logo
Nightclub Popworld Wolverhampton announces closure

Nightclub Popworld Wolverhampton announces closure

BBC News27-04-2025

A Wolverhampton nightclub has announced it is to close next month after "one last massive party".Popworld Wolverhampton opened on North Street in 2013, but in a post on social media said it was "time to say goodbye" after "over a decade of unforgettable nights [and] incredible memories"."We've been proud to bring the Popworld party to life, and we can't thank you, our loyal customers, enough for all the laughs, love, and legendary nights out," the club said.The venue will reopen under new ownership and a new name after the closing party on 4 May.
The club said the past decade had been an amazing journey filled with "confetti, classic tunes, party anthems, and some of the best events Wolverhampton has ever seen"."You made this place what it was, and we'll miss every single one of you more than words can say," they added.The club also wished the new owners all the best for the venue's new chapter.
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Neil Young at Glastonbury 2025 - How to watch on TV and BBC iPlayer and listen on Radio and BBC Sounds
Neil Young at Glastonbury 2025 - How to watch on TV and BBC iPlayer and listen on Radio and BBC Sounds

BBC News

time9 hours ago

  • BBC News

Neil Young at Glastonbury 2025 - How to watch on TV and BBC iPlayer and listen on Radio and BBC Sounds

Neil Young's headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC. Watch Glastonbury on BBC iPlayer Listen to Glastonbury on BBC Sounds It will be on iPlayer's Pyramid Stage stream from 10pm, as well as BBC Two and Radio 2. Our on-demand plans continue to be finalised. Enjoy sets and highlights from Glastonbury on iPlayer and in the Glastonbury collection on BBC Sounds. More: Glastonbury 2025 - How to watch on TV and BBC iPlayer and listen on Radio and BBC Sounds Follow For More

Sensational show celebrating the music of Billy Joel extends UK tour into 2026
Sensational show celebrating the music of Billy Joel extends UK tour into 2026

Scotsman

time10 hours ago

  • Scotsman

Sensational show celebrating the music of Billy Joel extends UK tour into 2026

Following sold out tours across the UK and Europe, celebrated singer-songwriter and pianist Elio Pace and his incredible band are extending the run of their sensational, award-winning show The Billy Joel Songbook to include an Edinburgh date. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Originally announced as a 19-date run across England, Scotland and Wales this September and October, due to sensational public demand, the tour has now been extended into next year, with 14 brand-new dates added, including a performance at Usher Hall on Sunday, March 22. Tickets for the 2025 shows are available now, with 2026 dates going on sale 10 am Thursday, June 26 at Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Paying homage to one of the most iconic musicians, singer-songwriters and composers of the 20th century, The Billy Joel Songbook is billed as the greatest love letter ever to the genius that is Billy Joel. Elio Pace - The Billy Joel Songbook Transporting the audience through five decades of hits, Elio and his band will perform more than 30 songs from Joel's vast catalogue of 82 singles including The Longest Time, She's Always A Woman, An Innocent Man, Uptown Girl, Tell Her About It, The River of Dreams, We Didn't Start The Fire and Piano Man. 'We were completely blown away by the response to the 2025 dates - the demand has been truly incredible,' says Elio. 'Every time we take this show on the road, I'm reminded of the deep connection people have with Billy Joel's music. Extending the tour into 2026 is an honour we don't take lightly.' Over the last three years, The Billy Joel Songbook has played more than 50 sold-out venues in the UK and Ireland alone, and earlier this year, a special recording of the full show at London's Bloomsbury Theatre on Billy Joel's 75th birthday, was broadcast via BBC Sounds. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Elio added: 'When I first created The Billy Joel Songbook, I hoped it would strike a chord — but I never imagined it would grow like this. The passion people have for Billy Joel's music just keeps growing, and I feel so grateful to be able to celebrate it with audiences up and down the country.' The late broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan was a huge fan describing Elio as 'Only sensational,' and in 2010 he was the musical director for BBC Radio 2's Weekend Wogan performing as the featured artist on all 35 shows broadcast that year. Singer/songwriter, piano-player, producer and arranger, Elio has performed with a wonderful array of stars including Brian May, Huey Lewis, Glen Campbell, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Lulu, Mike Rutherford, Don McLean, Tom Chaplin, Debbie Reynolds and Martha Reeves to name but a few. In 2013 and 2014 he was invited to 'fill Billy Joel's shoes', starring in five very special reunion concerts in the USA with Joel's original 1971-72 touring band. Following on from the huge success of these American shows, Elio embarked upon the debut tour of The Billy Joel Songbook and has continued to sell out theatres ever since. For more information about The Billy JoelSongbook and to secure your tickets go to

'I wrote a book and published it online. When I woke up next morning it was number one in the charts'
'I wrote a book and published it online. When I woke up next morning it was number one in the charts'

Scotsman

timea day ago

  • Scotsman

'I wrote a book and published it online. When I woke up next morning it was number one in the charts'

Author and podcaster, Sophie Gravia. | John Devlin Sophie Gravia swapped nursing for writing and now the author of bestselling The Glasgow Kiss book series and The Dicktionary Club has a BBC podcast Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sophie Gravia, the author of bestselling The Glasgow Kiss book series and The Dicktionary Club is on the set of her brand new 18+ podcast, Situationships with Sophie and Christine, for BBC Sounds, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer. She can't wait for people to get in touch and tell them all about their dating dramas, life dilemmas, have a laugh and spill the tea. Raised just outside Glasgow, Gravia, 33, has swapped nursing to concentrate on writing and podcasting after becoming an overnight sensation in her twenties with her first book about the realities of modern dating, based on her popular blog Sex in the Glasgow City. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Written during COVID to entertain her friends, she self-published A Glasgow Kiss one night and woke up to find herself with a bestseller in the erotic fiction charts. Now five books and a quarter of a million book sales on, she is amazed to witness her first book being optioned for a BBC series as her new book, The Dicktionary Club looks poised to repeat the success of A Glasgow Kiss, What Happens in Dubai, Meet Me In Milan and Hot Girl Summer. 'It's a dream come true because I wrote A Glasgow Kiss for my friends. I never in a million years would have expected it to take off. It's insane,' she says. Gravia tells it like it is on the dating scene and her 'nothing's off limits and no judgement here' philosophy extends to the series of eight Situationships podcasts which explore 'the comedy, chaos and cringe of modern relationships', with author, model and Celebs Go Dating star, Christine McGuinness. 'Situationships is the phase when you're dating and not quite in a relationship, so it's that grey area where you don't really know what you're getting yourself into,' says Gravia, 'but the podcast is not just about dating and relationships, it's about friendship and work situationships as well, so we're free to talk about really everything. It's basically talking about our dilemmas, breaking them down and giving each other advice, having a group chat. It's anonymous as well, so we want viewers to come in and tell us all about it. I'm really excited.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Author and podcaster, Sophie Gravia is an NHS nurse who began writing about her dating experiences. With five novels published and a new book out now, Gravia has joined forces with Christine McGuinness talk relationships and love in their brand-new BBC podcast, Situationships with Sophie and Christine. | John Devlin With Gravia and McGuinness both active on their socials, they're looking for podcast viewers to contact them via Whatsapp and Instagram as well as email, with their dilemmas. The pair initially met at events through sharing the same management and bonded over their writing and are now taking their friendship into co-hosting the podcast. 'It's nice to work on something with a friend rather than someone random,' says Gravia and the first podcast saw them discussing everything from ghosting and dating after divorce to Jojo Siwa and Chris Hughes' relationship. There's one person Gravia hopes won't be listening to her podcast however, as her mother is banned from reading her books. 'She's not allowed. But at the same time she introduced us to Sex And The City when I was about eight, so I feel you're to blame, mother.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad When it comes to the TV series, Gravia will relent. 'Yes, she will need to watch the TV series. Hmmm. I don't know what's worse, watching or reading,' she says and laughs. With anonymity guaranteed for podcast contributors, Gravia is relaxed about taking the limelight herself and happy to be open and honest, although she takes care to change details that might identify any of the men who appear in The Dicktionary Club and her other books. 'I feel when I write, nothing's off-limits, I'll chat about anything, the nitty-gritty, and the badder the better. I was asked to be the host on the podcast, so I'm happy with chatting about what I want. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'A guy did come forward and messaged me in my DMs, saying 'is this me?', even though I totally changed the story, what he looked like, where it was and everything about it. But he quite enjoyed getting a mention, and no-one would know it was him.' Sophie Gravia's blog about dating led to five adult romcom novels and a BBC podcast. | John Devlin It was while working as a renal high-dependency nurse in Glasgow that Gravia first began writing about her dating experiences, leading to her blog, 'Sex in the Glasgow City', becoming a hit. When lockdown began, working in the NHS, Gravia was at the frontline of the fight against Covid so when staff attended mandatory 'wellness' sessions, the idea of writing about her dating experiences took hold. 'We were sitting in a circle and each person had to say something they were doing for themselves during COVID, something they always wanted to do, and people were saying they're learning a language or playing instruments and it came to me and I said 'I'm actually just watching Netflix!'. I was totally ashamed and thought, I've always wanted to write a book so why don't I?' 'So I wrote all the worst dates that have happened to my friends or myself and thought how can I write a story around this, with the idea of giving it to my friends for their Christmas presents. I finished A Glasgow Kiss and watched a You Tube video on how to self-publish so I would have it in book form, published it, put it in a Facebook post saying ' I've written a book, mum please don't read it', went to bed then the next morning when I turned my phone on it was number one in the Amazon charts. I thought maybe everyone goes to number one when you upload it, but then I saw the sales figures and oh my god…' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Press and social media interest followed and soon Gravia had a four-book contract with Orion, moving to Bonnier for her latest book, which was released the same day as the podcast. Now that Gravia's life is 'a bit crazy' as she puts it - although no longer being single saves time she used to spend dating - she's taking a six-month career break from nursing but intends to continue in her NHS career. 'I very much want to stay in nursing. I feel it is really important to give back, and my mum and my dad are both nurses as well. I've been there for ten years, in the same ward and love all the patients and people that I work with. It's like another family.' 'I definitely will miss it, but I can't physically manage the time just now. Your shifts are so long, 13 hours, and I cut down the last year or two, but even that was becoming harder to manage.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Even so, with two children Sophie has a full workload to get her writing done at home, just outside of Glasgow. 'I just cry most days about deadlines,' she jokes. 'I write at night and basically live off very little sleep. I wait until everyone's asleep in the house and then think 'you need to write so many thousand words tonight', so I make sure I do it. It's not the healthiest habit.' Sophie Gravia with her latest book, The Dicktionary Club. | John Devlin With her just published fifth book, The Dicktionary Club, did Gravia find that writing had become easier or faster? 'Yes, it's the first one where I didn't feel 'I don't know if I can do this again'. By the time you've got four number one bestsellers, you know you can do this. And also I absolutely loved the concept of The Dicktionary Club. It was what we chatted about in the tea room so I smashed through it and enjoyed it.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Without giving it away, can she give us a hint of what it's about? 'It's basically a group of three women who live in Glasgow - they all work at a PR firm - and are totally different. One is desperate for a boyfriend, one is not interested in men and another one is in a loveless relationship. They decided to make a website called the Dicktionary Club where you can go on and rate all the men you've been seeing. They date as many men as possible, write up a review so that women can subscribe to a website and check their name and get a full review on what to expect. But it all goes absolutely wrong and there are a few disastrous dates in there and one ends up falling in love with someone she shouldn't and it just gets a bit messy… it's good fun.' More reality than romance, Gravia's books have broken the rom-com mould and don't follow a traditional girl meets boy trajectory. 'I don't think the books are typical romcoms where she gets the guy in the end and they live happily ever after. That's not the real world,' she says. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'All the books are about dating, but it's dating in this current situation we're all facing in the land of apps and online websites. 'We've got all these websites now, so are we dating the same people? It's an absolute minefield out there. So I think The Dicktionary Club is really relevant. 'Although there are loads of dilemmas and sauciness in my books, there's always the background of a female friendship which I think is important to real life. They're saucy and they're empowering. 'That's similar to what we want the podcast to be. We want people to feel empowered after it, to come up and spill all their secrets but not be ashamed. It's totally non-judgemental.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the most common issues people are sharing on the podcast? How do people feel about dating apps now? 'The biggest thing people are saying about dating apps is there's so much access to other people so quickly. For example if you're chatting to a guy and have a really good connection, then are off your phone, by this point he has gone on and chatted to another ten people. 'There is so much access to other people that you can go on and chat and there are no barriers. You're sitting on your phone and you can say whatever you want. Sometimes if you suggest to meet up, it's weird for them to want to go for coffee because they think it's appropriate just to skip to the next stage of a relationship. I think there are no barriers anymore, it's just going straight in and within a few messages they want to start talking about sex and what you like in the bedroom and it's just like, woah, wait a minute, come and chat to me about what I do for a living. My mum and dad met when they were 15 at the dancing and it's completely changed now. It's absolutely crazy.' Does she think there's nostalgia for the days when people met at the dancing and got to know each other face to face? Or is it better these days, to do it online? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think it's a bit of a mix. It's good that you've got more access in terms of you might actually find someone more suited. You can chat to different people with different life experiences, more things that you're interested in. And there are loads of niche dating apps, so if you're vegan you can meet someone who is vegan, if you're into certain clubs you can do all that. There's loads of access, which is good. 'But I think, personally, dating apps will die down in the next couple of years. I think that there's got to be another alternative because everyone is so fed up with them, people that I speak to. 'It depends what you're looking for. If you're looking for a bit of fun, then absolutely go on the dating apps, but I think it's really hard to find someone and have a meaningful relationship on them now.' Is that what people are looking for, meaningful relationships? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sophie Gravia and Christine McGuinness talk relationships and love in their brand-new BBC podcast, Situationships with Sophie and Christine. | John Devlin 'I think people are looking for companionship, someone to share similar interests. And loyalty is a big one, especially in today's world of dating apps. I think it's even harder to trust someone, especially on social media. You've got so much access into people's lives and they're portraying a perfect lifestyle on instagram, editing pictures, they don't look the same. It's really easy to click and get carried along with this ideal version of someone. I think the internet has really broken relationships in a way.' Never mind, Situationships is here to fix things… 'I don't know if we're here to fix it,' she laughs. 'But we're here to vent and chat about it. A lot of people are embarrassed to talk about dating online or dating in general, and I think that stigma is dying down, and it's totally acceptable to go on dating apps. 'We're here to chat about it. No judgement, and to have a laugh with it as well.' The Dicktionary Club by Sophie Gravia is out now in paperback (£9.99, Zaffre) and available in eBook and Audio. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Situationships with Sophie and Christine, Episodes 1 and 2 now and new episodes every Thursday on BBC Sounds at 6am, BBC iPlayer at 6pm. Watch on iPlayer - Listen on Sounds -

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store