spaces available at the venue but these must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are also designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

ADVERTISEMENT
  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

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. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Mark Hayman/ Edward Cooke/Marcos Moreno (supplied)

News

Limited 10k places left as Great Manchester Run half marathon sells out once again

Danny Jones Danny Jones are there great manchester run 10k places left?

The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run half marathon has officially sold out yet again for 2025, with just a small number of 10k places left.

With thousands of Mancs and visitors to the region having earned themselves glory at this year’s Manchester Marathon, attention has already turned to the next big event: the Great MCR Run.

Returning for its 22nd year, AJ Bell is bringing the Great Manchester Run back to the city and while tickets for the longest distance may have been snapped up as per, anyone debating taking on the 10k still has time to get their bib through the post.

Go on, you know what want the finish line feeling – not to mention a shiny new medal to score some well-deserved free pints on the day.

Yes, while spaces on the Great Manchester Run have already sold out in no time, there are are now less than 500 still left to grab for the 10k.

The question is, will you be one of them?

Final entries are available for £45 but there are also a select few charity places for anyone who backs themself to raise enough money before race day.

Taking place on Sunday, 18 May, with the first runners getting underway from approximately 8:10am, you’ve not got long to decide whether you want to be part of the action.

Having done it multiple times ourselves and with a local gold-medal-winning Olympian getting things underway this year, we can’t recommend it enough.

Credit: AJ Bell

Read more:

It’s worth also worth noting that if you missed out on the half marathon this year but fancy giving the next one a go, you can set a reminder for 2026 entries now.

One final thing: last minute Great Manchester Run entrants for the 10k must be aged 15 and over; a booking fee of £2.50 per entry will also applied at checkout.

Beyond that, provided you’ve got the training under your belt/you already a solid fitness base, the only thing that’s left to do is get ready for the starting gun. You can even take part in the official shake-out run, if you fancy it.

See you for the post-race pints and hopefully some PB showboating!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — AJ Bell Great Manchester Run

More News

Boroughs

Five retired GMP officers arrested following investigation into sexual exploitation of a girl in the 1960s

Deliveroo DoorDarsh takeover buyout

Business

Deliveroo is set for a multi-billion dollar buyout from a takeaway rival

Crime

Two ‘quick-thinking’ GMP officers praised for saving baby’s life after suffering epileptic seizure

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches