Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts roll into Manchester Academy on 4 July 2026 with the sharp, no-frills rock that has defined them since the early 80s. After her break with The Runaways, Jett teamed up with Kenny Laguna in New York and built a tight guitar-bass-drums outfit at the crossroads of hard rock, punk and power pop. The template locked in with Bad Reputation and the hit-making I Love Rock ’n Roll, all about clipped riffs, chant-along hooks and a rhythm section that hits straight.

On stage, the band draws from a catalogue that runs through Album, Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth and Up Your Alley, then on to later records like The Hit List, Pure and Simple, Sinner and Unvarnished. Expect a set that balances originals and covers, kept lean and melodic, with Jett’s voice and guitar front and center. Decades on, the Blackhearts still play it direct: short songs, big choruses, and a live energy built for rooms like Manchester Academy.