A huge virtual reality festival from Glastonbury’s Shangri-La team is happening this weekend
Users will be able to navigate their way through four stages of music via PC, VR or mobile app (iOS and Android), diving onto dancefloors, discovering secret headliners, and wandering into art performances.
An enormous, interactive virtual reality dance music event is streaming across the globe this weekend.
The team behind Glastonbury’s legendary Shangri-La, in partnership with VRJAM and Sansar, have announced the launch of Lost Horizon – the world’s largest VR music and arts festival.
Taking place on July 3 and 4, Lost Horizon features an line-up of superstar DJs, underground acts and visual artists – with proceeds going to The Big Issue and Amnesty International.
Users will be able to navigate their way through four stages of music via PC, VR or mobile app (iOS and Android), diving onto dancefloors, discovering secret headliners, and wandering into art performances.
Guests can even interact with fellow festival attendees as they explore the site.
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Alan Fitzpatrick, Carl Cox, Eats Everything, Fatboy Slim, Francesco Mami, Jamie Jones, John Digweed, Mella Dee, Nastia, Pete Tong, Sasha, Seth Troxler and Skream will all feature on the bill, among many others.
The SHITV (Shangri-La International Television) stage will be showing films, documentaries, theatre, live art, comedy, animation and talks, along with a special Nomad stage featuring artists from 24hr Garage Girls, Amen4Tekno Records, Born on Road, Critical Records, Hospitality, Hold Tight Records, Kaotic Kartel, Run Tings Records and UnCommon Records.
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More than 200 visual art pieces will also be on display at the festival, whilst Design Manchester has curated an exhibition around the main music stage.
Further billboard art based on the Lost Horizon artwork will be contributed by Manchester’s Instruct Studio, which created Lost Horizon’s brand, campaign and website.
Creative Director, Kaye Dunnings, said: “Shangri-La has brought many world firsts since its creation in 2008, from the first to use video mapping in a festival environment and an immersive storyline, to the first woman only space or Heavy Metal area at a mainstream festival, incorporating creativity at its core and as a direct response to the world we live in.
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“Our mission is to pioneer new ways of sharing culture and creating a global community that we feel defines us and our ethos.
“We need unity more than ever right now, in an industry that is falling away in front of us. By creating a digital platform to experience art and music in a new way, we are at the forefront of defining the next generation of live entertainment and creative communities as we know them.”
Sheri Bryant, President of Sansar, added: “Now more than ever, fans are looking beyond traditional live shows to connect with the artists they love. They’re online, they’re savvy about streaming, they’re eager to experience music unconstrained by where they live, and there’s a clear demand for events that transcend old boundaries.
“With Shangri-La presents: Lost Horizon, we’re delivering the music festival of the future: deeply immersive, fully online, accessible to anyone and anywhere with a PC or phone at their disposal. Shangri-La presents: Lost Horizon exists at the vanguard of something truly incredible, and we couldn’t be more excited to turn this page.
“The future of live events is virtual and we’re incredibly excited to be bringing it to fruition.”
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Lost Horizon tickets are free but if you can afford to contribute, you can purchase a ‘premium’ ticket with proceeds going to charities.
More artists added and stage splits confirmed for Neighbourhood Weekender 2026 lineup
Danny Jones
Two waves for NBHD Weekender’s 2026 lineup have now been officially confirmed, and Greater Manchester leads the way in terms of headliners, with local music legend Richard Ashcroft and Stockport’s finest, Blossoms, both already confirmed for the big slot on the main stage.
Now THAT is how you follow up a comeback.
Yes, Neighbourhood Weekender always promises a healthy dose of Northern acts on the lineup, including plenty of Mancs, scousers and others from Cheshire and the region at large, but to get two much-loved music artists from our boroughs topping the 2026 bill is an absolute treat.
With other noteworthy appearances in the Kaiser Chiefs, DMA’s, Jamie Webster, Example and many more on there already, it feels like next year’s festival is shaping up to be a potential all-timer, with a second wave of acts being added and the stage splits now set.
As you can see, the first pair of waves of the NBHD 2026 lineup includes returning crowd-pleasers like Shed Seven, Razorlight and The K’s, as well as other additions like rising stars Basht., Better Joy and North West favourites, The Kairos, as well as fellow Manc lads, M60.
Other acts that also caught our eye include our own natives like Arkayla, The Guest List, Luvcat and The Covasettes, just to name a few, as well as rising ‘Britainicana outfit’, Westside Cowboy, who just so happen to star on our most recent round-up of what we’ve been listening to.
In fact, there are a few past Manc bands of the month features on this lineup, not to mention more nearby names in Lucvat, The Royston Club, Keyside, Nxdia and so on, who are all well worth earmarking ahead of the stage splits being announced.
As for the headliners, indie heroes Blossoms need no introduction; nor does Wigan’s most famous musical son, with Ashcroft riding a real resurgence at the moment – he’s also one of our artists of the month, naturally.
In fact, confirmation of both Ashcroft and his Oasis Live ’25 support act partners, Cast, being booked for Warrington’s Victoria Park and the next NBHD Fest comes after the 54-year-old confirmed a fellow hometown band for some very big shows of his own.
This coming May Bank Holiday Weekend (Saturday 23-Sun 24 May 2026) is shaping up nicely, and we can’t wait to see what else is new to the festival site this year.
General admission tickets are already available, and new for this year, there will also be different payment plans via their website.
You can grab your tickets HERE. See you in the fields!
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North
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Dispute over Manichester now ‘resolved’, say Mounfield family
Danny Jones
The family of the late, great Manchester musician, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, have said that the drama surrounding the highly-anticipated tribute festival in his name, Manichester, has now thankfully been settled.
Now the focus can once again return to remembering him as best as possible.
Following plenty of talk about the project following his passing late last year, a live music festival honouring Mani was finally confirmed in March, and the reaction following the event’s announcement has been unsurprisingly phenomenal.
Well, at least for the most part, as there was also some confusion over whether or not Manichester was still a charitable effort as advertised, with son Gene Mounfield disputing claims online. Fortunately, it all seems to have been put to bed now.
On behalf of the boys, and as their legal guardian, I want to thank everyone for the kind messages and concern for their wellbeing. There was a misunderstanding regarding the upcoming Manichester tribute concert, but we’re pleased to share that everything has now been resolved. pic.twitter.com/j8jEMrFzsD
Being organised by Madchester.com and locally-founded fashion label, GIOGOI, the debut edition was said to have the total blessing of Mani’s family, including his brother, Greg Mounfield.
It was also said that the funds raised by the show would be going to the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassists’ twins, George and Gene, but the latter recently argued that “nothing” was going to either him or his brother and that the news was “dropped” the plans just a fortnight prior.
Gene also said that “if it was a charity gig it would be at Co-op [Live] or Heaton Park, and it would be done by SJM [Concerts]”: a Manchester-based promoters and events company.
All of this was also wrapped up in ever more paper talk and sensationalism, as some were reporting that Noel and Liam Gallagher, as well as other members of Oasis, would be surprising fans as the still yet to be revealed ‘major headliner’.
These rumours have since been quashed, as has whatever miscommunication caused the misunderstanding between the parties concerned, and we are now back to simply looking forward to seeing an already stacked lineup here in the city centre this May.
Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene (a fellow bassist who also tours with Richard Ashcroft) is helping organise and will also be performing on the night itself. As for the surviving Mounfields, they went on to add in an accompanying Instagram post: “We would also like to express our gratitude to PH.
“It means a great deal to all of us that so many people loved Mani enough to give their time and energy to honour his memory in this way. We are genuinely touched by the support.
“It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the boys and for our whole family. We hope this event will bring some much‑needed joy and create new, positive memories for everyone who cared about him.
“With love and thanks – The Family”
It goes without saying that we can’t wait for this city and Greater Manchester as a whole to honour a Manc icon and are looking forward to another year celebrating the thing that never fails to bring us all together: music.
The Manc -
30th June 2020 
