Shania Twain, the queen of country music, will visit Manchester next week on her huge tour.
It’s her first world tour in almost five years (though there was a lengthy Las Vegas residency in between).
Shania Twain is set to perform at the AO Arena in support of new album Queen of Me on 3 February 2023 – her sixth full-length album.
The 49-date tour will see her performing in London, Dublin, Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester next year.
Shania, a five-time Grammy Award-winner, has become the best-selling female artist in country music history thanks to hits like That Don’t Impress Me Much, Man I Feel Like A Woman, and I’m Gonna Getcha Good.
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Here’s everything you need to know.
Tickets for Shania Twain in Manchester
Shania Twain. Credit: Publicity picture
It’s slim pickings for tickets for Shania Twain’s AO Arena gig.
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At the time of writing, the gig isn’t completely sold out, but most of the tickets are single seats.
There’s better availability in a couple of blocks which are essentially behind the stage, and that means an obstructed view. So not ideal.
Tickets are priced at £83.50 each, with quite a few tickets also being sold through Ticketmaster’s resale service.
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What are the stage times?
Exactly stage times for Shania Twain aren’t likely to be announced until the week of the event itself.
But we do know that doors to the AO Arena will open at 6pm, and the show will start at 7.30pm.
Based on stage times from previous shows, Breland will perform at 7.30pm.
Shania Twain is then likely to hit the stage at around 8.30pm.
We’ll be sure to update this article as soon as stage times for Manchester are announced.
Country and hip-hop star Breland – who has long cited Shania Twain as an inspiration for his music – will be supporting her on her Manchester tour date.
He stunned audiences across the US supporting that leg of the Queen of Me tour, and will now be heading over to this side of the pond too.
Breland’s breakout single My Truck established him as a force on the current music landscape ahead of releasing debut album CROSS COUNTRY last year.
Setlist for Shania Twain’s Manchester concert
The below is Shania Twain’s setlist from The O2 in London earlier this month, which is likely to be simiiar (if not the same) as what we’ll get in Manchester.
Waking Up Dreaming Up! Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) I’m Gonna Getcha Good! Come on Over You’re Still the One Giddy Up! Any Man of Mine Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? Honey, I’m Home Inhale/Exhale Air (with Breland) Party for Two (with Breland) Nah! / She’s Not Just a Pretty Face / Waiter! Bring Me Water! / When / Thank You Baby! (for Makin’ Someday Come So Soon) Pretty Liar From This Moment On Come on Over (A capella snippet with fan) When (A capella snippet with fan) Number One Forever and for Always Rock This Country! Encore: That Don’t Impress Me Much Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
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The venue
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirementscarefully 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.
Interview | Chatting with the Manchester-based visual artist for the 2026 BRIT Awards
Danny Jones
BRITs Week 2026 is well and truly underway, and with the annual awards ceremony set to finally land in Manchester this week – the debut being just one of at least two years of the event in our part of the country – the city is teeming with art, music, colour and so much energy.
One of those people responsible for all that buzz is locally-based visual artist, Alex Giles. He’s been commissioned by Universal Music to create bespoke artwork to appear across their events during BRITs Week, including their exclusive artist showcase, BRIT Awards after-party and the invitations.
From creating some of the first-ever digital adaptations of his work to preparing himself for seeing a glorious physical re-creation in the form of a VERY big sculpture.
With the partnered War Child charity gigs now well underway across the UK, and people already planning their days before arrival at the arena, we spoke to Alex about what has been nothing short of a whirlwind few months for him.
Straight off the bat, how did the sort of project come around?
So I was working on an installation project in Ibiza for a private client, and you know, there’s no sort of union for artists, so we have to sort of create our own contacts and our own bonds.
I feel very grateful to have a lovely network of people like that, mainly through Instagram. Anyway, I was chatting to someone that I’ve become good pals with, an artist called Matt Dosa, who actually did the artwork in a similar context a couple of years ago.
Essentially, they asked if I could put together a sort of deck of my work and some initial ideas, and then out of the blue, I got the call back saying, “Yeah, we’d love you to jump on board and produce something for us.” It all happened really quickly and unexpectedly.
What a rush that must have been!What’s it like be wrapped up in the BRITs buzz since?
Yeah, but that’s often the way with artistic opportunities: something comes from nowhere. The initial race was to get the design sorted, so that was where all of the focus went to start with – which is a fairly familiar world for me – but this week it’s got even more surreal.
You know, I can immerse myself in a task and think about just that alone, but now it’s got to this stage, I’ve got this continuous low-level kind of… Well, I don’t know whether it’s anxiety, excitement, or just a bit of butterflies, but there’s definitely something going on, haha.
One of the main things I’m really excited about is just seeing my work displayed in so many different ways that I wouldn’t normally do; I’m a two-dimensional artist, I make paintings, so seeing it come to life in 3D, graphic packages and in various digital formats is really exciting.
Yeah, so for those yet to see any of it, what exactly can you tell us about the project and how it’s going to take shape in different forms?
The idea was that Universal Music Group [UMG] wanted to ask an artist to create something that is their visual presence throughout Manchester for the BRITs.
So it needed to be something that was instantly recognisable, something that could be repeated, something with a bit of pattern to it so it can be scaled, but then also something instantly kind of recognisable, and the word that was used a lot at the very beginning was iconic.
It had to be quite clear; there was a lot of back and forth, and I think at first I was maybe complicating things or overthinking things, as you can imagine for something this big, but eventually we started to refine it, and we got something really nice out of it.
Probably the most exciting thing is that there’s going to be a huge eight-foot sculpture of it [the core design] being made to go in the foyer of the Kimpton Hotel. There are flags, there’s loads of printed graphics, you know, little details like beer coasters and menus – it’s just going to be everywhere.
Incredible, and obviously, you’ve lived in Manchester for a long time now, so how special does it feel to play a part in such a big moment for the city?
You know, I’ve been here for 17 years, and it’s a special place that’s deserving of it. I’ve worked in the creative industries for nearly two decades now, and we’re very proud of what we do up here.
I work in the film industry as well, and there’s always a bit of a groan amongst Manchester crew when, you know, a load of people come up from London to do a job instead of hiring Mancunians, but any myths about the North are always dispelled quite quickly.
Yeah, no one can question our work ethic. What is it about Greater Manchester that inspires you?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Inspiration for me is like through osmosis: it’s a gradual thing, and it sort of steadily shapes who I am and my creative output.
I can’t just pinpoint any one specific thing about Manchester, but it’s a place that has had a profound effect on who I am, what I like, and what I like doing. I’ve enjoyed the fruits of Manchester to the full – probably a little bit too hard at times, hence these dark circles under my eyes!
Ha, glad to hear it. What about that ‘music being universal’ brief – how do you go about being referential in your work, or do you create it for yourself and just hope it connects with others?
That’s a really nice question, actually. So the audience always starts with me; I feel like if I’m producing something that I like, then hopefully others will also like it. It can be tricky at times NOT to try and second-guess what your audience might like. I think a lot of artists do that in all disciplines.
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But yeah, I have to be quite strict now, and make what feels right to me, because if I like it, then I can talk about it and present it with pride. I think with that, it will eventually find its own audience.
Love that – now, I know it’s a hard question, but if you had to sum the visual style of this work in just three words, what would they be?
Oh, come on, haha! Erm… OK, well I’m going start with that word that kicked it all off: iconic. I’m going to put the word ‘fruity’ in the middle – you know it’s bright and juicy – and I’m going to say the word accessible to finish it off.
Iconic, fruity, and accessible – I was never guessing that one, haha. As for the night itself, which famous faces are going to make you double-take?
Well, I know Pulp are up for an award, and so I’m from the era of, you know: being glued to the Brits and, you know, the whole Michael Jackson-Jarvis Cocker saga, etc. I think that’s a pretty iconic moment in British history, so I’d love Pulp to because I think Jarvis has always got something very interesting to say.
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For sure, and how do you think the spectacle of the BRIT Awards has changed over the years?
I think the shape of performance has changed a lot in the last decade. People really put on big shows, don’t they? Like it’s not it’s no longer just, you know, a backdrop with the band name on it, it’s pyrotechnics, dancers, massive visual effects, and so much more.
Last but not least, which of those big performances from that unreal lineup are you most looking forward to seeing?
I think, deservedly, up for an Achievement Award: Mark Ronson. I think that’s going to be great, and I’m looking forward to seeing Wolf Alice, too.
It’s not necessarily the kind of gig that I would go to, to be honest – I love electronic and a lot of older music a lot – but I’ve actually got tickets to see Mogwai on Friday as well, so it’s set up to be a very energetic weekend.
It was a pleasure chatting with Alex, and we definitely caught the extra tailwind of his enthusiasm, as if we weren’t buzzing enough already.
Like the man himself, a few members of our Audio North team will be at the 2026 BRIT Awards themselves, and we can’t wait to see all the glitz and glamour in the flesh.
Stay tuned to our socials over on Instagram, as well as our usual The Manc pages, to make sure you don’t miss a second of the coverage.
Happy BRITs Week, and for those of you going to Co-op Live on the night, soak it all in!
What a busy week we've got – board game festivals, new foodie openings… oh, and The @BRITs comes to our city this weekend for the first time ever too. 🎶🐝🏆
Manchester artist Stanley Chow to host free DJ set at beloved Chorlton bar
Danny Jones
Well-known Manchester artist Stanley Chow is set to host a exclusive DJ at one of the most beloved neighbourhood bars in Chorlton– and it’s happening this weekend.
So, if you fancy something other than BRITs buzz that has well and truly gripped Manchester, you can always go and dance with Stan.
Following the success of other special one-off performances such as Cain Dingle from Emmerdale (yes, really), The Garden Bar will be inviting the famous portrait creator to spin a few tracks with his fellow suburban residents.
Previously known as The Font, which sadly closed it’s city centre site a couple of years ago and has since been reborn in Chorlton and hosted all kinds of fun events throughout the week. Up next:
Still living nearby and remaining a passionate Chorlton regular – as we found out from his very opinionated ‘Tram Takes’ interview last year – the 52-year-old illustrator and local legend with be heading to Garden Bar this Friday, 27 February.
He’s also no stranger to stepping behing the decks.
As a member of not only of the art hub here in the city centre, but Greater Manchester’s wider creative scene as a whole, he played the likes of Green Island – which recently announced the first wave of its lineup for 2026 – and he’s played the area more than once before.
It’s still unconfirmed whether or not he’ll be returning to the big outdoor bash in garden centre, but he’ll certainly be an equally popular and familiar face at The Garden at the end of the month.
Also, we caught him at Green Island ourselves and, on this ocassion, we can vouch: the man’s not half bad, you know…
Speaking on booking his next live gig, Stan said: “I’m very happy to be back DJing in Chorlton. The Garden Bar is a fantastic local spot, and I’ll be playing a mix of my favourite tracks, some old classics and a few surprises.
“DJing has always been a big part of my life, and it’s a joy to share that with a friendly crowd in such a creative space.”
Jess Anderson, Manager of The Garden Bar, added: “As one of our regulars we’re thrilled that Stan will be bringing some of his record collection for us all to hear.
“His DJ night comes straight off the back of brilliant guest slots with Jeff Hordley [aka Emmerdale‘s Cain Dingle], and James Cartwright [aka Coronation Street‘s Theo Silverton] and we’re expecting more of the same with Stan as guest DJ. We can’t wait to see the energy he brings.”
So yeah, if you fancy seeing Stan the man swap his 2D geometric portrature for a fun little night on the tiles, it’s completely free entry, with the party starting from 8:30pm and food served until 9pm.
You can of course phone ahead to book yourself a spot on 0161 518 2227, and in case you’re wondering what else they’ve got on at The Garden, find out more down below.
Daisy Jackson -
21st September 2023 
