Homobloc, Manchester’s legendary queer rave for all, returns this November with another day-to-night party featuring a star-studded line-up of DJs and performers.
Reuniting the clans once again, on 4 November Homobloc is set to welcome artists, performers, spectators, and clubbers to come together and present one of the most extraordinary dancefloor coalitions of the LGBTQ+ community.
Featuring a roster of heavyweight live acts, headliners this year will include the 2023 Mercury Prize nominated artist Jessie Ware, Australian indie electro-pop band Confidence Man, and Canadian electroclash producer, Peaches.
Further headline DJ sets include performances from The Blessed Madonna, Romy, David Morales, Avalon Emerson, Horse Meat Disco, LSDXOXO, salute, SHERELLE and many, MANY more.
The programming is a joint effort by many, including LGBTQ+ collectives from Manchester and beyond.
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The collectives and curation include work by Ghetto Fabulous, Creatures by Beau Azra, Miss Chief by Banksie and Strutty Bitch, who have been part of the Homobloc family since day one, as well as new collectives The Cavalcade and Drag Kings Of Manc.
Homobloc will take over the full expanse of Depot Mayfield, including the three main stages (Depot, Concourse, Archive), as well as expanding across to Temperance Street and into the historic Star & Garter pub.
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As if that wasn’t enough, this year it will also grow upwards as queer club icons Horse Meat Disco takes over the rooftop with a cinema screening, acoustic performances, pop-up shops, in-session podcasts, talks and more.
You can see the full lineup down below and, boy, what a treat you’re in for:
Rod Connolly, Promoter from Homobloc, said in a statement following the announcement of this year’s event: “It’s with great pleasure we unveil the most adventurous Homobloc line-up to date.
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“For 2023 we have straddled the edges of queer culture to introduce fresh new sounds and textures from the alternative music scene, aligning them with some of the biggest names in electronic and dance music to create a unique international party-busting with nitty-gritty northern queer energy.”
“The LGBTQ+ community has experienced another challenging year, particularly our Trans siblings who are facing a relentless wave of discrimination.
“Trans rights and liberation are under real threat and in response we are growing our charity partners this year to offer much-needed resources deep within the Trans community. We are also working on a cultural spaces charity partnership to support independent artists and creatives within the Salford and Greater Manchester area.”
As you can see, there’s so much more going on with this event than just the live music side and we simply can’t wait to see how big Depot Mayfield goes off this year.
Presale tickets for Homobloc 2023 go on sale at 10am Thursday, 3 August, with general admission going live at the same time on Friday, 4 August. Be ready and waiting to grab yours HERE.
Donald Glover announces surprise world tour along with new Childish Gambino album out of the blue
Danny Jones
Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, has just announced a brand-new world tour along with releasing his latest album, all in the space of just a few hours.
With virtually no warning whatsoever, the multi-talented musician, actor, writer, filmmaker producer and comedian decided to drop the completed version of 3.15.20, the experimental record he quietly dropped four years ago, along with a brand new music video and a series of global tour dates.
Titling the ‘finished’ fourth studio LP, Atavista, and releasing a music video for ‘Little Foot Big Foot’ – which features what we’re sure will go down as an equally iconic dance routine akin to that seen in ‘This Is America’ – it seems like he’s been quietly plugging away at new music in the background.
Just hours later, Manchester’s AO Arena confirmed that they would be hosting Childish Gambino’s Manc gig this fall, with the tour itself kicking off in the US this August.
After dropping the surprise release of Atavista and music video for Little Foot Big Foot, Childish Gambino is making a return to the global stage with The New World Tour. Join us in Manchester on Tuesday 26th November. 🌍💫 Tickets go on sale on Friday 17th May at 10am. pic.twitter.com/2nMRdX7d3s
Childish Gambino is back and he’s coming to Manchester later this year.
But the surprises don’t stop there either.
As detailed in a statement on social media, in which he informed his fans that “there’s a special vinyl coming soon [with] visuals for each song” from Atavista, he also revealed that an “all new Childish Gambino album comes out in the summer.”
There’s so much information to take in right now we can barely catch our breath.
Joining him as the main support act for the newly announced world tour is Amaarae, a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter and fellow R’nB star. Here’s what she sounds like if you’ve never come across her before:
With his gig at the AO Arena scheduled for Tuesday, 26 November, this isn’t just the first time he’s been in Manchester for a good long while but it’s also the first Childish Gambino tour since 2018/19.
Alongside his various TV and movie projects like Atlanta, the Amazon reboot of Mr. & Mrs. Smith franchise, as well as the upcoming standalone Star Wars film, Lando (just to name a few), it’s clear that Glover is still as busy as ever.
General admission for the Childish Gambino and ‘The New World Tour’ goes live at 10am on Friday, 17 May and if you think these things are going to stick around for long, think again.
You can be ready and waiting to grab your tickets HERE.
‘Manny’s Loudest’ brunch event returns this month with live performances and DJ sets
Daisy Jackson
A brunch event that showcases Manchester’s vast musical talent is returning to the city this month for its second instalment.
Manny’s Loudest, created by Loud__Mcr who provide a platform for untapped talent, will again be helping artists to kick-start their careers over the bank holiday weekend.
Alongside live performances and DJ sets, there’ll be food served up by NamFuzion, which blends Vietnamese and Jamaican grill.
The first Manny’s Loudest event in February pulled in 500 people, and organisers are hoping to push this even further for part two on 26 May.
It will all be taking place at the Manchester Recording Studios in Hulme, which has a capacity of 600.
Mervin and his team will be creating an immersive audience experience around the DJ decks, which Mervin describes as ‘a niche that can be scaled into the modern day talent show but with a party twist to it’.
Manny’s Loudest – a brunch event showcasing new talent – returns to Manchester
And every penny made from Loud__Mcr’s brunch event is put back into the process, acquiring mainstream headliners to perform and become part of their community.
It means that up-and-coming and undiscovered talent can perform on the same stage as experienced artists, providing an unparalleled platform and a chance to learn from those who have been in the industry for longer.
Loud__Mcr are proud to be providing artists with a chance to show their creative work, but also offering a supportive community.
Event organisers are also looking for any possible sponsor opportunities to help promote the event.
Manny’s Loudest will take place at Manchester Recording Studios in Hulme (3 Archway, Birley Fields, M15 5QJ) on 26 May. You can get your tickets here, and follow @Loud__mcr on Instagram for updates.