We’ve already had the likes of The Lathums, Pulp, Hozier, The Blossoms and more at this year’s Sounds of the City festival, and now it’s time for Bastille to bring their best to Castlefield Bowl.
The alternative/indie-pop hit-makers of the 2010s are fittingly celebrating 10 years since their seminal album, now being re-released as Bad Blood X, and their anniversary tour sees them return to Manchester just over a year on from their massive AO Arena show.
Bastille haven’t stopped pumping out music but it’s hard to believe it’s been a whole decade since the debut record and it’s got us feeling all nostalgic for old FIFA soundtracks, their massive sets at Glastonbury and Radio 1’s Big Weekend and just a great time for music in general.
That being said, the boys are still going strong and are next up in what has already been an immense lineup for Sounds of the City 2023, so just like with all the other headliners, we thought we’d give you a rundown of everything you need to know ahead of their big gig on Friday, 7 July.
Oh dear, Bastille at the Bowl is all sold out, what a shocker.
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In all seriousness, this lot are one of the biggest bands in Britain and you were always going to have to get in early if you wanted to stand a chance of getting a ticket, especially considering they sold out the Arena last year.
Of course, it’s worth keeping your eye out for spares on resale sites like Twickets and TicketSwap but, as always, we advise being cautious when dealing with any resellers and urge you to stay away from ticket touts at all costs. No point in getting stung and making the problem even bigger, folks.
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Who’s supporting Bastille in Manchester?
Before the Bastille boys themselves, you’ll be treated to three different support acts over the several hours you’ll be spending in the glorious outdoor arena.
Starting with a warm-up from a DJ that is yet to be announced — as has been the case every night at this year’s festival — you’ll then get to see one of Merseyside’s rising stars in 21-year-old, Michael Aldag, who’s opened for the likes of the Lightning Seeds, Miles Kane and many more.
After that, your second support will come from popular Irish singer-songwriter, Orla Gartland, who’s been on the scene for some time now and will also be returning for her own headline show later this year at Manchester Academy 2.
As for when everyone’s turning up, doors will be open from 5:30pm as it has every night in this series and the DJ will be pumping out the tunes from the moment you walk into the venue.
The first support Michael Aldag is due to kick things off at 6:45pm, followed by a short interval before Orla Gartland comes on at 7:45pm, as well as one last break before the main event.
Bastille are due to come on stage at 9pm and the curfew is likely to land around 11pm, so you’ve got a good couple hours of partying. Enjoy!
Setlist (have a guess …)
Listen, this is the ’10 Years of Bad Blood’ anniversary tour: it pretty much does what it says on the tin and considering this was the first time we were introduced to Bastille, we’re more than happy to roll back the years.
As verified by previous shows on Setlist.fm, the band will be playing the album in full as well as an encore where they might mix things up a bit more, but here’s the previous order they played things in:
If you’ve never been before, Castlefield Bowl is a beautiful amphitheatre-style outdoor venue right here in Manchester city centre. Although all tickets are billed as unreserved standing, if you’re quick you can take a seat on the large concrete steps that curve around the stage.
Best view in the house and you can obviously stand throughout; plenty of people also take a perch up on the grassy banks at the back of the venue too, which gives you a great view of the stage and the rest of the roughly 8,000-strong crowd.
Castlefield Bowl is located at 101 Liverpool Road in the city centre, with the closest tram stop being Deansgate-Castlefield just a six-minute walk up the road; you can also walk it from the major train stations, or use the 101, 197, 255, 256, 41, 50 or X50 buses.
It’s looking like it’s gonna be a hot one on Friday, with temperatures set to peak at around 26C between 5 and 6pm, i.e. just as you arrive at the venue.
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Luckily, it’s set to be clear skies pretty much all day apart from very early in the morning, so you’ll be able to soak in all the proper festival vibes.
Once again, this is an outdoor venue and there’s only coverage on the canopied section of stone steps towards the back of the amphitheatre, so get plenty of fluids down you, whack on some suncream and maybe take a hat — you can always throw it on stage at the frontman and his glorious hair at the end.
We’ll cheers to that. Another night of Sounds of the City is nearly here and Castlefield’s going to popping yet again — bring on Bastille at the Bowl!
Beyond The Music reveals first wave of lineup ahead of inaugural Salford edition
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
Having now dropped the initial wave of this year’s lineup, we know the first 22 artists set to play BTM ’26, including Kofi Stone, our very own Loose Articles, fellow Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ewan Sim and plenty more to get excited about.
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.” Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE.
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Audio North’s Artist of the Month: Sharan | April 2026
Thomas Melia
Why have one northern city when you can have two? Sharan, our latest Artist of the Month, was born in Leeds and is now based in Liverpool.
Giving herself the titles of DJ, workshop facilitator and community advocate while also balancing life as a cardiac physiologist – is there anything Sharan can’t do?
This multi-talented music maker has played sets for Crop Radio, supported Sammy Virji, Barry Can’t Swim, SBTRKT and even soundtracked Liverpool FC’s official store ahead of a new kit launch.
Her sets cover all different music genres, meaning she can fit and curate any vibe, including UK funk, Amapiano, house and more.
An interview with Sharan – Audio North’s Artist of the Month
Now, the Leeds-born DJ takes a break from the decks, community programmes and medical assistance to chat about being Audio North‘s latest Artist of the Month.
Sharan is passionate about music and community (Credit: Press shots)
What music did you grow up listening to?
I’ve always been around music. My Dad brought me up on Queen and then when I got to school my best friend listened to Bassline, UK Funky and I downloaded all these songs onto my Blackberry.
Annie Mac and Hannah Wants were real inspirations for me growing up and seeing female DJs in the media is great.
Tell us about the work you do in the DJ community?
I’m originally from Leeds but moved to Liverpool for work four years ago and I’ve become quite heavily involved in the DJ community. I do workshops through ‘Decks in the City‘; I’m a DJ Programmer for Dishoom and I play gigs across the North too.
Why do you want to give back to the DJ scene?
I joined a charity called Getaway Girls, who I still am with today, and I joined a music group through them and I remember decks being in the corner of the room and being intrigued. Then, at 14 I started going to their music workshops.
They’re the reason I got into music and inspired me to want to make the music industry a fairer place for women as well as advocating for women in music.
I love teaching women how to get into music or giving them the opportunity they wouldn’t necessarily have.
What do you hope to achieve through your DJ workshops?
I believe everyone should have the chance to try out being a DJ, or more broadly just have a go at learning a new skill in relation to music.
I want to give everyone a fair and equal chance to learn how to DJ and that’s why the courses I do are accessible and affordable.
DJ Sharan is involved in a range of projects, including Programmer for Dishoom (Credit: Supplied)
As a South Asian DJ who’s also a woman, I want to encourage women and anyone from underrepresented communities to get involved.
In the long run, I’d love to improve festival line-ups and make the distribution of live music opportunities fairer.
What have been some of your favourite experiences as a DJ so far?
Alongside my community work, I’ve played at Leeds Festival for JD Sports and supported some big acts including Barry Can’t Swim, Virji, SBTRKT and Girls Don’t Sync.
What’s one fun fact about you?
I’m not just a DJ, I’m also a cardiac physiologist. It’s a really big part of my life aside from being a DJ. I balance the two together, I’m passionate about both.
She’s supported Sammy Virji, Barry Can’t Swim, Girls Don’t Sync and many more (Credit: Audio North)
How does your heritage influence your work?
I’m South Asian and I remember the Bend It Like Beckham soundtrack so vividly growing up. It fused British pop with Bhangra and Bollywood, it was revolutionary.
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Even the storyline of the film itself resonates with me, watching the girl pursuing football against her parents wishes, something I’m doing by going against ‘the norm’ through following my dream of being a DJ.
I love this film and soundtrack so much that I wrote an article about this which explores the soundtrack and its impact on British Asian Youth.
Danny Jones -
7th July 2023 
