Homecomings don't get much bigger than Liam Gallagher playing on the turf of his beloved Manchester City. Thousands will be heading to watch the one-time Oasis frontman rock out at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night in one of his most eagerly-anticipated gigs of the summer.
And that's saying something for a man who has sold out 160,000 tickets over two huge nights at Knebworth later next week as part of his epic 2022. Liam returns home to Manchester with his team crowned Premier League champions and just as his third solo album, C'Mon You Know, looks set to sail to the top of the charts, with critics billing it his best solo work yet.
With the anthemic Better Days and Everything's Electric from that album sure to get the Etihad crowd going, we can be assured the set will also be heavily dipping into the Oasis canon. His recent Blackburn charity gig gave us such belters as Slide Away, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Live Forever and his now ubiquitous Rock 'n' Roll Star.
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While Liam on stage at 49 is pretty much the same force of nature that he was almost thirty years ago, the new album is full of lyrics which are more likely to extend a comforting hug than instigate conflict. It’s most apparent with the title track’s admittance that “I’m sick of acting like a tough” – an idea he also touches upon in Diamond In The Dark.
More Power offers the hope that all those things that don’t work out as you planned will ultimately be for the best, while Better Days is pure romanticism. The album’s final words say it all as he signs off with “I can only offer you my love.”
"All it’s about is: keep making music, stay alive, stay out of trouble… ish," he said in a recent interview with NME. "And just f***ing live a nice, happy life. I just want to do the gigs, keep making music, look cool, try and sort me napper out and not turn into a c***. That’s all I ever wanted to do."
If the 1990s' Oasis-era Liam was the self-appointed rock messiah, then 2022 Liam sees a self-assured second coming for Burnage's finest. One thing's almost guaranteed for Wednesday night - this gig is going to be biblical.
Support acts
Gig-goers will want to get to the Etihad in decent time on Wednesday night - as support for the show comes courtesy of indie icons The Charlatans. The Northwich rockers, known for such classics as North Country Boy, One to Another and The Only One I Know, will be supporting Liam here in Manchester and also at his Cardiff show later in the summer.
Opening the night will be hotly-tipped post-punk band Goat Girl. And it has just been confirmed that Liam's older brother Paul Gallagher will also be playing a DJ set to kick things off at the Etihad.
Stage times
Doors open for the gig at 4.30pm on Wednesday, June 1. All set times are subject to change, but these are the expected stage times:
DJ set Paul Gallagher - 5pm
Goat Girl - 6.25pm
The Charlatans - 7.25pm
Liam Gallagher - 9pm
How to get there
The Etihad is located a mile and a half east of the city centre and is easy to get to using public transport.
The nearest major train station is Manchester Piccadilly. From there, you can catch a tram to the Etihad Campus Metrolink stop (which is right outside the stadium), take a taxi from outside the Store Street exit, or walk (around 30 to 40 minutes).
You can also catch a tram directly from any of the following city centre stops: Deansgate-Castlefield, St Peter's Square, Piccadilly Gardens or Piccadilly Station. Take the Ashton-under-lyne or Etihad Campus lines.
The Metrolink network is very busy on concert nights so allow plenty of time for travel.
Take a look at our full guide to concerts at the Etihad stadium for more detailed information on public transport, driving directions and parking.
Is there parking at the stadium?
There is car parking at the stadium, but this is limited and must be pre-booked here . It is highly recommended however to use public transport to the stadium. There are a number of pay-for car parks in the city centre that can be used close to tram stops at Piccadilly, Manchester Central and Oxford Street and then take the tram to the Etihad Campus.
If you're parking around the stadium, a road closure operates immediately after the event to allow pedestrians to leave the Etihad Stadium safely. This is in place for approximately 20 minutes after the end of the show. This is, however, subject to GMP approval and may be in place for longer than stated above. Roads affected by the closure are as follows:
Ashton New Road – between Alan Turing Way and Darley Street
Grey Mare Lane – between Ashton New Road and Alan Turing Way
Merrill Street – between Pollard Street and Ashton New Road
Walking map
It's around a 30 to 40 minute walk from Piccadilly Train Station all the way to the Etihad Stadium. Here's a map of the route.
Set list
This will be the first big gig of the summer for Liam - so he's going to be keeping us guessing on the setlist until the night. But here's his most recent full gig set-list from that intimate King George Hall gig in Blackburn from April 27 to whet the appetite.
Hello
Rock 'n' Roll Star
Morning Glory
Wall of Glass
Shockwave
Everything's Electric
Better days
Slide Away
Stand By Me
C'mon You Know
World's in Need
The River
Once
ENCORE:-
Cigarettes and Alcohol
Cast No Shadow
Live Forever
Wonderwall
Is there food and drink at the stadium?
There are a number of food and drink stalls outside the stadium at City Square and inside selling a wide variety of food to cater for all needs. This includes gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options.
Alcohol is available to buy inside the stadium. You are not allowed to take your own food or alcohol into the stadium with you. Water is available free of charge inside the stadium.
Etihad Stadium is a cashless stadium so make sure you have the ability to make card/contactless payments.
Tickets
Unreserved pitch tickets are available from £65 (plus fees), and seated tickets from £75 (plus fees).
All remaining tickets for the gigs for the Etihad show will be available to buy via www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.gigsandtours.com and www.livenation.co.uk.
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