Andy Burnham has slagged off Liverpool while declaring Manchester as “the capital of the coolest music on the planet”.
And can you disagree? Manchester‘s music scene is as alive and thriving as ever in 2024.
While it may seem like a slightly unnecessary hit at our North West neighbours, the bold claims about our city’s musical excellence from the Greater Manchester Mayor haven’t entirely come out of the blue, as his comments are aimed at Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram ahead of the pair going head-to-head in another charity DJ battle tonight (2 February 2024).
In case you missed it, following what was the headline-grabbing showdown between the two Northern mayors last year here in Manchester, where both ended up claiming a victory, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram announced last month that they would be going for round two.
This time around, Rotheram has invited Burnham over to his neck of the woods, and the pair will be taking to the decks at Camp and Furnace in Liverpool city centre.
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And of course, it’s all in the name of charity too.
Liverpool and Greater Manchester will face off in what is being described as a “good natured music battle for a worthy cause”, with all the proceeds from the event going to local homeless charities.
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It’s not just the two mayors in action tonight either, as there’s also some local and international stars set to make an appearance too.
Rebecca Ferguson, Peter Hooton, and LFC and England footballer (and rapper) John Barnes are some of the names joining the so-called ‘home side’, while Stockport indie favourites Blossoms, former Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay, actor and DJ Craig Charles, M-People’s Heather Small, and BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake will be on our Andy’s team.
The two Northern mayors will face off in Liverpool at the start of next month / Credit: Supplied
Ahead of the mega showdown tonight, Burnham and Rotheram have been getting into the lighthearted pre-match spirit of firing joking insults at one another.
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Speaking to the BBC on Manchester’s chances of clinching the win ahead of the event, Mr Burnham said: “It’s going to be pretty easy for us, because obviously, Steve Rotheram has only got one band, whereas we’ve got a wealth of talent, and a wealth of musical riches to choose from.”
He then went on to claim that Liverpool is “the home of cheesy music”, in reference to its hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest last year, whereas Manchester is “the global capital of the coolest music on the planet”.
Of course, Rotheram hit back, and said the statistics were on Liverpool’s side.
The DJ battle will be streamed live online from 7pm tonight / Credit: Shaun Peckham
“Liverpool’s bands and artists have produced more number ones than Manchester’s,” he claimed. “We have had more weeks in the charts, more global fame, and we’re a Unesco World City of Music. We’ve had many decades of chart success in comparison with ‘Madchester’, we beat Manchester to hosting Eurovision, and – and this is a big ‘and’ – we produced the greatest band ever to walk the earth.”
The Manchester v Liverpool Mayors DJ Battle is happening over in Liverpool tonight from 7pm, and is also being streamed live for anyone unable to make it down.
You can tune in to watch the pair live in action on The Manc’s Facebook page here.
Featured Image – Shaun Peckham
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Pubs can extend their opening hours if England make it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals
Emily Sergeant
Pubs are to be permitted to extend their opening hours if England make it through to the semi-finals of EURO 2024 this summer.
With the Premier League, and the English and Scottish football leagues, all drawing to a close over the next couple of weeks, our nations are already looking ahead to what is gearing up to be a massive summer of sport – with both the UEFA EURO 2024, and the 2024 Olympics coming up before August is out.
And now, it’s been revealed by Home Secretary James Cleverly that if either England or Scotland’s mens national football teams make it to the semi-final of European football’s flagship tournament, then pubs will be allowed to stay open for longer.
But, there’s a bit of a catch… because isn’t there always?
The Government has said that venues will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours on match days if either or both teams reach the last four or the final of the competition, but this only applies to pubs that already have a license to open until 11pm anyway.
Pubs can extend their opening hours if England make it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals / Credit: Piqsels | Wikimedia Commons
The move to extend opening hours comes after a consultation at the end of last year, and is hoped to provide a boost to the hospitality industry – which has notably been hit hard during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Home Secretaries in England and Wales, under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”, but the Scottish and Northern Irish Governments have to set their own rules.
“We have listened to the public through our consultation,” explained Home Secretary James Cleverley, “and we will be extending pub licensing hours should England or Scotland reach the semi-finals or final of Euro 2024.”
The EURO 2024 semi-finals are to be held on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July / Credit: UEFA
Mr Cleverley said the move will “allow friends, families and communities to come together for longer to watch their nation hopefully bring it home”.
This legislation is set to be laid in Parliament today (Wednesday 8 May) to ensure there is enough time for it to be debated and passed before the tournament begins on Friday 14 June, the Government has confirmed.
Blue Peter is launching a FREE book club for kids at Manchester’s Central Library
Emily Sergeant
Blue Peter is launching a book club for kids right here in Manchester later this month, and it’s free for everyone to get involved with.
Book-loving mini Mancs are in for a real treat in a couple of weeks time, as the iconic BBC children’s TV series is partnering with Manchester Libraries and The Reading Agency for an exciting new project called ‘Blue Peter Book Club Live’.
Officially kicking off at the Central Library in the heart of Manchester city centre next Saturday (18 May) Blue Peter Book Club Live is set to be a “fun-filled event” that’s open to all.
It's official! The Blue Peter Book Club is launching live from Manchester Central Library. 💙
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 8, 2024
Not only will kids get to discover a whole host of “brilliant books” and “celebrate the joy and adventure of reading” with guest authors Eve Ainsworth, and the Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, but there’ll also be the chance to meet Blue Peter presenters Abby, Joel, and Shini, along with Henry the Blue Peter Dog, at the free event too.
CBeebies presenters George Webster and Gyasi Sheppi will also be there to take families on some “enchanting escapades” with magical story time sessions.
Creative crafts, masses of books, and the opportunity to meet some classic book characters like Alice, the Mad Hatter, Willy Wonka, Peter Pan, and more, are also set to make the library “come to life”.
Blue Peter is launching a free book club for kids in Manchester / Credit: BBC & The Reading Agency
The Blue Peter Book Club ‘Badge Trail’ also launches on the day too, and it challenges children to discover special Blue Peter badges on display in 12 different cultural venues across Manchester – with a bonus badge in the Blue Peter Garden in Salford, and some exciting prizes up for grabs.
Beyond the launch event, a series of ‘Book Hunt events will also be coming to “unexpected settings” in Manchester’s parks and open spaces throughout the summer too, and schools across the Greater Manchester region can also join in with Blue Peter Book Club Live by using activity packs and reading resources developed by The Reading Agency to create a “nationwide celebration”.
Ahead of the event next weekend, Councillor John Hacking, who is the Executive Member for Skills Employment and Leisure at Manchester City Council, has called Blue Peter’s new book club a “magnificent initiative”.
Blue Peter Book Club Live will kick-off with a launch event at Manchester Central Library / Credit: Ricardo (via Flickr)
“We are thrilled to be hosting this exciting book event alongside our partners in the iconic Central Library,” Cllr Hacking commented.
“The book club is a magnificent initiative to inspire a love of reading and creativity to get our children engaged and excited by books, and this launch event is one that families with young children will not want to miss.”