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
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
A candlelit Queen tribute concert is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
Yes, you read that right: a candlelit concert dedicated to the one and only Queen, with a spectacular West End Cast and a talented live rock band, is coming to Manchester city centre in January.
In fact, it’s coming home, as this wonderful event started right here in 0161 back in 2021.
Concerts by Candlelight themselves host concerts up and down the country at various points throughout the year, but their much-loved ‘Queen by Candlelight‘ special knows all about lighting up Manc venues.
Having since gone on to become an internationally acclaimed live concert experience, we’re glad we still get to see the ‘Princes of the Universe’ on our doorstep.
Credit: Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
With the likes of Bridgewater Hall and the magical Manchester Monastery all having played host to the promotion on many ocassions, this time Queen by Candlelight is coming to the legendary Manchester Opera House in the new year.
One of our most historic and legendary theatres, it’s only fitting, really, that they be chosen to welcome a night of equally iconic tunes.
But it’s worth reminding more casual fans that these aren’t just British rock and pop anthems; Queen‘s discography is one that still has global recognition to this day.
That’s why this specific show has been taken to virtually every corner of the world, with the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians delighting audiences in Dubai, Australia, New Zealand and New York, to domestic crowds here in town and down in London’s West End.
‘Queenies’ or ‘Darlings’, as Freddie Mercury used to call them, can expect all the big hits, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, to ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and plenty more from the back catalogue.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store this coming January:
With tickets already flying out fast, we really would recommend securing your seats early before they inevitably sell out.
To quote the promoters themselves, “this spectacular celebration of Queen’s biggest hits is guaranteed to rock you.”
Coming to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 6 January, you can book your tickets for Queen by Candlelight right HERE.
And if you’ve never been to one of their candlelit events before, you only need to see how much of a ball we had at their country event earlier this year to find out how much fun they are…
Danny Jones -
13th January 2023 
