The last couple of years have been rough for the theatre and live music industries, but there are some massive shows to look forward to in Manchester this year.
Our city’s cultural scene continues to push forwards with huge festivals, world-renowned theatre and some of the planet’s biggest musicians paying visits in 2022.
Parklife will be back, as will open-air gig series Sounds of the City, and the AO Arena has a packed programme of concerts ahead.
Our theatres will also welcome global musical talent, including the UK premiere of a stage version of one of the most-loved films of all time.
Here are some key dates for your diaries.
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Parklife, Heaton Park
Parklife. Credit: Andrew Whitton
Parklife is easily one of the biggest dates in Manchester’s music calendar, attracting 80,000 music-lovers to Heaton Park every day.
The line-up for its 2022 edition hasn’t been announced yet, but still 42,000 eager people have already bought tickets.
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Registration is open now for this year’s festival between June 11 and 12.
Sounds of the City, Castlefield Bowl
Credit: Sam Neill
There was a tonne of disruption for Sounds of the City in the last couple of years, but the popular open-air gig series is back with a bang in 2022.
This summer’s line up at Castlefield Bowl will be made up of performances from Lewis Capaldi (June 28), Foals (June 29), Crowded House (June 30), James (July 2), Pixies (July 5) and Sam Fender (July 6).
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The whole thing will wrap up with the always sold-out gig with Hacienda Classical on July 8.
There’s a seriously big show on the way to the Opera House this year, which will host the UK premiere of the Mrs Doubtfire musical between September 2 and October 1.
The theatre will also welcome some old favourites, like Singin’ in the Rain (May 9 to 14), Jersey Boys (October 18 to 29) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (March 8 to 12).
Famous faces will be on the stage too when Alexandra Burke and Jason Donovan star alongside each other in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (March 21 to April 2).
Disney will be hogging the stage at the Palace Theatre in 2022, in news that will delight thousands, with both huge runs of both The Lion King (October 27 to December 24) and Beauty and the Beast (March 31 to June 4).
School of Rock will keep playing at the Palace until January 15, before making way for a huge bill of musical biopics including 9 to 5 The Musical, and We Will Rock You.
The fun will continue with shows like Sister Act, Dreamgirls and Blood Brothers.
AO Arena
Credit: AO Arena
Strap in – it’s a BIG year at the AO Arena this year.
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Manchester’s biggest indoor gig venue will host the likes of Billie Eilish (June 7 and 8), Little Mix (May 6 and 7), and Stormzy (March 19) in the coming year.
Some of the biggest names on the planet will grace the stage here in 2022 – we’re talking Celine Dion (June 5 and 6), Queen and Adam Lambert (May 30 and 31), and Bryan Adams (May 17).
It’s not just music either – Cirque du Soleil will return with Corteo, the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour will dance into town, and Alan Partridge Live will take over for two nights.
We may as well rebrand Manchester City’s home ground to the Edihad Stadium this year.
Ed Sheeran will be playing a whopping four nights here between June 9 and 12, in front of crowds of 60,000 a night.
The only other summer gig confirmed at the Etihad this summer so far is Liam Gallagher, who’s set to perform on June 1.
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Royal Exchange Theatre
Credit: Royal Exchange Theatre
The Royal Exchange Theatre is one of Manchester’s most famous cultural institutions, and its 2022 programme is shaping up nicely.
Productions coming to the in-the-round theatre this year include Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie and Betty! A Sort of Musical, written by and starring Maxine Peake and Seiriol Davies.
HAIM at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Rock trio HAIM are gearing up to play their first ever arena show in Manchester next week.
Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana – more widely recognised by their surname, which also doubles as the title of their group, HAIM – are about to perform their biggest Manchester show to date.
This should come as no surprise, with the band amassing a cult following of fans and almost seven million monthly listeners on Spotify – thanks to huge tunes like ‘The Wire’, ‘Now I’m In It’, and ‘Don’t Wanna’, as well as newer single released like ‘Relationships’ and ‘All over me’.
The band have already recently played to a near 70,000 fans, thanks to their longtime friend and musical collaborator Taylor Swift, who brought the band out as a special guest on her global phenomenon The Eras Tour last summer.
But now, HAIM are going it alone.
They’ll be stringing up their guitars, and warming up their vocal chords to sing their angsty and fiery hits over at Manchester’s biggest entertainment venue, Co-op Live.
HAIM are bringing their ‘I quit’ tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied
HAIM – UK Tour Dates 2025
Friday 24 October – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 25 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Sunday 26 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
Tuesday 28 October – London, UK – The O2
Thursday 30 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Friday 31 October – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Tickets
No need to ‘Pray to God’, as there’s still a good selection of tickets available for any Manchester HAIM lovers to grab HERE.
If you’re feeling a bit fancier, however, and fancy watching HAIM while ‘Spinning’ the night away in a premium seat, then you can find a handful of tickets up for grabs over on SeatUnique, starting from £25 HERE.
Setlist
Gone
All over me
Take me back
My Song 5
Cry
Spinning
Don’t Wanna
The Steps
Gasoline
Blood on the Street
Hallelujah
Summer Girl
Want You Back
Relationships
Now I’m in It
The Wire
Down to be Wrong
What are the stage times for HAIM in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, and with doors opening at 6:30pm and a start time of 7.30pm, this rock trio certainly won’t be working to ‘The Wire’ to cram in all their hits, meaning you can get home before the crack of dawn.
Bedroom pop musician Dora Jar supported the girls throughout the North American shows, however there’s no official artist confirmed for the UK leg so far.
Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know 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.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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.
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, and 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
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl scheme, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike 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.
Featured Images: Terrence ‘O Connor and Lea Garn / Press Shots (via supplied)
What's On
The best foodie freebies you can get in Manchester on your birthday
Danny Jones
Nothing says ‘Happy Birthday’ quite like free food and drink simply for being born, especially when you can get it right here on your doorstep in Manchester, don’t you think?
There’s no doubt tonnes of different places that do special complimentary offers on your big day throughout the 10 boroughs, but that inevitably gargantuan list is for another day.
For now, we thought we’d simply put together a quick and easy round-up of the best birthday freebies you can get in and around central Manchester.
You can thank us later when you’re all full up and your wallet isn’t even the tiniest bit lighter.
Places that offer free stuff on your birthday in Manchester
1. Money off at J.W. Lees
Start your birthday off right with a pint from one of Greater Manchester’s most famous beermasters: J.W. Lees Brewery, who’ll give you a tenner off when you visit the bar on your birthday.
All you have to do is quickly sign up for their mailer to get your £10 voucher; they’re also the legend behind the ongoing Boddingtons revival, so you already know how best to spend it.
Next up is a Manc favourite that’s never shyed away from dishing out the odd freebie – spoilers, but it usually involves some kind of chicken…
In all seriousness, be it free wings for students with ‘Yard Card’ or kids eating at no cost when the adults book in a family meal, the kings and queens at the Coop are always looking out for us Mancs. It’s not different on you’re birthday either, when you get a free main meal by signing up to the newsletter.
Next up, you’re going to need something to wash down all that lovely salty fried chicken, so why not queue up some cocktails at Simmons over on Deansgate?
These still relatively recent London exports are so kind as to offer a £25 bar tab when you book a table with them for your birthday; you can sort yours HERE.
4. Nell’s Pizza freebies
Ok, so now you’ve whetted the whistle and can probably line up your next bit of scran – we’re assuming you’re going to do what we do and cram all these into one single day – so it’s time to grab some pizza at Nell’s if you ask us.
Better yet, not only are their slices reasonably priced, but you can also cop yourself a voucher free ‘Birthday Cake’ flavour (yes, the pretty one with the sprinkles) ice cream sandwich when booking online. You’ve also got a new venue you can enjoy this deal at, too.
We’ve had a free ice cream sandwich at Nell’s in Manchester on our birthday for at least the last three years.
5. Bonus baked goods at Gail’s
If a little ice cream sandwich hasn’t quite satiated your sweet tooth, then you’ll be glad to know that the growing presence of Gail’s Bakery in Greater Manchester not only involves some unreal tastes and smells, but some brilliant birthday freebies, too.
For those who are members of Gail’s Loyalty Programme, where customers can also collect stamps to earn back coffees, cakes and more completely gratis, you are also entitled to a free sweet from their baker’s table treat during your birthday month. Say no more.
Question is, which treat will it be?… (Credit: The Manc Group)
6. Good old Greggs
Room for more dessert (they do say it’s a second stomach, after all)? Well, if there is, you can’t go wrong with a Northerner’s first love: Gregg’s, who also keep things nice and straightforward by simply congratulating you on being born by giving you a free sweet treat you can claim via the app.
Oh, and by the way, I was once genuinely given a Gregg’s gift card by a mate for my birthday and don’t sleep on it – that was genuinely one of the best things in the haul that year.
Left it too late to buy a Mother’s Day present and now all the shops are shut? We do digital gift cards. Just saying... https://t.co/46ETSh1gc0
Ok, it’s all feeling a bit sugar-heavy at the minute, so let’s swap back onto the savoury and another brilliant chain that isn’t just beloved here but actually started the fast-food burrito culture here in 0161.
Many of you may have already copped this freebie in the past, but in case you still need to be initiated, Barburrito have been handing out free birthday burritos since like forever – the only catch nowadays is you need to download the app and make sure you’ve spent at least £6 before the date rolls around.
8. Chopstix for cheap
Last but not least, how about some late-night noodles to finish things off? We here at The Manc (Eats, specifically) are guilty of getting a last-minute takeaway to round off a long work day or spice up a weekend evening spent at home.
That being said, it’s a very easy plan to fall back on during your birthday week if you don’t have much booked in for an insignificant number in your 20s, let’s say; simply sign up for the newsletter and select the small box of your choosing. It isn’t just food they’re doing these days either…
Daisy Jackson -
7th January 2022 
