The Early May Bank Holiday is nearly upon us, so we’re planning to pack out the long weekend with as much stuff as we possibly can and we’ve already got a free gig headlined by a popular masked DJ over at Exhibition sorted for the Friday.
Better yet, the folks over at Exhibition are kicking off the long weekend early, with live music every night from Wednesday right up until Sunday and the early hours of Monday morning. Did we mention it’s completely free to enter? Mint.
As well as the popular Peter Street venue’s resident DJ Jenna G and Bucky from Manc nightlife institution Funkademia taking part in the five-night run of parties, another cult-favourite club night artist will be taking the stage on Friday night — though no one really knows who he is…
World-renowned DJ Jaguar Skills is a BBC Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra regular, enjoying a serial 10-minute spot on The Trevor Nelson Show every week and has worked with the likes of Prodigy, Lupe Fiasco and many more for over two decades now. Lucky for us lot, he’s now set to headline the big gig on Friday.
Exhibition may have only been open for around six months but it’s quickly become one of the best places for a night out in Manchester, be it after work, on the weekend or come a nice long bank holiday this one. It’s so close we can smell it.
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Promising lots music and other live entertainment every night, not to mention a gorgeous food hall and two beautiful bars, this place is popping most weekdays, let alone when it’s a free gig and a pure party atmosphere for multiple nights on the trot.
With MCR Union Lager on draught — Manchester’s first and only dedicated craft lager brewery — serving free samples from 5-7pm, and new addition Onda Pasta Kitchen now making up one of the three incredible kitchens, you’ll have everything you need to have an absolutely ace time this weekend.
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Exhibition’s ‘Into The Party’ series of gigs this bank holiday officially start on Wednesday, 26 April, and there’s a whole host of talent on show right up until late on Sunday night. Don’t worry, you can sleep on Monday.
Robyn: The Sexistential Tour – Co-op Live, Manchester | Review
Lonnie Bowes
There are pop stars, and then there is Robyn.
There’s something about the Co-op Live that still feels new, but last night it felt like it had been waiting for a show like this. The Swedish icon brought her long-awaited Sexistential Tour to Manchester, and from the first beat drop, the arena was hers.
Opening with a wall of robes, strobes and a euphoric rush of synths. Robyn didn’t so much arrive as materialise – already dancing, already fully committed. The production was immense; towering LED rigs, carefully crafted lighting, and a stage that somehow managed to feel intimate despite the sheer scale of the room. It was a proper spectacle.
Images: The Manc Group
The setlist drew from across her catalogue, weaving newer material around the bangers with real care. Honey felt celestial. With Every Heartbeat did what it always does. And when the opening bars of Dancing On My Own finally landed, the roar that met them was something else entirely – the kind that gives you goosebumps on the back of your neck. Even if you’ve heard the song a thousand times it still landed it like it was the first time.
What strikes you most about Robyn, though, isn’t the production or even the songs. It’s how real she seems up there. She throws herself into every lyric, dances like nobody’s watching, and radiates a kind of joy that feels hard-won rather than performed. In an era of very calculated pop, that matters.
The Sexistential Tour is exactly what it promises – big questions about love, loneliness, and what it means to just exist, set to some of the best pop music ever written.
Manchester, she owned us and I think we are all okay with that.
Manchester institution ‘a little emotional’ after receiving a visit from rock icon Hayley Williams
Daisy Jackson
Rock icon Hayley Williams has been spotted shopping at Manchester institution Afflecks.
The legendary independent retail emporium said it was ‘feeling a little emotional’ after its halls were graced with rock royalty.
And not only did the Paramore frontwoman and acclaimed solo singer-songwriter come for a browse, she even gave Afflecks a shout-out on stage later that night.
Hayley Williams headlined two solo shows at Manchester Academy on Monday and Tuesday this week.
The shows are in support of her third studio album, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party.
And despite being known globally as one of music’s best lead vocalists, this is actually Hayley Williams’ first solo tour (her previous dates were cancelled because of Covid).
While on stage in front of fans last night, she said: “I’ve learnt some Mancunian, and I’ve been to Afflecks!”
It sounds like she’s as lovely as she is legendary, with Afflecks saying that the star hung around to chat and take photos.
Sharing photos of the star inside the building, Afflecks wrote: “So a very special visitor stopped by Afflecks yesterday…
“A huge thank you to Hayley Williams for taking the time to visit us, say hello, and pose for a photo. She was so super lovely, kind, and welcoming, and to top it all off she even gave Afflecks a shout-out during last night’s show.
“Safe to say we’re feeling a little emotional about it. Thank you again Hayley for supporting Manchester’s small businesses.”
Danny Jones -
26th April 2023 
