Dr John Cooper Clarke brings his new book 'Have It' and classic fan-favourites to the City Varieties on two nights of punk poetry.
Dr John Cooper Clarke plays the City Varieties Music Hall on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, with both nights starting at 7:30pm. The two dates are part of a 20-date UK tour running across October and November 2026.
Clarke is known as the 'Salford Bard', a poet whose anarchic punk poetry has played to audiences for decades across different cultures, art forms and continents. In 2025 he became the first poet to headline a UK arena, Manchester's Co-op Live — the biggest indoor arena in Europe — and picked up the 2025 Northern Music Award. His 2020 memoir I Wanna Be Yours looked back at his life, and his 2024 book WHAT became an instant Sunday Times bestseller. This tour follows a new book, Have It, set for release in Autumn 2026.
On stage, he pairs this new body of work with his older, fan-favourite material, so you'll hear the new stuff alongside the classic punk poetry he's been known for since the start. The shows run about an hour and 50 minutes including the interval, and they're recommended for ages 14 and over.
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Tickets are £46.50 to £36.50, which includes a £2.50 booking fee. Boxes are also available at £49.50 per person by phone on 0113 243 0808. Both nights start at 7:30pm at the City Varieties Music Hall on Swan Street, LS1 6LW.
