Some of the best-loved names in entertainment are coming to Plymouth Pavilions in 2022 – and you can make sure your family or friends get the best seats in the house! #AdvertismentFeature

Bypass all those pressie delivery delays by giving show tickets this Christmas. The Pavilions will email the tickets directly to you. It won’t just be a thoughtful surprise – it will also give your loved ones a special treat to look forward to in 2022.

Whether it’s music, dance, sport, or adventure, the Pavilions really do have it all wrapped up when it comes to offering something for everyone. Here are eight shows that illustrate that perfectly …

Sir Ranulph Feinnes: Living Dangerously

Described by the Guinness Book of Records as “the world’s greatest living explorer”, Sir Ranulph Feinnes has an amazing story to tell. Sir Ranulph has spent his life in pursuit of extreme adventure, risking life and limb in some of the most ambitious private expeditions ever undertaken. He was the first to reach both Poles, the first to cross the Antarctic and Arctic Ocean, and the first to circumnavigate the world along its polar axis.

His latest goal is to complete his Global Reach Challenge in which he is attempting to become the first person to cross both polar ice caps and climb the highest mountains on each continent in aid of Marie Curie. The Challenge brings together Sir Ranulph’s lifetime of exploration. Both light-hearted and poignant, Living Dangerously offers a personal journey through Sir Ranulph’s life, a remarkable story that has inspired generations. Date: Friday 18 March, 7.30pm

Paul Weller

Paul Weller’s appearance at the Pavilions in March follows the release in December 2021 of his latest album, An Orchestrated Songbook, featuring a reimagined selection of Paul’s vast catalogue of classics songs.  The album, recorded in May 2021 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and award-winning arranger Jules Buckley, includes tracks from across The Jam and Style Council years as well as his solo career.

As frontman with The Jam, Paul spearheaded the Mod revival in the late ’70s and early ’80s, scoring a string of hits, including Going Underground, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, The Eton Rifles, and A Town Called Malice. After The Jam split, Paul immediately formed the neo-soul and American R&B-influenced Style Council with The Merton Parkas’ Mick Talbot. Following their disbandment in 1990, Weller embarked on a successful solo career where he has remained as relevant as ever, with a string of chart-topping albums and hit singles such as The Changingman, Wild Wood, and You Do Something To Me. With support from The Stroppies.Date: Thursday 31 March, 6.30pm.

Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals Live Tour 2022

Dance fans will be delighted to hear that some of their favourite Strictly Come Dancing pros will again don their dancing shoes and return to the road in a sparkling new tour for 2022. Kicking off in Birmingham on 20 January 2022, a host of the celebs and professional dancers from the BBC One TV series will waltz around the country, performing 33 shows in some of the UK’s biggest arenas. Local fans have three chances to see this stunning show, with two evening performances and one matinee at Plymouth Pavilions.

The full line-up will be announced nearer the time – but expect to see several of Strictly’s best-loved stars. Tickets are like glitter dust for the Strictly live shows and would make a Fab-U-Lous present to give to someone this Christmas. Dates: Thursday 19 May (7.30pm) & Friday 20 May (2.30pm and 7.30pm).

Dick & Angel: Dare to do It – So Much More to Say

If you’ve enjoyed watching the exploits of Dick & Angel Strawbridge on TV, then you’ll love their live stage show. The stars of the Channel 4 hit ‘Escape to the Chateau’ are on the road again on their ‘Dare to do it’ tour. During this highly entertaining evening, the couple explain who they are, where they have come from, how they met and yes, you guessed it, why they dared to do it!

Millions of viewers across the world have been enthralled over the past few years by their adventures as they moved to their chateau in Martigné-sur-Mayenne. But retired Lieutenant Colonel, Engineer and chef Dick and his entrepreneur and designer wife Angel, still have many more untold tales to tell. The charismatic pair have a love story to share and will reveal how they ended up in a beautiful castle in north-west France. Prepare to be enchanted!  Date: Wednesday 23February, 7.30pm.

Test Match Special: Live

A must for all cricket fans, as Test Match Special and former England stars Phil Tufnell and Michael Vaughan take you inside the famous BBC Radio TMS commentary box and share memories from their playing careers. What was it like facing Shane Warne is his prime? Which member of the TMS team never buys dinner? And what really happened the night after the 2005 Ashes – the thrilling series when Michael captained England to victory over Australia…?

Joining Tuffers and Michael on stage is none other than BBC cricket correspondent and commentator Jonathan Agnew, aka Aggers. From Barbados to Birmingham and Christchurch to Kolkata – when it comes to cricket, these three have seen it all. Great memories and much hilarity guaranteed! Date: Saturday 16 April, 7.30pm.

Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets: Echoes Tour

Pink Floyd legend Nick Mason brings his band Saucerful Of Secrets to the Pavilions in May, as part of their worldwide Echoes tour. The drummer and Pink Floyd founding member set up his new group in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. The other band members are Guy Pratt, Lee Harris and Dom Beken – who all have links to Pink Floyd – and Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp.

Nick Mason’s Saucerful Of Secrets played their first gigs at four intimate and acclaimed live shows at London’s Dingwalls and The Half Moon in Putney in May 2018. The 2022 Echoes tour follows sold-out tours through the UK, Europe and America in 2018-19 and is their largest UK and Ireland tour to date. The tour name – Echoes – is a tantalising hint that they might be playing tracks from their 1971 album Meddle which was released 16 months before their iconic LP, The Dark Side of the Moon. Date: Sunday 8May, 7.30pm.

Good, Bad & The Rugby  

Rugby fans, it’s time to get lined up as England heroes James Haskell and Mike Tindall, alongside noted broadcaster Alex Payne, take to the road with the world’s most popular rugby podcast – The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. The live tour is the first ever outing for the hit podcast which, since launching in summer 2020, has grown to become the UK’s top sporting podcast, with more than 3 million listeners and 20 million-plus viewers online.

The success is down to the show’s USP: the special connection between Alex (Good), James (Bad) and Mike (Rugby), as well as their guests. Between them, they unearth real, raw stories and bring an intoxicating cocktail of humour, sadness and at times, anger. Date: Saturday 14May, 7.30pm.

Pavilions Introduces: Land of The Giants plus special guests

This gig is part of Pavilions Introduces, a hand-curated program of events showcasing the South West’s finest talent in Plymouth Pavilions’ most intimate setting so far. Plymouth band Land of the Giants have been performing their high-energy foot-stomping beats since 2009. The six-piece band are: Andy Quick (vocals and guitar), Gaz Le Page (trombone), Ted Baker (drums), Tom Ogilvie (bass), Rob Austin (lead guitar) and Josh Westrip (trumpet).

The last three years have seen The Giants tour the length and breadth of the UK, spreading their fresh and accessible sounds to venues and festivals including Glastonbury, Boomtown and Beautiful Days. They scooped Best Band in the most recent Southwest Music Awards and are regarded as one of the best emerging live bands in the country. Date: Friday 25 February, 7.30pm.

Info …

Tickets are available through the Pavilions website, www.plymouthpavilions.com , or through The Ticket Store, www.theticketstore.co.uk . Or you can call and book tickets on 0333 772 7727 between 10am-2pm Monday-Friday. 

Pavilions have a Visitor Charter which has information for all shows. COVID restrictions are determined by promoters of each individual shows, which means these will be disclosed closer to each event taking place. Pavilions Visitor Charter >>> https://bit.ly/PPVisitorCharter

Feature Article by our feature writer Laura Joint