News
News
Florence + The Machine announce massive Manchester gig on new tour
Daisy Jackson
Florence + The Machine are heading back out on a huge arena tour, with a massive gig here in Manchester.
Florence Welch has announced the UK and European tour dates in support of her sixth studio album, Everybody Scream.
As well as a show at the Co-op Live in Manchester, Florence + The Machine will perform in Sheffield, London and Liverpool, along with several other UK cities.
She’ll be joined by Paris Paloma as support across all 18 dates.
Last week, Florence released the album’s title track, ahead of the album’s release on 31 October. She’s worked for two years on this new music, calling on collaborators including Mark Bowen of IDLES, Aaron Dessner and Mitski.
She has said that this new album explores womanhood, partnership, aging and dying, inspired by her recovery from lifesaving surgery on the Dance Fever Tour.
Big hits of Florence + The Machine’s discography include You’ve Got The Love, Shake It Out, and Spectrum (Say My Name), and she’s collaborated with the likes of Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, and Lady Gaga.
She’s famed for her high-energy, ethereal stage presence which has seen her sell out arenas for years.
Florence + The Machine will be back in Manchester in February 2026, performing at the Co-op Live on 20 February.
Tickets go on sale on Friday 5 September 2025 at 10am HERE.
There are also packages available with Seat Unique HERE.
EVERYBODY SCREAM UK + EU TOUR 2026
- 6 February – Belfast – SSE Arena
- 8 February – Birmingham – bp pulse Live
- 9 February – Glasgow – OVO Hydro
- 11 February – Newcastle – Utilita Arena
- 13 February – Liverpool – M&S Bank Arena
- 14 February – Sheffield – Utilita Arena
- 16 February – London – The O2
- 17 February – London – The O2
- 20 February – Manchester – Co-op Live
- 22 February – Paris – Accor Arena
- 23 February – Antwerp – Sportpaleis
- 25 February – Amsterdam – Ziggo Dome
- 26 February – Cologne – Lanxess Arena
- 2 March – Vienna – Stadthalle
- 4 March – Munich – Olympiahalle
- 5 March – Prague – 02 Arena
- 7 March – Krakow – Tauron Arena
- 9 March – Berlin – Uber Arena
Read more
- Honorary Manc Ariana Grande announces huge world tour – but skips Manchester
- There’s a VR K-pop experience coming to a cinema in Manchester
- A rising Manc musician is supporting a global popstar on tour in America
Featured image: Autumn De Wilde
News
New ‘postboxes of the future’ are being rolled out across the UK
Danny Jones
The Royal Mail is starting to roll out its line of so-called “postboxes of the future” across the UK this year, including right here in Greater Manchester.
It has been dubbed the most important and noticeable transformation to the classic British postbox in its entire 175-year history.
The national postal service teased the modern-day upgrade earlier this year, but the revolutionary new upgrade was officially announced this week, with Royal Mail ushering in a new era of digitally-driven units that should make many lives a lot easier – at least in theory.
Although they might look pretty identical to the iconic red boxes since before the turn of the 19th century have used up and down the country, there are marked differences between the new and the old ones.

The biggest change made to the Royal Mail’s soon-to-be standard design is a digitally activated drop-down drawer, which will be able to fit parcels as big as a shoebox, hopefully saving us Brits on a fair few trips to the post office.
You will be able to scan a barcode via the updated Royal Mail app to activate the drawer for larger items; meanwhile, there will be a separate slot for letters and smaller packages.
Additionally, the new range of high-tech postboxes will also be solar-powered, helping the public limited company chase its ‘green’ targets.
Now owned by parent firm International Distribution Services (IDS) – who also oversee Parcelforce Worldwide – following the UK government’s approval of its historic sale to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský at the end of 2024, the group as a whole is undergoing a significant overhaul.
Britain’s new solar postboxes were first trialled back in April in four towns located throughout the Hertfordshire region: Letchworth Garden City, Ware and Hertford. A fifth was later installed in Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, too.
Despite being quickly considered a success on the whole, the initial design featured an entirely black top, with polls of civilians and Royal Mail themselves agreeing that keeping them red all over was more in keeping with the brand.
It’s like the old school phone box, isn’t it? We can’t picture it any other way.
📮Attention Postbox Lovers 📮
— The Letter Box Study Group (@lbsg1976) August 23, 2025
Royal Mail is upgrading postboxes to accept parcels. They'll gaining a new slot and a solar panel on top
To identify upgrade boxes look for:
– slimmer pillar boxes
– jutting out apertures
– EIIR/Scottish Crown cipher#PostboxSaturday pic.twitter.com/NgBm1cRiks
Speaking in a statement, the Royal Mail‘s managing director of ‘out-of-home and commercial excellence’, Jack Clarkson, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before.
“This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces. There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.
“Our message is clear – if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
The new generation postboxes are now being made permanent in the same locations, with Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester next.
Keep your eyes peeled on the streets as they’ll soon be making a debut in your area.
Read more:
- Rugby Football League to merge the second and third divisions from next year
- Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 opening date announced – including Albert Square return
- The Canal Street star that we’re backing to be the next queen of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images – Royal Mail (publicity pictures)