The synth-pop icons will return for the huge concert in the town where they recorded their debut single
The gig will take place in the square outside Rochdale Town Hall
An iconic 80s band have announced a headline gig at the Rochdale Town Hall Square next summer. Synth-pop icons Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) will return to the town where they recorded their debut single for the performance in 2026.
The pioneering duo, who have a career spanning over four decades, will bring their Summer of Hits tour to Rochdale on August 7. They will take to the stage alongside special guests Peter Hook and The Light and A Certain Ratio.
In 1979, they famously recorded the single Electricity at Cargo Studios in Rochdale, before hits followed including Enola Gay, Maid of Orleans, Souvenir, and If You Leave. For the band’s 40th anniversary celebrations, they returned in 2023 with Bauhaus Staircase, their first studio album in six years, leading them on to play their biggest UK tour and largest London show to date at the O2.
The synth-pop icons will return for the huge concert in the town where they recorded their debut single(Image: Mark McNulty)
Joining OMD outside Rochdale Town Hall, which has undergone a huge restoration project, will be Peter Hook and The Light, the fronted by Joy Division and New Order co-founder Peter Hook, who also recorded at Cargo Studios. Opening the evening will be Manchester’s post-punk band A Certain Ratio, who formed in the late 70s.
The show is to be staged by Rochdale Borough Council and the Rochdale Development Agency as part of the Rochdale Music Stories campaign which launched in October. It marks the town’s year as the Greater Manchester Town of Culture in 2025.
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We’re so excited to welcome these trailblazing bands for what will be an amazing evening packed with iconic hits. Our beautifully restored town hall square is a fabulous location and this concert will be a wonderful showcase for the town, attracting thousands of music fans for an unforgettable weekend, followed on the Saturday by Rochdale Feel Good Festival. I urge you to book your tickets, and bring your dancing shoes in August.”
Tickets will go on sale at 10am on December 22 at quaytickets.com and rochdale.gov.uk/YourEvents. To receive the pre-sale link, subscribe to the town of culture mailing list at rochdalecreates.co.uk/TownOfCulture.