Peter Kay has been announced as the opening act at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester.
The Bolton-born comedy icon has been confirmed as the huge venue’s very first performer, kick-starting a new chapter for Manchester’s cultural scene.
Peter Kay will be performing there in April as part of his mammoth ‘Better Late Than Never’ tour, which has seen him sell out shows at the AO Arena all the way into autumn 2025.
Speculation has been rife as to who was going to open the huge venue next to the Etihad Stadium, with many assuming Harry Styles – an investor in the venue – would be the one to take to the stage first.
But it will be the much-loved local icon who gets the honour of opening the Co-op Live with his record-breaking tour.
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When it opens in April, Co-op Live will be the largest live entertainment in the UK, with a capacity of 23,500.
The state-of-the-art venue promises to offer an unparalleled fan experience that will bring audiences closer to stage.
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Gary Roden, Executive Director and General Manager at Co-op Live, says: “When you think of Manchester, it’s hard not to think of Peter Kay.
“He embodies what this city is about, and to have him headlining Co-op Live is tremendously exciting.
“We’re creating an arena that is truly part of the community around it, and having Peter as our opening act is a perfect reminder of that.”
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Peter Kay will perform on 23 April 2024, with exclusive pre-sale access to Co-op Members from 10am on 21 February.
General sale tickets will then go on sale at 10am on 23 February through See Tickets here.
The Streets at Castlefield Bowl, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and all you need to know
Danny Jones
The Streets are coming to Manchester this weekend to play their landmark album, A Grand Don’t Come For Free, on tour and in full for the first time in full since its release in 2004.
It remains one of the most influential albums of the 21st century, having had a huge impact on culture and UK music, and we couldn’t be more excited to FINALLY hear it in its entirety live and direct.
Speaking on the seminal release, frontman Mike Skinner says he “wrote it as a story from beginning to end, even studying screenwriting to shape it and without the faintest idea how people would react.”
Ahead of this bringing it back to the stage in its entirety, he said: “We’ve been looking for something bold to do with the live show, and we landed here: some tracks have never been played live, others haven’t surfaced in years.” With that in mind, we can’t wait for their 2026 Sounds of the City set. Speaking of…
The Streets at Castlefield Bowl for Sounds of the City
Are there tickets left for The Streets’ Manchester dates?
Skinner and his band are set to fill Castlefield Bowl, and we’ve been blessed with not one, but two nights at this iconic outdoor stage in the heart of the city, on Friday 10 July AND Saturday 11 July – lucky us.
While tickets for the first gig are all sold-out across the board, you can still grab general admission for the second show this Saturday; secure yours HERE.
Known for their lively stage presence, tongue-in-cheek demeanour and unwavering crowd engagement, Skinner and co’s latest visit is not one to miss lightly.
Oh, and if you too were ‘Prangin Out’ about the footy clashing, ‘Dry Your Eyes’ and fear not: you no longer have to choose, thanks to a welcome update ahead of England’s crucial World Cup quarter-final against Norway.
Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Scarborough Open Air Theatre – Scarborough
Friday, August 7, 2026 – Audley End Estate – Essex
Friday, August 21, 2026 – Earlham Park – Norwich
Saturday, August 22, 2026 – O2 Academy Birmingham – Birmingham
Friday, August 28, 2026 – Rock N Roll Circus – Sheffield
Thursday, August 5, 2026 – Depot Mayfield – Manchester
Yes, in case you weren’t aware, the gang are also playing The Warehouse Project as part of the WHP26 programme; tickets for that are also live.
Get them before they go!
Support acts and stage times for The Streets at Castlefield Bowl
For ‘Those That Don’t Know’, there are set to be some amazing support acts joining The Streets on tour. We are lucky enough to get rising Mancunian artist Antony Szmierek, as well as rap and grime MC CASISDEAD for the two days at Castlefield Bowl.
They’ve also kindly given us a very clear rundown of the stage times for each artist’s set, too:
Thankfully, bringing back an album to play start to finish means that we pretty much know almost for certain what they’re going to be playing. Here’s the tracklist as it appears on the original album:
Set 1: A Grand Don’t Come For Free in full
It Was Supposed To Be So Easy
Could Well Be In
Not Addicted
Blinded by the Lights
Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way
Get Out of My House
Fit but You Know It
Such a Tw*t
What Is He Thinking?
Dry Your Eyes
Empty Cans
That being said, we’re almost certainly going to get a few more hits as part of the encore, be it ‘Turn the Page’, ‘Who’s Got the Bag’ and ‘Let’s Push Things Forward’, just to name a few.
What would you most like to hear from elsewhere in their discography for the Sounds of the City (SOTC) double bill? Let us know in the comments.
Transport and travel advice
Getting to Castlefield Bowl
Castlefield Bowl (M3 4JR) is on Rice Street just down Liverpool Road, which cuts off the main Deansgate strip in the city centre, and you can enter Manchester’s much-loved outdoor amphitheatre via Duke or Castle Street.
Tram
It’s just a six-minute walk from the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop, or ever so slightly further is the St Peter’s Square tram stop, where you can find regular trams running all over Greater Manchester from both. You can check the first and last trams from the stops HERE.
Train
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The nearest station to Castlefield Bowl is Deansgate train station, being a mere six-minute walk or Manchester Oxford Road, which is only 15 minutes away, with Piccadilly and Victoria being slightly further afield but still not miles away, clocking in at just a few minutes from the gig.
Whichever route you choose, none are unrealistic – just be sure to check last train timings to not get caught short.
Bus
A variety of buses stop close to Castlefield Bowl on their route, such as the 33 or 33b, which stop 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 to Castlefield Bowl by car and parking info for The Streets
If you’re driving there, Great Northern Warehouse’s (M3 4EE) car park, as well as two other NCPs near Bridgewater Hall and on Quay Street in Spinningfields.
You can also park your car for free and get the tram to the gig from one of Greater Manchester’s 24 Park and Ride sites.
Walk/cycle
If you’re that bit more climate conscious, then there are plenty of options for you too. Why not use the TfGM journey planner to find the best cycle route for you?
If you’re up for saving some pennies, the planet and want to take in your surroundings on a summer evening, then walking is a great option to beat the queues. Even walking a portion of your journey may be a wise idea!
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Just make sure you save some energy for an all-night party (here’s hoping England can take it long into the early hours).
If you’re wondering what the vibes have been like at SOTC 2026 so far, here’s a taster from night two…
Safe to say @wetlegband continue to 'level up' when it comes to live shows. 🔥
Featured Images — Ben Cannon (supplied via SJM Concerts)/Audio North/Atlantic Records
What's On
UK Management College to host ‘biggest ever’ summer festival in Manchester this weekend
Emily Sergeant
UK Management College is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a massive summer festival in Manchester this weekend.
UK Management College (UKMC) has empowered thousands of students to achieve their academic and professional ambitions over the past decade, building a ‘vibrant and diverse’ learning community along the way, and now to mark the institution’s 10th anniversary, a landmark celebration called SummerFest will be taking place this weekend.
More than just an annual gathering, this year’s SummerFest is set to be the largest celebration in the college’s history.
Taking place this Friday (10 July) at Heaton Park, the event will bring together students, staff, partners, families, and friends for a day of celebration and recognition, while looking ahead to the ‘exciting’ future of the college.
Festival attendees can look forward to a packed programme of live entertainment, festival-style food and refreshments, interactive activities, awards and recognition ceremonies, and plenty of other experiences designed to bring the entire UKMC community together.
You can also expect exclusive announcements throughout the day and a lottery draw with some incredible prizes to be won.
UK Management College is hosting its ‘biggest ever’ summer festival in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Supplied
“SummerFest 2026 is more than a celebration of our tenth anniversary,” explained Michael Taylor, who is the Head of Marketing at UKMC, “it is a celebration of every student, every colleague and every success story that has shaped UKMC over the past decade.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to welcoming our community for what promises to be an unforgettable day.“
The event will begin with arrivals from 11am for UKMC staff and students, before opening to all attendees from 3pm onwards.
Ready to celebrate how far the UKMC has come? And get excited about where it is heading next? SummerFest is taking over Heaton Park, near Dower House, this Friday ready to kick off a weekend of sunshine.
It’s free to attend, and you can find out more here.
Daisy Jackson -
19th February 2024 
