Audio

Nicki Minaj at Co-op Live, Manchester – stage times, setlist, rescheduled dates and more

Pink Friday 2 is here.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 30th May 2024

Nicki Minaj will have another go at performing at Co-op Live this week, after her first concert had to be postponed.

The ‘Queen of Rap’ has two slots at Manchester’s huge new arena as part of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour, her largest tour to date.

The first was supposed to be on 25 May, but it was called off a few hours after fans arrived at Co-op Live because Nicki Minaj had been arrested in Amsterdam.

Still, her fans – collectively nicknamed The Barbz – are loyal to a tee and will soon be flocking back to see her performing her many hits live.

She’s managed to rearrange the first night already, and tonight’s gig is set to go ahead as planned.

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If you’re going along to Nicki Minaj at Co-op Live, here’s everything you need to know.

What dates is Nicki Minaj playing Co-op Live in Manchester?

Nicki Minaj will now be playing in Manchester on 30 May and 3 June, after her original show was postponed.

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All tickets for the original date of 25 May should have automatically switched to the new date of 3 June.

If you have any issues, get in touch with your original point of purchase.

And just to note, she does have to go back to Amsterdam the night before the second gig again…

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Are there still tickets available?

Nicki Minaj is coming to Manchester's Co-op Live on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour
Nicki Minaj is coming to Manchester’s Co-op Live on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour

There are actually quite a few tickets still available for Nicki Minaj, especially for her rescheduled date.

Standing tickets are £98.50 each, while seated tickets range from £75.95 to £132.50, plus booking fees.

You might be able to grab a bargain through fan-to-fan resales too.

See the latest availability through Ticketmaster here.

Stage times for Nicki Minaj in Manchester

Nicki hasn’t exactly been punctual on the Pink Friday 2 tour so far, so don’t hold your breath that stage times will remain as publicised.

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Neither Co-op Live nor artist have released stage times just yet, but doors will open at 6.30pm.

Based on previous tour dates, the show should start with a DJ set at around 8pm, before Nicki takes to the stage around 9pm.

When the show was initially delayed last week, Co-op Live pushed its curfew back to 11.30pm, which will be the absolute latest it can end.

If and when exact stage times do get released, we’ll be sure to update this article.

Expected setlist for Nicki Minaj at Co-op Live

Setlists are always subject to change, but the below setlist gives us a good idea of what’s to come from Nicki’s Manchester shows.

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  • I’m the Best
  • Barbie Dangerous
  • FTCU
  • Hard White
  • Press Play
  • Win Again
  • Big Difference
  • Interlude
  • Pink Birthday
  • Feeling Myself
  • Favorite
  • Cowgirl
  • RNB
  • High School
  • Your Love
  • Needle
  • Ganja Burn
  • Chun-Li
  • Red Ruby Da Sleeze
  • Forward From Trini / Black Barbies
  • Barbie World
  • Roman’s Revenge
  • Monster
  • Are You Gone Already
  • Fallin 4 U
  • Right Thru Me
  • Save Me
  • Let Me Calm Down
  • Nicki Hendrix
  • Last Time I Saw You
  • Super Freaky Girl
  • Anaconda
  • I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
  • Super Bass
  • The Night Is Still Young
  • Moment 4 Life
  • Pound the Alarm
  • Starships
  • Everybody

How to get to Co-op Live and 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.

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 Fridays and Saturdays.

Tram travel is free for Co-op Live ticket-holders until 30 June.

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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.

Getting there by car and parking

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.

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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 Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • 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 they’ve developed a new City Link walking route lined with light installations to help you find your way.

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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.

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Featured image: Co-op Live

Audio

Audio North’s favourite albums of 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones best albums of the year 2025 ranked

It’s that time of the year again: time to round up the best, or at least our favourite albums of 2026 here at Audio North.

We’re ready for your spiky opinions and intense judgement.

For those of you who haven’t been following over the past year or so, members of The Manc, The Sheff and The Hoot have banded together in our love of music to create the one-stop shop for all the best Northern tunage there is, going to as many gigs and chatting with as many artists as possible.

However, we’d never dare limit an audiophile’s listening to one region, so you can expect plenty of globe-trotting, genre-hopping and head-bopping excellence on this list. Without further ado, here is Audio North‘s round-up of the best records of the year for 2025.

Lux by Rosalía – Emily

5/5

I am not a trusted voice in music criticism, nor do I claim to be, so take what this verging-on-30-year-old white girl who only speaks English and has no relationship to religion whatsoever, says with a pinch of salt… but I think this might be one of the best albums of the decade, never mind this year.

When was the last time a genre-bending concept album about feminine spirituality and female saints sung in 14 DIFFERENT languages managed to wiggle its way into the cultural zeitgeist and onto the global charts? Yeah, never.

But that’s exactly what’s happened with Spanish singer Rosalía’s fourth studio album, Lux. It sees the hugely influential musician return to her roots by showcasing her classical training, with touches of flamenco mixed in with contemporary pop and orchestral sound – and to me, it’s exactly where she belongs.

Go on, give it a listen if you haven’t already.

We’re Never Getting Out by Deaf Havana – Danny

4.5/5

Since early adolescence onwards, Deaf Havana have been with me through every major milestone, significant moment and formative part of my life, good, bad, and everything in between, so it only feels fitting that I’d enter my third decade on this planet with one of their records to start me off right.

In fact, not only did they release this in my birthday month, but they also happened to play Manchester not long before the big day. I couldn’t have asked for a better 30th gift, but getting to hear this long-awaited batch of new tunes live and seeing frontman James Veck-Gilodi back at his best felt special.

They’ve been through many iterations over the years and I’ve loved them all in their own way; their previous two albums definitely felt like a return to form after perhaps somewhat of a blip (for various background reasons), but it still staggers me how Matty and James’ stuff never fails to connect with me more than any other artist, no matter the age, stage or style.

To be completely truthful, I’ll always lean towards their heavier guitar-driven stuff – and they’ll never abandon it – but I guess there’s a comfort in knowing just how challenging a period of life James has gone through, yet he still continues to be the most raw, introspective and eternally honest lyricist.

For my money, the best and most underrated songwriter of a generation. Help hail him if you want it, or don’t; even if not, it feels like he gets to stay mine, or at least for those of us initiated, OURS.

Thanks for everything up until now, and you know what? Sod it, I’ll take the liberty of speaking on behalf of all Deaf fans when I say we’re SO bloody happy you’re back with us, even if ‘The Present Is still feels like* a Foreign Land’.

West End Girl by Lily Allen – Daisy

5/5

Would I have called myself a Lily Allen fan six months ago? No. But I have always called myself a fan of a diss track and a good gossip, so when I learned of her divorce album, I consumed it HARD.

West End Girl is a solid pop album, but also a masterclass in knowing your worth, speaking your truth, and serving revenge ice-cold. And bringing the receipts, too.

It’s also a masterclass in music marketing – not only did it drop right before the release of her ex-husband’s biggest project of his career, but her tour posters were then placed directly opposite Stranger Things posters, so her face reflected back over his.

He effectively vanished from his own press tour, and possibly the face of the planet? Has David Harbour gone into witness protection in ‘The Upside Down’? I would.

Love and light, Lily, and thank you for delivering the best.

The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean – Clementine

5/5

Before you ask, yes, I have endured a breakup this year and, coincidentally, around the same time as Ms Dean released this absolute masterclass of a sophomore album.

The Art of Loving is a perfect analysis of love in all forms. Her heartfelt yet humoured lyricism explores its constant ups and downs, from delightfully romantic songs like ‘So Easy (To Fall In Love)’ to more gut-wrenching, raw confessions like ‘Let Alone The One You Love’.

But perhaps the most prominent theme of love throughout is self-love; Olivia portrays herself as not a victim but a student, and we, as listeners, are reassured that we’re all in the same boat and that if we trust the process, the right sort of love will find us eventually.

It’s no surprise that Olivia Dean is one of the most exciting artists in the world right now, oozing class, charm and impeccable talent – we can’t wait to see her live again and to see what she does next.

A Complicated Woman by Self Esteem – Kris

5/5

Self Esteem has kicked the door off its hinges this year with her third studio album, A Complicated Woman, with standout critical acclaim. The album explores identity, womanhood and burnout against a backdrop of delicious pop-bops and powerfully honest lyrics with a theatricality that few other musicians can muster.

I only properly “discovered” Self Esteem this year, and she has absolutely knocked my musical socks off. I had the joy of watching her sensational performance at Glastonbury, shedding a number of tears at the likes of ‘I Do And I Don’t Care’, ‘In Plain Sight’ and ‘Focus Is Power’.

Her lyrics and her music have a way of mining the depths of your emotions and dragging feelings out of you that you didn’t even know existed. ‘The Deep Blue Okay’ is the perfect closer, reminding us that self-preservation is acceptable and OK.

In a world where there is constant pressure, internally and externally, to be perfect, this whole album reminds us that sometimes being imperfect and trying is what matters. Every day we get to have is big.

Whilst Sheffield-born Self Esteem might be a complicated woman, there is nothing complicated about this album being an absolute knock-out.

Addison by Addison Rae – Fran

4.5/5

I’m usually a pop-punk, obsessed with Oli Sykes kinda girl, but Addison Rae… You are my Queen.

The soundtrack to my summer, Addison Rae brought us all classics like ‘Summer Forever’, ‘Diet Pepsi’, ‘Headphones on’, and the absolute fan favourite ‘Fame Is A Gun’ on the self-titled album, Addison.

She followed me to all my holidays, and the album itself takes you on a journey of what it’s like to be a woman; it’s empowering, showcasing what it’s like to be young, being in love, not wasting time and maybe a little bit of money – it’s a joyful masterpiece.

I fell short of seeing her live in Manchester earlier this year, but it didn’t stop me from scrolling through TikTok the next morning.

Addison, thank you for being the noise of one of my favourite summers – now put your ‘headphones on’ and enjoy.

People Watching by Sam Fender – Lonnie

4/5

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People Watching… WHAT an album. Where do I even start? Sam Fender really has knocked it out of the park on this one – Wythenshawe Park, specifically.

It’s raw, emotional, yet still full of energy. I was lucky enough to see Fender for that wonderful day fest in Wythy back in August, where he did this album the utmost justice.

The title track ‘People Watching’ is a full-on banger: high energy and massive sound. It also carries a message that will hit people from all walks of life. Knowing it’s about a late mentor and friend of Sam’s made it land even harder.

‘Rein Me In’ is another standout, touching on self-sabotage in love, which most of us can acknowledge we have done at one time or another. It’s honest, extremely relatable, and hits home without trying too hard; having Clem’s favourite Olivia Dean then hop on it was just the stuff of dreams.

Overall, the album feels incredibly human. Reflective without being boring, emotional without being over the top. It’s the sort of record you stick on and let play, and it’ll hit different ways depending on where your head is. A brilliant album and one of Sam Fender‘s strongest to date.

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Hopefully! by Loyle Carner – EmJ

4/5

Hopefully! has been one album I’ve listened to time and time again this year. Loyle Carner (real name Benjamin Coyle Larner) continues to prove why his music connects so deeply with so many people.

From the moment I pressed play on the record, I was met with an immediate sense of comfort. The opening track, ‘feel at home’, begins with a child-like sound of wind chimes before switching into a jungle/breakbeat rhythm – a more experimental direction for Loyle, but one that feels completely natural.

Sonically, the album is interesting. There are moments that lean into a murky, slightly off-kilter sound that will remind many listeners of King Krule and Mac DeMarco – more in mood and atmosphere than direct influence. It shows Ben pushing himself creatively without losing what makes his music feel so personal.

Throughout the album, you can hear the weight in Loyle Carner’s voice. Often sounding like there’s a lump in his throat, his thoughts feel raw, unpolished and imperfect, and that’s exactly what makes the record resonate with me.

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Vulnerability has always been at the heart of Loyle’s music, but it feels especially front and centre here. The album flows effortlessly, and it’s one of those records you end up listening to front-to-back without even realising.

DON’T TAP THE GLASS by Tyler, The Creator – Aimee

5/5

Tyler, The Creator’s latest album, DON’T TAP THE GLASS, is another reminder of why his evolution has been so compelling to watch. I’ve been listening to his music since the Odd Future days, and what’s impressive is how he’s managed to grow without losing that edge.

The album is inspired by people’s fear of dancing in public due to social media; it’s an album about letting loose and expressing yourself. Production is layered and interesting, but never distracting, giving Tyler room to say exactly what he wants to say.

‘Sugar On My Tongue’ stands out immediately. It’s the kind of track that grows with every listen and sticks around long after the album ends.

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This isn’t Tyler trying to prove anything. It’s an artist fully comfortable in his sound, still pushing himself forward while staying true to where he started.

Hearts Sold Separately by Mariah the Scientist – Thomas

4.5/5

With this project featuring my top song, album and artist of the year, ‘Is It a Crime’ if I didn’t choose this to be my album of the year? Yes. Mariah has resorted to every artist’s favourite era of inspiration, calling back to the 80s for some echoey drums, chimes and synths which dominate this record’s soundscape.

This album’s magnum opus, ‘Burning Blue’, sees her letting down her guard as she finds true love with ‘Eternal Flame’ and ‘Like You Never’ continuing this theme. Fittingly, Ms Scientist uses this album to discuss her expertise in one specific chemical reaction, love.

Roll on January, when I’ll be belting out Hearts Sold Separately for its entire duration when she plays Manchester Academy.

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Getting Killed by Geese – Lilly

5/5

As an avid rock fan, I’ve been hungry for an album that flips the genre on its head and finally provides us with a fresh new perspective. Thankfully, Geese DELIVERED this year, and brought out their third wild and weirdly wonderful LP, Getting Killed, which has since gone platinum in my house.

Each song on the album feels like its own religious experience; it’s a perfectly crafted amalgamation of art-rock and post-punk with references to prime funk and soul, conveyed through groovy basslines and sonic shifts.

Cameron Winter’s uniquely brilliant vocal range shines through once again, accompanied by his absurdist lyricism and the band’s overall 70s flair; Getting Killed isn’t just a good rock album in my eyes, it’s a modern-day classic.

With a name like ‘Geese’… It’s hard to forget a band like these lot – and once you hear this album, they’ll be cemented in your brain forever.

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Go on, then – how did we do?…

Let us know your favourite albums of 2025 down below, and here’s to what we’re sure will be another brilliant year of music in ’26.

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Featured Images — Audio North/Publicity pictures (various)

Audio

Lola Young shares first public statement since cancellations and stepping away from the spotlight

Danny Jones Danny Jones Lola Young first public statement after career hiatus

UK pop star Lola Young has shared her first public statement since cancelling the remainder of her tour and stepping away from the spotlight.

Lola Young, 24, took a break from her still-burgeoning career after numerous concerning incidents on stage, including throwing up and even passing out in the middle of a performance.

The BRIT School graduate announced the unfortunate cancellation of her upcoming shows “for the foreseeable future”, including a gig here in Manchester, at the end of September.

Breaking her silence after the best part of three months, the London-born singer-songwriter took to social media in a fairly brief but heartwarming statement.

As you can see, the time away from the public eye certainly seems to have been beneficial, telling her followers that “it has helped more than you will ever know”.

In addition to embracing ADHD – even labelling her hit song ‘Messy’ as an “ADHD anthem” in multiple anthems – she was also diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at just 17.

The latter can include symptoms such as psychosis, hallucinations, intense mood swings, bipolar mania, depression and more.

Prior to calling off the rest of her headline shows, Young also had to pull out of her then-biggest festival slot to date, Parklife, though this was reportedly due to a scheduling conflict.

All that being said, we’re glad to hear that she’s on the mend; we saw her back in March, and you could tell from the crowd that she’s already got a very passionate cult following.

Both conditions and their associated obstacles have obviously affected her, but have equally helped influence her music and lyrical material, certainly, too.

Responding in the comments, fellow artist SZA wrote: “Love you, starfire angel. Your music is FULL of longevity and substance! We’re so grateful for you”.

Joining in support, ‘dark pop’ musician Carter James added, “Your wellbeing comes before anything. So excited for your next chapter whenever it arrives!”

We hope she’ll be doing better enough soon to get back on stage when she’s ready.

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Featured Images — Audio North/Jamsterdodger (via Wikimedia Commons)

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