As The 1975 slowly work their way back towards Manchester on their massive world tour, they played the first of two stunning sold-out shows in the capital on Thursday night.
However, those lucky enough to get a ticket to the gig at London’s O2 weren’t just treated to The 1975 ‘At Their Very Best’, as the band also had a very special surprise in store as well.
Yes, not only did the audience fans get to see Matty Healy and co., but they also had their minds blown as the band just casually dropped a Taylor Swift guest appearance in their laps.
As you can imagine, the reaction was utterly ridiculous. Here is the moment The 1975 bring on Taylor Swift to thousands of unsuspecting fans, just because they can. Headphone users beware…
Rumours of both Swift and Harry Styles being spotted in and around the venue, but no one could have prepared themselves for this.
Set to embark on a fresh tour herself in March following the release of her new album Midnights back in October, she decided to pop up with a little acoustic set as The 1975 lads watched on from the wings.
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As well as doing her own cover of ‘The City’ from Wilmslow‘s outfit Facedown EP and self-titled debut album, Taylor also played her latest hit single ‘Anti-Hero’ live for the first time.
Again, the reaction was as ecstatic as you expect:
The surprises didn’t just stop there either. Guitarist Adam Hann’s wife Carly Holt finally got her moment in the spotlight too, as she joined the band on stage for only the second time to perform ‘About You‘.
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Holt sings the bridge on the penultimate song on the group’s latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, with the track and her section, in particular, becoming a bit of a cult favourite among their fan base.
The clamour on social media for her to become part of the permanent setlist has been massive and it seems the band have been listening. This is rather sweet, isn’t it?
American fans attending during the American leg of the tour were also treated to a surprise appearance by Phoebe Bridgers back in November and whilst it hasn’t been a staple of their shows, historically, fans are starting to wonder who else might step out on stage before the full run of shows is done.
With their homecoming gig at the AO Arena just around the corner (20 January) and a certain ex-One Direction star already having been spotted at that gig, some are starting to wonder whether they’ll be seeing some extra Style for Manchester date.
Either way, the pandemonium, controversy and unlimited supply of memes this tour has sprung really is quite something. We don’t see there being a future 1975 gig without “don’t like menthols” hanging over it for some time.
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We hope you enjoy repeating 'don't like menthols' over and over again for the rest of your life. 👍😂https://t.co/ygOP1oET1Y
There’s a big 90s rave happening in Manchester this summer
Thomas Melia
A music-oriented event is taking place in Manchester later this year dedicated to everything about the unforgettable 90s rave scene.
Relive the ‘Madchester‘ glory days all over again as you and your mates can now get tickets to the 90’s rave of the summer happening right here in Manchester.
This event is going big or going home with a runtime of 10 hours and with the amount of acts that have been announced, you’ll wish you had 24 hours.
Presented by the same team that put together ‘Sanctuary Forever’, ravers are at the heart of everything they do, and with a turnout of 8,500 attendees, you certainly won’t be dancing alone.
There are four different ‘arenas’ at this rave all catering to different soundscapes of the 90s rave scene, from hardcore to classic DnB, no music genre has been forgotten.
We all know Manchester was the cultural epicentre for electronic music and with the help of iconic music venues including The Hacienda.
Now, the capital of the North is back in its prime with this event featuring much-adored DJs such as Fabio and Grooverider, Ratpack, Danny Rampling and more.
Acts like Scott Brown, Hype and Slipmatt who were instrumental in shaping rave culture in the 90’s will also be playing sets on this very night.
Rave culture is nothing but praised for around these quarters with The Prodigy playing two very special gigs in the current club highlight, The Warehouse Project back in December.
Taking place at Bowlers Exhibition Centre, this 84,000 square foot space is deeply rooted in the rave scene too, with shows like Helter Skelter, Life, Asylum and Fantasia happening here once upon a time.
You can see the lineup in full HERE get a quick rundown of the setup down below:
With a lineup this stellar, while making sure to look back on Manchester’s musical history and 90s rave culture, in particular, there’s a reason why this event is titled ‘Manchester Forever’.
‘Manchester Forever’ is coming to Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on 3 May 2025 and tickets are already on sale.
Boney M and more join star-studded concert lineup at Arley Hall
Thomas Melia
Disco legends Boney M are just one of the many famous acts joining an impressive lineup of gigs at well-known site Arley Hall.
This historic building and its grounds are situated in Cheshire and have been the filming spot for some mega TV and on-demand streaming shows including Fool Me Once and Peaky Blinders.
Now, Arley Hall is transforming into a gig hotspot this summer welcoming impressive acts like Odyssey and The Real Thing keeping disco frontiers Boney M in good company.
Known for hits like ‘Rivers of Babylon’, ‘Rasputin’, ‘Daddy Cool’ and everyone’s guilty pleasure Christmas song ‘Mary’s Boy Child’, the Boney M gang sure knew how to write a hit or two. Still do, in fact.
Music you can’t help but dance to.
The same can be said for Odyssey, who have some catchy numbers like ‘Native New Yorker’, ‘Inside Out’, while The Real Thing have their number one single ‘You To Me Are Everything’ among many others.
And it’s not just disco that’s getting a spotlight, superstar vocalist Russell Watson is bringing a Proms spectacular to this live music weekend event too.
Watson will be partying just as much as the crowd, celebrating a landmark 25 years since the release of his debut album, it’s guaranteed to be a show-stopping and absolutely wonderful night for all.
You can dance the night away for another reason as ‘Live at Arley’ isn’t only for good times, it’s for good causes too, they’re supporting The GEM Appeal which funds genetic research for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Guests are invited to bring their own picnics to the event but there will be a handful of food vendors with goodies throughout the venue.
Arley Hall is also offering a Premium Experience, which is available for those concertgoers who want to live the high life, these tickets include ‘Premium Toilets’. Yes, please!
Don’t worry about the kids either as they can come with you as children and under 4’s go free to the event, just make sure you don’t tell the grandparents that!
‘Live at Arley’ featuring all of these phenomenal acts is taking place across two nights Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May 2025 with all ticket packages available HERE.
Danny Jones -
13th January 2023 
