Legendary singer Michael Bublé is heading to Manchester this weekend, for two massive gigs at the AO Arena.
The Canadian crooner is bringing his Higher Tour across the UK in spring, with massive arena shows booked in over the coming weeks.
With 11 studio albums to his name, Michael Bublé has been named by Billboard as the third top Canadian artist of all time, beaten only by Celine Dion and Shania Twain.
He’s pretty well-known for his Christmas albums, which routinely get wheeled out every December, and released his latest record Higher in March last year.
Here’s everything you need to know about Michael Buble’s AO Arena gig this weekend.
Yes! There’s still quite good availability for both nights at the AO Arena.
The cheapest tickets are £64.95 each, which will see you popped up in the upper tier of the seating in the huge arena.
ADVERTISEMENT
Then there are other tickets priced at £87.50, and at £109.95.
You can see the latest availability and book your tickets at Ticketmaster here.
When is Michael Bublé playing at the AO Arena Manchester?
Michael has added two Manchester dates to his UK tour, which also includes stops in Leeds, Newcastle and London.
ADVERTISEMENT
He’ll be in Manchester at the AO Arena on both Friday 21 and Saturday 22 April.
Then he’s off on the road again, with a night at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, two shows at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, one at P&J Live in Aberdeen, two nights at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, one gig in Cardiff, and two shows in Birmingham.
Michael Bublé. Credit: Publicity picture / Evaan Kheraj
Who is supporting?
No one. He’s riding solo.
Okay, moving on…
What are the stage times?
The doors to the AO Arena will open at 6pm for both shows, on Friday and Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
The show is expected to start at 7.30pm, but as always, this is subject to change.
Make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get in, clear security and find your seat.
It’s hard to know exactly what songs Michael will play, although he will, of course, wheel out his big hit ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’.
It’ll be a night of gorgeous covers and big-band hits.
The below is the setlist he used when he opened the UK leg of his tour in London last month.
ADVERTISEMENT
Feeling Good (Anthony Newley cover)
Haven’t Met You Yet
L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole cover)
Such a Night (Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters cover)
Sway (Dean Martin cover)
When You’re Smiling (Seger Ellis cover)
Home
Everything
Higher
Hold On
Smile (Charlie Chaplin cover)
I’ll Never Not Love You
Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley cover)
You’re the First, the Last, My Everything (Barry White cover)
It’s a Beautiful Day
Cry Me a River (Julie London cover)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin cover)
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (Marvin Gaye cover)
Save the Last Dance for Me (The Drifters cover)
You Were Always on My Mind (Gwen McCrae cover)
About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Featured image: Publicity picture
Manchester
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
Manchester
Manchester’s historic Portico Library secures £6.4m funding grant towards its transformation
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s Portico Library has secured a whopping £6.4 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
In case you missed it, ambitious plans to transform the historic Grade II-listed building on Mosely Street were already unveiled last October… but now, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced it is committing £6.4 million of funding towards the project, hoping that the building thrives as the UK’s most sustainable historic library for generations to come.
The grant is being described as a ‘major milestone’ in the approximately £12 million Portico Reunited project.
The Portico Reunited project will look to ‘reunite’ the historic building’s three floors for the first time in over a century, creating a fully-accessible and sustainable cultural library.
Founded all the way back in 1806, The Portico Library played a central role in Manchester’s rise as the world’s first modern city, and since then has been serving as a window into the past and a providing a place of inspiration for anyone who needs it.
The Portico Library has secured a £6.4m funding grant towards its transformation / Credit: Purcell Architecture (Supplied)
Crucially, plans will see a step-free entrance and lift installed to make the library accessible to all.
There’ll also be new exhibition and event spaces introduced as part of the scheme to explore the stories of Manchester’s communities and the city’s heritage. There will a Northern Bookshop, showcasing regional and emerging writers, and independent publishers, as well as a creative Portico Kitchen, which will celebrate the city’s food culture, writing, and history.
A place for school groups, families, and all people to explore Portico’s collection and experiment creatively also forms part of the plans.
Dr Thom Keep, Librarian and CEO of The Portico Library, called the funding grant a ‘landmark moment’ in the Portico’s ‘rich and complex history’, and a ‘huge achievement’ for its staff, trustees, volunteers, and partners.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we can reunite this extraordinary building and make room for people to discover, learn and create together,” he added.
“We have listened to thousands of people about what the Portico could become, and their ideas and experiences have helped shape these plans.
“Our ambition is a library that belongs to the whole city – a place to discover remarkable collections, question the stories we have inherited, and create new possibilities together.”
Manchester City Council has granted planning permission and listed building consent for the project, and the building is expected to close for construction in late spring 2028 and reopen once again in early March 2030.
Following reopening, the transformed library is expected to welcome around 95,000 visitors each year.
Daisy Jackson -
20th April 2023 
