It’s going to be a homecoming gig to rememberThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Johnny Marr will play his biggest show ever in his hometown of Manchester next summer(Image: Redferns)
Music legend Johnny Marr has announced a tour date in Manchester which will become his biggest ever solo show to date.
The musician, who found fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of The Smiths, will play a huge homecoming show next summer and will be joined by special guests Everything Everything.
The show will take place on Thursday, July 9 and will be held at Castlefield Bowl, which has a capacity of around 8,500 people. Tickets will be going on sale later this week via the likes of Ticketmaster and See Tickets.
Hailed as one of the ‘most inventive and distinctive’ guitarists of the 80s, Marr, 61, has established himself as a solo musician outside of his five years with The Smiths between 1982 and 1987. He has also been part of a number of bands and side-projects, including The The, Electronic, and Johnny Marr and the Healers.
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Johnny Marr will play Castlefield Bowl on Thursday, July 9 next year(Image: Redferns)
All four of Marr’s solo albums, including 2022’s Fever Dreams Pts 1–4, have gone top ten in the UK. Earlier this year, Marr released Look Out Live!, a live album recorded during his sold-out headline show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo in 2024.
He has also worked as a guitarist on a number of songs for the likes of Billie Eilish, Franz Ferdinand, Blondie, Pet Shop Boys and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, working on three songs on the band’s Council Skies album in 2023.
Next year’s Manchester show is the first UK live show to be announced for 2026, which has been teased as being set to be a ‘major year of exciting new activity’ for the musician.
Manchester-based band Everything Everything, who have released seven albums since 2007, will support Marr for the homecoming show. The band have been shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize on two occasions and have also received five nominations for Ivor Novello Awards.
Marr’s Manchester show is also the third gig to be confirmed for 2026’s Sounds of the City season. In the past, the outdoor series of gigs have featured an eclectic line-up including the likes of Kylie Minogue, Elbow, Avril Lavigne, Basement Jaxx, and Blossoms.
Merseyside indie band The K’s, who were named the Breakthrough Act of the Year at the first Northern Music Awards in 2024, will play Castlefield Bowl on July 3. The Streets will play the same Manchester venue as part of Sounds of the City on July 11.
Tickets for Marr’s Castlefield Bowl show on July 9 will go on sale this Friday (October 17) at 10am via Ticketmaster and See Tickets. Tickets will also be available to buy from Gigs & Tours.
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