EXCLUSIVE: Paul Heaton reveals 'homecoming' gig details to unite fans at his beloved Bramall Lane

In an exclusive interview - listen to his full chat here with Graham Walker - the former frontman of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South, who grew up in the city supporting the club, said he hopes to unite more than just Blades and Owls fans.

He wants music lovers far and wide to party with him, promising a match-winning setlist of greatest hits and new songs, with impressive support from Shed Seven and Lightning Seeds, at Bramall Lane on the Bank Holiday Weeken of Sunday, May 25, 2025.

BUY TICKETS:Tickets, priced £39.50 (+ ticket fees), go on general sale at 9.30am on Friday, October 11, from gigsandtours.com, ticketmaster.co.uk and AXS.com.

For all tour dates and tickets visit www.paulheaton.co.uk.

When his Caravan Of Love rolls in it will be game on with classics like Happy Hour, A Little Time, Song For Whoever, Rotterdam (Or Anywhere), Don’t Marry Her, Perfect Ten, and many more.

There will also be tracks from his brand-new 12 track album,The Mighty Several, produced by Ian Broudie, of Lightning Seeds andThree Lions fame.It was recorded at Blueprint Studios in Salford is also available from Friday, October 11. Buy at shop.paulheaton.emi.com.

"I'm keen to welcome everybody. I've got two brothers who are both Wednesdayites, but I wouldn't have thought it would stop them from going," said Cheshire born Paul, whose family moved to Sheffield when he was four.

"There is rivalry, but as soon as the ground is full, hopefully, you're just there for a sing-a-long."

LISTEN: Hear Graham Walker’s big interview podcast with Paul Heaton - CLICK HERE.

Paul recalls how he not only performed at the stadium with The Housemartins - he even played in a Tony Currie testimonial match, alongside football legends includingGeorge Best and Geoff Hurst. But all that was almost40 years ago. So next year will be a deeply personal milestone, to play on the turf he’s revered for decades.

He talks about the special 2025 gig, new album and more, including an update about his long time vocal collaborator Jacqui Abbott.

"It's not really a bucket list thing, but it's going to be really special, because that's the place where I've been going since I was a kid. I first went in about 1968," he said.

“Even when I return to watch a match, it brings back all sorts of memories. So playing a gig here will be really special for me.

"We were thinking of doing it a couple of years ago but didn't manage to make it come together."

Paul revealed gig details. He said "The larger the audience we play to, the more it tends to be for everyone andhits based.

“We will play a couple of new ones, five or six Housemartin tracks and maybe 12 Beautiful South songs, and just mix it up a bit. But there'll be plenty of stuff that people recognise."

A black and white photo taken of him in an old United strip, at the 1986 Tony Currie testimonial, has been colourised for a tickets advert promoting next year's mega gig.

He recalled: "I don't know I managed to wangle myself into the team, but I ended up playing the first half next to Billy Bremner, Geoff Hurst, George Best, Roy McFarland, and others.

"I also performed with The Housemartins, in the John Street stand if I remember rightly, so we were a long way from the crowd, all the way across the pitch, which was empty for the football. It was a bit of a weird one. Black Lace were also playing that day. So yes, we've come on since then.

"We had to shoot off up to Newcastle to do another gig. So it was all very rushed. I'm hoping this time I'll have a chance to sort of breathe it in a bit more."

Paul, a skilled footballer, played in over 700 junior and amateur games and he is an avid collector of football memorabilia.

He grew up in Sheffield before moving to Chipstead, Surrey,

Now 62, the Manchester-based father of three, who also lived in Leeds and Hull, is more into cycling than drinking, but he's getting a growing reputation for putting money behind the bar for fans to have a drink at pubs near his gigs, as he famously did after his Sheffield Tramlines festival headline appearance last year.

He's not decided whether to continue the tradition when he returns to the city next year. He laughed: "Sheffield United fans have expensive drinking tastes. I'll see how much money I'm making from the gig.

"I'll always do things like that. I haven't got any particular plans, but I tend to do it spur of the moment, if I hear that people need a drink.”

His Bramall Lane band will feature Rianne Downey,who sings with him on the new album and helped deliver a memorable performance at this year's Glastonbury, in the absence of long-time collaborator Jacqui Abbott, due to illness.

Paul Heaton and his band will also tour the UK in November and December this year. The dates,many now sold out, are:

NOVEMBER

Fri 29, BRIDLINGTON Spa- SOLD OUT

Sat 30, LEEDS First Direct Arena - SOLD OUT

DECEMBER

Sun 01, GLASGOW OVO Hydro - SOLD OUT

Tue 03, BRIGHTON Centre - SOLD OUT

Wed 04, WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Halls - SOLD OUT

Fri 06, LIVERPOOL M&S Bank Arena - SOLD OUT

Sat 07, NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena - SOLD OUT

Mon 09, NEWCASTLE Utilita Arena - VENUE UPGRADED

Tue 10, LONDON Eventim Apollo - SOLD OUT

Wed 11, LONDON Eventim Apollo - SOLD OUT

Fri 13, ABERDEEN P&J LIVE - SOLD OUT

Sun 15, WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Halls - SOLD OUT

Mon 16, MANCHESTER – The Co-op Live - EXTRA DATE ADDED

Tickets are available from www.paulheaton.co.uk