The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival will return to Greater Manchester this March with a massive line-up of musicians performing in our home city.
Set to take over the O2 Victoria Warehouse between Friday 24 and Sunday 26 March, the bill of performers includes Loyle Carner, Christine and the Queens, and Arlo Parks.
They’ll also be joined by the likes of Wu-Lu, Lava La Rue and The Big Moon, not to mention DJ sets across the weekend and a warm-up show at Band on the Wall from BBC Music Introducing Live.
The station’s flagship event will include global premieres of new live shows, music debuts, surprise guests and major collaborations.
The O2 Victoria Warehouse was the site of the first-ever BBC Radio 6 Music Festival back in 2014, and Greater Manchester will now be the event’s permanent home.
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Loyle Carner will use the festival to showcase a brand new collaboration with the AMC Gospel Choir on Friday 24 March, while Christine and the Queens will bring the global premiere of his new live show on Saturday 25 March, and Arlo Parks will perform new music with special guests on Sunday 26 March.
DJ sets across the weekend will come from the likes of AFRODEUTSCHE, Erol Alkan, Daniel Avery, Don Letts, Good Future, Hot Chip, Jamz Supernova, Steve Lamacq, Tarzsa, The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess, Yard Act and BBC Introducing DJs, Emily Pilbeam and Phoebe I-H.
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Loyle Carner 2022Christine and the Queens
The main live shows at O2 Victoria Warehouse are set to be complimented by club nights at Band on the Wall and Victoria Warehouse, themed around 6 Music’s Indie Forever and Rave Forever shows and a Morning After Mix live broadcast on the Sunday at RAMONA.
Highlights from the festival will be broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Manchester from MediaCityUK in Salford, as well as on BBC Sounds, BBC Four, BBC iPlayer and BBC Music’s YouTube channel.
Tickets for each separate event will be available from 10am on Thursday 16 February at bbc.co.uk/6musicfestival
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Loyle Carner says: “Mad. Six years since we last played 6 Music Festival. Feels good to be back. The show’s evolved a lot since back then, lucky to share the stage with some of my musical heroes. Got a few extra voices coming through to lift us up too. See you soon.”
Arlo Parks
Chris says: “What I will be very eager to share with you for the first time ever will be a glimpse into the second part of the big journey that I started with you guys, with Redcar. Redcar is the first iteration of a very intense musical journey that occupied my two last years. I was heavily inspired by this piece called Angels in America by Tony Kushner when I wrote the music I will unveil to you at that moment. I’m literally so excited to do it that I am for the first time of my life at loss of words in the best way. The follow up of the journey gets into territories that I never explored myself musically before, really. I was a bit obsessed with what rock and roll means today. Very much related to the flesh and to transcendence – to how an incandescent presence inside your own flesh just can transform everything.”
Arlo Parks says: “This is the first time I’ll be introducing my new album in a live setting and I’m so excited. To be surrounded by such innovative, singular artists is a real joy and I genuinely can’t wait for this.”
Wu-Lu says: “I am super excited about playing Manchester again – haven’t been back there in a while! Definitely going to show out, just going to try some new songs and try and do some exclusive stuff! Big shout to 6 Music for showing so much love over the course of our career.”
Lava La Rue says: “The first artist to bring me on a run of shows with them was Christine and the Queens – one of those first shows being in Manchester. It’s going to be exciting joining him on the line up for the 6 Music Festival back in Manny for a full circle moment. I was playing my debut single back on that tour with Chris and now I’ll be playing songs off my debut album at 6 Music Festival.”
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The Big Moon says: “We’re so excited to be coming back to Manchester for the 6 Music Festival! Playing Manchester has always been a highlight of our tours, so we’re really excited to be back and this time with a super special surprise.”
Mary Anne Hobbs says: “The most exciting element about the 6 Music Festival is the coming together in a physical space, of our beloved 6 Music listeners, all the crew at the station and artists we love.”
Mark Radcliffe says: “It’s great to welcome the 6 Music festival back to Greater Manchester and particularly exciting that the focus this time will be on new work. It’s all at the Victoria Warehouse. It’s quite dark in there so I have booked an eye test in order to make sure I have the right glasses to see everything.”
Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music says: “6 Music will be rooted in Salford over time, so we’re bringing the festival back home to Greater Manchester, where it all began, with some incredible performances. You may have seen Arlo Parks, Christine and the Queens and Loyle Carner before, but you won’t have seen them like this before. It promises to be a very special weekend indeed.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “We are delighted to welcome the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival to Manchester. There is a rich musical heritage in Greater Manchester, and a real pride in the independent music scene, and as BBC Radio 6 Music has always supported new and alternative artists, it’s a perfect fit for the festival to have its permanent home in the city for the years to come. There’s so much new Greater Manchester music out there right now that deserves to be heard, which is why we started Artist of the Month with BBC Radio Manchester, and like BBC Radio 6 Music, we want to give emerging talent a platform.”
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Full line up for the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2023
Friday 24 March, from 6.30pm, O2 Victoria Warehouse
Tarza (DJ set)
Wu-Lu
Loyle Carner
Saturday 25 March, from 6.30pm, O2 Victoria Warehouse
Jamz Supernova (DJ set)
Lava La Rue
Christine and the Queens
Sunday 26 March, from 6.30pm, O2 Victoria Warehouse
Don Letts (DJ set)
The Big Moon
Arlo Parks
Thursday 23 March, from 7.30pm, Band on the Wall
BBC Music Introducing Live at Band on the Wall
Afflecks Palace
Antony Szmierek
Phoebe Green
Club nights
Friday 24 March, from 9pm, Band on the Wall
6 Music’s Indie Forever – nothing but solid gold, upbeat indie bangers from 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and guest DJs:
BBC Music Introducing’s Emily Pilbeam (DJ set)
Good Future (DJ set)
Yard Act (DJ set)
Tim Burgess (DJ set)
Saturday 25 March, from 11pm, O2 Victoria Warehouse
6 Music’s Rave Forever – rave classics that listeners know and love with a sprinkling of the finest new club sounds from 6 Music’s AFRODEUTSCHE and guest DJs:
BBC Music Introducing’s Phoebe I-H (DJ set)
Hot Chip (DJ set)
Erol Alkan (DJ set)
Sunday 26 March, from 12pm, Ramona
Morning After Mix – Daniel Avery providing a two hour-long DJ set.
Featured image: BBC
Audio
Secret stages, surprise sets and non-stop sunshine – here’s what went down at Parklife 2026
Clementine Hall
Parklife 2026 has officially wrapped up, and dare we say it might have been the best one yet?
Well, that’s it folks. One of the biggest weekends on Manchester’s musical calendar has been ticked off, and what a time we had.
The rolling hills of Heaton Park welcomed thousands of ravers who two-stepped from the moment the gates opened until the final vibrations echoed from the speakers.
So, while we nurse our sore feet and slap on the aftersun, let’s reflect on Parklife 2026 and catch you up on what you might have missed.
Images: The Manc Group
For once, the weather actually delivered.
Blue skies and glorious sunshine stuck around all weekend, giving festival-goers the perfect excuse to stay out from open to close and making Heaton Park look more like Ibiza than north Manchester. We’re exaggerating, of course, but you get the picture.
While headline sets from pop princess Zara Larsson and grime MC Skepta drew huge crowds, some of the biggest moments happened away from the main stages.
Images: The Manc Group
After all, when else can you watch Manc icon Bez DJing on a rooftop at a secret garden party? It truly was a sight to behold.
The festival introduced three brand-new secret stages this year, which we think were a fantastic addition. Our favourite was the Bossmans Tent – an exclusive stage hidden behind the facade of a corner shop, where festival-goers had to enter through a fridge to discover the music inside.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without a few cheeky surprise sets thrown into the mix. Enter Aitch.
At this point, the Manchester rapper is basically a Parklife resident, popping up each year to surprise crowds with a song or two. This year, our hometown hero joined Bou on stage, sending fans into a complete and utter meltdown.
Images: The Manc Group
The city was also well represented through a number of stage takeovers across the weekend. Ghosts of Garage, the Manchester-born brand that has built a loyal following across the region, brought together a host of local DJs on Sunday for a takeover that felt like a celebration of the city’s thriving dance music scene.
One of the most anticipated additions for 2026, the new Panorama stage was a real standout. Featuring a belting 100m LED screen, huge dance platforms and behind-the-booth access, there wasn’t a quiet moment there all weekend – and it’s not hard to see why.
Sheffield DJ Silva Bumpa drew one of the busiest crowds of the weekend at Panorama, creating relentless energy from start to finish. Fans were packed shoulder-to-shoulder as one of the UK’s fastest-rising names delivered a set worthy of all the hype.
Robyn at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, stage times, setlist and more
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Pop icon Robyn is heading to Manchester this week on her 2026 global arena tour, in support of her ninth studio album Sexistential.
This is Robyn’s first proper tour since 2019, and is set to host a star-studded lineup of special guests across her 20 planned gig dates.
We have been blessed with one night of Robyn, at Co-op Live in Manchester, on Saturday 27 June.
Over the past three decades, Robyn has continually contributed to popular culture and with her recent public appearances, fans have been reminiscing and eagerly awaiting this tour.
Most recently, you may have noticed her slowly returning to music, joining the likes of Harry Styles, Charlie xcx and Gracie Abrams in live performances or soundtracking Acne Studio’s 2025 Paris fashion show.
As if we couldn’t love her any more already – she is working with Plus1 to donate a portion of the funds raised from each ticket sold, directly to non-profits working to achieve reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, climate action, and humanitarian relief.
Gig guide | Robyn at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Robyn UK and Ireland arena tour dates
Wed 24 Jun – 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
Fri 26 Jun – OVO Hydro, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Sat 27 Jun – Co-op Live, Manchester, United Kingdom
Fri 3 Jul – The O2, London, United Kingdom
Are there tickets left for Robyn at Co-op Live?
Yes and ‘U Should Know Better’ than leaving it much later to get your hands on them.
There’s still quite good availability for Robyn’s Manchester date – seated tickets are priced at £56.75, £68.20, £79.20 or £125.55 each, and £68.20 for standing.
Go on ‘Call Your Girlfriend’ and get it booked. Click HERE for ticketsto Robyn on Saturday 27 June in Manchester.
Robyn performs in Manchester this week. Credit: Danica Robinson
Support act
Robyn is to be joined by her fellow Stockholmer Zhala, serving up some futuristic cosmic pop to add to the euphoric feel of the evening.
She’ll also have support from iconic electronic music group 808 State, returning to their home city of Manchester, as her special guests for the evening.
Robyn setlist for 2026 tour
This is obviously subject to change but it is the most recent setlist Robyn has used on her tour so far:
Missing U
Call Your Girlfriend
Cobrastyle
Blow My Mind (Sexistential Version)
Ever Again
Dopamine
Honey
Be Mine!
Between the Lines
Love Is Free
Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do
Sexistential
Talk to Me
Monument (Röyksopp & Robyn cover)
Life (Jamie xx cover)
Indestructible
Show Me Love
Dancing on My Own
Encore / Extended Tracks
Robyn has been known to throw in an extra song or two for us, including fan favourites such as:
Sucker for Love
Hang With Me
With Every Heartbeat
Do It Again (Röyksopp & Robyn song)
Stage times for Robyn at Co-op Live, Manchester
Co-op Live hasn’t confirmed exact stage times for Robyn yet, but we do know this:
Co-op Backstage Club doors – 5.30pm
Premium doors – 6pm
General Admission doors – 6.30pm
Start – 7pm
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm
We’d guess Robyn will be on stage roughly around 9pm, based on previous shows.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
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Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Daisy Jackson -
15th February 2023 
