Manchester concert tickets 2020: the biggest music acts performing this year at Manchester Arena, Manchester Academy and the Albert Hall

Some of the biggest names in music will be hitting Manchester this year.
Diana Ross will reign supreme once again in 2020. Picture: Rick Kern (Getty Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)Diana Ross will reign supreme once again in 2020. Picture: Rick Kern (Getty Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)
Diana Ross will reign supreme once again in 2020. Picture: Rick Kern (Getty Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)

Manchester has long been one of the UK’s premiere music destinations, with major acts coming from all over the world.

2020 looks set to be no different – here’s a quick rundown of the biggest shows scheduled for this year.

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Teenage megastar Billie Eilish wil bring some villainous vibes to Manchester. Picture: Rich Fury (Getty Images for iHeartMediaTeenage megastar Billie Eilish wil bring some villainous vibes to Manchester. Picture: Rich Fury (Getty Images for iHeartMedia
Teenage megastar Billie Eilish wil bring some villainous vibes to Manchester. Picture: Rich Fury (Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Slipknot

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Heavy Metal legends Slipknot will be providing an explosive start to 2020 with a Manchester show that’s sure to rouse everybody up out of their winter slumber.

Over the last two decades, Slipknot have cemented their reputation as one of the most popular Metal acts of all time.

Having released their sixth album, We Are Not Your Kind, in the August of 2019, the Iowa group have changed a lot since they first broke through in the nineties - today, only one founding member remains.

Somehow, Snoop Dogg always manages to seem...relaxed. Picture: Harry How (BIG3 via Getty Images)Somehow, Snoop Dogg always manages to seem...relaxed. Picture: Harry How (BIG3 via Getty Images)
Somehow, Snoop Dogg always manages to seem...relaxed. Picture: Harry How (BIG3 via Getty Images)

That said, they still know how to thrill a crowd – expect scenes of pure chaos when they hit the stage.

Manchester Arena, January 16, tickets available here.

FEBRUARY

Jonas Brothers

Elton John's long goodbye continues into 2020. Picture: Kevin Winter (Getty Images for iHeartMedia)Elton John's long goodbye continues into 2020. Picture: Kevin Winter (Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
Elton John's long goodbye continues into 2020. Picture: Kevin Winter (Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
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Disney’s squeaky clean band of brothers the Jonases have gone from playing rockers in the House of Mouse’s films and TV series to becoming one of the most successful acts in real life.

Kevin, Joe and Nick have gone on to release five albums, with the most recent one (Happiness Begins) arriving just last year.

Whether pursuing their own solo projects or putting on a show together, the Jonas Brothers have been successful pretty much wherever they’ve gone with millions of records sold and legions of adoring fans across the world.

Already 15 years into their career, 2019’s single “Cool” went on to become their second most popular song ever.

Harry Styles will be back, no doubt with some more spectacular looks. Picture: Handout (Helene Marie Pambrun via Getty Images)Harry Styles will be back, no doubt with some more spectacular looks. Picture: Handout (Helene Marie Pambrun via Getty Images)
Harry Styles will be back, no doubt with some more spectacular looks. Picture: Handout (Helene Marie Pambrun via Getty Images)

Manchester Arena, February 6, tickets are available here

The Script

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The Script were another group of fresh-faced young lads who went on to conquer the world with their catchy brand of pop-rock.

The Dublin boys are back in a big way in 2020, having just released their long-awaited sixth studio album, Sunsets and Full Moons, at the end of last year.

To celebrate, The Script have embarked on a massive tour that will take them all over the UK and beyond.

Fans can expect plenty of the new material to be on show, as well as old favourites like “Superheroes” and “Hall of Fame.”

Slipknot will be back to cause more chaos in 2020. Picture: Herbert P Oczeret (AFP via Getty Images)Slipknot will be back to cause more chaos in 2020. Picture: Herbert P Oczeret (AFP via Getty Images)
Slipknot will be back to cause more chaos in 2020. Picture: Herbert P Oczeret (AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester Arena, February 15, tickets available here

Lana Del Rey

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Hipster goddess Lana Del Rey will bring her unique style of dream pop to the UK once again in 2020.

Del Rey burst onto the scene when her home-produced song “Videogames” went viral back in 2011. Scandals broke regarding the true identity and history of the woman who had re-invented herself as the sultry Lana Del Rey, but this ultimately only added to her mystique.

Her sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! arrived to rave reviews in 2019, featuring megastar collaborations with Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande.

With over 3.5 billion views on her YouTube and Vevo pages, she is one of the true stars of the digital era.

Manchester Arena, February 26, tickets available here

Sleater-Kinney, February 27

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Sleater-Kinney drover the feminist edge of the punk music world back in 90s and early 2000s as one of the most prominent groups in the Riot Grrrl movement.

After a hiatus between 2007 and 2013, they returned in 2014 with their political convictions still as raw and undaunted as their thunderous sound.

In the current era, their voice is as vital as ever, and fortunately it does not seem to be tiring. 2019 saw them releasing the second studio album since their return, The Centre Won’t Hold, produced by industry legend St Vincent.

Manchester Academy, February 27, tickets available here

The 1975

Manchester-based rockers The 1975 are one of the most loved and hated bands you’ll find anywhere in the UK, with legions of fans willing to go to bat for their post-modern lyrical style while rock critics question their credentials.

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Their 2020 album, arriving the same month as the show is titled Notes on a Conditional Form -suggesting it wont win over anyone who thinks they’re pretentious nerds but will likely delight those who vibe with the band’s darkly youthful sound.

With five albums full of hit singles like “Sex”, “Robbers” and “Chocolate” already under their belts, they’re sure to put on one hell of a show.

Manchester Arena, February 28, tickets available here

MARCH

JPEGMAFIA

One of the breakout stars of rap music in the last couple of years, JPEGMAFIA has one of the most fascinating backstories in the game.

Born in Baltimore, he served a tour of duty in Iraq and spent formative years in Kuwait, Japan, Germany and North Africa. While in the military, he worked on his sampling skills and began recording music, taking up his current moniker after being honourably discharged.

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He has finished both of the last two years on many “Best of” lists, making him one of the hottest tickets in town.

Manchester Academy, March 1, tickets available here Stereophonics

From their humble beginnings in the Welsh village of Cwmaman, Stereophonics have gone on to release six number one albums, becoming one of the most established names on the UK’s classic rock scene in the process.

The band, fronted by Kelly Jones, have sold over 10 million records around the world and had ten top ten singles.

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They look to be going strong into 2020, with a huge night in Manchester planned amongst a host of massive European gigs.

Manchester Arena, March 13, tickets available hereThe Who

To one generation, The Who are rock gods, one of the greatest bands the United Kingdom has ever produced. To another, they are that bunch of English guys that helped Homer Simpson tear down a wall of garbage.

With over 100 million records sold since they first formed in 1964, The Who are one of the most successful and influential rock bands in history, with everyone from Guns N’ Roses to Fallout Boy citing the London rockers as an influence.

Having just released their first studio album in 13 years, the legendary group will be gracing the Manchester stage once again in 2020, proving they can still wreak havoc with the best of them.

Manchester Arena, March 16, tickets available here

APRIL

Barenaked Ladies

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Canadian rockers Barenaked Ladies have amassed a passionate, global fanbase thanks to their eclectic style which saw them melding traditional rock with rap, hip-hop and pop.

The band were also early adopters of the technology that now runs the music industry – using blogs and podcasts to connect with their audience to build up an impressive social media presence before the term even existed.

Now that the rest of the world has caught up with them, they can just enjoy being one of the entertaining, irreplaceable bands on the face of the planet.

Manchester Academy, April 11, tickets available hereSnoop Dogg

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From rock gods to rap gods – legendary California emcee Snoop Dogg will be bringing his laid-back rhymes the UK again this year.

With over 35 million records sold, including the double platinum album The Doggfather, Snoop Dogg is one of the genre’s true greats.

Not content with conquering the rap industry, he’s also pushed into Hollywood, made it into the WWE Hall of Fame and launched several successful business ventures, mostly recently starting his own E-Sports league.

After releasing his 17th album last year, he’ll have no end of hits to wow the crowd with when he arrives in Manchester.

Albert Hall, April 12, tickets available herePussycat Dolls

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The Pussycat Dolls flipped the music industry on its head at the start of its 2000s by re-inventing the girl group concept with a more sultry, burlesque-influenced, style.

While their erotic routines and revealing outfits caused some controversy amongst conservative commentators, the Pussycat Doll’s NSFW brand of pop music made them the most successful girl group of the decade, despite them only releasing two studio albums.

With hits singles like “Don’t Cha” – which has become one of the best-selling singles of all time – “When I Grow Up” and “Jai Ho!”, they’ll be putting on another pulse-quickening show this year.

Manchester Arena, April 14, tickets available hereHarry Styles

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Boy bands and girls group members splitting off to pursue solo careers is an old story by this point, but many struggle to get out from under the shadow of the band that made them famous – not so with Harry Styles whose fame now at least equals that of One Direction.

A pop star and a style icon, Styles climbed the charts in 2017 with his debut single “Sign of the Times” and has hardly looked down since.

A Brit Award and an internationally chart-topping debut album later and he’s one of the biggest names in pop music.

Having just smashed the US record for album sales by an Englishman with his follow up album, Fine Line, he’ll now be returning home to remind the crowds on this side of the pond why they voted for him way back in his One Direction days.

Manchester Arena, April 25, tickets available here

MAY

McFly

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No-one drove teens and tweens of the 2000s crazy quite like McFly – the exuberant boy band went double platinum with their debut album in 2004 and stole The Beatles title as the youngest band ever to debut at number one.

Since then, they’ve sold millions more records, played all around the world and even teamed up with rival boy band Busted to form McBusted.

After splitting for a few years to pursue their own projects, McFly re-formed in 2019 to record a new album and set of on their grand come-back tour.

Manchester Arena, May 1, tickets available hereNick Cave & The Bad Seeds

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The dark prince of Australia, Nick Cave has been one of the most profound voices in rock since the late eighties.

His gothic look and soul-shaking baritone are perfectly suited to songs that wrestle with life, death, good and evil – with Cave acting like something between a pastor and a poet while putting on a wildly entertaining rock show.

While his songs have been covered by everyone form Johnny Cash to Snoop Dogg, a pure cut of Cave can only be found when he is on stage with the rest of the Bad Seeds.

Manchester Arena, May 6, tickets available here

JUNE

Queen + Adam Lambert

Bohemian Rhapsody became the hit film of 2018, sparking a renewed wave of Queen fever all across the world but nowhere more so than in the band’s homeland.

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While the band’s legendary frontman, Freddie Mercury, could never be replaced, Adam Lambert has bravely stepped in for the band’s new tour to ensure that the show can go on, just as Mercury insisted that it must.

The American singer-songwriter joins original members Brian May and Roger Taylor as they keep the band’s legacy alive with a series of huge shows throughout 2020.

Manchester Academy, June 11 and 12, tickets available here

Diana Ross

Ever since The Supremes first defined the Motown scene back in the 60s, Diana Ross has radiated pure star power in a way few have before or since.

Ross’ solo career has featured some of the most iconic tacks in music history, such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “I’m Coming Out” and “Endless Love.”

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She remains the only artist to have claimed the number one spot as a solo artist and as part of a duo, a trio, and an ensemble.

This summer, she will bring six decades of soul on to the stage, proving once again why she is one of the most popular entertainers of all time.

Manchester Arena, July 3 & 19, tickets available hereBillie Eilish

The breakout star of 2019, Billie Eilish went from obscurity to superstardom in the blink of an eye thanks to singles like the brain-infesting “Bad Guy”.

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At only 18 years old, she already has 8 gold and 4 platinum singles in the US, holds two Guinness world records and has received six Grammy nominations, two American Music Awards and three MTV Music Video Awards.

It’s hard to imagine how she’ll even begin to try topping that in 2020, but returning to the UK as part of a massive world tour seems like a pretty good place to start.

Manchester Arena, July 21 & 22, tickets available here

SEPTEMBER

Celine Dion

One of the biggest voices in all of music, Celine Dion was catapulted to fame back in 1988 when she won the Eurovision Song Contest while representing Switzerland.

From there she went on to become one of the most popular singers in the world with albums like “Falling into You” and “Let’s Talk About Love”, both of which went diamond in the States.

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Her iconic singles like “The Power of Love” and “My Heart Will Go On” have ensured that her star has never much dimmed in the intervening decades, and she will be filling arenas around the world once again in 2020.

Manchester Arena, September 4 & 5, tickets available hereStormzy

Probably no artist was as fiercely debated in 2019 as the UK’s rap king Stormzy.

From his Union Flag-clad stab vest to his unflinching response to British racism, Stormzy has made no shortage of commentators’ blood boil while also inspiring a generation of UK talent and becoming one of the country’s most respected artists.

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Give the results of the last general election, it seems unlikely that Stormzy will be in for a quieter year in 2020 – fortunately he seems more than up for the fight.

The fast-spitting firebrand will be hitting stages across the UK this year.

Manchester Arena, September 17, tickets available here

NOVEMBER

Ozzy Osbourne

About as close to the devil himself as your average music fan would like to get, Ozzy Osbourne has been delivering thrills and chills since the 70s.

After being introduced to a new generation as the incomprehensible father on the Osbourne’s reality TV show, he has gone back to his roots and returned to the stage.

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2019 saw him collaborating with rap superstar Post Malone on “Take What You Want”, giving him his first top ten single in 30 years, before releasing a brand new single of his own, “Under the Graveyard”.

The Prince of Darkness has risen again.

Manchester Arena, November 2, tickets available hereElton John

Much like the Bohemian Rhapsody phenomenon the year before, 2019’s Rocketman became one of the hit movies of the year and introduced a whole new wave of fans to one of the music industry’s most flamboyant stars – Elton John.

Now 72 years old and almost ready to retire, he has reached the final leg of a massive farewell tour that will ultimately see him play 300 shows around the world.

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When your back-catalogue contains “Rocketman”, “Benny and the Jets”, “Your Song” and so many other countless hits, it’s easy to see why it might take a while to finish saying a proper goodbye.

Manchester Arena, November 17 & 28, tickets available here

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