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Throughout its impressive history, the venue has seen world-class acts take to the stage, such as The Beatles, Paul Weller, New Order, Little Richard, as well as illusionist and stunt performer Harry Houdini. More recently, the Liverpool Olympia has welcomed the likes of Teddy Swims, The Gossip, Jamie Webster, Elvis Costello and Manic Street Preachers.

In celebration of the special event, the venue have announced a birthday show with a headlining performance from British multi-platinum-selling band Embrace. This will feature several support acts, including britpop stars The Bluetones and The Real People. Liverpool band RATS will also make an appearance, an enthusiastic nod to the community’s vibrant contemporary music scene. 

Known for hits like ‘Gravity’ and ‘Ashes’ from double platinum-certified album ‘Out of Nothing’ (2004), Embrace are poised to deliver an unforgettable performance. After their remarkable show at Leeds’ Kirkstall Abbey, where they played for a crowd of 6,000, fans of the indie rock group can look forward to an incredible night of live music – marking their first appearance at the venue since 2016. 

Meanwhile, The Bluetones are famed for their 1995 debut release ‘Are You Blue or Are You Blind?’, which made its way into the Top 40. The single served as a springboard for their number-one UK album, ‘Expecting to Fly’, and launched a career that includes 14 hit singles and six albums.  

The Real People are set to perform at the venue for the first time. These Liverpool icons played a key role in Oasis’ meteoric rise to fame during the 1990s. 

Finally, the last of the support acts showcase up-and-coming Scouse band RATS – with raw energy, swagger, and charisma, they will be sure to kick off the birthday show with a bang. So far, the band have amassed over a million monthly Spotify listeners and have teased the imminent release of their debut album. 

In a statement following the birthday show announcement, owner of the Liverpool Olympia, Chris Zorba, said: “I am proud to take this iconic venue into its 120th year and celebrate its magnificent history. We will celebrate the year from April 24 with an eclectic mix of outstanding music, comedy and sporting events befitting to the Olympia’s rich history.”  

A Grade II-listed building, the Liverpool Olympia has been a functioning music venue since 1905, owing its grand design to acclaimed architect Frank Matcham. Maintaining its status as an independent space, the venue has been owned by the Zorba family since the 1990s who have ensured the preservation of its original features. In more recent years, the Olympia has received a new breath of life – the updated seating in the lower balcony, a revamped stage, and improved backstage facilities have demonstrated the city’s continuous celebration of its musical history. 

The highly-anticipated anniversary show will pay tribute to the venue’s cultural heritage and the iconic acts that have passed through its doors.

Tickets for the Liverpool Olympia birthday show are available now.

Alongside some world class music gracing Essex during the event, Lazydays provides loads of opportunities of fun for everyone. Whether food and drink are your thing, the event will showcase the best craft drinks, artisan and street foods, talks and tastings along with mocktail making masterclasses. Alongside this, there will be arts & crafts, circus skills, street theatre and rocking climbing workshops for attendees to enjoy.

It’s here, the biggest lineup Southend has ever seen! We are proud to present your Lazydays 2025 main stage artists!!

Less than 40% of tier 1 tickets remain so don’t hang around, grab your session, Weekend Pass or VIP ticket today – https://t.co/FhpRNR1WOg pic.twitter.com/ECetOxY2lE

— Lazydays Festival (@lazydaysfest) January 30, 2025

Friday July 25 will see EDM titan Example take the stage. Known for soundtracking the noughties with his genre-defying tracks, ‘Kickstarts’ and ‘Changed The Way You Kiss Me’, Example has had a prominent presence at festivals during the course of his career, performing at Glastonbury, Creamfields, Isle of Wight Festival and more. His reputation for chart-topping tracks and sold-out tours means his set at Lazydays is one you cannot miss.

Joining Example as a headliner is Libertines frontman, Pete Doherty. Ahead of his new teaching role, upcoming European tour and a massive show at Gunnersby Park this summer, fans can expect new music, chart-topping tracks and fan favourites within his highly anticipated solo set. Concluding this year’s headliners lineup is rock band Embrace, and R&B and soul legends Soul II Soul.

To finish their extensive lineup, Lazydays have revealed a number of support acts to join their main headliners. Across the long weekend, the headline performances will be accompanied by exclusive sets from the likes of Katy B, Badly Drawn Boy, The Coral, Maverick Sabre and many more exciting acts.

In the announcement of this year’s event, Lazydays Festival stated: “We’re working hard behind the scenes to make 2025 unforgettable, including a huge second stage of music to be announced with the best up and coming talent in a BRAND NEW tent for 2025”.

With more announcements on the way for one of Essex’s newest festivals, tickets are currently on sale, where individuals interested can purchase tickets for individuals days or for the entire weekend, alongside VIP packages which are in limited availability.

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The event organisers have reiterated this year’s demand for the festival, revealing over 60% of tickets within Tier 1 have been bought. Grab tickets sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment, as this year’s event is bound to be memorable and legendary for all those involved. Information on the event and tickets can be found here.

.@embrace will play their 1998 album in full at the gigs
https://t.co/3fIpdFiWoO

— NME (@NME) July 25, 2023

Released in 1998, the debut album was a notable success for the band, reaching number 1 in the UK singles charts and number 2 in the Scottish album charts. Initially regarded as a landmark effort within the Britpop sub-genre, the record garnered rave reviews with many critics comparing it favourably to contemporary bands like Oasis and The Verve. The special tour will kick off in Sheffield on 2 November and continue throughout the month, visiting all major cities in the UK.

Commenting on the tour and 25th anniversary, frontman Danny McNamara said, “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since we released our debut album, but what’s even more amazing is that it still resonates with so many people after all this time. The Piece Hall show [in Halifax on 1 July] was one of the best gigs we’ve ever played, and one of the best nights of my life. It’s going to be amazing to take this show out on the road for the first time, we can’t wait.”

NEW // @embrace will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, ‘The Good Will Out’, with a UK tour in November! Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday: https://t.co/Yi8WHsXnDa pic.twitter.com/h9W0XppmCk — Stereoboard (@stereoboard) July 24, 2023

Spawning three singles, “All You Good Good People,” “Come Back To What You Know” and “My Weakness Is None Of Your Business”-all of which entered into the top 10 UK charts-The Good Will Out was named as one of NME’s top albums of the year for 1998. Drawing upon a wide range of influences, including PJ Harvey, Michelle Gayle and The Beatles, the album was marketed as a Brit pop effort akin to Oasis-a comparison the band on the one hand acknowledges helped with raising their profile but also sought to downplay any sonic similarities.

Formed in Huddersfield in 1993 by brothers Danny and Richard McNamara, Embrace began making a name for themselves within the live scene in West Yorkshire-selling their demo recordings in cassette form at shows. After sending demos to various labels, the band eventually signed to Virgin imprint Hut Records in 1996, where the band eagerly set to work on the album that would become The Good Will Out.

The band have since continued to be a steady presence in the scene releasing eight studio albums to date. 2022’s How To Be A Person Like Other People came out via the band’s own record label Mobetta. Tickets for the 25th anniversary tour of The Good Will Out are available from Friday, 28 July and can be purchased here.

Embrace The Good Will Out Tour:

02/11/2023 – O2 Academy – Sheffield
03/11 – Engine Rooms – Southampton
04/11 – Tramshed – Cardiff
06/11 – Chalk – Brighton
09/11 – O2 Academy – Leeds
10/11 – Roadmender – Northampton
11/11 – O2 Academy – Bristol
12/11 – O2 Academy – Oxford
14/11 – O2 Academy – Glasgow
15/11 – Boiler Shop – Newcastle
16/11 – O2 Institute – Birmingham
17/11 – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – London
18/11 – Academy – Manchester

1/2 So here’s the news you’ve all been waiting for!!!

Our NEW ALBUM, How To Be A Person Like Other People will be released August 26, and we’ll be touring the UK in August/September. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday at 9am… pic.twitter.com/IWzolwg9ly

— Embrace (@embrace) April 18, 2022

The announcement also comes with the prospects of a 10 date UK tour that will kick off almost immediately after the album’s release. So those of you who are planning on bagging opening night tickets in Aberdeen; leave the few days before to really memorise the new tunes ASAP. Tickets go on general sale this Friday (April 22^nd) at 9am. You can look into ticket information here.

In a conversation with NME, the band’s singer/guitarist/producer, Richard McNamara explained this about the album, “Whenever we put out a new album it’s always a really big deal to us, we put everything we have into it. We know that there’s something about what we do that people love, that they just don’t get from others bands.” Adding, “It’s like a pact, they want us to be intimate and personal and autobiographical, but they also want us to be confident and rousing and anthemic. It sounds like a contradiction, but I think when we’re at our best we somehow pull it off. I think in that sense this album is the most Embrace album we’ve ever made.”

The same conversation then turned to the album’s title, of which McNamara explained, “I met my wife nearly 10 years ago now: we have an incredible daughter and another on the way, but the most loving thing she’s done for me over the years is to try to show me how to love, how to feel, how to be a person like other people.” Before concluding, “This album is about that journey, that story, and it’s the most joyous, most uplifting, most upbeat, most soulful thing we’ve ever done. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

See below the full list for Embrace’s UK tour:

31/8/22 – Music Hall – Aberdeen
1/9 – O2 Academy – Edinburgh
2/9 – Northumbria University – Newcastle
3/9 – Rock City – Nottingham
4/9 – O2 Academy – Sheffield
6/9 – Tramshed – Cardiff
8/9 – O2 Institute – Birmingham
9/9 – O2 Brixton Academy – London
10/9 – O2 Apollo – Manchester
11/9 – University of East Anglia – Norwich