Harry Styles praised after confirming phone-free Manchester concert with a twist

Harry Styles has confirmed that his next concert will be phone-free – but not all is as it seems.

The Grammy-winning pop star, 32, will perform a special One Night Only show in Manchester on Friday, March 6, to celebrate the release of his album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.

Tickets went on sale earlier this month for just £20, which was a stark contrast to the prices listed for his Together, Together tour, which kicks off in summer and saw some spots in the stadiums priced at an astonishing £700.

Fans started to panic, though, when a job listing on Indeed seemingly revealed that phones would be sealed away at the Co-op Live gig and returned before they leave, as a company was searching for employees to help with the process.

Backlash was strong, as while some argued it was a positive step, others raged over the possibility of not being able to film.

Now, after days of uncertainty, it’s been announced that phones will be locked away on the night, as the concert will be streamed on Netflix two days later.

What’s more, fans will still have access to their devices in case of an emergency, but the camera function will not be accessible.

Fear not, though, as Harry has thought ahead – each pair of tickets will receive a disposable camera, meaning the crowd can still capture the memories and share them afterwards.

A statement shared by the arena this evening read: ‘We’re pleased to announce Netflix will be filming the full show for everyone to enjoy and relive again and again; it will be available globally from Sunday, 8th March at 7pm GMT.

‘We hope you will take this opportunity to enjoy the show fully and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the experience.’

Co-op Live further explained: ‘The use of cameras, smart glasses, smart watches, and similar recording devices will not be permitted in the event space.

‘Phones will be secured in a recyclable bag, kept on your person upon entry to the event, and will still be able to be used in a normal way, including all communication functions, but without the camera.

‘All other recording devices will not be permitted in the building.

‘At the end of the night, your phone will be removed from the bag, and the bag will be recycled.’

The statement concluded by saying that ‘anyone using a digital recording device during the performance will be asked to stop, and if they do not, they may be asked to leave.’

Following the announcement, fans took to X with their reactions, many of which were positive upon clarification that they would be able to use their phones if needed, and the night wouldn’t be forgotten thanks to the free cameras.

‘I actually love this for the people who are going … like to be able to live in the moment but still be able to capture it … very cool’, wrote @harrysblackcoat.

‘best case scenario tbh considering phones will be fully functional outside of the camera? there’s truly nothing to complain about but i’m sure you guys will come up with something’, quipped @medicinies.

Harry was further praised by @suetellite, who said: ‘this is such a cool concept harry is bringing live music back in ways that its never been back’.

@juisharryera also called it a ‘brilliant’ move after attending one of Harry’s album listening parties, where mobiles were also taken away.

‘This is actually very big brained on his part!’, they tweeted. ‘The atmosphere at the listening parties was INCREDIBLE… No phones, everyone was lost in the music, jumping, clapping, dancing, singing, hugging… This will be like a huge extension of that’.

Those who didn’t manage to secure tickets for the one-off event at the 23,500-capacity venue joked that making it phone-free will ‘ease their FOMO’, while others even boldly declared that ‘all concerts should be phone-free’.

Along with tonight’s announcement, Harry released a short teaser trailer for his Netflix special.

For days, fans had been speculating that an announcement was imminent, as posters promoting his album and featuring the streamer’s logo popped up in cities around the world.

Indeed, they were right to be suspicious.

The trailer features rehearsal footage of Harry with his band before the former One Direction member impersonates the iconic Netflix ‘tudum’ sound in his true comedic fashion.

Viewers could barely contain their excitement, saying they had ‘been waiting’ for Harry to finally have a live concert on the platform.

An eagle-eyed @eversincewms also pointed out that, after the film’s runtime was confirmed as 90 minutes, Harry’s new record is only 45 minutes in length.

‘are we gonna get behind the scenes too’, they asked.

‘As a directioner and harrie who has never had the chance to see them live… this means so much to me. I’m in tears, shaking. THANK YOU’, @hxrrycoded wrote on X.

One Night Only will mark Harry’s second performance in the Co-op Live Arena within a week, as he opened last week’s Brit Awards with the first live outing of his tune Aperture on Saturday when the ceremony moved up north.

Taking to the stage with a crew of dancers, Harry signified the start of a new era by going all-out with his own choreography for the catchy pop song, which topped the charts in January.

This coming Friday, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, will mark Harry’s first album since the critically acclaimed Harry’s House, released in 2023, with song titles including American Girls, Are You Listening Yet?, The Waiting Game, and Paint By Numbers.

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