Duran Duran’s momentous welcome to Manchester for launch of UK headline tour at AO Arena

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As fans lined the city centre’s streets ready to welcome the 80s pop icons, Duran Duran were readying themselves for a momentous night. Kick-starting their FUTURE PAST UK & Ireland tour at Manchester’s AO Arena, they were greeted with a hero's welcome.

Last night (April 29) marked Duran Duran’s first UK concert since headlining London’s Hyde Park in summer 2022 in front of 60,000 fans, and they did not disappoint. The icons of British music delivered an incredible show playing some of their most beloved songs including Wild Boys, Hungry Like The Wolf, Notorious, Ordinary World, The Reflex and A View To A Kill.

Fans were also treated to hits like Last Chance On The Stairway and Night Boat, as well as highlights from their newest album, FUTURE PAST, including INVISIBLE, ANNIVERSARY and GIVE IT ALL UP.

Using state of the art Augmented Reality technology, the crowd were treated to an unforgettable experience, with some surprise moments throughout the set.

Following an extraordinary pre-show film where metahuman versions of the band prepare for a futuristic voyage to earth from outer space, Duran Duran arrived on stage at 9pm sending the crowd wild. After performing Night Boat and Wild Boys, frontman Simon Le Bon greeted fans saying: “Good evening Manchester! How are you feeling? It’s gonna be a good night tonight, we are counting on you!”

As he introduced Notorious, the whole arena were up on their feet dancing: “So what do you say when I say no, notorious? Are you ready for this?!” The crowd was more than ready.

Duran Duran performing at Manchester's AO Arena (Image: Andy Von Pip Photography)

Introducing GIVE IT ALL UP, Simon said: “We’ve got a song for you off the FUTURE PAST album. It’s about the way that, when one door closes, another door opens. If you wanna hold on, sometimes you just gotta give it all up.”