Blackpool: Manchester Arena bombing poet who performed 'This is the Place' at vigil for terror victims announces intimate show in resort

Tony Walsh – aka Longfella – gained an international following after he wrote and performed the poem ‘This is the Place’ at an incredibly emotional vigil in 2018, for the 23 people who died in the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert the previous year.

And now he is coming to the Bootleg Social for a special intimate gig.

Why was Tony Walsh’s poem at the Manchester Arena bombing vigil so special?

This iconic performance, together with Tony’s spontaneous closing comment of “choose love, Manchester” was widely credited with helping to define the city’s defiant, compassionate and creative response to these terrible events.

Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher said the poem was the "best thing I've heard to come out of any Mancunian's mouth".

The poem – which has subsequently been painted onto walls, recited in schools, re-mixed by DJs, and tattooed onto skin - has since been used and licensed to raise approaching £200,000 for the survivors of the bombing.

When is Tony Walsh – aka Longfella – coming to Blackpool?

You can see Tony Walsh at the Bootleg Social in Blackpool on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

Tickets are available from https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Blackpool/Bootleg-Social-/Spoken-word-Tony-Walsh/36285588/

Garry Cook, of Enjoy The Show events, said “I’m absolutely thrilled to have persuaded Tony to come to Blackpool. He’s one of the UK’s leading spoken word performers and it’s an honour for me to be working with him.

“If you’ve never seen performance poetry before, come along – you’ll be blown away. The emotions and feelings spoken word can you give you are every bit as good as an amazing music concert. Captivating is the best way I can describe the experience. And to feel all these emotions in such a wonderful, intimate venue as Bootleg Social will be a truly exceptional experience for everyone there.”

Walsh is a former Poet in Residence at Glastonbury Festival and has performed his poems at rock festivals and stadium main stages, on national television events, major sporting occasions and he received a standing ovation at a BAFTA awards ceremony.