Gareth Gates Headlines Live At Arley 2026

Music fans are being invited to return to the early ‘noughties’ for a spectacular new Friday night party which is set to launch the 2026 Live at Arley series of open-air concerts.

Gareth Gates and Adam Rickitt will headline the amazing Mega Y2K concert on Friday, 15 May, which will officially open the weekend of fantastic live music in the stunning grounds of Arley Hall near Knutsford.

Tickets go on sale today.

The singing stars will be supported in the night of millennium magic by award-winning tributes to Celine Dion, Five, Blue, and the Backstreet Boys.

Singer-songwriter and actor Gareth Gates rose to fame as runner-up on the first series of Pop Idol in 2002. He enjoyed a stellar pop career which included four UK number ones, including his first chart-topper Unchained Melody, while his debut album What My Heart Wants to Say reached number two in the charts. To date, he has sold more than three-and-a-half million records.

Gates is also a successful star of musical theatre. He took over the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the West End before forging a stage career that has included Marius in the international 25th anniversary tour of Les Misérables and in the West End, Loserville, Legally Blonde, and Footloose. Away from the stage, he has been a contestant in Dancing on Ice, and in 2023 he won the grueling Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Meanwhile, actor, singer, and entrepreneur Adam Rickitt is well-known for playing Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street and, more recently, Kyle Kelly in Hollyoaks. Stage appearances include the musical Rent on a UK tour and in the West End.

Rickitt has also enjoyed a successful music career, both as a solo artist and as a member of the supergroup 5th Story – alongside Gareth Gates, which was formed for the ITV reality series The Big Reunion. In 1999, he released his debut solo album Good Times, which included the hits I Breathe Again, which reached the UK top five, Everything My Heart Desires, and The Best Thing.

Gareth and Adam will be supported by a brilliant collection of top tribute artists including January Butler, the world’s number one tribute to Canadian singing star Celine Dion, and Boyz Beyond, who celebrate and recreate the chart-topping music of some of the world’s best boy bands including Backstreet Boys, Blue, and Five.

Mega Y2K is a fantastic addition to Live at Arley 2026, which also includes the previously announced Back to Boogie and Glam Rock Revival nights.

Saturday, 16 May sees the return of the hugely popular Back to Boogie, a glittering celebration of disco, funk, and soul.

The line-up of iconic 70s and 80s superstars includes Imagination featuring Leee John, 5 Star, The Real Thing, Jackie Graham, Italian dance-house group Livin’ Joy, and Romina Johnson.

Then on Sunday, 17 May there is the chance to dig out those flares and platform boots for a day of stomping 70s anthems in a Glam Rock Revival headed by the Bay City Rollers. The line-up also stars Mud ft Ray Stiles and Rob Davies, and sensational Marc Bolan tribute Total Rex.

The event will come to a spectacular end with a fabulous firework finale.

Live at Arley will also feature a food and drink square featuring amazing local outlets serving everything from wood-fired pizza to gourmet burgers and authentic Jamaican cuisine, and a Shopping Village with pop-ups from local makers, bespoke gifts, and treats for all the family to buy.

Meanwhile, this year the VIP area will include access to a Golden Circle offering space close to the stage, as well as access to the VIP marquee with premium seating, premium offerings, and posh loos!

Live at Arley event organiser Max Eden, of Cheshire Concerts, says: “I’m absolutely delighted to announce a brilliant new addition to the programme for Live at Arley in 2026.

“Mega Y2K brings the ultimate early-2000s Friday night party to Arley Hall’s stunning grounds next May, with a high-energy concert headlined by pop favourites Gareth Gates and Adam Rickitt and supported by award-winning tributes including Celine Dion by January Butler and the unbeatable boyband nostalgia of Blue, Five, and Backstreet Boys’ tributes by Boyz Beyond.

“It’s going to be an evening packed with throwback anthems, feelgood vibes, and unforgettable performances to open what I know is going to be a fantastic and memorable weekend of live music for audiences of all ages.”

Tickets, including Premium Experience tickets, for Live at Arley are on sale at www.arleyconcerts.com

Website: www.arleyconcerts.com

Facebook: /LiveatArley/

LISTING INFORMATION

Friday 15 May 2026 – MEGA Y2K

Saturday 16 May 2026 – BACK TO BOOGIE

Sunday 17 May 2026 – GLAM ROCK REVIVAL

At Arley Hall, Arley, Northwich, CW9 6NA

Evening concerts – gates open 4pm / Show starts 6pm

Both events finish at approx 10pm.

TICKET PRICES

General admission each day: £44.50 for adults/£18.50 for 5-16s/Children aged four and under go free

Premium experience: £75 for adults

Hospitality package (including dinner, complimentary drinks, meet and greet acts): £245

*ticket prices subject to booking fees

HOW TO BOOK

Online: www.arleyconcerts.com