The big day is fast approaching: local lads and global music sensation, The 1975, are returning to Manchester with a massive gig at the AO Arena this weekend.
In case you haven’t already caught wind from the endless clips online, the genre-defying band are currently on a massive world tour simply entitled, ‘At Their Very Best‘, and it looks to be their biggest and boldest yet.
With scenes from their performances across the US and UK are being plastered all over social media night after night, it’s clear that these shows aren’t just like any other ordinary gigs. These lot are putting on a creative, show-stopping spectacle and soon Mancs will be able to see it live.
Rocking up to the legendary venue on Friday, 20 January, the Wilmslow-born outfit will not only be playing tracks from their latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, but they will also belting out some of their biggest hits.
Judging by sights like these, you’re not ready and neither are we:
Yeah, if you’ve got a ticket for Friday, you’re gonna have a good time.
That being said, while we firmly believe that no viral clip or prior 1975 shows can prepare you for what’s about to come, we’re still going to do our best to let you know everything they have in store on Friday — to the best of our knowledge, anyway.
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Tickets (we have some bad news…)
As if you haven’t guessed already, these tickets are absolute gold dust and sold out almost instantly, so coming across a spare will take some doing.
On the other hand, we love a trier, and you could always get lucky and spot one on resale sites like Twickets or TicketSwap but, as always, be 100% sure you’re buying from a trusted page and not getting ripped off.
Getting a hold of one of these things is hard enough, we don’t need you adding to your own stress by falling for a scam.
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The 1975 support acts
Bonnie Kemplay
As for The 1975’s warm-up acts at their Manchester Arena gig, there has only been one confirmed support artist: Edinburgh singer-songwriter Bonnie Kemplay, who covered their smash-hit ‘If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)‘ in the BBC Radio Live Lounge back in 2021.
Having joined them for the UK and Ireland legs of their 2023 tour calendar, the 19-year-old songstress has been chronicling her experience on tour with the headliners on social media.
Signed to the same label as The 1975, Dirty Hit Records — where frontman Healy is also the creative director — she is clearly one for the future and has been well-received while opening up for the main event. Watch this space.
Special guests?…
While just one support might sound somewhat surprising for a show of this size, it is also worth mentioning that all manner of special guests have popped up and delivered some incredible performances in various cities across Britain and America so far.
As well as a cameo by Phoebe Bridgers and even guitarist Adam Hann’s wife Carly Holt finally joining the band on stage for her part in ‘About You’, those watching The 1975 first night at the London O2 were treated to Taylor Swift just casually popping up and doing a quick acoustic set. As you do.
With that in mind, we obviously can’t predict who might make a surprise appearance at the Arena gig but given the stops they pulled out for London, we’re betting they have something even bigger up their sleeve for their home gig.
Some fans even think we could get a bit of Harry Styles given that he is and local lad and was spotted at the first London gig. Who knows?
The 1975 stage times
Now, for those wondering what are the set times for The 1975’s AO Arena concert, although the night is jam-packed, they manage to get it all done in around four hours.
With doors opening at 6:30pm, giving you time to grab a drink and maybe some merch on the way in, opening act Bonnie Kemplay will spend just under an hour warming up the crowd.
The band are then due to take to the stage at approximately 8:30pm, with the show expected to end around 10:40pm. On the other hand, Matty does whatever he wants in these gigs so they could go well beyond that, just fair warning.
‘At Their Very Best’ setlist (we think)
Following the release of the new record back in October, fans can obviously expect to hear Being Funny in a Foreign Language (BFIAFL) in full, all played in order with a couple tracks from previous albums breaking up things in between.
Then, after running through the 12 new tunes, the band will be diving into their biggest bangers, with a total of at least 25 songs on the current setlist which even includes cult-favourites like ‘fallingforyou’, ‘Paris’ and the ‘An Encounter’ interlude from their self-titled debut.
Here’s is roughly what they have been playing so far:
The 1975 (BFIAFL version)
Looking For Somebody (To Love)
Happiness
Part Of The Band
Oh Caroline
I’m in Love With You
All I Need To Hear
Roadkill
I Couldn’t Be More In Love With You
fallingforyou
I Like America & America Likes Me (‘Real World’ version)
About You
When We Are Together
If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)
TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME
Chocolate
It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)
Paris
INTERLUDE: An Encounter
Robbers
Somebody Else
Love It If We Made It
The Sound
Sex
Give Yourself A Try
There’s a bit of everything on here, with some of the strongest moments from each of their five albums highlighted. After all, it is The 1975 ‘At Their Very Best’. However, it goes without saying that they have been mixing things up as they go to keep fans on their toes, like so:
Last but not least, if there’s one thing we do know will happen during The 1975’s AO Arena gig, it’s simply whatever Matty Healy wants.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock over the past few months, you’re bound to have heard at least one story of the ever-eccentric singer, songwriter and guitarist getting up to all sorts during this tour.
From sucking people’s thumbs and checking their IDs before bringing them on stage to give them a snog, to getting his chest tattooed live on stage and eating a raw piece of steak in between songs, it’s certainly one of the more out-there productions you’ll see on a Friday night of live music.
The band are always striving to be artistic and push boundaries — the use of the beautifully designed set on this tour alone proves that — but sometimes the stuff that sticks with you the most is the simple things, the random moments only that city got to witness and, of course, the memes.
We hope you enjoy repeating 'don't like menthols' over and over again for the rest of your life. 👍😂https://t.co/ygOP1oET1Y
We are fortunate enough to be going along to watch The 1975 at the AO Arena later this week, so be sure to your eyes peeled on our main Instagram and Manc Audio feeds for a glimpse of the show.
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As for their intimate Gorilla gig scheduled on 1 February, it’s hard to believe anyone managed to cop tickets for that one, so well done to those of you who did.
Nevertheless, we look forward to shouting “don’t like menthols” when the moment of truth arrives (if you know, you know) and, hopefully, we’ll see a few of you there on Friday.
Richard Ashcroft announces all-North West lineup of support acts for Alexandra Palace headliner
Danny Jones
Wigan’s finest, Richard Ashcroft, has announced an all-North-Western lineup for his upcoming headline show at ‘Ally Pally’.
The former Verve frontman is not only riding a fresh wave of popularity thanks to supporting Oasis on their incredible Live ’25 world tour, but also recently released his long-awaited new album, Lovin’ You.
Not just a Manc music icon but one of the biggest names to have come out of his borough, specifically, the legendary lyricist is finally getting more like the kind of recognition he deserves, and is making sure to pay that exposure forward in the best way possible.
He could have picked from all manner of big British acts as supports at Alexandra Palace, but Richard Ashcroft has chosen to keep flying the regional flag by picking a group he’s spent the last few months with, as well as a fellow Greater Manchester act.
That’s right: as well as signing up Liverpool’s very own Oasis Live ’25 openers, Cast, as one of the warm-up acts, the 54-year-old has also chosen another native Wigan artist in the form of The Lathums to join him for the momentous headline show.
Much-loved not only in their hometown but across Manchester and beyond, the indie favourites – who also released their latest studio LP, Matter Does Not Define, back in February – the young band are only getting better and becoming more established as time goes on.
Having already played the likes of the AO Arena here in Manchester and booked numerous big festival slots of the past few years, we reckon you can pretty much bank on them headlining this historic and bucket list venue for themselves in the future.
In terms of Cast, the scousers continue one of the busiest years for touring in their career by supporting ‘King Richard’, having followed up supporting ‘LG’ in 2024 to both Gallagher brothers over the summer.
As for Ashcroft himself, we’re glad to see him back releasing new music, and can confirm his seventh record is a great listen.
By no means our favourite, but just a taste of his latest sound.
Now, if you were wondering why we’re talking about this show over any of the other gigs (namely the Northern ones) on his upcoming UK run, it’s because most of the tour has now sold out.
His Co-op Live date was obviously the first to go, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium going shortly after, and extra dates being added in the likes of London, Liverpool and over in Leeds.
If you do happen to be in the capital already or are willing to make a trip to London for the show, there are still some tickets left for Richard Ashcroft at Ally Pally in July 2026.
Cannot wait to hear how this sounds in that storied room:
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North
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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.