M&S Bank Arena Auditorium | 23 November 2025
If you ever belted out “Shine Jesus Shine” with more passion than a West End chorus line or remember the electric thrill of being picked to hold the OHP acetate sheet — congratulations, you’re about to feel very seen.
This Christmas, viral sensation and musical mischief-maker James B Partridge is taking audiences on a hilariously nostalgic sleigh ride back to the golden age of school assemblies. His brand-new UK tour, The Big Christmas Assembly, rolls into Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena Auditorium on 23 November, promising a feel-good night of singalong madness, tinsel-drenched memories, and festive tunes that defined a generation.
It’s all the joy of being eight years old and slightly off-key — but this time, with licensed alcohol and better lighting.
James B Partridge rose to fame with his deadpan, piano-thumping renditions of primary school classics on social media, kicking off the beloved Primary School Assembly Bangers phenomenon. What started as a niche internet joyride quickly spiralled into a national movement, winning over nostalgic millennials, ex-teachers, and everyone who ever clapped on the wrong beat during “Kumbaya”.
He’s gone from classroom to cult hero, with viral videos, arena shows, and even a Glastonbury slot under his belt — not to mention sharing stages with Gareth Malone, Paul McCartney, and The Rolling Stones (yes, really).
Now he’s bringing that chaotic energy back to where it all began — the school assembly, but reloaded for a crowd that knows all the words and isn’t afraid to shout them.
The Big Christmas Assembly isn’t your average festive concert. Expect a rollicking setlist of old-school favourites like “Jingle Bells,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and plenty of tunes you forgot you knew until they hit you like a Pritt Stick to the face. It’s part comedy, part concert, all Christmas spirit — and tailor-made for anyone who still associates December with advent calendars and the weird buzz of being allowed to wear your own clothes for the school disco.
“It’s a celebration of the joy those songs brought us as kids,” says James. “And let’s be honest — we all need a bit of that this year.”
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The Broken Spine is a poetry and arts collective proudly published on the coastal edge of North-West England. Founded in 2019 by Alan Parry and Paul Robert Mullen – two school friends reunited after twenty years through a mutual love of poetry.
