This week, we waved goodbye to a long January and welcomed February, along with the promise of longer, brighter and milder days.
But that’s not all – as we’re also set to welcome a fantastic array of artists to Manchester and the surrounding areas over the next few months, from popstar James Arthur to the wonderful Hacienda Classical.
Read on for the full list of acts coming to the region – and where to get your tickets.
Kula Shaker – O2 Ritz, Manchester
May 3, 2024
With the release of their new album ‘NATURAL MAGICK’ today (February 2), Kula Shaker have announced a UK tour for this April and May. The tour will see the band playing 10 dates across the country.
These days, as anyone who has seen them in the flesh could tell you, Kula Shaker’s live shows are less like gigs than bona-fide happenings. They’re communal gatherings of like-minded souls where the bilateral flow of positive energy feels powerful enough to levitate the Royal Albert Hall.
Tickets will go on sale here at 9am today (February 2).
IDLES – O2 Apollo, Manchester
December 8, 2024
IDLES have announced extra dates to their UK tour this December, including an additional show at Manchester’s O2 Apollo.
Extending an explosive run of unerringly stirring albums, their forthcoming album ‘TANGK’ is the band’s most ambitious and striking record yet, set to be released February 16. They launched the album with the single ‘Dancer’, which features backing vocals from LCD Soundsystem duo James Murphy and Nancy Whang.
Tickets are available here from 9am today (February 2).
Brittany Howard – Albert Hall, Manchester
July 6, 2024
Brittany Howard is heading to the UK this July, with a show at Manchester’s Albert Hall. The news comes ahead of the release of her latest album, ‘What Now’, out February 9.
Over the course of ‘What Now’s 12 tracks, she brings her singular musicality to a shapeshifting sound encompassing everything from psychedelia and dance music to dream-pop and avant-jazz – a fitting backdrop for an album whose lyrics shift from unbridled outpouring to incisive yet radically idealistic commentary on the state of the human condition.
Tickets will be available here from 10am today (February 2).
Pond – Gorilla, Manchester
September 26, 2024
One of the most versatile, inquisitive, and accomplished bands in the psychedelic rock vanguard, Pond have announced touring dates spanning several continents in 2024, as well as teasing new music on the way.
Made up of Nicholas Allbrook, Jay Watson, Joseph Ryan, James Ireland and Jamie Terry, Pond hails from Fremantle, Western Australia, where the group formed in 2010. Today, Pond boasts an impressive catalogue of recorded music, spanning nine critically-acclaimed albums with no plans of stopping now.
Tickets are on sale here at 9am today (February 2).
James Arthur – Robin Park, Wigan
July 17, 2024
James Arthur will play at Wigan Robin Park this July.
James is one of the world’s biggest streaming artists, with over 38 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. The singer songwriter has scored four top 10 albums and has collaborated with the likes of Anne-Marie, Sigala, Rudimental, Marshmello and many more.
Ahead of his live shows kicking off next month, James Arthur has released his brand new album, ‘Bitter Sweet Love’.
Tickets are on sale here now.
Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer – Co-op Live, Manchester
June 13, 2024
Multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning, alternative rock pioneers The Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer are heading out on a major summer tour of the UK and Ireland this June.
When The Smashing Pumpkins first emerged out of Chicago in 1988, the world had never heard a band quite like them. They spun together rock, pop, shoe-gaze, metal, goth, psychedelia, and electronic into a kaleidoscope of saccharine melodies, fuzzy distortion, bombastic orchestration, incendiary fretwork, eloquent songcraft, and unshakable hooks.
Plus, the iconic Weezer return to the UK following their stint on the Hella Mega sold-out stadium tour, the release of their innovative quartet of EPs SZNZ in 2022 and massive sold-out headline US tour. Weezer’s music has been streamed billions of times with the band selling over 10 million albums in the US and over 35 million records worldwide since their debut album’s release in 1994.
The Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer tour follows their headline stints at BeachLife festival in California last year.
Tickets are available here now.
Hacienda Classical – Castlefield Bowl, Manchester
July 13, 2024
Hacienda Classical continues its annual mid-summer party at Castlefield Bowl with another appearance on Saturday, July 13.
Hacienda Classical sees Tim Crooks lead the collective of artists and musicians on stage including Melanie Williams, Rae Hall, Yvonne Shelton and AMC Choir to perform well-known favourites and new versions of club classics all mixed continuously into one non-stop set, and will mark its eighth Castlefield show in the Sounds of the City festival’s nine years.
Tickets are on sale here now.
