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Bloc Party announce massive Manchester show for Sounds of the City 2025
Instantly queues up 'Helicopter'... (this article contains affiliate links)
Bloc Party have just announced a trio of massive summer shows next year and one of them is right here in Manchester as part of the Sounds of the City lineup for 2025.
The seasoned indie rock icons have been around in some form or another for over two and a half decades now, if you can believe that, and they’re still one of the most influential contemporary bands to have come out of Britain in a very long time.
With that in mind, the news that they’re not only returning to Manchester but set to return for another Castlefield Bowl concert – a feat few artists are given the chance to do – has absolutely made our week.
Landing at the legendary outdoor gig venue on 10 July, the show will be in line with the 20th anniversary. of their much-loved debut album, Silent Alarm.
Also set to play Brighton On The Beach as well as headline next year’s Live At Leeds In The Park festival lineup as part of the wider celebrations, it’s going to be a big summer for the veteran of the UK alternative scene.
Therefore, it’s only fitting that the London-formed quartet perform the seminal album in full along with a selection of the greatest hits. These are the tracks that helped influence the likes of Foals, Manchester’s very own Everything Everything; Paramore, The Maccabees and many more.
With our much-loved amphitheatre boasting a capacity of around 8,000, we can’t wait to see a sea of Mancs bouncing around to ‘Banquet’, ‘Helicopter’, ‘Flux’ and more.
Given that the 2005 LP was their breakthrough record – and it still slaps just as hard to this day, by the way – it’s also a celebration of more than 20 years of Bloc Party as a whole, so you best put in some proper effort, Manchester.
Just picture these scenes only under the shadow of the Castlefield Bowl canopy. Sublime.
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It’s been two years since their last album Alpha Games but we have heard our first taster of their newest and as yet untitled project following the release of their summer 2024 single, ‘Flirting Again’. We don’t have a release date just yet but, believe us, it’s coming.
If you haven’t heard it already, it won’t surprise you one bit to hear that they sound as good as ever.
Pre-sale access to their Castlefield Bowl starts from 9am on Wednesday, 30 October, and can be accessed by signing up for their mailing list.
As for general admission, tickets to see Bloc Party in Manchester go live at the same time on Friday morning, 1 November – you can grab yours HERE.
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Press Image (supplied)/The Manc Group
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Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
Mani was sadly confirmed dead on 20 November, aged just 63, just over a month on from attending fellow local legend and friend Ricky Hatton’s memorial and public procession.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It has now been confirmed that Mani – born in Crumpsall but raised in Moston and Failsworth – unfortunately passed away from long-term respiratory issues.
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Rest in peace.
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Featured Images — @gachayatta (via X)/@aktivioslo (via Flickr)
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Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Will you be tuning in?
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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — @vagueonthehow (via Flickr)/Virgin Radio UK (screenshot via X)
