Sacha Lord has teased details of a secret gig in Manchester, with exclusive sets from world-famous DJs and a complimentary bar throughout.
The Warehouse Project and Parklife co-founder will host the one-off event to celebrate the publication of his tell-all book, Tales from the Dance Floor.
There’ll be space for only 300 people at the gig, with tickets distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to those who can prove they’ve bought the book.
Attendees of the secret gig will also receive three different DJ mixes covering the last three decades of Manchester’s house music scene.
Sacha says he’s found a ‘derelict venue right in the heart of Manchester city centre’, the identity of which will be kept secret until the day before the gig.
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Before the music kicks off, there’ll be a Q&A with Sacha Lord and the book’s co-author Luke Bainbridge, who will chat about Manchester’s rise to becoming the capital of UK nightlife.
Then the venue will transform to host the launch party – and there’ll be a complimentary bar running all night too.
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Tales from the Dance Floor has endorsements from Aitch, Shaun Ryder and Ian Brown, and will reveal behind-the-scenes accounts from seminal clubs like Sankeys, Home, The Hacienda and Paradise Factory.
Sacha Lord has announced details of a top-secret gig to celebrate the release of his book, Tales From The Dance Floor. Credit: Darren Robinson Photography
Speaking about the announcement, Sacha Lord said: “On Thursday 11th April, I will be holding a book launch party like no one has ever seen.
“I’ve found a derelict venue right in the heart of Manchester city centre, which we’ll be revealing via text message the day before in true warehouse style.
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“I’ve never known of a book launch event like this. It will bring back memories for those who remember the days of Sankeys and the Hacienda, right through to those who come to the Warehouse Project today.
“It will be an incredible showcase of how Manchester rules the house scene and only available to a select number of people. There’s no private guest list for VIPs, no names on the door – we want this event to be open to all, on a first come first served basis and we can’t wait to open the doors.”
To be in with a chance of receiving a ticket, a pre-purchase Amazon receipt for Tales from the Dance Floor must be emailed to the event’s dedicated ticketing email on [email protected].
Tales from the Dance Floor will be published by HarperNorth, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, on 11 April 2024.
A pre-order link for the book is now live and you can order your copy on Amazon here.
Salford Pride’s popular Pink Picnic returns this summer with ‘iconic’ headliners
Emily Sergeant
Boney M, The Cheeky Girls, and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK stars are all on the lineup at Salford Pride’s popular Pink Picnic this summer.
As this summer marks 15 years of Pride in Salford, Salford Pride has announced a whole host of exciting events to celebrate – including the return of The Pink Picnic, its biggest family-friendly celebration yet, with headliners like 90s and 00s music icons, community talent, and even a ‘bigger and bolder’ Youth Zone for 2026.
Returning to Peel Park once again, The Pink Picnic brings together LGBTQ+ community, allies, families and friends for a day built around community, joy, and belonging.
For 2026, Salford Pride is expanding the experience further with even more to do across the park than ever before.
The Pink Picnic has been part of Salford’s Pride story since 2011, but this year’s 15th anniversary addition is set to be one for the history books, as alongside a headline lineup featuring Boney M, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s Kyran Thrax and Paige Three, The Cheeky Girls, Big Brovaz, Booty Luv, and Baby D, a strong programme of community acts will also be spotlighted.
Some of the exceptional community acts already named on the lineup so far include Tallulah Guard, Fear of Marko, and John Tucker.
Across the day, visitors can also shop from dozens of community stalls and market traders, take part in or watch the much-loved annual dog show, and visit the ‘bigger and bolder’ Youth Zone that’s designed to help young people feel seen and celebrated.
“Celebrating 15 years of Pride in Salford feels really special, and we wanted 2026 to feel like a proper thank you to the community that’s built this with us” said Scott Turzański, who is the Head of Marketing and Brand at Salford Pride.
“The Pink Picnic is a family event – it’s welcoming, it’s joyful, and it’s about making space for everyone.”
The Pink Picnic returns to Peel Park in Salford next month on Saturday 13 June, and you can find out more and book tickets online here.
Featured Image – Salford Pride (via Facebook)
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Donny Osmond books biggest-ever Manchester gig
Danny Jones
Iconic American singer and actor Donny Osmond has announced his biggest-ever Manchester concert as part of his upcoming ‘VIVA UK’ tour dates.
Bringing his famous Las Vegas residency show to Great Britain, where he has always had a fervent following, the younger Osmond brother will be making a venue debut over six decades into his career.
Famously part of the musical family who not only sang together but also saw multiple TV shows created in their name – including his very own spin-off, Donny and Marie – he’s been around longer than most in showbiz, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Confirming a whole new run of live dates across the country, Donny Osmond will be returning to Manchester early next year.
Writing on social media, the veteran entertainer said: “I’m so pleased to finally share the official 2027 UK tour dates with you.
“It always means so much to return to the UK – the audiences there have given me some of the most unforgettable moments of my career.”
As for here in our city, he last played Manchester back just a few short years ago at the AO Arena, selling out the 20,000-seater space on 29 November 2023.
Now, though, he’s upgrading to approximately 23k this time, with die-hard fans being encouraged to download his very own ‘Donny App’ to secure the earliest possible access.
Set to play Co-op Live for the very first time, we’d expect this one to sell equally well; you can see the rest of the shows listed so far down below.
Donny Osmond VIVA UK live tour dates 2027
We’ve highlighted all the Northern dates for you:
Wed, 20 Jan – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Thurs, 21 Jan – Newcastle, Utilita Arena
Sat, 23 Jan – Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena
Sun, 24 Jan 24 – Manchester, Co-op Live
Tue, 26 Jan 26 – Hull, Connexin Live
Wed, 27 Jan 27 – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
Fri, 29 Jan 29 – Leeds, first direct arena
Sat, 30 Jan 30 – Birmingham, BP Pulse Live
Mon, 1 Feb – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
Wed, 3 Feb – Bournemouth BIC
Friday and Saturday, 5-6 February – London, Eventim Apollo
JUST ANNOUNCED: Donny Osmond Sunday 24 January 2027
Bringing the glamour, high-energy & excitement of his Las Vegas show. https://t.co/Y2sSdg01FV @coopuk members get first in line for tickets. Co-op Member Presale: 10:00 Wednesday 20 May General Sale: 10:00 Friday 22 May pic.twitter.com/i4v2ff7suA
Early access tickets for Donny Osmond’s VIVA UK tour will be available both via the app and the venue’s official Co-op membership, with the presale window opening at 10am on Wednesday, 20 May.
Meanwhile, general admission tickets will go live at the same time the following Friday (22 May), with VIP and hospitaity packages also on offer.
Daisy Jackson -
29th January 2024 
