We’re quite literally doing somersaults because one of the very best music festivals in the North and possibly the entire UK if you ask us, Green Island Festival, is returning to Manchester for 2025 and we cannot wait.
The predominantly outdoor summer music celebration has grown a fiercely loyal cult following over the years and now entering its fifth year, they’re making sure that the rather fitting wood anniversary of the forest-like festival is the biggest yet.
With the first wave now out and the weather shaping up nicely (no, we don’t know that for sure, but we’re manifesting nothing but good vibes from here on out… ), the festival season can’t come soon enough.
For anyone still not clued up just yet, the fast-growing Manchester-based festival based over at Hulme Community Garden Centre is a three-part music series spread across three months.
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With a trio of day-into-night festivals taking place once a month over a busy summer period for gigs and events, it’s one of the best-organised bits of live entertainment you’ll find in all the 10 boroughs.
As mentioned, 2025 marks Green Island’s fifth birthday, born with the mission of creating a space to platform and celebrate the flourishing scene of musicians and DJs in the North, as well as platforming sounds around the globe, with artists from as far and wide as Tanzania and Cuba taking to their stages.
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Having started out as just a 150-person capacity event with just two stages back in 2021, the four years since have seen the festival grow massively and become not only a staple event for the local community but the Manc grassroots music scene as a whole.
Championing multiculturalism, individualism and music in all its diversity of sounds and forms, with unrivalled up-close performances and a charming and welcoming atmosphere, Hulme Garden Centre serving as a shining example of a crucial community and arts space makes for the perfect venue.
Here’s the lineup so far:
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Green Island Fest 2025 is going to go OFF. (Credit: Press Images)
Spanning four stages this year a record max limit of 1,500 people per day – yes, as in 10x the number of punters it started out with – we can’t wait to see the level up.
You’ll navigate between the plants and trees to discover the various stages, each with a unique atmosphere and showcasing different sounds, as well as a block party occupying nearby Warwick Street.
For wave one of the lineup: June will see DnB hero DRS headlining the Main Stage, joined by a full 11-piece band for a very special performance on his home turf. With over 25 years of discography, he’ll be shutting down the stage with old-school gems as well as fresh releases.
Also gracing the stage will be The Zawose Queens, set to bring a slice of Eastern Africa to Manchester with their enchanting fluid polyrhythms and rapturous polyphonic singing of the Gogo (aka Wagogo) people of the Dodoma region of central Tanzania, plus tonnes more.
July presents a couple of our favourites from the most recent Manchester Jazz Festival (MJF); Conor Michael & The GreensKeepers will bring their lively blend of hip-hop and jazz, as well as poet turned rapper Meduulla, who featured on our Manc Artists of the Month back in July, will be both be in tow.
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As for the third and final event in September, the story is very much a similar one, as our MJF 2024 pick of the bunch, a.k.a. the nine-piece powerhouse of players, producers and composers that is Nubiyan Twist will be bringing their infectious, free-flowing ‘jazztastic Afro-kissed funk’ and groove to the party.
Whether you’re there from the start whilst half of Manchester and beyond else is over at Parklife this year, or you’re there for the final chapter, we can guarantee you one thing: you will never have been to a live music event quite like this and you WILL have the time of your life.
Block parties are cool and all that but the Forest stage is where it’s at, just FYI… (Credit: Supplied)
The rest of the lineup is still yet to be announced, so keep your eyes peeled for wave two over the coming months. Plus, if you or someone you know is looking to book their first-ever festival slot, they can send in samples of their music/mixes to register their interest in being part of it.
We call that grassroots and supporting local artists in action.
The three-part series of day festivals will return on 7 June to celebrate its fifth anniversary, with the sophomore event on 2 August and a final closing party on 6 September 2025.
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Pre-sale is already live with general sale available from on Friday, 28 February, with tier one tickets priced at £25; tier two at £30 and T3 at £35.
Best of all, not only will there be low-income and neighbours ticket options priced at just £12.50, to ensure accessibility for all and local community inclusion, but entry for children under 12 is completely FREE – because music is for everyone and they want to encourage families to come and dance together.
Get ready to grab your tickets for Green Island 2025 HERE.
Hip-hop, soul and R’n’B legend Mary J Blige is coming to Manchester for a massive arena show
Danny Jones
Manchester is getting ready to welcome a global icon of hip-hop, soul, pop and R’n’B as Mary J Blige is set to put on a massive arena show.
With a music career spanning more than 30 years, Mary J Blige is an absolute legend of the American music scene, with nine GRAMMY Awards and nearly 40 nominations, along with a plethora of BET, Billboard, and AMA nods over the years.
Currently on ‘The For My Fans Tour’, jetting quite literally all over and recently adding on even more dates, not only has London been given some love, but so has Greater Manchester – and rightly so.
Announcing the special one-off show and Co-op Live debut this Wednesday, 16 April, Mary J Blige won’t have to wait too long to be part of the ‘Family Affair’.
The 54-year-old from New York will be coming to the state-of-the-art, one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues in all of Europe, in just a few months’ time.
On top of the already well-established AO Arena, this is the pedigree of truly worldwide artists that Co-op Live was built to further attract – and it looks to be working.
It’s been the best part of a decade since she was last in these parts, so she’s sure to get a huge reception.
While most audiences in the likes of North America have been treated to fellow R’n’B favourite Ne-Yo, those watching Ms Blige will be keeping things domestic as long-standing London collective and producers, Soul II Soul, will be joining her for the show.
‘Back to life, back to reality…’
So there you have it! Mary J Blige will be coming to Manchester on Friday, 4 July 2025, with her own pre-sale going live at 10am on Thursday, 24 April, but Co-op members can get there even earlier, with the venue’s early access available from the same time the day before.
As for general admission, you can get ready to grab your tickets HERE from 10am on Friday, 25 April.
Fri 18 April – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley (Sean Paul, Ashanti and Big Joe)
Sat 19 April – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Sun 20 April – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
22 April – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
23 April – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre (Sean Paul ONLY)
24 April – Bournemouth, UK – BIC (Sean Paul ONLY)
Sean Paul and Ashanti tickets for AO Arena gig
Just like Ashanti’s 2002 hit, you’d have been ‘Foolish’ not to get tickets when they first came out, however, there’s still a chance for you to ‘Get Busy’ like Sean Paul’s ‘02 throwback.
There’s a limited run of tickets left throughout the venue, including standing, seated and even an option to watch the show from ‘The Mezz’ if you’re after a VIP experience – AllHERE.
There’s no official setlist yet, however, if you consider the past selection of hits from their previous separate gigs, fans are in for a jam-packed night.
Sean Paul:
So Fine
Get Busy
Ever Blazin’
Cheap Thrills
Baby Boy
Bailando
Hot Gyal Today
Infiltrate
Breathe/ Make It Clap
Give It Up To Me
Got 2 Luv U
Mad Love
No Lie
Boasty
Love Me Ladies
Tip Pon It
Volcano
Bring It
Greatest
I’m Still In Love
Light My Fire
Punkie
Rockabye
Like Glue
Deport Them
Trumpets
She Doesn’t Mind
Temperature
Ashanti:
Happy
Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)
Mesmerise
Only U
Baby
Southside
Down 4 U
Body On Me
What’s Luv?
Ain’t It Funny
Always On Time
Foolish
What are the stage times for Sean Paul and Ashanti in Manchester?
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm; anyone attending this link-up of a lifetime can enjoy their night knowing they’ll be ‘Ever Blazin” after a full night’s sleep.
Doors for the ‘Bring It Tour’ are scheduled for 6pm with a kick-off time of 7pm, with no confirmed or mentioned support acts as of yet.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
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About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
Danny Jones -
25th February 2025 
