The Courteeners are playing intimate festive homecoming shows in Manchester on December 8 and 9.

With writing and demo-ing well under way for the band’s eagerly anticipated third studio album, they have announced two special shows at the Apollo.

The summer has seen The Courteeners stake their claim as Britain’s biggest cult band.

Headline shows at Wigan’s Haigh Hall and Cheshire’s Delamere Forest saw the band shift more than 15,000 tickets, with the latter selling out in a Forestry Commission record of 38 minutes.

* The Courteeners play the Apollo, Manchester on December 8 and 9. Tickets, £22.50, go on sale at 9am. To book, visit gigsandtours.com or ticketmaster.co.uk or ring 0844 811 0051 or 0844 826 2826.