The Eagles are one of the most legendary soft rock, country and folk groups to have ever existed, with a highly decorated career spanning more than 50 years, and they’re currently playing their final ever UK shows – including five right here in Manchester.
Currently on their ‘Long Goodbye’ tour around the world, the music veterans have been technically bidding farewell for quite a while now as they simply have so many places to visit before they sign off for good, but we’re hardly complaining.
The LA-based band have too many hits to count, from ‘Hotel California’, ‘Take It Easy’ and ‘Push It To The Limit’, to ‘Desperado’, ‘One of These Nights’ and ‘New Kid in Town’ (we really could be here forever), all we know is that this run of shows is your last chance to hear them be played in Manchester.
Rocking up Co-op Live Arena for the first time at the end of the month, they’re just the fifth act to play the brand-new arena. With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Eagles’ last-ever Manchester gigs.
Are their tickets left for the Eagles’ final UK tour?
If you’re looking to come along to one of the Eagles‘ last shows on our shores, you’re in luck; the best part about being big enough to do five nights is that the chances of you grabbing a ticket are always going to be pretty strong.
ADVERTISEMENT
With the first of their shows kicking off on Friday, 31 May and a further four nights in early June, you can pretty much take your pick of which one works best for you, though there is obviously low availability for the gigs coming up the soonest.
However, we’ll warn you, these bad boys will set you back a bit, with the cheapest tickets starting from £87.08 including fees, and the most expensive (brace yourselves) clocking in at a whopping £442.70. Gulp. Nevertheless, whatever price range you fancy, you can grab yours HERE.
ADVERTISEMENT
Who is supporting the Eagles in Manchester?
Well it was supposed to be soft rock icons Steely Dan supporting The Eagles here in Manchester, but they pulled out ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’.
Stepping in to fill their shoes will be The Doobie Brothers, a band who’ve released a staggering 15 albums over the five-decade-long career.
Their big hits include Long Train Runnin’, What a Fool Believes, and Listen to the Music – though there are obviously A LOT of great songs for them to get through in their support act slot.
ADVERTISEMENT
They’re not just old favourites in the US but all over the world and you really are in for a treat getting to two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers in the same night.
As for when you can expect to see all the above take the stage, neither Co-op Live nor Eagles have confirmed exact stage run times just yet.
The doors to the venue open from 6pm and the show will start with The Doobie Brothers at approximately 7.30pm, meaning you’ve got plenty of time to get in, find seats, sort a drink, some food and so on.
You can expect the headliners to appear around 9pm and since the venue’s standard curfew is 11pm, that means you’re in for at least a two-hour set of banger after banger. Speaking of…
Setlist
The best part about a farewell tour (or five) is that it’s essentially going to be a greatest hits show and with two hours of tunes to play, the chances are you’re going to hear pretty much every song you’ll be hoping for.
ADVERTISEMENT
On the other hand, these lot have been going for over half a century and there is a lot of music to get through, so it’s still worth taking a glance at what we think they’re going to play. Luckily, Setlist.fm usually has us sorted on that front and this looks to be the average from their shows so far:
Seven Bridges Road (Steve Young cover)
Take It Easy
One of These Nights
Best of My Love
Take It to the Limit
Lyin’ Eyes
Witchy Woman
Peaceful Easy Feeling (Jack Tempchin cover)
New Kid in Town
Tequila Sunrise
In the City (Joe Walsh song)
I Can’t Tell You Why
Life’s Been Good (Joe Walsh song)
Already Gone (Robb Strandlund cover)
The Boys of Summer (Don Henley song)
Funk #49 (James Gang cover)
Life in the Fast Lane
Heartache Tonight
Encore:
Rocky Mountain Way(Joe Walsh song)
Hotel California
Desperado
You can expect Co-op Live to be packed out for the Eagles and a number of other gigs over the next fortnight or so.
How to get there + travel info
Tram
Now, as for how you’ll get to shows at Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
ADVERTISEMENT
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
If you want to take another new and improved arm of Manchester’s public transport system, not only is there a whole host of routes that drop you off close to the venue but there’ll also be a free shuttle bus from the city centre to and from events between 20 April-30 June 2024.
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Those going to see the Eagles in Manchester can expect free public transport too.
Getting there by car and parking
ADVERTISEMENT
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
ADVERTISEMENT
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly and they’ve developed a new City Link walking route lined with light installations to help you find your way.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the boke all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
That should be just about everything you need to know ahead of the Eagles’ multi-night Manchester run at Co-op Live and we sincerely hope it’s everything you want it to be as we bid goodbye to one of the greatest and most successful bands to ever do it.
And if you’ve never been to the arena before we’ve also put together another helpful guide for you. You’re welcome.
Featured Images — Credit: Supplied – Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
Audio
Liam Gallagher sheds light on potential reunion setlist for Oasis Live ’25
Danny Jones
Liam Gallagher is perennially on social media these days and in his latest spell killing timeonline, the Oasis frontman has hinted at a potential setlist for the long-awaited reunion tour.
We’ve still got to wait until summer before the Oasis Live ’25 world tour fully kicks off, with Manchester’s Heaton Park set for five massive hometown dates in July, but people are already starting to lick their lips at the mere idea of what songs the legendary Britpop band might play now they’re back.
Now, of course, you can rightly assume we’ll hear the likes of ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, ‘Live Forever’, ‘Champagne Supernova’ and all the other hits, but it’s trying to fill in the blanks between the famous singles that people are having most fun with.
One Twitter—sorry, X user looks to have come pretty close in fact, as Liam Gallagher himself replied to a fan asking if a rumoured Oasis reunion setlist ‘leaked’ online was genuine – to which the 52-year-old had this to say.
As you can see, his reply to the heavily reshared mock-up of the suspected Oasis Live ’25 setlist looks to be one largely of confirmation, admitting that it’s not far off what the Burnage boys have cooking up.
LG himself confirmed that rehearsals had begun back in October which means that, yes, the Gallaghers haven’t just been in the same room as each other for a few quick pictures but they’ve actually played music together for the first time in over 15 years – and have been doing so for the past few months.
Whether or not the creator of this supposed setlist has managed to guess roughly the right running order or manage to guess a few of the less obvious album tracks that the Manchester icons, we’ll just have to wait and see.
If it’s even a little bit the latter then fans of deeper cuts like ‘The Hindu Times’ and ‘Shakermaker’ will be buzzing, but the greater likelihood is that the duo have just packed their upcoming performances with as many well-known and much-loved bangers as possible.
We’ll be happy with whatever they come out with, to be honest – we just want to finally see scenes like this in this flesh.
One of Oasis’ last-ever gigs.
Noel sings ‘Half The World Away’ with his brother Liam sitting down on stage looking on.
That being said, they were of course still touring the last album they put out, Dig Out Your Soul (2008), back then and, as much of a soft spot we have for some of the tracks on there, we expect much very few of the songs off that record will make the final cut.
What about you lot, then: what tunes would you most like to hear on the ‘Oasis Live ’25’ setlist when the reunion finally rolls around?
We’ve certainly got our favourites – and in order, no less…
Manchester club to host fundraising night in memory of young DJ who passed away
Danny Jones
A Manchester city centre nightclub is set to host a fundraising memorial gig in honour of local DJ, Noxxic, who sadly died in a traffic collision late last year.
The aspiring drum and bass artist was cycling along Albion Way near the roundabout linking the M602 and A57 Regent Road when he collided with the HGV. Despite the best efforts of paramedics and emergency at the scene, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mourned not only by his family and countless friends but also by the Manchester music scene and local clubbing community at large, Kable Club on New Wakefield Street is now set to host a memorial night for charity as a tribute to the talent “gone far too soon”.
Set up with the help of friend, collaborator and DnB peer, Max Clarke, the fundraising memorial night is taking place this month and will aim to not only honour Lewis and the Simpson family but also remember and celebrate his life the way he would have wanted: with music and a good time.
The Warrington-based artist and producer, who goes by ‘Clarkey‘, regularly played b2b sets with the 25-year-old over the years, including charity livestream performances to raise money for the homeless during the festive period. Noxxic was also a proud and well-known mental health advocate.
As well as the likes of Hedex, Sota and J Bookey paying tribute online following the tragedy, Clarkey and Noxxic’s ‘Blckhry – Bite’ remix was played on BBC Radio 1’s Drum & Bass Show with Charlie T, as well as ‘Tribute Get Lit Mix’ including all of his tunes featuring n 1Xtra’s Rave Show.
Manchester-based promoters, music label and all-round D’n’B brand, Hit & Run, said: “Really is such a shock to hear about the tragic and untimely passing of Lew Simpson aka Noxxic.”
The post continues: “He was a near-permanent fixture at the night and across the scene in the city – he lived and breathed D&B and his passion and dedication not just for production and DJing but also the community of this city is something [we] truly admired about the man.”
“He’d made such great strides in his career these last few years so seems so very unfair that he’s been taken from us at such a young age – he had so much more to give.
So many people we know and care about will be hurting too too much right now – I know you will all make him proud and honour his legacy and friendship. Such very sad news.”
Clarkey himself shared a touching video of the pair playing together to rapturous applause:
Writing a lengthy statement underneath the charity event page on Skiddle, Clarkey wrote: “On 17 January, we come together to celebrate the life, passion, and legacy of Lew Simpson, known to many as Noxxic, a true champion of the jump-up drum and bass community.
“With a heart that beat for the wicked sounds of the genre he loved so deeply, Lew was more than just a fan; he was an advocate, a believer and an inspiration to everyone who shared his love for the music. This historic night in Manchester promises to be an unforgettable tribute to Noxxic, featuring a lineup of monumental talent.
“From the legends who have defined jump-up over the past few years to the rising stars pushing it to even new boundaries, each artist on the bill represents everything Lew cherished about this incredibly unifying genre.
“Together, we’ll create a night that embodies the energy, spirit and passion he brought to the scene. This night is about more than music, it’s about making a difference to people’s lives like Lew strived to do. All proceeds from this event will go to Mind, a charity dedicated to mental health support, advocacy, and awareness.
“As a serious champion for mental health, Lew’s commitment to the well-being of others continues through this deeply meaningful cause. Come witness jump-up drum and bass in its purest form, as we honour Noxxic with the kind of night he could only have dreamed about: one filled with love, community and some of the finest music.”
Kable aren’t the only ones who have helped pay tribute with a club night in his name either, with London outfit North Base also dedicated their ‘& Friends’ show to the much-loved artist this past December.
Noxxic was a real up-and-comer on the scene.Manc DJs Kormz and Clarkey with Noxxic (right).Credit: Noxxic/Clarkey (via Facebook)
As mentioned, the proceeds from the show will go towards Mind (a charity close to Lewis’ heart) and are priced at just £11.25 including the booking fee. Alternatively, fans who can’t make the date can still make a total Noxxic donation of £6 to help do their bit.
With the lineup for the memorial gig night now out – not to mention two special guests still yet to be announced – Clarkey, Kormz, North Base and many more will be giving fans a lively albeit emotional night to remember.
Clarkey signed off by simply adding, “Let’s come together to celebrate his life and legacy in the most fitting way possible!”
You can grab your tickets HERE. Rest in peace, Noxxic.
Danny Jones -
29th May 2024 
