JulyDecember 2025
NEW SEASON OF EVENTS
at Middleton Arena!
After a massive start to 2025, Middleton Arena is here to make sure the second half of the year brings all the entertainment you need!
Christmas is bigger and better than ever in 2025, with our two pantomimes - Aladdin at Middleton Arena (p22-23) and Wizard of Oz (p24-25) at Heywood Sports Village, bringing all the fabulous fun and comedy you’ve come to expect. And beyond panto, Ballet Theatre UK are presenting a Victorian Christmas with A Christmas Carol (p20), whilst we pay tribute to the king of crooners Michael Bublé with Bublé by Candlelight (p20).
We’re bringing yet more sporting legends to town to tell you tales from their stellar careers, including The Best of British Boxing Legends (p14) with Frank Bruno and Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton, and Black Ball 40th Anniversary Tour (p20) with snooker icons Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor.
We’ve got more shows for little ones than ever, with a stage adaptation of McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter’s The Dinosaur That Pooped A Rock Show (p7), the ever-popular and magical In The Night Garden Live (p10), educational fun with Rude Science (p17) and the swashbuckling adventure Pirates Love Underpants (p19)!
For slightly older popobsessed kids, Sweet & Sour (p11) showcases the tunes of two pop icons - Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, whilst Princess Live (p17) sees some of your favourite fairytale princesses unite to form the ultimate girl group.
Fans of musicals will be thrilled to see the return of the Opera Boys (p12), and we see West End royalty Lee Mead join the
cast of The Phantoms (p16) for an evening of all your favourite musical tunes.
If you’re into classic titles, experience the magic of Tchaikosky’s beloved ballet Swan Lake (p11) with Crown Ballet, or take a step into the dark and treacherous world of Shakespeare’s Hamlet (p15) as the team behind February’s
Macbeth return with a brandnew production.
And of course, we’ll be bringing you the very best music throughout the summer and autumn, with old favourites Northern Live (p8), The Drifters and The American Four Tops (p7), plus, fresh from a triumphant Britain’s Got Talent run,
Mickey Callisto stars in Don’t Stop Queen Now (p6).
Find out more about how to book on page 5, and visit us at yourtrustrochdale.co.uk for more information on the charity’s wider activities. We look forward to seeing you this season!
BEST OF FRIENDS MEMBERSHIP
Enjoy savings on theatre and concert tickets throughout the year with our Best Of Friends scheme – for only £15 per year.
Better yet, Best of Friends Membership is FREE for Your Leisure Members!
Scan the QR code to register:
*Please note, not every show is included in the Best of Friends scheme.
GIFT VOUCHERS
Give the gift of entertainment with a Middleton Arena gift voucher. Whether a fan of music or comedy, theatre or dance, a Middleton Arena gift voucher gives a night out to remember!
Scan the QR code to purchase online
BOOKING AND FACILITIES
ONLINE
Book online 24 hours a day at middletonarena.com
TELEPHONE
Call our box office on 0300 303 8633, Monday - Friday, 10am - 2.30pm
IN PERSON
Middleton Arena’s box office is open Monday - Friday, 10am - 2.30pm
BLUE LIGHT DISCOUNT
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve become part of the Blue Light Card discount scheme, offering 15% off tickets to those in the NHS, emergency services, social care sector and armed forces. Find out how to register your Blue Light Card with us at middletonarena.com
ESSENTIAL COMPANIONS
ACCESSIBILITY
All public areas are fully accessible, with lifts to upper floors available at Middleton Arena. Both also have accessible toilets and baby changing facilities. For more accessibility info, please see yourtrustrochdale.co.uk or call 0300 303 8633.
Our Essential Companions scheme exists to enable all patrons to equally participate in Middleton Arena and Heywood Civic Centre events. It is offered to all those who require a companion to assist in accessing the facilities. More information on applying for our Essential Companions scheme can be found at middletonarena.com
DON’T STOP QUEEN NOW
SATURDAY 19 JULY, 7.30PM
Tickets from £25
Tonight, you’re gonna have yourself a real good time!
After 2024’s triumphant soldout show, Don’t Stop Queen Now are back with the biggest Queen tribute production.
With energetic and true-tolife performances, our very own Freddie Mercury, Mickey Callisto brings Queen’s 40+ year reign to life in a show that’s guaranteed to blow your mind!
THE AMERICAN FOUR TOPS
FRIDAY 25 JULY, 7.30PM
Tickets from £28
Direct from the USA and back by popular demand, Soul Satisfaction bring you the sweetest soul music and Motown magic of The Four Tops.
With powerful vocals, splendid harmonies and high-stepping dance routines, relive hits such as Reach Out, Baby I Need Your Loving and Loco in Acapulco, plus classics from the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Ben E King and more.
THE DINOSAUR THAT POOPED A ROCK SHOW!
SUNDAY 27 JULY, 12.30PM & 3.30PM
Tickets from £15.50
Adapted from the number 1 bestselling books by McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter, the whole family will have a poopy good time enjoying this brand-new story for the stage.
When Danny and Fino’s favourite rock band are playing their last ever concert, the two go on a quest to get the last tickets. But with a villainous band manager lurking, nothing goes to plan. Featuring new songs by Tom and Dougie, a lot of laughs and a whole lot of poo!
NORTHERN LIVE
FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £26.50
Don’t miss the best Northern Soul night out around, as the world’s greatest and most authentic touring live band keep the faith to the original sounds of the underground movement that swept the nation.
With an 11-piece band and four singers, expect to hear tunes from Gloria Jones, Frank Wilson, Jimmy Radcliffe and many more.
THE LADY BOYS OF BANGKOK
TUESDAY 26 AUGUST, 7.30PM
Tickets from £23
The fun and outrageous cheekiness of The Lady Boys of Bangkok is back!
Performing all your favourite and biggest hits from Hollywood to Bollywood, West End to Las Vegas, these diamante-dripping divas perform and create hits from the world’s most famous pop icons.
Including over 400 incredible costumes and more theatrical sequinladen production numbers than you can shake your tail feather at!
THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL
SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £32
Whitney Houston’s musical legacy is brought to life by the breath-taking vocals of Belinda
Davids - as seen on Britain’s Got Talent, Showtime at the Apollo and winner of the BBC’s Even Better Than the Real Thing.
Experience joy, nostalgia and wonderment as Davids takes you through all the greatest hits of the iconic diva, including I Wanna Dance With Somebody, I Will Always Love You, The Greatest Love of All and many more.
IN THE NIGHT
GARDEN LIVE
FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER, 12PM & 3PM; SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER, 10AM & 12PM
Tickets from £16.67
Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and friends are back in their fun-filled live show
Igglepiggle’s Busy Day! Join Igglepiggle as he looks for his friends in the Night Garden by following their funny sounds until he finds them all!
With full-size costumes, magical puppets and enchanting music, your little ones will even see a very special visit from the amazing flying Pinky Ponk!
SWEET AND SOURTHE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO SABRINA CARPENTER AND OLIVIA RODRIGO
SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER, 6PM
Tickets from £23.50
Get ready for an electrifying night of pop anthems, heartbreak hits and fierce rival vibes at the ultimate Olivia Rodrigo v Sabrina Carpenter tribute show!
From the intensity of Olivia’s raw, emotional ballads like Drivers License and Vampire, to Sabrina’s unapologetic anthems like Please, Please, Please and Nonsense - whether you’re Team Rodrigo, Team Carpenter or somewhere in between, this show is an unforgettable experience!
SWAN LAKE
WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £23
Crown Ballet presents the greatest romantic ballet of all time - Tchaikovsky’s magical Swan Lake.
Full of mystery and romance, Swan Lake has captured the imagination of generations over the years and continues to attract worldwide audiences with the most memorable music and breath-taking dance.
OPERA BOYSA NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS
SATURDAY 20
SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £24
The Opera Boys return with their sell-out celebration of hit stage and screen musicals. Enjoy a fabulous evening of powerhouse vocals, immaculate four-piece harmonies, breath-taking musical medleys and stunning solo performances.
Featuring music from Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, Les Mis, West Side Story and many more!
PSYCHIC SALLY
FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £27
The nation’s favourite psychic is back on tour!
With Sally’s love, laughter and warmth, she continues to bring mediumship into the 21st century. Whether you know her from her hit TV series, her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother or through reading one of her best-selling books, there is nothing quite like seeing Sally live on stage.
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: INTER ALIA
TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER, 7PM
Tickets from £10
Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) is Jessica in the much-anticipated next play from the team behind Prima Facie.
Jessica Parks is a smart Crown Court judge at the top her of her career. When an event threatens to throw her life completely off balance, can she hold her family upright?
Filmed live at the National Theatre in London.
MANFORD’S COMEDY CLUB
THURSDAY 2
OCTOBER, 8PM
Tickets from £14
Manford’s Comedy Club returns to Middleton a year after its debut, showcasing a line-up of four top comedians, all hand-picked by Jason Manford himself.
The line-up will be announced soon and will feature comedians from the UK and international comedy circuit.
HAODS HEYKIDS PRESENTS NATIVITY! THE MUSICAL
TUESDAY 7SATURDAY 11
OCTOBER, 7.30PM PLUS SATURDAY MATINEE, 2.15PM
Tickets from £16
Every child in every school has one Christmas wish - to star in a nativity - and at St Bernadette’s School they’re attempting to mount a musical version! Join the class as they struggle to make everyone’s Christmas wish come true!
Feel-good, funny and full of yuletide joy, Nativity! The Musical features all of the favourite sing-a-long hits from the films.
THE BEST OF BRITISH BOXING LEGENDSAN EVENING WITH FRANK BRUNO & RICKY ‘THE HITMAN’ HATTON
THURSDAY 16
OCTOBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £35
Don’t miss this unforgettable evening with boxing legends Frank Bruno and Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.
Frank will take us down memory lane with the highs and lows of his amazing career and life, including fights with Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Local legend Ricky Hatton shares stories of his multiple world title victories and encounters with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.
VIP Meet & Greet tickets available!
HAMLET
TUESDAY 14 OCTOBER, 12.30PM & 7.30PM
Tickets from £17
A full-scale production set in the shadowy medieval court of Denmark, where love, power and vengeance collide.
Experience this Shakespearean classic with ghostly apparitions, intense family betrayals and thrilling sword fights. A tale of ambition, heartbreak and the eternal question: “To be or not to be?”
THE PHANTOMS
STARRING LEE MEAD
FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £32
West End and TV sensation Lee Mead stars in The Phantoms - a spellbinding evening of music celebrating the most beloved musicals of all time, including Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar and many more. Lee Mead, who got his break winning BBC’s Any Dream Will Do, stars alongside former Phantoms direct from the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera.
RUDE SCIENCE LIVE
SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER, 11.30AM & 3PM
Tickets from £15
Brace yourselves for BBC Gastronaut Stefan Gates’ revolutionary, high-tech, highly explosive new show, packed with outrageous science stunts!
Expect enormous bottoms, fart machines, snot cocktails, vast whoopee cushions and more as this show transforms complex biology, physics and chemistry into educational hilarity, using Stef’s signature stunts and encyclopaedic science knowledge!
PRINCESS LIVE!
WEDNESDAY 29
OCTOBER, 1PM & 4PM
Tickets from £13.50
Princess Live! is the ultimate princess pop party, featuring all your favourite fairytale royalty in this all-singing, alldancing concert show.
The princesses are tired of their royal duties, so they decide to come together to make the ultimate pop girl group. With pop and musical theatre songs that will get the whole family singing and dancing, imagine your favourite princesses but as you’ve never seen them before!
THE DRIFTERS
FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER & SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £33
The Drifters are back on tour in the UK performing all their classic hits including Saturday Night at the Movies, You’re More Than A Number, Come On Over to My Place, Under the Boardwalk, Kissin’ in the Back Row and many more!
Don’t miss this legendary group who have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, performed for the President of the United States and are listed among the greatest artists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
JASON MANFORD: A MANFORD
ALL
SEASONS
TUESDAY 4
NOVEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £20
Comedy giant Jason Manford is back with a brand-new live show, featuring his trademark “expert observational comedy” (The Guardian) mixed with “comic gold” (Mail on Sunday). Jason can be heard on his regular Absolute Radio show and has appeared on ITV1’s Starstruck and The Masked Singer, as well BBC One’s Live at the Apollo and Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats.
THE MIDDLETONES
SATURDAY 8
NOVEMBER, 7PM
Tickets from £16.50
After last year’s sold-out show, The MiddleTones are back by popular demand, taking you on a nostalgic journey through Manchester’s iconic indie scene and reliving legendary clubs like 5th Ave, 42nd Street and The Venue.
With live support from The Staags and more acts to be announced, enjoy a top night out and celebrate the sounds that defined a generation.
LEGENDTHE MUSIC OF BOB MARLEY
SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £31
When you think reggae, there’s only one name that comes to mind - the legend that was Bob Marley.
Hot from a sell-out show at London’s Adelphi Theatre, Legend - The Music of Bob Marley is an unforgettable celebration of a musical icon, with performances of Could You Be Loved, Is This Love, No Woman No Cry, Jammin’ and many more.
PIRATES LOVE UNDERPANTS
WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER, 1.30PM & THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER, 10.30AM
Tickets from £13
These pirates SO love underpants!
Join our swashbuckling part of pirates on their quest to find the fabled Pants of Gold for the captain’s treasure chest!
Filled with music, puppetry and glittering pants of gold, arrrr you ready to set sail for a family adventure?
BLACK BALL 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR STARRING
STEVE DAVIS, DENNIS TAYLOR AND JOHN VIRGO
FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Tickets from £35
Join Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor as they recreate the match that gripped a nationthe 1985 World Snooker Final.
A record-breaking 18.5m TV views stayed up to watch the legendary match, and this is your chance to see it replayed with snooker royalty.
Snooker legend John Virgo is your host and referee for an evening guaranteed to include sporting anecdotes, hilarious impressions and some breathtaking snooker.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL - BALLET THEATRE UK
SATURDAY 15
NOVEMBER, 7.30PM
Tickets from £15
This festive season, Ballet Theatre UK is thrilled to present the return of the beloved classic A Christmas Carol.
Step into the heart of a traditional Victorian Christmas, where Charles Dickens’ timeless tale comes to life, with a score of festive carols, breathtaking costumes and stunning choreographythe perfect treat for the whole family.
BUBLÉ BY CANDLELIGHT
SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER
Tickets from £26.50
Get ready to be transported into the mesmerising world of the legendary Michael Bublé, with the UK’s number 1 tribute artist Josh Hindle and his sensational live swing band.
From the soulful melodies of Haven’t Met You Yet to the infectious rhythms of Feeling Good, Cry Me A River, Fever, Sway and many more, this show promises an evening of romance and nostalgia.
ALADDIN: THE ADULT PANTOMIME
FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER, 8PM
Tickets from £25
Join us for a special adults-only performance of our Pantomime Aladdin, where we bring you a naughty twist on this beloved classic
tale. We invite all the older boys and girls to indulge in an unforgettable evening of laughter, innuendos, and risqué humour.
With witty dialogue, playful interactions, and a generous dose of adult humour, this special performance promises to tickle your funny bone and leave you giggling like naughty school children. *Please
TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBERMONDAY 29 DECEMBER
Tickets from: £16.50
Join our hero Aladdin, his mother Widow Twankey and his brother Wishee Washee as they embark on a magical adventure and try to defeat the evil Abanazar and his plan to become master of the world.
With help from the Genie Of The Lamp and the Spirit Of The Ring, will Aladdin save the day and marry the beautiful Princess Jasmine? There’s only one way to find out…
This magical pantomime features great songs, dazzling dance routines, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and amazing special effects, making an unforgettable experience for children and adults alike.
Make sure you book your tickets for this magical carpet ride today!
SCHOOLS: Tickets £9.75 per child (with 1 free for every 10) if booked by August 2025.
Email arts.events@yourtrustrochdale.co.uk with your preferred date, time and number of tickets required.
25 10am (Sch) 1pm (Sch)
26 10am (Sch) 1pm (Sch)
(Sch) 1pm (Sch)
- From £17
3 10am (Sch) 1pm (Sch)
4 10am (Sch) 1pm (Sch) -
5 10am (Sch) 1pm (Sch) 7pm
6 - 2pm 6pm Sun 7 - 1pm 5pm (BSL Signed) Mon 8 No Performances Tue 9 10am (Sch) 1pm (Sch)Wed 10 10am (Sch) 1pm (Sch)
WE’RE OFF TO SEE A WIZARDLY WONDERFUL
SATURDAY 13SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER HEYWOOD SPORTS VILLAGE
Tickets from: £11
Join Dorothy Gale as she befriends a brainless Scarecrow, a loveable Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion on their quest to thwart the evil powers of the Wicked Witch of the West. With a little help from Glinda the Good Fairy and the almighty and powerful Wizard of Oz, good is sure to conquer evil.
This Christmas treat is fun for all the family from ages 2-102! Packed with great songs, brilliant dance routines and plenty of laughter, book now and join us on a magical adventure to the land of Oz!
Located two minutes from Middleton town centre, bus station and additional pay and display car parking.
By car, Middleton is approx five minutes from the M60 (Junction 19) and the M62 (Junction 19) and 15 minutes from Manchester City Centre. Please use postcode M24 1AG if you are navigating by sat nav.
Nearest train station: Mills Hill is a 25 minute walk away. See tfgm.com for timetables.
Nearest bus routes: 17 - Rochdale to Shudehill; 163 - Piccadilly Gardens to Bury; 18 - Manchester Royal Infirmary to Langley; 415 - Oldham to Middleton. See tfgm.com for timetables.