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TV & Showbiz

A League Of Their Own LIVE is coming to Manchester

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Danny Jones Danny Jones - 28th April 2026

The inaugural live tour version of A League Of Their Own Live Tour is heading out across the UK, with a big Manchester show booked on the list of dates.

For fans of the hit sports-based TV show on Sky, this will be the first time ever that the A League Of Their Own (ALOTO) cast will be presenting, performing and cracking plenty of jokes in front of a proper live audience.

There’s no stopping and resetting to get the shot with this production: just them and the crowds up and down the country – we know you won’t let the side down, Manchester.

Booking one of the city’s biggest and most storied live entertainment spaces, we have every faith they’ll make it a night to remember.

As you can see, already confirmed to be taking part in the live adaptation of the panel show are regular co-hosts Jamie Redknapp and Jill Scott, as well as some of the big names.

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In addition to famous former sports personalities like Manchester United defender Patrice Evra and ex-boxer Tony Bellew, they will also be joined by comedians Tom Davies and Maisie Adam.

Massive football fans themselves, who have both been part of the ALOTO cast in the past, it’s a funny lineup, for sure.

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While the main presenter, Romesh Ranganathan, has not been confirmed as part of the touring crew, it’s worth noting that the lineup could change closer to the time. We wouldn’t be surprised if they have some special guests up their sleeves for one or two of the shows, either…

Please let us see ‘Wazza’ roped in to recreate this moment:

Speaking of the dates, you can see all the shows – including the Manchester this coming autumn – currently announced down below:

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A League Of Their Own Live Tour dates – 2026

  • Friday, 4 September – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
  • Saturday, 5 September – AO Arena, Manchester
  • Tuesday, 8 September – OVO Arena Wembley, London
  • Friday, 11 September – Utilita Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Monday, 14 September – bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham
  • Thursday, 17 September – OVO Hydro, Glasgow

As detailed above, early access can be enjoyed either for Three Mobile members or via the venue’s official presale window, which opens at 10am this Thursday, 30 April.

Meanwhile, general admission tickets go live at the same time the following Friday (1 May); you can get ready to grab yours right HERE.

Should be a laugh – see you there?

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AO Arena)

TV & Showbiz

All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show

Danny Jones Danny Jones Aespa Manchester show tickets 2027 AO Arena

All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.

If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.

Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.

Rest assured, these tickets will fly…

Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.

As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”

There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.

Consider us honoured.

Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.

Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.

Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.

aespa EU tour dates 2027

  • 14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
  • 16 Jan – London
  • 19 Jan – Amsterdam
  • 22 Jan – Stockholm
  • 24 Jan – Copenhagen
  • 26 Jan – Berlin
  • 29 Jan – Milan
  • 31 Jan – Barcelona
  • 2 February – Paris

If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.

As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — David J Lee (via Flickr)

TV & Showbiz

BBC’s Football Focus to end after more than half a century

Danny Jones Danny Jones Football Focus cancelled and ending after 52 years

In a fairly shocking bit of broadcasting news, Football Focus is ending after more than half a century on our screens.

Announced on Thursday, 23 April, the once flagship show and weekly TV guide staple for countless British households is set to be cancelled after 52 seasons’ worth of coverage.

With BBC Sport confirming the tough decision in a lengthy statement, the long-running show will be taken off the air at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

Most programmes like these have seen declining audiences across the board in the era of streaming and digital packages across various platforms, but this is truly the end of an era.

An official social media post reads: “An incredible 52-year journey comes to an end.⁣ Following extensive consideration, BBC Sport has made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Football Focus at the end of this season. ⁣
⁣
“First broadcast in 1974, Football Focus is a testament to the brilliant team who have worked on it over the years and, of course, the audience. The programme has been a staple of the BBC’s football coverage for decades, providing fans with interviews, analysis and stories from across the game ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

“But changing audience behaviours mean fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways, and we need to respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent.⁣”

Second only really to Match of the Day (MotD), which first began a whole decade prior to its once equally popular spin-off, Gary Lineker, Manish Bhasin, Alex Scott and others have all enjoyed varying periods hosting the regular weekend watch.

While even MotD has seen steadily dipping viewing figures, not just following the Lineker departure/saga, but ever since YouTube highlights and the social media era.

The statement goes on to say: “Fans are accessing discussion, highlights, analysis and news through digital platforms and on-demand viewing, and as viewing habits continue to evolve, it is right that BBC Sport adapts how it brings football coverage to the widest audiences across television, radio, online and to its extensive social platforms.
⁣
BBC Sport boasts a strong football rights portfolio and is set to significantly expand its digital output this year, growing content across BBC platforms, as well as a bold new slate of exclusive shows on YouTube.

“Featuring fresh formats, big personalities and more frequent, always-on content tailored for digital audiences, the expansion will bring fans closer to the game than ever before, delivering more high-quality, accessible and engaging football coverage at scale. We will release further details on these plans in the coming months.”

Will you miss it? Perhaps more to the point, do you still watch Match of the Day, Soccer Saturday and the like on terrestrial telly?

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC

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