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Blossoms set to headline big summer festival set in Delamere Forest

There IS a reason why I never returned your calls — I'm getting tickets... (this article contains affiliate links)

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 22nd October 2024

Stockport five-piece Blossoms are set to perform at a festival set within a forest not too far from Manchester next year in line with the rollout of their latest album, Gary.

Yes, after announcing their tour dates throughout the month of September, Blossoms are also playing a special festival in none other than Delamere Forest in addition to their fantastic five-night run at five different Manchester venues.

The newest announcement sees the cheeky chappies/stylish Stopfordians set to headline Forest Live 2025 set in Delamere, Northwich, which has been running since 2001.

Blossoms are the newest addition to the concert series as both The Script, music legend Sting and Manchester’s very own Elbow are headlining various dates in other green spaces. The local lads have also announced a number of other open-air gigs along with their Forest Live date.

This marks the second year that Live Nation has partnered with Cuffe and Taylor to deliver the forest-bound festival. Other Forestry England locations taking part include Cannock Chase, High Lodge, Thetford and Westonbirt Arboretum.

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Last year, Forestry England – who is hosting the event as the organisation that looks after Delamere Forest and the surrounding areas – planted 7.4 million trees and welcomed 285 million visits throughout the 2023/24 season, as every person in England lives within an hour of one of their forests.

As for the local band themselves, Blossoms have gained a huge cult following since releasing breakout hit ‘Charlemagne’ back in 2015, amassing hundreds of millions of streams following their debut.

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Lead vocalist Tom Ogden, drummer Joe Donovan, lead guitarist Josh Dewhurst, keyboardist Myles Kellock and bassist Charlie Salt have had an unreal year, with their biggest-ever gig at Wythenshawe Park and their brand new number-one album.

Inspired by an eight-foot gorilla of the same name that was stolen from a Lanarkshire garden centre in 2023, Gary has been an instant critical and commercial success.

Come on, how stunning a setting is that? (Credit: Supplied)

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80s pop sensation Rick Astley has even performed with the band this year as they returned to BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge to play a special rendition of ‘360’ by Charli XCX.

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Support will be provided by up-and-coming Oldham act Seb Lowe and another North West breakthrough, The Guest List.

Blossoms are set to play Forest Live 2025 in Delamere Forest on Saturday, 21 June 2025 and tickets will be available from 9am on Friday, 25 October.

Prices for the festival pass start from £61.50 and you can get ready to grab yours HERE.

Blossoms playing Castlefield Bowl for Sounds of the City 2023.
Tom and Gary at Wythy Park this past summer.
We’ve had very good fun watching these lads over the past few years – don’t miss out on this one.

Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)

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The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.

The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.

With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.

With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.

The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.

Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.

This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?

In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.

With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.

Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.

Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin Compston
Vicky McClure leading the dance routines

This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.

The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.

This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.

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So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?

Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.

Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity Picture via Supplied

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Sean Paul and Ashanti are hosting a massive Manchester show in 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Sean Paul Ashanti Manchester AO Arena tickets

The one and only Sean Paul is coming to Manchester next year and we’re about to be smashing that buy ticket button it’ll be left sticking like glue.

A terrible pun, we know, we’re just very excited.

Better yet, he’s bringing a fantastic co-headliner along with him as fellow noughties and R’n’B throwback Ashanti will be sharing the stage too.

Landing at the AO Arena in spring 2025, they’ll be upping the ‘Temperature’ ahead of the summer and just in time for the festival season to start getting underway.

Having both enjoyed the scene for many years back in its 2000s heyday and each still boasting their own long-serving fan bases no matter how long it’s been, we wouldn’t think of this as a Sean Paul headline gig with a support act but two very special guests doing what they do best.

The Jamaican-born rap, reggae and dancehall artist as well as all-round popstar needs no introduction really but we’ll give him one anyway: you have to pronounce his name funny and he’s best known for countless club classics like ‘Got 2 Luv U’, ‘Get Busy’ and ‘Gimme The Light’, just to name a few.

As for Ashanti – who came close to a highly-anticipated studio collab with Sean Paul back in the day – the ‘Foolish’, ‘Rock Wit U’ and ‘Always On Time’ singer hasn’t put out new music of her own for a couple years but celebrated two decades since her debut album with a deluxe version re-release in March 2023.

Coming back to Manchester for basically a celebration of what many still revere as one of the golden eras for the genre will no doubt be an unbelievable night and playing the AO Arena after all this time is no mean feat.

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General admission goes live from 10am, Friday 20 December but presale will be available for Three mobile users who want exclusive early access from Wednesday onwards from the same time.

The ‘Bring It’ Tour comes our way on 13 April 2025, with other dates including Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and a massive London show with Fat Joe joining too.

You can get ready to grab your tickets for Sean Paul and Ashanti’s AO Arena date HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)

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