Muse: ‘Will of the People’ show at AO Arena marks 25 years of band performing in Manchester

Muse are a band who need little to no introduction. For almost 30 years, they have been a near ever present on the music scene. 

In the Autumn of 2023, Muse have a small UK tour planned to take their new album out on the road. The date at the AO Arena ties in almost perfectly with the 25th anniversary of their first ever Manchester show. 

September 13 1998 saw Muse perform at Cuba Cafe in Manchester as part of In The City. Having formed only four years earlier in Devon, Muse played the first of 27 shows and counting in the city. 

Over the years, Muse have performed at the most intimate venues in Manchester, including at the University of Manchester. As their stock increased and they made their way down the path towards global stardom, the venues they performed in have expanded. 

They first performed at the Manchester Apollo back in 2001, this was a two night stay in Manchester on their ‘Origin of Symmetry’ Tour. Muse made their first appearance at the AO Arena (or the MEN Arena as it was known back then), in November 2003 when they brought their ‘Absolution’ Tour to town. 

In recent years, they have only played at the AO Arena or at one of Manchester’s sports venues. Their one and only appearance at Old Trafford Cricket Ground came in 2010 as part of ‘The Resistance’ Tour. 

The Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City FC, has become its own popular music venue in recent years. Muse toured there in June 2013 with a performance on their ‘Psycho’ Tour and in 2019 with their ‘Simulation Theory World Tour’. 

 Manchester welcomes the biggest music acts in the world with open arms. 2023 has already seen the likes of Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Snoop Dog and Florence & the Machine perform. 

Muse Manchester dates and venues

• In The City, September 13 1998
• Roadhouse, 1999 UK Tour, January 21 1999
• Manchester University, 1999 UK Tour, May 13 1999
• Manchester University, 1999 UK Tour, May 19 1999
• Roadhouse, 1999 UK Tour, June 19 1999
• Roadhouse, 1999 European Summer Tour, August 30 1999
• Manchester Academy 1, Showbiz Tour, October 11 1999
• HMV, Showbiz Tour, October 11 1999
• Manchester Academy 1, Showbiz Tour, December 4 1999
• University of Manchester Students’ Union, February 21 2000
• Manchester Academy, Origin of Symmetry Tour, April 6 2001
• Radio 1 Big Weekend Manchester, Origin of Symmetry Tour, June 24 2001
• Manchester Apollo, Origin of Symmetry Tour, November 2 2001
• Manchester Apollo, Origin of Symmetry Tour, November 3 2001
• MEN Arena, Absolution Tour, November 29 2003
• MEN Arena, Black Holes and Revelations Tour, November 10 2006
• MEN Arena, Black Holes and Revelations Tour, November 11 2006
• Old Trafford Cricket Ground, The Resistance Tour, September 4 2010
• Manchester Arena, The 2nd Law Tour, November 1 2012
• Etihad Stadium, The Unsustainable Tour, June 1 2013
• Manchester Academy, Psycho Tour, March 22 2015
• Manchester Arena, Drones World Tour, April 8 2016
• Manchester Arena, Drones World Tour, April 9 2016
• Etihad Stadium, Simulation Theory World Tour, June 8 2019
• AO Arena, Will of the People Tour, September 29 2023

Muse’s gig this month will be their first in Manchester in four years. To get you in the mood for the AO Arena performance, we’ve taken a look back at the setlist from their 2019 show. 

This gig was at the Etihad Stadium, and the performance this year will be the first at the Manchester/MEN/AO Arena since 2016. The full setlist from the Etihad Stadium show is below, including hits such as ‘Starlight’ and ‘Resistance’. 

Muse setlist from Etihad Stadium on June 8 2019

• Drones
• Reapers
• Psycho
• Plug In Baby
• Dead Inside
• Stockholm Syndrome (RATM's 'Township Rebellion' +'… more )
• The 2nd Law: Isolated System
• The Handler
• Supermassive Black Hole (The Jimi Hendrix Experience's 'Voodoo Child' intro)
• Prelude
• Starlight
• Citizen Erased
• Munich Jam (Fast ending)
• Madness