The Shires

The Shires bring their British take on country-pop to The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 8 November 2026. Formed in 2013 after a Facebook exchange, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes built a sound that blends Nashville storytelling with a distinctly English tone. Their songs circle love, small victories and everyday turns, carried by Crissie’s clear lead and Ben’s close harmonies, sliding between acoustic intimacy and radio-shaped hooks.

Championed early by BBC Radio 2 and the C2C: Country to Country stage, the duo became the first UK country act to sign with a major Nashville label. Across Brave (2015), My Universe (2016), Accidentally on Purpose (2018), Good Years (2020) and 10 Year Plan (2022), they have refined neat, melodic writing that holds up on stage as much as on record. Live, The Shires draw on a decade of material and a road-tested craft earned alongside Little Big Town, The Corrs, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, Tom Jones and Tears for Fears. A night mapped by harmonies, clean hooks and stories that speak plainly.