One of the most iconic teams to ever walk the Earth, the Harlem Globetrotters, are coming to Manchester city centre for an forgettable night of basketball and entertainment.
Announcing a 2025 UK tour, Harlem’s finest crossing the Atlantic to visit a select few British cities and we’re very lucky to be one of them.
Soon set to land on the court and the big stage at AO Arena this Spring, expect big players, and even bigger crowd and a fantastic atmosphere.
Approaching their momentous 100th anniversary in 2026, the Harlem Globetrotters have contributed massively to the global growth of basketball over the decades.
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They might be a household name over in America but it’s a true privilege getting to see them overseas, especially here in our hometown.
Now a fully fledged exhibition team still creating memories all over, they continue to be one of the most entertaining basketball brands on the planet.
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Famed not only for popularising the slam dunk, the fast break, the forward and point guard positions and the sport’s well-known figure-eight drill, they changed the face of the game forever and now you can see them doing what they do best in one of the UK most legendary arenas.
Experience the thrill of the Harlem Globetrotters live in action as they showcase breathtaking basketball innovation and plenty of fanfare to boot.
Here’s a little teaser of what’s to come:
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From mind-boggling trick shots to expert ball-handling skills, every game promises excitement and laughter. Set to take on their arch nemsis, the Washington Generals, they’re set dribble, spin, slam and dunk their way past the competition.
But we’re not just talking a single game – this event is all about interaction.
Prepare for a proper fan experience like never before as the crowd becomes just as an integral part of the excitement as the players do. There’ll be the one of the best dunk contests you’ll ever see, exclusive pre, post and in-game fan engagement opportunities, a Halftime Skills Showcase and plenty more.
In addition to plenty of atmosphere created by the dedicated DJ, not to mention plenty of slapstick comedy and general showmanship throughout (they do it all, these lot), the audience will be given multiple chances to see the Globetrotters extraordinary talents up and close and personal.
For instance, make sure you don’t miss the ‘5th Quarter’ after the buzzer as people will be giving all access to a Globetrotter Meet and Greet, where every fan is invited down to the court for an autograph from their favourite Harlem Globetrotter stars.
Best of all, this a high energy family friendly for people of all ages and walks of life to enjoy.
Set to arrive at the AO Arena on 23 April before they travel across the rest of the world, the Harlem Globetrotters are made for a sport-loving Manchester crowd.
Featured Images — AO Arena (supplied)/The Manc Group
Sport
Scott Carson reveals important behind-the-scenes role at Manchester City
Danny Jones
Recently retired goalkeeper Scott Carson has revealed the unsung but important role he had behind the scenes during his time at Manchester City.
The 40-year-old ex-pro called time on his playing career after more than two decades and six years in sky blue, having made just two appearances for the club during a period in which they won 11 trophies.
Carson officially hung up his gloves on 23 October 2025, following his contract expiration, and since then has found himself carrying out a number of interviews, including one with Fozcast, hosted by another fellow shotstopper who spent time in Manchester, Ben Foster.
While lots of people have joked that he did very little to earn the flurry of medals so late in his career, or at the very least theorised as to what he actually did behind the scenes, he’s now been more open than ever about the largely sidelined spell.
🗣️ "When people had to be serious, they were serious"
Scott Carson reveals what it was like working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. pic.twitter.com/HZGjVkrso0
Sitting down with Sky Sports, the Cumbrian keeper confirmed that initially it was, indeed, just a case of serving as not even as a rotation option but a back-up third choice.
Nevertheless, he’s an experienced veteran with 11 different teams on his CV, including Leeds United, Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday – though only a handful of games for each – as well as half a century of appearances at Wigan Athletic before his longest stints at the likes of West Brom and Derby County.
While this job usually involves purely training, helping keep other players sharp, he says that after settling into the Etihad Campus a little more, he found himself performing a much more influential, albeit largely unsung, role in the background.
Getting validation from manager Pep Guardiola that the side “needed more of that”, he essentially ended up providing valuable seniority and motivation amongst the group, despite only playing a couple of times.
Bidding farewell to the Whitehaven-born cult hero, the club wrote: “During his time at City, Carson has been praised by goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor and peers Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno for his work ethic and the effect of his positive attitude amongst the group.”
Speaking about Guardiola specifically, he hailed the Catalan coach for having overhauled modern football in this country, as well as giving him the secondary task of supporting his teammates, be it via boosting morale and ‘picking up’ those left frustrated by matchday selection.
As well as noting his widely publicised detail-oriented nature, he also made a point of recognising that Pep himself was “evolving each season”, whether or not everyone else saw it.
In short, he said he has helped improve the quality of the Premier League and, more specifically, that he helped redefine what a goalkeeper can be in the division.
You can watch the rest of the interview in full down below.
Manchester set to host five UEFA EURO 2028 matches – including England’s opening game
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed to be the host of five matches at the upcoming UEFA EURO tournament in 2028.
This also, crucially, would include England‘s opening match, should they qualify directly.
The joint announcement by Manchester City and Manchester City Council today comes as UEFA has now released key details about the UK & Ireland 2028 competition – which, as it stands, is less than 1,000 days away.
It has been confirmed that the Etihad Stadium – which is known as The City of Manchester Stadium when not relating to Manchester City football club – will host four Group Stage matches across four different groups, offering both local and international football fans the chance to see a range of different national teams in action.
On top of this, Manchester will also be the host a Round of 16 knockout match as the tournament progresses.
UEFA EURO 2028 will kick off at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff on Friday 9 June 2028, culminating in the Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 9 July 2028.
Across the UK and Ireland, nine stadiums will host matches during the upcoming tournament – with other northern stadiums including Everton Stadium in Liverpool, and St James’ Park over in Newcastle.
More than three million tickets – as sold by UEFA – are set to be available for the tournament, and more information on this will be issued in due course.
Following an independent assessment, UEFA EURO 2028 is expected to generate up to £3.6 billion in socio-economic benefits for the UK and Ireland between 2028 and 2031, with benefits including job creation, regional growth, and direct spending from international visitors.
The countdown has started in Manchester for #EURO2028!
Five matches are scheduled to be played here – including England's opener if they qualify – and more than 300,000 fans will be welcomed to the city in June 2028.
Danny Jones -
11th February 2025 
