Inside: Brilliant guide to what’s on in Manchester

THE LADY RETURNS:

INCREDIBLY, it’s been ten years since the lady born Stefani Germanotta first exploded onto the pop radar amidst a barrage of outrage about her supposed ‘shock value.’

Granted, while she’s never been shy of occasional tabloid-baiting, Lady Gaga has clearly proven, a decade on, that there’s plentiful substance beyond the shock factor.

When you get to the heart of it, Lady Gaga is the very essence of all that is wonderfully hyperbolic about pop music. By combining Madonna’s pop nous and Grace Jones’ flair, and throwing in her own distinctive avant-garde flourish, Gaga now inhabits a unique realm somewhere between performance artist and 21st century pop diva.

Gaga’s Joanne Tour – supporting the 2016 album of the same name – began back on August 1 in Canada, and was originally due to end in Salt Lake City on December 14, with a European stint in-between.

But due to her battle with fibromyalgia, she was forced to reschedule the European leg whilst suffering from chronic pain.

Thankfully, after weeks spent recovering, Gaga is now back on the road and delivering her usual jawdropping performances.

Assuming that her UK tour follows the same formula in the UK as it did in the States, her devoted fanbase of ‘little monsters’ are in for a real treat at Manchester Arena on Tuesday. Expect a typically OTT performance featuring an eye-popping stage set, costumes made of 50,000 Swarovski crystals, dazzling choreography and, of course, that all-important Gaga shock value.

Support

In true Lady Gaga fashion, she’s opted for a different kind of support act for her Europe tour. Essentially supporting herself, the singer will screen her Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, before she takes to the stage.

Directed by Chris Moukarbel – who was also behind the acclaimed 2015 Banksy Does New York – the documentary follows Gaga as she records and gears up for the release of Joanne.

And if her shows in Hamburg are anything to go by, her whole set – which is split into seven acts – will be interspersed with films and video footage, creating an epic multi-media experience.

Stage times

Doors at 6pm – check the Manchester Arena website for up to date stage times and arrive in good time for extra security checks.