Fatboy Slim has announced he’ll be coming to Manchester for a massive outdoor gig at Castlefield Bowl next summer.
The iconic DJ, musician, and record producer – whose real name is Norman Cook – is an absolute legend of his field, with more than two decades of historic and era-defining gigs under his belt that have helped cement his place as one of the most influential figures in the music industry.
But despite having recently turned 60, he isn’t slowing down.
Fatboy Slim continues to push the envelope, and remains one of the most in-demand DJ’s in the world – and next summer, Manchester will get a taste of why that’s the case.
Following his sold-out UK tour and series of euphoric festival appearances earlier this year, Fatboy Slim has this week announced a run of major outdoor summer shows for 2024.
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The action will kick-off at Fairview Park in Dublin on 15 June, all before he takes to other major stages across the UK and Ireland in the following weeks – with the Eden Project in Cornwall, the Open Air Theatre in Scarborough, and The Piece Hall in Halifax being just some of the unique venues on his lineup.
He’ll be playing Manchester’s famous Castlefield Bowl in early July.
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The run of shows also arrives hot on the heels of ‘Right Here, Right Then’, which is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the infamous Big Beach Boutique event, as well as the silver anniversary reissue of ‘You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby’, and the return of ‘All Back to Minehead’, so it’s all sounding set to be a massive celebration of his illustrious career.
Fatboy Slim has announced a massive outdoor Manchester gig at Castlefield Bowl next summer / Credit: Fatboy Slim (via Facebook)
The London-born DJ has been seen playing clubs, stadiums, festivals, fields, boats, and Brighton’s i360 to create one the UK’s biggest dance floors as of late, but next summer, it’s time for him to don his famous Hawaiian shirt, kick off his shoes, and reunite crowds under a Manchester summer sky.
Fatboy Slim will take to the stage at Castlefield Bowl on Friday 5 July 2024 – with tickets set to go on general sale this Friday 3 November.
Paddy McGuinness announces work-in-progress shows ahead of first stand-up tour in eight years
Danny Jones
Beloved British comic Paddy McGuinness is heading back out on his first live stand-up tour in eight years this year and has announced a new run of work-in-progress shows in preparation, including one right here in Greater Manchester.
McGuinness hasn’t been out on the live comedy circuit for the best part of a decade but announced his long-awaited return late last year, with the 50-year-old heading out on the road this October.
However, as he looks to get stage sharp shape ahead of his ‘Nearly There’ tour, Paddy has picked a pair of local North West venues for the WIP sets, with a trio of shows at The Met in Bury, as well as half a dozen over in Darwen, Lancashire.
Just like the tour itself, these are sure to go quickly.
The Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy star is playing nearly half a century of shows across the UK and Ireland from this fall onwards before closing out his tour in Dublin by April 2025.
His last tour, ‘Daddy McGuinness’ ran from 2015-16 and got pretty decent reviews across the board, with the focus largely revolving around his journey into parenthood, but his latest material is set to be quite the shift in tone.
Speaking ahead of the tour, the former Take Me Out and Top Gear host said: “It’s been eight years since my last tour and there’s lots of things to laugh about! I’m looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience, along with running the gauntlet of cancel culture, clickbait and fake news!”
Paddy also made a bit of a stir around these parts recently after he declared Bolton as still being part of Lancashire. No likey, no lighty on that one – sorry Paddy.
But never mind all that, we’re glad to see him getting back to his roots. The Farnworth-born funny man was also recently given a permanent role on BBC Radio 2 after becoming a firm favourite amongst the listenership. He will now run the 11am-1pm slot on Sundays.
As for his tour, after his warm-up shows in Bury and Darwen, the household name will be heading to The Lowry in Salford in March next year, with other nearby shows in the likes of Blackburn and Blackpool.
Tickets for Paddy McGuinness’ work-in-progress dates go on sale Friday, 3 May at 10am.
There’s a big listening party for Taylor Swift’s new album happening in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, popstars in the world right now will be releasing a brand-new album this Friday, and there’s a dedicated listening party happening in Manchester especially for the occasion.
In case you aren’t a Swiftie, or you just generally weren’t aware, Taylor Swift announced back in early February that she would be unleashing her eleventh studio album, titled The Tortured Poets Department, on the world on 19 April.
Just like anything the 34-year-old singer-songwriter does, the surprise announcement of the new album – which is a follow-up to her 2022 critically-acclaimed and GRAMMY award-winning album, Midnights – pretty much broke the internet when it happened, and her dedicated fans have been counting down the days ever since.
Now, after months of eagerly waiting, the big day is finally happening this Friday, and in a bid to properly mark what a massive day it will be, one popular Manchester venue has decided to host a dedicated listening party, so that Swifties can unite under one roof and celebrate the special occasion together.
Fairfield Social Club (FSC) which has recently opened its doors in the heart of Manchester city centre, is inviting fans to “gather with your closest Swifties” and head on down to its Green Quarter venue this Friday for a night that’s “dedicated to Tay Tay and her legacy”.
Not only will you get to hear The Tortured Poets Department in full from start to finish surrounded by dozens of fellow fans, but there’ll also be a bunch of other Swift-themed activities too.
There’s a big Taylor Swift new album listening party happening in Manchester this week / Credit: FSC
These include a Taylor Swift pub quiz with questions to all about her life and groundbreaking career to test your knowledge, friendship bracelet-making sessions, and just the chance to share the love and swap stories with other Swifties.
If all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, there’s also set to be a selection of themed cocktails to sip whilst you spend time ruminating on what Taylor meant in the lyrics of her songs only released a few hours prior.
Oh, and the best bit? FSC promises there “won’t be a Scooter Braun in sight” on the night.
The Tortured Poets Department Listening Party is taking over Fairfield Social Club this Friday 19 April from 7pm right through until 10pm – with tickets now on sale setting you back just £6 each, and already selling fast.
Emily Sergeant -
1st November 2023 
