McFly have shared a daft vlog of them having a big day out in Manchester – and they really managed to cruise around a lot of local attractions.
Two members of the pop-rock group – bassist Dougie Poynter and guitarist Danny Jones – popped over to soak in the sights and activities the city has to offer.
Throughout the video, they’re both putting on thick northern accents (even though Danny is legitimately Northern and from Bolton), leading to several people thinking it was Gary Barlow doing the voice over. But it does look like my idea of a very nice day out.
The duo managed to get up to plenty of mischief on their day out here, from finding phallic graffiti to getting up to no good in photo booths.
McFly’s big day out in Manchester started with them getting a bit lost in Manchester Piccadilly (not even Platform 13 – amateurs) before heading off to ‘a nice little coffee shop’.
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They sat and had a ‘little cortado’ in the original Takk, an Icelandic-style cafe on Tariff Street in the Northern Quarter.
Then Dougie posed for a brief photo next to a sign at Yard & Coop that politely asks ‘Please do not ride the cock’.
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After that it was time for brunch at Hampton & Vouis’ newest cafe in the Northern Quarter (maybe they were influenced by The Manc Eats), which they said was ‘very Instagrammable’.
McFly in Hampton and Vouis in Manchester. Credit: Instagram, @mcflymusicMcFly explored Manchester for a day. Credit: Instagram, @mcflymusicMcFly explored Manchester for a day. Credit: Instagram, @mcflymusicUsing poop as a navigational tool around Manchester, apparently. Credit: Instagram, @mcflymusic
Danny and Dougie were then off for a game of darts at the newly-refurbished Twenty Twenty Two, closely followed by an action-packed trip to arcade bar NQ64.
They said: “Shot some screens, popped some caps in asses, and then we shook some asses,” with videos of them busting a move on the dance mat.
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The pair then got a little bit naked in the photobooth and joked ‘You cannot take us anywhere’.
Apparently not quite satisfied with all the activities so far they then took a trip to DNA VR where they ‘hit the wall a few times but also hit a few zombies’.
And finally, it was off for a ‘great, great dinner’ at the excellent Higher Ground, adding another celebrity endorsement to the restaurant’s repertoire.
“All in all we had a lovely, great bloody day,” McFly said – which is always nice to hear.
Yard Act announce handful of new headline shows ahead of 6Music gig in Manchester
Clementine Hall
Yard Act are back as they announce first round of UK headline dates since 2024, including a show right here in Manchester – but not before their BBC 6Music Festival gig later this week.
We are so, SO back.
It’s been a few years, but Yard Act have just announced a limited run of domestic shows for later in the year including their homecoming gig at the O2 Academy in Leeds on Friday, 6 November.
But after playing over in Yorkshire, the lads will be performing shows at the O2 Victoria Warehouse on the following Friday (13 Nov).
Yard Act completed the touring for their critically acclaimed second album, Where’s My Utopia?, with a victory lap back home at the 5000 capacity Millennium Square in Leeds in August ’24.
It was a record that brought a stark change of pace to the acerbic, post-punk of their debut, embracing something altogether more playful and bringing a different energy.
It shifted the dynamic on stage too, with the addition of dancing backing singers and additional musicians and openly challenged listeners to reconsider who they thought Yard Act were.
Since then, the band have been keeping busy writing and recording their third studio LP, as well as heading out across the UK and Europe with The Hives – oh, and that intimate one-off show at Blackpool Tower last May.
Following a lengthy stint in the studio, the band now look to this coming autumn for three big UK dates and we cannot wait. We spoke to them a little while back and know how much big stuff they’ve got further pipeline; you can see the interview HERE.
Booking just three headline slots, the handful of tour dates are as follows:
06 Nov – Leeds
13 Nov – Manchester
26 Nov – London
Tickets go on artist presale from 10am on Wednesday, 25 March before hitting general sale at 10am on Friday, 27 March. Sign up to grab yours right HERE.
As for those wanting to find out more about this year’s 6Music Fest, you find the full lineup and more down below.
Gladiators Live Tour to make ‘triumphant’ return to Manchester on UK arena tour
Emily Sergeant
The Gladiators Live Tour will make a triumphant return in 2026.
Following its explosive debut in 2025 and overwhelming fan demand, the Gladiators Live Tour is set to head out on a UK tour later this year, bringing the iconic phenomenon back to arenas nationwide for an electrifying new run of shows, and making a stop off in Manchester, of course.
Audiences will, once again, have the chance to experience the action-packed spectacle featuring the stars of the hit BBC reboot series on an epic scale.
The 2025 live tour thrilled audiences nationwide, selling over 200,000 tickets and proving the arena spectacular is ‘bigger, bolder, and more electrifying’ than ever, and that energy is only set to continue this year when the show returns to Manchester’s popular AO Arena.
GLADIATORS, READY!
Following its epic debut in 2025 the triumphant live show brings the energy to Manchester on 14 & 15 Nov!
This adrenaline-fuelled event sees the legendary Gladiators storm back into the arena to face fearless contenders in a heart-pounding live adaptation of the smash-hit television phenomenon.
Expect iconic fan-favourite events, breathtaking stunts, epic head-to-head battles and the unforgettable Eliminator finale.
Featuring stars from the hit BBC series, audiences are being told to expect a truly immersive, high-octane experience, as arenas are transformed into modern gladiatorial battlegrounds complete with purpose-built sets, spectacular lighting, and cinematic staging.
The Gladiators Live Tour 2026 kicks off in Aberdeen on 10 October, before heading to other major cities like Glasgow, London, and Birmingham, as well as northern locations like Leeds and Newcastle, and of course, Manchester’s AO Arena for two nights on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November.
Tickets officially go on sale this Friday 27 March, with two shows per day available, and you can grab them when they go live here.
Daisy Jackson -
26th August 2024 
