Manchester-based street fashion and footwear retailer size? has revealed plans to bring some huge headliners to the city as part of a new music festival that’s launching this summer.
What first began as a series of intimate in-store sessions has now grown into size?’s very-own day festival, and it’s building on the retailer’s reputation for representing a range of up-and-coming talent from multiple genres.
Taking place right here in the retailer’s hometown of Manchester, the size?sessions all-day festival will take over the O2 Victoria Warehouse this August.
Chart-topping rappers AJ Tracey, Nines, and Knucks will play headline sets.
Chart-topping London rappers AJ Tracey and Nines have been confirmed as two of the headliners / Credit: Supplied
As well as the headline names, the first wave of acts have just been announced for the show today – with further rap artists Comfy and Juice Menace, singer-songwriters MIraa May and Tamera, and Manchester’s very-own ‘sisterz of darkness’ duo The KTNA all confirmed on the bill.
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Kennedy Taylor of The Electric Pancakes band, who also has a show on London’s ‘Foundation FM’, is also down to play a DJ set at the festival.
Set to take place on Saturday 20 August, the new size?sessions festival plans to unite music and streetwear fans under one roof as it brings a mixture of heavy hitters and up-and-comers to the city in a brand new format.
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Festival-goers will not only be able to witness some of their favourite acts, but attendees can also socialise and document their time at the festival via the Homegrown room – a social space sponsored by the newly launched fashion brand Homegrown.
With a solid line up and a further second wave of artists set to drop soon, we don’t doubt that this is going to be a big one on the city’s event calendar this summer.
To make sure music fans bag their tickets, tickets will first go on presale to size?access members at 10am on Wednesday 22 June via the size? website here.
This will be followed by general sale on Friday 24 June here.
The White Hotel is a go-to haunt for Mancs seeking a late-night (or indeed, all-night) dance, with a packed programme of music running year-round.
The independent arts venue opened inside a former garage in Salford, just outside Manchester city centre and in the shadow of HMP Manchester.
Not only has The White Hotel defined Greater Manchester’s modern nightlife scene, but it’s become known globally as one of the best underground nightclubs on the planet.
Known for its raw DIY atmosphere and boundary-pushing line-ups, the Salford venue up there among the UK’s most respected club spaces.
But despite ‘continuing to draw full houses’, The White Hotel will close in January, according to The Guardian.
Ben Ward told the paper that the venue has found itself in a flood-risk zone, saying: “Basically, it’s a swamp.”
He added that it was better ‘to go out on our own terms, long before we became a museum’.
When The White Hotel opened in 2015, they planned to stick around for a year, then move to LA – but now a decade on, it’s cemented itself on Manchester’s club scene.
The area where The White Hotel stands will become a wetland park.
Neither artistic director Austin Collings nor Ward are ‘sentimental about losing the premises’, The Guardian wrote, quoting Ward as saying: “It’s come as a surprise that it’s lasted this long anyway.”
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
Daisy Jackson
Festival-goers have been warned not to take wheelie bins full of alcohol to festivals with them this summer.
The warning has come ahead of this year’s Download Festival, which takes place next month and kicks off the summer’s biggest run of festival dates.
But a major train operator has said there have been incidents in the past of passengers trying to travel to festivals with wheelie bins and luggage trolleys.
Passengers have had to be reminded that wheelie bins are not permitted on board, and they should instead only carry as much luggage as they can comfortably carry.
The warning comes from East Midlands Railway, one of the key services that will whisk people to Download Festival between 10 and 14 June.
Customers returning from the festival are also encouraged to use boot-cleaning brushes provided at stations to help remove mud before boarding trains.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re encouraging customers to travel light.
“Last year, some festive goers tried to board services with wheelie bins or festival trolleys full of beer. While it might seem like a great idea for getting your supplies to the festival, it just isn’t safe or possible to bring them onboard train services.”
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
EMR has also warned customers to plan journeys in advance, with engineering work taking place at various locations on the Midland Main Line, near where Download Festival takes place.
She continued: “We’re advising customers travelling to Download Festival to plan their journeys in advance and be aware that essential engineering work will affect services across the weekend.
“As a result, some services will be reduced or amended, and passengers should check before they travel and allow extra time.”
Georgina Pellant -
21st June 2022 
