OMD…Summer of hits…Hooky…ACR….in Rochdale…next Summer? You bet!

Synth pop icons OMD – that’s Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark to you and me – will be returning to where it all began when they perform a headline show in Rochdale next summer. 

The pioneering duo who recorded their debut single in the town bring their acclaimed Summer of Hits tour to Rochdale Town Hall Square on Friday 7th August 2026, alongside special guests – post-punk legends Peter Hook & The Light, and Manchester’s post-punk/funk band – A Certain Ratio. 

LEGENDARY STATUS

With a career spanning more than four decades, over 40 million records sold worldwide, and 18 top 40 hits, OMD are one of Britain’s best-loved and most influential pop groups. In 1979, they famously recorded the single Electricity at Cargo Studios in Rochdale. Genre-defining hits followed, including Enola Gay, Maid of Orleans, Souvenir, and If You Leave, propelling them into the stratosphere and shaping the musical landscape of the 1980s. 

Joining OMD at the iconic location will be Peter Hook &The Light, the powerhouse post-punk band fronted by Joy Division and New Order co-founder Peter Hook, who also recorded at Cargo Studios, cementing Rochdale’s crucial role in the post-punk and electronic music scene. They’ll be playing a career-spanning set including seminal tracks from the rich back catalogue of Joy Division and New Order.

Opening the evening will be Manchester’s post-punk/funk band A Certain Ratio. Formed in the late 1970s and signed to Tony Wilson’s Factory Records they too recorded at Cargo Studios in Rochdale.  Their latest album was released in 2020 and the band are recognised as one of the first exponents of punk funk!

Staged in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency the special show is part of Rochdale Music Stories – a campaign launched in October as part of the town’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture, to shine a spotlight on Rochdale’s longstanding influence on British music whilst promoting the next wave of talent.  

Tickets (£55 + booking fee) go on sale at 10am on Monday 22nd December  quaytickets.com and rochdale.gov.uk/YourEvents.

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