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Massive Attack set to return for huge gig in Manchester later this year

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Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 4th March 2025

Massive Attack are set to return to Manchester for an incredible live show later this year.

The multi award-winning Bristol collective, currently formed of Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, will be touring the UK again for the first time since 2019, and will be taking to the stage at Manchester’s newest – and largest – live entertainment venue Co-op Live in the summer.

These outspoken musicians have released five studio albums spanning from 1991 all the way to 2010, with some of their biggest hits needing no introduction – such as ‘Unfinished Sympathy’, ‘Teardrop’, and ‘Angel’.

Massive Attack performing in 2009.
Massive Attack are set to return for huge gig in Manchester later this year / Credit: Supplied

The duo has been crafting a legacy since they debuted in the early 90s, even winning a prestigious Ivor Novello award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to British Music’ in 2009.

The band’s discography is just as bold and recognisable as their incredible activism campaigns.

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No strangers to speaking up for what they believe in, Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament and Stop The War Coalition are some of the organisations the band has supported over the years – with anti-war and reducing carbon emissions being some of the causes they care about.

Fans can expect to see these causes represented, as well as hear the greatest hits from the band’s celebrated back catalogue when they arrive in Manchester in June.

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Massive Attack will step on the stage in Manchester this summer on Thursday 5 June.

Tickets will go on sale this week, with the pre-sale going live this Wednesday 5 March from 10am, before the general on sale happens just two days later on Friday 7 March.

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You can get tickets here.

Featured Image – Publicity Picture (via Supplied)

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There’s a big 90s rave happening in Manchester this summer

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A music-oriented event is taking place in Manchester later this year dedicated to everything about the unforgettable 90s rave scene.

Relive the ‘Madchester‘ glory days all over again as you and your mates can now get tickets to the 90’s rave of the summer happening right here in Manchester.

This event is going big or going home with a runtime of 10 hours and with the amount of acts that have been announced, you’ll wish you had 24 hours.

Presented by the same team that put together ‘Sanctuary Forever’, ravers are at the heart of everything they do, and with a turnout of 8,500 attendees, you certainly won’t be dancing alone.

There are four different ‘arenas’ at this rave all catering to different soundscapes of the 90s rave scene, from hardcore to classic DnB, no music genre has been forgotten.

We all know Manchester was the cultural epicentre for electronic music and with the help of iconic music venues including The Hacienda.

Now, the capital of the North is back in its prime with this event featuring much-adored DJs such as Fabio and Grooverider, Ratpack, Danny Rampling and more.

Acts like Scott Brown, Hype and Slipmatt who were instrumental in shaping rave culture in the 90’s will also be playing sets on this very night.

Rave culture is nothing but praised for around these quarters with The Prodigy playing two very special gigs in the current club highlight, The Warehouse Project back in December.

Taking place at Bowlers Exhibition Centre, this 84,000 square foot space is deeply rooted in the rave scene too, with shows like Helter Skelter, Life, Asylum and Fantasia happening here once upon a time.

You can see the lineup in full HERE get a quick rundown of the setup down below:

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With a lineup this stellar, while making sure to look back on Manchester’s musical history and 90s rave culture, in particular, there’s a reason why this event is titled ‘Manchester Forever’.

‘Manchester Forever’ is coming to Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on 3 May 2025 and tickets are already on sale.

You can grab yours HERE.

It’s not the only big music event we’re looking to forward catching at the BEC this year:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied

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2000s indie rock icons The Enemy continue comeback trail with must-not-miss UK tour

Danny Jones Danny Jones The Enemy UK tour dates 2025

For fans of old-school indie and noughties contemporary rock, you do not want to miss the one because The Enemy are not just back making music but they’re heading out on a pretty big UK tour and, of course, they’ll be stopping right here in Manchester.

The Enemy first reformed back in 2022 for a limited run of shows, but it turns out the Coventry-formed trio were satisfied with a one-off reunion and a fifth studio album officially being worked on, the fierce Brit rock throwbacks have announced a series of pretty large UK tour dates.

Following on from some hugely successful comeback performances at TRNSMT, Isle Of Wight and a headline slot at Godiva Festival 2023, not to mention the instantly hit ‘Indie Til I Die’ shows last year – including an absolute stormer at Victoria Warehouse – they returning for more.

If you saw the scenes at that most recent gig, you’ll know that skipping this one just isn’t an option.

One of the few bands to make their way back to the live music circuit fully intact, with all three members still performing together, nothing has changed other than a few more grey hairs.

If you weren’t there at the outset, The Enemy’s debut LP We’ll Live And Die In These Towns (2007) was one of the most seminal domestic releases of its time, with songs like ‘You’re Not Alone’ going on to become indie anthems of the era.

To be honest, we’d argue their sophomore outing Music For The People just two years later is the better album, with tracks such as ‘Be Somebody’, ‘Elephant Song’ and ‘No Time for Tears’ still in plenty of our playlists to this day – but, you know, each to their own.

The point is, we’re very glad these lads are back and having played with everyone from Oasis and The Killers to even The Rolling Stones, we’d wager lots of other music lovers are too.

Set to play New Century Hall in Manchester as well as the legendary Leadmill in Sheffield, Beckett Students’ Union in Leeds, Rock City in Nottingham and more, it’s going to be a big tour.

Frontman Tom Clarke, who has put out two solo records of his own in past years, said of the announcement: “We’ve been working long days in the studio recording new material, so we’re really excited to get out on the road again.

“The plan is to experiment with some of the new tunes, maybe different ones on different shows to see how the crowds react and which ones connect with fans, and let that guide the track listing on the record which is nearing completion.”
 
Co-songwriter and bass player, Andy Hopkins, added: talking about the upcoming tour: “My favourite part of being in a band is having those nights with the fans where the atmosphere is electric – I think this tour is going to be really special for the 3 of us.

“It’ll be the first time we’ve been back to some of these cities in a long time, in venues we absolutely love and have been really important to us on the way up – Electric Ballroom was the first venue we ever played in London supporting The Fratellis, I drove us there with all the amps & guitars in my Fiesta!”
 

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The Enemy come to New Century, one of our favourite live music venues in all of Greater Manchester, on Saturday, 1 November.

Pre-sale has already been snapped up in the blink of an eye, which is no surprise whatsoever, but general admission will go live from 10am this Friday, 28 February.

You can get ready to grab your tickets HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Emilie Cotterill (supplied)/Audio North

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