Bloc Party have just announced a trio of massive summer shows next year and one of them is right here in Manchester as part of the Sounds of the City lineup for 2025.
The seasoned indie rock icons have been around in some form or another for over two and a half decades now, if you can believe that, and they’re still one of the most influential contemporary bands to have come out of Britain in a very long time.
With that in mind, the news that they’re not only returning to Manchester but set to return for another Castlefield Bowl concert – a feat few artists are given the chance to do – has absolutely made our week.
Landing at the legendary outdoor gig venue on 10 July, the show will be in line with the 20th anniversary. of their much-loved debut album, Silent Alarm.
Also set to play Brighton On The Beach as well as headline next year’s Live At Leeds In The Park festival lineup as part of the wider celebrations, it’s going to be a big summer for the veteran of the UK alternative scene.
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Therefore, it’s only fitting that the London-formed quartet perform the seminal album in full along with a selection of the greatest hits. These are the tracks that helped influence the likes of Foals, Manchester’s very own Everything Everything; Paramore, The Maccabees and many more.
With our much-loved amphitheatre boasting a capacity of around 8,000, we can’t wait to see a sea of Mancs bouncing around to ‘Banquet’, ‘Helicopter’, ‘Flux’ and more.
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Given that the 2005 LP was their breakthrough record – and it still slaps just as hard to this day, by the way – it’s also a celebration of more than 20 years of Bloc Party as a whole, so you best put in some proper effort, Manchester.
Just picture these scenes only under the shadow of the Castlefield Bowl canopy. Sublime.
It’s been two years since their last album Alpha Games but we have heard our first taster of their newest and as yet untitled project following the release of their summer 2024 single, ‘Flirting Again’. We don’t have a release date just yet but, believe us, it’s coming.
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If you haven’t heard it already, it won’t surprise you one bit to hear that they sound as good as ever.
Pre-sale access to their Castlefield Bowl starts from 9am on Wednesday, 30 October, and can be accessed by signing up for their mailing list.
As for general admission, tickets to see Bloc Party in Manchester go live at the same time on Friday morning, 1 November – you can grab yours HERE.
Featured Images — Press Image (supplied)/The Manc Group
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Oasis and adidas drop yet more new merch in the Live ’25 collection
Danny Jones
The Oasis and adidas love affair isn’t over just yet; it isn’t going anywhere, as the legendary Manc band group and global sports apparel franchise are releasing another batch of merch as part of the smash-hit Live ’25 collection.
After shirts, shoes, jackets and bucket hats galore sold out all over the world, adidas is now toasting not only the end of the reunion world tour but “the year that was Oasis” with a second drop in the already iconic crossover.
If you passed through Manchester at all during their Heaton Park homecoming run, you will have no doubt seen countless examples of the ‘adidas Originals x Oasis’ football shirt collaboration alone, not to mention several other bits of fashion in the official Live ’25 fashion line.
Now, just in time for Christmas, there’s a whole new set being introduced into the range of casual wear.
Simply titled ‘Oasis Live ‘25 Drop 2’, the latest additions to the adidas Originals collection are releasing next month and, obviously, will be sold in stores and online.
While the pop-up stores that opened up here in the city centre all over have now shut up shop, Greater Manchester’s adidas locations on Market Street – which turned into an Oasis fan paradise this past summer – and Pear Mill in Stockport will still be stocking the various bits of Britpop clobber.
Although the most recent items will be exclusively available domestically for now, they will be rolled out overseas in 2026.
Considering how quickly most of it sold out last time, you can guarantee most of the options to fly off the shelves just as fast here in the UK.
Honestly, we’ve only just managed to get our hands on the standard black ‘jacquard jersey’.
As you can see, a good chunk of the second drop is that same footy shirt in different colours and other tees in different lengths/variations.
Scheduled to launch on Friday, 12 December, the ‘Oasis x adidas Originals Live ‘25 Drop 2’ will go on sale at 9am sharpish, so you’d best get ready for a scrap in that digital queue.
Naturally, fans, fashionistas and collectors can expect virtually identical costs for the majority of pieces (and buying in-person will obviously help keep the cost down), though it does look like some price points have been adjusted.
As for the Live ’25 tour itself, now that the dust has settled on the ‘Oasis Mania‘ take two, Liam himself has taken to social media to express his gratitude in the most Gallagher way possible…
Lily Allen adds another massive Manchester arena show to West End Girl tour
Daisy Jackson
Lily Allen has just announced an extra show here in Manchester, after her previously announced dates in theatres across the UK drove phenomenal demand.
The much-loved British singer sold out some of the nation’s finest theatres in just minutes with her West End Girl tour.
Since then, the star has announced her biggest-ever headline tour, with a run of arena shows coming next summer.
Lily Allen is now set to visit the AO Arena in Manchester not just once but twice, as well as playing other big cities including Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham and London.
West End Girl was released less than a month ago and has received critical acclaim across the board, amassing 150 million streams and sticking near the top of the UK Albums Chart.
The bear-all, scathing, deeply personal record has catapulted Lily Allen back into the spotlight, and now she’s got the arena tour she deserves.
The show – ‘Lily Allen Performs West End Girl‘ – will see the singer/songwriter play her brand-new album in its entirety, in the order the songs appear on the record.
She had already announced two nights at Aviva Studios in Manchester next March, which sold out almost instantly.
Before this era, Lily was famed for her big hits like ‘Smile’, ‘The Fear’, and ‘F*ck You’. It’s fair to say she’s now riding one of the biggest waves of popularity in her career thus far.
Lily Allen is set to play at the AO Arena in Manchester on Friday 19 June 2026, with tickets on sale from 10am on Thursday 27 November.
You can get your tickets right HERE, but we’d be quick about it…
Danny Jones -
25th October 2024 
