A few months ago, it was hard to believe that we’d be inundated with so many club nights and music events that we’d have to be picky.
But since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted just over a week ago on so-called ‘Freedom Day’, announcements have come thick and fast – and what a lovely week it’s been. The clubs have been packed with happy faces and hope of the scene recovering is being restored.
We’ve gone from being stuck inside watching our favourite DJs and artists on screens to being spoiled for choice for nights out.
So, if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and can’t decide what to do, we’ve put together a round-up of the weekend’s offerings to give you a hand.
A brand-new club night merging disco and garage
From the people behind Hit & Run comes a new event launching on Friday at the Northern Quarter’s Mint Lounge. ‘Disco In The Garage’ will bring together some of Manchester’s best selectors from both disco and garage to create something pretty intriguing.
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There’ll be a group of residents playing on rotation, including familiar faces Will Tramp, Rich Reason, Joy Social and Nanny Banton. And whilst we’re unsure what to expect here, that’s what makes it sound so good.
If you’re as curious as us, grab your tickets here.
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Friday 30 July 2021 | 10:00pm til 4:00am | Mint Lounge | 46-50 Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LE
A party in Victoria Warehouse’s basement
Kaluki Musik’s Summer Soundsystem series kicked off last Saturday with a packed-out opening night featuring Richy Ahmed.
The Victoria Warehouse basement – a relatively new and unused space – is currently playing host to the label’s nine-week residency this summer and is proving to be the ideal spot for a party like this. If you love that intimate basement feel from a night out, this one’s for you.
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The series continues on Saturday with a monster lineup of Kaluki favourites. The likes of AJ Christou, Pirate Copy, Rich NxT, Rossi and Seb Zito will all provide the house, tech house and minimal soundtrack across eight hours. And it runs until 6am so we expect you to be the last ones standing, really.
Saturday 31 July 2021 | 10:00pm til 6:00am | Victoria Warehouse Basement | Trafford Wharf Rd, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M17 1AB
Open-air dancing just off the Mancunian Way
The new venue sits right at the end of the Mancunian Way. Credit: Square One
Round two is on from Saturday afternoon at the city’s newest open air venue Square One. If you went to O’Shea’s Beer Garden you might recognise its Mancunian Way location. The popular Irish bar called this space home for 13 weeks from April through to earlier this month.
Last weekend saw some stellar DJ sets from the likes of Jaden Thompson and Denis Sulta in an unforgettable opening weekend for the Square One team. They’ve managed to create such a vibe over there, beneath that multicoloured canopy. You’d never believe cars were whizzing past on the Mancunian Way just over the fence.
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If you want a piece of the action, this weekend they’ve got Luigi Madonna, Nancy and Rebūke playing on Saturday. And on Sunday Hot Since 82 will make up the bill, with support from James Organ.
There are still a couple of tickets left for Saturday here and Sunday here but be sharp about it.
Sat 31 July/Sun 1 August | 2:00pm til 11:00pm | Square One | Cakebread Street, Ardwick, Manchester, M12 6HF
A party in a Skate Park under the Mancunian Way
The Projekts skate park doubles as an outdoor music venue. Credit: Projekts
If dancing just off the Mancunian Way doesn’t interest you, how about right under it? The Projekts Skate Park located beneath the road has become the unlikely host of a series of takeovers from some of Manchester’s biggest music labels and club nights.
If you fancy a day sesh, Saturday’s instalment of the series will feature Darius Syrossian’s Moxy Muzik from 2pm. The brand had an incredible first show back at Joshua Brooks last Friday and the team are fired up for another round in their hometown.
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Get in on more of this with the addition of that open air festival feel whilst also sheltered by the Mancy Way from this rubbish weather that they’re promising. What more could you want?
Saturday 31 July 2021 | 2:00pm til 10:00pm | Projekts Skate Park | 97 London Rd, Manchester M1 2PG
Sunday DnB crew at Tribeca
If you’re still going by Sunday night then fair play. Why not hit up Tribeca to see the weekend out with two floors of DnB, jungle dancehall and reggae?
The guys at Dubwoofah and Union Sound are bringing the party, with power sets from Manc DJs Boa, sl8r, Killamanjaro and Epicentre.
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Forget about work on Monday and get your tickets here.
Sunday 1 August | 10:00pm til 4:00am | Tribeca | 50 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3WF
For all your Manchester music content, head to The Manc Audio.
Featured image: Square One
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Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
A candlelit Queen tribute concert is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
Yes, you read that right: a candlelit concert dedicated to the one and only Queen, with a spectacular West End Cast and a talented live rock band, is coming to Manchester city centre in January.
In fact, it’s coming home, as this wonderful event started right here in 0161 back in 2021.
Concerts by Candlelight themselves host concerts up and down the country at various points throughout the year, but their much-loved ‘Queen by Candlelight‘ special knows all about lighting up Manc venues.
Having since gone on to become an internationally acclaimed live concert experience, we’re glad we still get to see the ‘Princes of the Universe’ on our doorstep.
Credit: Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
With the likes of Bridgewater Hall and the magical Manchester Monastery all having played host to the promotion on many ocassions, this time Queen by Candlelight is coming to the legendary Manchester Opera House in the new year.
One of our most historic and legendary theatres, it’s only fitting, really, that they be chosen to welcome a night of equally iconic tunes.
But it’s worth reminding more casual fans that these aren’t just British rock and pop anthems; Queen‘s discography is one that still has global recognition to this day.
That’s why this specific show has been taken to virtually every corner of the world, with the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians delighting audiences in Dubai, Australia, New Zealand and New York, to domestic crowds here in town and down in London’s West End.
‘Queenies’ or ‘Darlings’, as Freddie Mercury used to call them, can expect all the big hits, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, to ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and plenty more from the back catalogue.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store this coming January:
With tickets already flying out fast, we really would recommend securing your seats early before they inevitably sell out.
To quote the promoters themselves, “this spectacular celebration of Queen’s biggest hits is guaranteed to rock you.”
Coming to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 6 January, you can book your tickets for Queen by Candlelight right HERE.
And if you’ve never been to one of their candlelit events before, you only need to see how much of a ball we had at their country event earlier this year to find out how much fun they are…
Hannah Starkie -
28th July 2021 
