Coldplay fans have shared their shock at being in queues of more than 400,000 people for tickets to the bands’ upcoming Manchester shows.
Fresh off the back of completing six sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium this month, the chart-topping band announced to their legion of loyal fans earlier this week that they would be heading out across the UK and Europe for a handful of new stadium gigs next summer.
The British rockers teased that they would visit the city in their recent music video for Humankind, with a cryptic message that many eagle-eyed fans managed to crack the code for, but it wasn’t until a couple of days ago that they actually confirmed they would be visiting Manchester.
They confirmed that the new UK leg of their Music of the Spheres World Tour will include two shows at the Etihad Stadium on 31 May and 1 June 2023.
Cardiff was the only other UK city forming part of the tour lineup, with the band also set to head out to several other capital and major cities across Europe – including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
And tickets to next summer’s shows officially went on general sale this morning from 10am.
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But just as is often the case when it comes to shows as popular as this, those hopeful of securing tickets found themselves in some hefty online queues – with some fans admitting there were anywhere between over 200,000 to 400,000 people in front of them.
After what was described as “phenomenal demand” for tickets, Coldplay announced another two Manchester dates, and added 3 and 4 June 2022 onto the lineup – but that didn’t necessarily make it any easier for fans to secure them.
The concert capacity of the Etihad Stadium is 60,000 people.
News of hundreds of thousands waiting in the queues for tickets come after the band’s most-recent tour had already sold more than four million tickets since it began in March 2022, and has received rave reviews across the board.
Coldplay have also made this tour as sustainable as possible, including kinetic dancefloors and power bikes that allow fans to literally charge the show.
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
All three Pet Classics programmes will be broadcast from 5pm to 10pm, and you can listen on Classic FM or Global Player available across the UK.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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What is the UK’s national dish? New survey reveals Brits’ pick in landslide victory
Emily Sergeant
If you’ve ever thought to Google the question ‘what is Britain’s national dish?’, then you probably came away thinking it’s chicken tikka masala.
But is that actually the truth? A new survey has disproved the claim, massively.
There’s no denying that chicken tikka masala – an Indian curry that’s actually widely thought to have been created in Britain – is a popular dish that’s loved by many, but despite what many headlines have claimed over the years, a new YouGov survey has revealed it’s not what Brits consider to be the country’s ‘national dish’.
YouGov conducted two online surveys earlier this month, made up of 2,079 and 2,104 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain.
And, in their own words, Brits chose fish and chips as the country’s national dish, making it the ‘resounding’ winner with 49% of the vote.
What is the UK’s national dish? A new survey has revealed Brits’ pick in a landslide victory / Credit: The Manc Group
With nearly half of the overall vote, this puts fish and chips far ahead of the roast dinner in second place, which only 24% of people picked – including the 6% who made sure to specify a beef roast.
In fact, only 3% of Brits actually name chicken tikka masala as the UK’s national dish, although 52% in the survey did confess that they eat some form of curry at least once a month, so it is still a popular pick regardless.
Fish and chips is by far the most common answer across all generations too, according to the survey (45-50%), with the biggest difference between age groups being that 18-24 year olds are less likely to have nominated roast dinner and more likely to have chosen chicken tikka masala instead.
What do Brits say is the UK’s national dish?
Fish and chips – 49%
Roast dinner – 24%
Chicken tikka masala – 3%
Curry (non-specific) – 2%
Full English breakfast – 2%
Bangers and mash – 1%
Cottage or shepherd’s pie – 1%
Other – 3%
Don’t know – 15%
The survey also showed that, of the three top contenders for the UK’s national dish, roast dinners are the most frequently eaten, as 52% of people said they eat them on a monthly basis – including 16% who do so every week.
Aside from the frequently mentioned dishes, some survey respondents also gave shoutouts to the full English breakfast (2%), bangers and mash (1%), and cottage or shepherd’s pie (1%).
Emily Sergeant -
25th August 2022 
