Music

Eric Clapton announces first Manchester gig in 10 years, at brand-new Co-op Live arena

It's the second show to be announced at the huge venue. (Contains affiliate links)

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 1st September 2023

Eric Clapton will return to Manchester for his first show here in 10 years – and he’s chosen the brand-new Co-op Live arena to do it.

The legendary guitarist and multi-award-winning artist is the second show to be announced at the huge new arena (the first was Jonas Brothers), which will be the largest in the UK when it opens in April 2024.

The Co-op Live arena is promising 25 shows within its opening month, with fans waiting eagerly for the line-up.

Eric Clapton will be performing on 18 May 2024, his first gig in Manchester in more than a decade.

The 18-time Grammy Award-winner is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, selling more than 280 million records worldwide.

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His appearance at Co-op Live will be one of nine dates on his upcoming UK and Ireland tour.

The venue itself is a joint venture between Oak View Group and City Football Group, and has been built as a music-first arena.

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An aerial impression of Co-op Live arena in Manchester
An aerial impression of Co-op Live arena in Manchester

That means world-leading acoustics, an innovative bowl design and a large standing floor to bring fans closer to the artists, and a concourse packed with bars, clubs, and restaurants.

Gary Roden, executive director and general manager at Co-op Live, says: “We are thrilled that Eric Clapton will return to Manchester for the first time in ten years as part of Co-op Live’s opening season from April 2024.

“With Co-op Live’s intimate design, there will be no better place to see him play his decades-long list of classic songs. We look forward to revealing some of the other artists performing during our opening season in the coming weeks.”

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Eric Clapton will perform at Co-op Live in Manchester on 18 May 2024.

Co-op members will gain early access to tickets through a designated pre-sale from 10am on 7 September 2023. General sale tickets are available through See Tickets from 10am on 11 September 2023.

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Featured image: Christie Goodwin

Music

Katy Perry at AO Arena, Manchester – stage times, setlist, tickets and more

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Katy Perry will be playing a huge arena show here in Manchester this week, with a sold-out night at the AO Arena imminent.

The popstar is bringing her The Lifetimes Tour, which features an extravaganza of props and pyrotechnics, to town on Wednesday 8 October.

The Roar singer will be heading to the AO Arena this week, alongside shows in Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.

Whether you’re going to watch hits like ‘California Gurls’, ‘Hot ‘N’ Cold’ or excited for the newer tracks like ‘I’m His, He’s Mine’, it’s sure to be one of the biggest gigs to hit the legendary arena all year.

Perry has the second most Diamond-certified singles in for a female artist in the U.S, four guiness world records and five UK number one hits.

Her latest album ‘143’, which is a numeric synonym of ‘I love you’ and the singer’s angel number, came out last year and stormed straight into the top 10 on the UK album charts.

If you’re heading to Katy Perry at the AO Arena tonight, we’ve rounded up all your essential information.

Stage times for Katy Perry at the AO Arena

The AO Arena hasn’t yet confirmed exact stage times for tonight’s show, but we do have enough information to give you a good estimate.

Doors will open at 6pm, with a show start of 7.45pm.

That will mean the support act should wrap up around 8.15pm and Katy Perry is likely to take to the stage between 8.30pm and 8.45pm.

Who’s supporting Katy Perry at the AO Arena?

For her Manchester show, Katy Perry will be supported by singer-songwriter Goldie Boutilier.

Goldie, who has also performed under monikers Kay, My Name Is Kay, and Goldilox during her career, will be joining Katy on most of her UK dates, before handing over the reins to Au/Ra and then Becky Hill.

Tickets for Katy Perry at the AO Arena

Katy Perry has completely sold out the AO Arena with The Lifetimes Tour, with no general tickets left at all.

However, there are a few tickets remaining on Ticketmaster’s resale platform, which are priced between £78.73 and £131.18 each.

Expected setlist

Katy has split her show into sections she’s calling ‘Levels’, as a nod to the video game inspiration behind the tour.

Each one is absolutely packed with pop bangers, as you’d expect.

Here’s the latest setlist from her most recent show in Glasgow.

  • Level 1: Artificial
  • ARTIFICIAL
  • Chained to the Rhythm
  • Teary Eyes
  • Dark Horse
  • Level 2: Woman’s World
  • WOMAN’S WORLD
  • California Gurls
  • Teenage Dream
  • Hot n Cold
  • Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
  • Peacock
  • I Kissed a Girl
  • Level 3: Nirvana
  • NIRVANA
  • CRUSH
  • I’M HIS, HE’S MINE
  • Wide Awake
  • Level 3.5: Choose Your Own Adventure (fan requests)
  • Witness
  • The One That Got Away
  • Double Rainbow
  • ALL THE LOVE
  • Level 4: Mainframe
  • E.T.
  • Part of Me
  • Rise
  • Encore:
  • Roar
  • Daisies
  • LIFETIMES
  • Firework

How to get to AO Arena

@the.manc When are you next heading to the @AO Arena? 😱 #themanc #manchester #aoarena #preshow #entertainment #gigs #music #liveshow ♬ Love You So – The King Khan & BBQ Show

Tram

For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.

Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

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Train

Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.

Bus

A variety of buses cover AO Arena and Victoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.

A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.

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Getting there by car and parking

The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.

Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.

Walk/cycle

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.

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Music

Manc music legends James announce MASSIVE hometown show

Danny Jones Danny Jones James Manchester Co-op Live gig tickets

Greater Manchester music legends James have just revealed a massive hometown show here in the city centre as part of a landmark domestic arena tour.

Daisy bucket hats at the ready.

James is arguably the epitome of what it is to be the understated, underdog British band; they’ve gone about the business of making quality music somewhat quietly for several decades now, but they’ve had a fresh wave of interest over the past year or so

Having opened up for the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s comeback shows, not to mention playing multiple big festival slots in recent months alone, they’ve now announced a huge run of UK arena shows – and nowhere does a James crowd quite like us Mancs.

Announced as part of the celebrations around their Nothing But Love ‘best of’ LP, which pulls tracks from James’ whopping 18 studio albums, the new run of UK arena shows in 2026 follows on from numerous noteworthy shows this calendar year.

In addition to the aforementioned outdoor gigs, like their stunning sold-out night at The Piece Hall in Halifax – not too far from frontman Tim Booth’s hometown in Yorkshire – the indie veterans also celebrated a huge landmark in 2025.

Surpassing the milestone of 40 years as a band, with a lineup that’s remained largely intact and only really grown in terms of live session players and touring bandmates.

The new “definitive” greatest hits record also includes two brand-new songs in ‘Wake Up Superman’ and ‘Hallelujah Anyhow’, both of which are produced by Leo Abrahams, who worked with the band on their long-awaited number one album Yummy in 2024 – a feat loooong overdue if you ask us.

As evidenced by the sheer amount of new material they continue to put out and the almost non-stop touring, they remain one of the most prolific artists in the country. FACT.

You can see the rest of James’ upcoming tour dates, including a healthy number of Northern stops in the likes of Liverpool, Leeds and more.

James UK arena tour dates 2026

  • Fri 2                   Birmingham Utilita Arena
  • Sat 4                  Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
  • Tues 7               Aberdeen P&J Live
  • Wed 8                Glasgow OVO Hydro
  • Fri 10                  Newcastle Utilita Arena
  • Sat 11                Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
  • Mon 13              Cardiff Utilita Arena
  • Tues 14            Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
  • Fri 17                  London The O2
  • Sat 18               Manchester Co-op Live

With James returning to Manchester for their Co-op Live arena debut next April, along with a sensational support slot from fellow local legends, Doves (I know, how lucky are you lot?!), you can bank on this one selling out quickly.

General admission goes on sale this Friday, 10 October at 9:30am, so you’d better be ready to grab yours in a flash.

You can find the ticket link HERE, and we’ll see you in the crowd for a good ol’ singalong.

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

Featured Images — Ehud Lazin/Press shots (supplied)

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