The full lineup of acts has been announced for the #SummerProm2020 festival which will be streamed live for students nationwide on the eve of exam results day.
British singer-songwriter James Bay is set to headline the special one-off celebration event which will look to unite thousands of young people across the UK ahead of A Level and GCSE results after an unprecedented and challenging school year.
This unique and free-to-access event will take place on Wednesday 12th August.
Hosted by Hits Radio presenter, Jordan Lee, the Summer Prom will also feature music from Australian musician Sam Fischer, pop sensation Becky Hill and DJ & producer, Joel Corry, who is currently #1 in the UK singles chart. The event – which will be broadcast from The Met live music and theatre venue in Bury – will also feature comedy from Bec Hill, Aurie Styla and Lauren Pattison, plus a number of surprise guest appearances.
The virtual prom has been created to raise awareness of mental health support available via One Space – a new partnership between Shout 85258, The Mix and Young Minds – for young people struggling with the legacy impact of lockdown.
#SummerProm2020 – in partnership with Manchester’s Hits Radio – has also been brought together by acclaimed Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) broadcasting platform United We Stream GM, and music & mental wellbeing festival, Headstock.
Wikipedia
Taking into account the recently introduced Greater Manchester restriction of no mixing of households, Summer Prom 2020 can be enjoyed by young people in their own homes through live stream via United We Stream GM across multiple social media channels.
Music performances and artist interviews will also be broadcast simultaneously across the Hits Radio network.
With the focus of providing mental health support to young people post-lockdown, earlier in the same day, GP and broadcaster, Dr Radha, will host a special mental health-themed Instagram Live ‘surgery’ on the @onespaceto Instagram page to help those who may be struggling, answer questions and offer tips and advice to anyone experiencing worry or anxiety.
Waiting for exam results is always a stressful time for young people, but this year many have also been dealing with anxiety and crisis in isolation.
Half (56%) of young people who mentioned coronavirus when contacting One Space partners for help listed anxiety as their main concern, a further 80% of young people surveyed said that coronavirus had made their mental health worse, with 87% reporting feeling lonely and isolated.
Victoria Hornby, Chief Executive of Shout 85258 – on behalf of One Space – said: “We are excited to be working with United We Stream GM and Headstock on the Summer Prom. The build up to exam results is always an incredibly stressful time for young people and this year especially so. The uncertainty is overwhelming for a lot of young people, and the summer ahead will see more challenges with exam results, a tough jobs market, and decisions to be made about university.”
“We know that a lot of young people are coping in isolation without access to their usual peer and professional support networks and that is why Shout 85258, The Mix and Young Minds are working together to deliver One Space – a space where under 25s can easily find the information they need and get the support they deserve.”
Headstock Founder, Atheer Al-Salim, added: “At a time when a lot of young people are struggling with the impact of the global pandemic on both their academic and social lives, we have the opportunity through music and shared experience to create an event that will help lift people’s moods.”
“We want people to celebrate their achievements of the past year, but also use the power of music to positively impact young people’s mental and emotional wellbeing.”
“The Summer Prom will bring young people together – albeit online – and we’re delighted that Headstock is able to play its part in this extremely special event. We’re very much looking forward to creating a summer celebration that young people from Greater Manchester and across the UK will remember for many years to come.”
United We Stream GM
United We Stream GM founder and Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord, said: “Getting exam results and entering university is already a stressful time, but the pandemic has added to the uncertainty and worry that young people across the UK are facing this year as they make big decisions about career choices, university places, moving out of the family home or getting a job.”
“The most important thing about results day is not to panic.”
“I struggled at school and left with two Us and an E at A Level, but I’ve worked hard to build a career I love. If you feel you haven’t done well in your exams, there are many alternative routes you can go down, so please remember it’s not the end of the world.”
He continued: “United We Stream brought people together throughout the lockdown, and I received countless messages from the public who said that it helped ease anxiety and bring a sense of community to the region. Because of this and acknowledging this stressful time, we wanted to do something for students who are about to get their A level results to give them something fun to look forward to and to take their minds off their looming results – a great party to enjoy safely with their own household.”
“This Class of 2020 Summer Prom event has been tailor made for them and I’m grateful to the artists who have given up their time to be involved.”
“It’s going to be an absolutely fantastic show.”
United We Stream GM / Headstock Festival
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, added: “The United We Stream Summer Prom will be a positive and celebratory broadcast for all young people to enjoy safely in their homes, and is another example of the caring spirit of people in Greater Manchester.”
“This is a fantastic idea, to give our young people in the city-region and beyond who are about to get their exam results, something really special to look forward to. This can be a pivotal point in a young person’s life, and this particular age group, have missed out on so much because the pandemic forced thousands of children and young people to remain isolated at home, with their schools and colleges staying closed for months.”
“Thanks to the innovative team of public sector and private business who are behind the Summer Prom concept, the Class of 2020 will have a unique celebration to remember.”
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#SummerProm2020 will be streamed live on United We Stream GM via website, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch, and will be simultaneously broadcast on Hits Radio.
Tune it at 8pm on Wednesday 12th August.
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Oasis are being linked with a massive outdoor gig next year
Danny Jones
After 16 long years of waiting, Oasis are officially the biggest band on the planet again (not that they ever really stopped), and now they’re being linked with a rather big outdoor gig at the storied Slane Castlenext year.
They’ve already done Knebworth, so why not tick another one off the list?
With the Live ’25 reunion tour well underway, and rumblings over what they’re going to do once this run of global comeback shows is done, Britpop fever hasn’t just had fans of the band reliving the 1990s – it’s practically taken over the music world.
There’s already plenty of talk circling – including a potential return to Knebworth – but now Oasis is pretty much the first and only name being tipped for a huge headline slot at Slane Castle, after 2026 dates were slated by the estate’s owners.
Slane Castle hosted natives, U2, for their Go Home live concert film back in 2002. (Credit: Sara Einarsson via WikiCommons)
While Harry Styles played Ireland’s historic and equally iconic venue back in 2023, the Co Meath concerts, located in the heart of the Boyne Valley, have somewhat dried up in recent years.
Prior to the former One Direction star, the last major musicians to play there were rock and heavy metal veterans, Metallica, more than half a decade ago.
However, the new lord of the manor, Alex Conyngham, is now looking to carry on where his father, Henry Mountcharles, left off in carrying on their live music legacy; and given that another legendary rock and roll band is pretty much anyone can talk about at the minute, their name has already been put forward.
As per the Drogheda Independent writer, John Kierans, Conyngham is reported to have said: “We want to bring the shows back, we miss them. It is not just about the revenue, but keeping the name of Slane as a rock venue on the map.
“It is what Slane Castle is known for, and I don’t want that legacy to fade away. This is one of the world’s great rock and roll venues with the most natural setting. We are working on plans, and hopefully we can pull something off for next year.”
While Oasis are due to play two nights at Croke Park in Dublin later this month, there is now a strong belief/expectation that a number of 2026 dates will also be announced. But will the stars align?
Slane Castle are said to be in negotiations to stage a massive concert in 2026.
Croke Park theoretically has a concert capacity of 82,000, but I'd love to see them at Slane Castle. Saw Oasis and REM there in 1995. It was epic. pic.twitter.com/CYf6VDDgPw
— 🟥 deli⁷ | just a person🥢ᶠᵘᵗᵘʳᵉ'ˢ ᵍᵒⁿⁿᵃ ᵇᵉ ᵒᵏᵃʸ (@na_do_saram) August 3, 2025
It’s also worth mentioning that they’ve played the 1,500-acre grounds before. Twice, in fact.
The first occasion was in July 1995, supporting R.E.M just before they hit arguably the height of their own powers with the release of their second album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? just a few months later, on 2 October.
Burnage‘s most famous sons and their bandmates go to do it all over again in 2009 (the same year they would eventually split up), with some incredible ‘warm-up acts’ in The Prodigy, Kasabian and Glasvegas.
Let’s be honest, either of those artists could probably book and sell out the place these days, so god knows how much a ticket for that lineup would set you back present day.
Regardless, if there’s one band that fits the billing to bring back the Slane Castle gigs at their boldest and best, it’s the almighty Oasis.
Whether or not the heavily rumoured 2026 dates are domestic to the UK and Ireland, we’ll have to wait and see, but the clamour is already there, no matter where they sign on to perform.
If you were at Heaton Park or had the fortune of seeing any of the Live ’25 shows, you’ll know they still sound as good as ever.
Featured Images — Sitomon (via Flickr)/Kinsie84 (via Wikimedia Commons)/Press Shots
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Drake at Co-op Live, Manchester: Forget ‘One Dance’ – we had many
Thomas Melia
Canadian hitmaker Drake graced Co-op Live in Manchester for the final night of the ‘Some Special Shows 4 UK’ tour with PartyNextDoor.
First song in and multi-hyphenate Drake is already feeling sentimental with ‘Gimme a Hug’ as he admits, “I appreciate the fans rockin’ with me / This is really just a small token.”
‘Marvin’s Room’ played out right after, and although the song prior references it as a favourite of “Durk’s boy”, this same love was shared between 23,500 fans in the crowd at Co-op Live last night.
Shortly after, the Toronto-born rapper began the usual minute-long introduction of his gigantic single ‘Passionfruit’ with fans roaring as soon as he sang the long-awaited ‘Listen’.
Drake played out to 94,000 fans across four sold-out nights at Co-op Live in Manchester (Credit: Audio North)
Less than halfway through this stacked setlist, and it was time for the holy trinity of the night: ‘God’s Plan’, ‘In My Feelings’ and ‘Nice for What’ – nothing short of back-to-back bangers.
Fellow Canadian artist PartyNextDoor joined the self-proclaimed ‘Champagne Papi’ on stage to perform a medley of hits from their collaborative album ‘Some Sexy Songs 4 U’ next.
This R’n’B act made sure to play out his murky trap-fused number ‘No Chill’, and he squeezed in the equally melancholic melody ‘Somebody Loves Me’, too.
The pair may be promoting their joint LP but they took a second to squeeze in a throwback, matching each other’s energy while executing the 2016 collaboration ‘Come and See Me’.
Drake’s career is timeless, and the setlist proves just that as he delivers a rendition of one of his most recent successes, ‘Girls Want Girls’, followed by a track that laid the foundations of his career, ‘Fancy’.
Drake and PartyNextDoor for the ‘Some Special Songs 4 UK’ tour(Credit: The Manc)
Almost 30 songs deep and Drake still had fans reciting bars, verses and everything in between, and this continued as the two-time Brit award winner started 2023 anthem ‘Rich Baby Daddy’.
St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red wasn’t present for her renowned chant, but Manchester stepped up to the occasion, professing: “Hands on your knees, hands on your knees / Shake that *ss for Drake / Now shake that *ss for me”, verbatim.
It was only fair that the global rap titan finished with the setlist with two cellular-themed tracks, starting with the “You used to call me on my cell phone” number ‘Hotline Bling’ before the “Who’s callin’ my phone?” viral smash ‘Nokia’.
The setlist follows a very cyclical structure, as although Drake is known for his comical and cheeky persona on stage and online, deep down, the chart topper is very attentive.
Ending on the ever-emotive ‘Yebba’s Heartbreak’ with lines like, “How much can I show my love for you?”, it’s safe to say this international act is feeling pretty grateful after seeing 94,000 fans show up and show out for him across four non-consecutive nights.
Drake may refer to himself as the ‘Champagne Papi’, but it’s the 23,500 fans who were popping bottles and raising a toast to the rap champ; the support for this musical act is ‘Nonstop’.
Co-op Live really is booking all the big names now.
The Manc -
5th August 2020 
