Photo Credit: Chelsea Miles

Manchester welcomed back Liverpool’s beloved singer-songwriter Jamie Webster on Friday night, as part of his 2026 Running Around The Sun tour. With another summer of festivals drawing to a close, Webster’s return to the city felt overdue, as we have started swapping muddy fields and outdoor stages for indoor club shows and stadium tours.

Opening with fan favourites including Voice of the Voiceless and Days Unknown, the Liverpool singer-songwriter immediately had the crowd bouncing. The atmosphere was infectious, with each lyric repeated back, and the occasional pint flying in the air.

Jamie Webster has perfected the ability to build a community out of strangers, all united in music. In Manchester, the connection was obvious from the opening of the show, and continued throughout the evening.

The night was a showcase of Webster’s latest album, Running Around The Sun, released just a week before the show. Despite its relative infancy, the Manchester crowd appeared more than ready for it. Just Begun, Small Town Life, 241 Tuesday and Across the River all found their place amongst the older favourites, with the audience singing along to tracks that, only a matter of weeks ago, would have been unfamiliar.

That was perhaps one of the most enjoyable things about the evening: the balance between the new and the familiar. New tracks were welcomed with the same enthusiasm as songs fans have been singing for years, while the older favourites provided those moments where the entire Academy seemed to become one enormous choir.

The atmosphere had that unmistakable feel-good indie quality to it – wonderfully communal and completely unpretentious. As the set progressed, that energy only grew, building towards the inevitable fan-favourites.

This Place and Weekend in Paradise provided the perfect closing stretch, turning Manchester Academy into a wall of sound. An undeniably feel-good way to finish the night. Webster left the stage having delivered exactly the kind of show the audience had come for: energetic, charismatic and loud!

For a Friday night in Manchester, it was the best way to kick off the weekend.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Miles @ Birmingham O2 Institute