Sounds of the City 2024 is now well and truly underway and with Loyle Carner next up at Castlefield Bowl, the party is stepping up another gear.
The British rapper, who has carved out a sizeable space for himself in the overlapping jazz-fuelled and neo-soul spaces, is one of the biggest hip-hop artists in the UK and genuinely might be one of the first names that comes to mind when we think of a chilled voice we love listening to.
Loyle Carner has fast become one of our favourite solo artists in recent years but it’s also worth reminding those who might be new to his music that the London-born lyricist has been at this for well over a decade now.
Now, over a year on from his big slot at BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2023, the 29-year-old is on his way back to Manchester as the latest act at this year’s Sounds of the City and here’s everything you need to know if you’re going along.
For those of you looking for a last-minute Loyle ticket, you’re in luck because there are still a handful of general admission spots up for grabs.
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At £45 including fees, they’re pretty reasonably priced too, especially for such a big name and what has become a super popular city centre festival of late.
You can grab yours HERE but be quick about it or you’ll be rolling the dice on a reseller.
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Who is supporting Loyle Carner at Castlefield Bowl?
Another reason you can be happy with that ticket price is who you’re getting for the support act too, as opening up for Loyle will be fellow soul and hip hop connoisseurs Children of Zeus, who have a bit of legendary local status.
The Manc duo are both equally respected MCs, producers and beat-makers in their own right, so it’s no surprise their fellow contemporary gave them the nod for the show and it’ll be great to see them taking centre stage in front of a packed-out amphitheatre.
They also epitomise the smooth and RnB-inspired soulful sound that complements Carner’s sounds so well, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a live collab.
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Stage times for Sounds of the City 2024
For those who’ve never been, this is your wonderful venue for Manchester’s Sounds of the City festival (Credit: The Manc Audio)
Another thing a lot of people like about Sounds of the City is that the gigs tend to lean a little bit towards the earlier side of gigs, as doors open from 5:30pm and headliners don’t usually take the stage until between 8-9pm, though in Carner’s case, he is currently expected to wrap things up around 9:30pm.
This means you can look at around the 6-7pm mark for the warm-ups but, of course, these things are always subject to change so take that info with a pinch of salt and keep an eye out on socials.
We will update you on timings as we have more details.
Setlist
Now, while many of his recent gigs have been festival slots, so we can’t be too sure of what exactly to expect when it comes to his running order of tracks, you can expect plenty of tracks from his latest album hugo to be in the mix.
Also, thanks to the likes of ever-trusty Setlist.fm, we can at least give you a rough average estimate of what you might be listening to:
Castlefield Bowl (M3 4JR) is on Rice Street just down Liverpool Road which cuts off the main Deansgate strip in the city centre and you can enter Manchester’s much-loved outdoor amphitheatre via Duke or Castle Street.
It’s just a short walk from Deansgate train station or the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop, where you’ll find regular trams running all over Greater Manchester.
If you’re driving there, Great Northern Warehouse’s (M3 4EE) car park, as well as two other NCPs near Bridgewater Hall and on Quay Street in Spinningfields.
The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve
Thomas Melia
One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.
The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.
With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.
With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.
The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.
Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.
This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?
In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.
With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.
Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.
Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin CompstonVicky McClure leading the dance routines
This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.
The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.
This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.
So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?
Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.
Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!
Sean Paul and Ashanti are hosting a massive Manchester show in 2025
Danny Jones
The one and only Sean Paul is coming to Manchester next year and we’re about to be smashing that buy ticket button it’ll be left sticking like glue.
A terrible pun, we know, we’re just very excited.
Better yet, he’s bringing a fantastic co-headliner along with him as fellow noughties and R’n’B throwback Ashanti will be sharing the stage too.
Landing at the AO Arena in spring 2025, they’ll be upping the ‘Temperature’ ahead of the summer and just in time for the festival season to start getting underway.
Having both enjoyed the scene for many years back in its 2000s heyday and each still boasting their own long-serving fan bases no matter how long it’s been, we wouldn’t think of this as a Sean Paul headline gig with a support act but two very special guests doing what they do best.
The Jamaican-born rap, reggae and dancehall artist as well as all-round popstar needs no introduction really but we’ll give him one anyway: you have to pronounce his name funny and he’s best known for countless club classics like ‘Got 2 Luv U’, ‘Get Busy’ and ‘Gimme The Light’, just to name a few.
Coming back to Manchester for basically a celebration of what many still revere as one of the golden eras for the genre will no doubt be an unbelievable night and playing the AO Arena after all this time is no mean feat.
General admission goes live from 10am, Friday 20 December but presale will be available for Three mobile users who want exclusive early access from Wednesday onwards from the same time.
The ‘Bring It’ Tour comes our way on 13 April 2025, with other dates including Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and a massive London show with Fat Joe joining too.
You can get ready to grab your tickets for Sean Paul and Ashanti’s AO Arena date HERE.
Danny Jones -
8th July 2024 
