Bluedot festival is finally set to return next weekend after two years of cancellations.
The much-loved festival marries together the worlds of music and science and takes place at arguably the most beautiful location in the UK.
Some of the world’s biggest artists will be performing beneath the awesome sight of the 76-metre-wide Lovell Telescope, which will be lit up with projections as a huge digital artwork for the first time.
Bluedot will be back between 21 and 24 July for its fifth instalment.
Here’s everything you need to know about the massive festival near Greater Manchester.
Who are the headliners?
Bjork and Metronomy will both headline Bluedot 2022. Credit: Supplied
This year, headliners at Bluedot will include Groove Armada (as part of the band’s final live tour), post-rockers Mogwai, and Metronomy.
In a UK festival exclusive, Bjork will perform a uniquely commissioned performance with the Halle Orchestra to close the festival.
Bluedot’s now-traditional opening concert on the Thursday evening will see Mercury-nominated Hannah Peel and Paraochestra take to the stage.
Also confirmed on the bill are psychedelic space rockers Spiritualized, current chart-toppers Yard Act, Warp Records mainstay Squarepusher, multi-instrumentalist composer Anna Meredith, the legendary likes of A Certain Ratio and Tim Burgess, and techno producer and creator of the official theme for the 2023 Women’s World Cup Kelly Lee Owens.
Bluedot 2022’s science programme will welcome key speakers including Radio 4’s Jam Al-Khalili, British filmmaker David Olusoga, space scientist Monica Grady, and many more.
Comedians such as Desiree Burch, Olga Koch, Robin Ince and Ahir Shah will also be making appearances as part of the culture programme.
How much are tickets?
Bluedot Festival. Credit: Lucas Sinclair
There are still some tickets available for Bluedot festival.
Last release weekend tickets for adults are £205.25 including booking fees (then it’s £87 for 11-15 year olds, and £27.50 for children aged between six and 10 years old).
If you want to add on early Thursday entry, it’s £31.90 for adults.
You can also add on access to the VIP Village for £110.00 including booking fees.
Where is Bluedot festival and how do I get there?
Bluedot Festival. Credit: George Harrison
Bluedot takes place at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
If you’re making your own way there, you’ll need to use the postcode SK11 9DW.
There are also coach travel packages available with National Express from cities around the UK.
What are the gate times?
The weekend campsite will open from midday on Thursday 21 July for those with a Thursday add-on ticket. For everyone else, it will open from 9am on the Friday.
For Friday, Saturday and Sunday, gates to the festival will be open between 9am and 9pm.
What’s the camping situation?
Bluedot Festival. Credit: Scott Salt
There are several camping options to choose from at Bluedot, and general weekend tickets include access to the standard camping site.
There are also a limited number of boutique campsites at The Colony, which are selling out quick – you can browse remaining availability at discoverthebluedot.com/accommodation.
Bluedot has included family-only areas within the standard campsite for those bringing children, and space for live-in vehicles.
Bluedot is a fully cashless festival across its bars, food stands, merchandise and other points of sale, in a bit to improve customer experience with faster service and shorter queue times.
Unlike 2019, the festival won’t be operating a payment wristband system and will instead just be using standard payment methods.
That means all major credit and debit cards can be used, either as contactless or chip and pin, as well as wearable forms of payment like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Featured image: Lucas Sinclair
Audio
Gorillaz announce huge Manchester arena gig on upcoming UK and Ireland tour
Daisy Jackson
Gorillaz are well and truly back, and they’ve announced a huge Manchester gig on the upcoming The Mountain Tour.
The legendary band, created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, will be performing at the Co-op Live arena next spring.
Gorillaz is a virtual band made up of singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle.
The huge tour announcement comes along with the announcement of their new album, The Mountain, which features a whole myriad of collaborations including Johnny Marr, IDLES’ Joe Talbot and Dennis Hopper.
It’s their ninth studio album and promises to be a ‘playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence’.
The Gorillaz The Mountain Tour will visit arenas across the UK and Ireland next Spring, with support from Trueno, and follows the sold-out 5-star House of Kong exhibition and four triumphant performances at Copper Box Arena.
Manchester will get the new Gorillaz tour first, with the band kicking things off at Co-op Live on 21 March before heading to cities including Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham, and Liverpool.
The BRIT and Grammy-winning virtual band formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to blow up a pre-digital world.
The album will officially release on 20 March 2026.
General on sale begins at 11am on Friday 19 September HERE.
Gorillaz’ ‘The Mountain Tour’ dates in full
MARCH 21 – Co-op Live, Manchester 22 – BP Pulse Live, Birmingham 24 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow (support from Trueno) 25 – First Direct Arena, Leeds 27 – Utilitia Arena, Cardiff (support from Trueno) 28 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham (support from Trueno) 29 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (support from Trueno) 31 – SSE Arena, Belfast
APRIL 1 – 3Arena, Dublin (support from Trueno)
JUNE 20 – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London (support from Sparks and Trueno)
Featured image: Press image
Audio
The adopted Manc indie pop star with that we’re backing to win the Mercury Prize this year
Danny Jones
The 2025 Mercury Music Prize shortlist is officially out, and we’re proud to say that the North has been well represented once again this time around, with multiple names from the top end of the nation featured among the nominees – including an adopted Manchester-based rising star.
You know what, cratch that: she might as well be a Manc music queen at this point, if you ask.
We may be heavily biased here, but with indie and alt-pop artist CMAT making her way onto the Mercury Music Prize award shortlist this year, our vote is practically already cast.
If you haven’t listened to CMAT yet, then you’re seriously missing out, and following the release of her latest LP, Euro-Country, at the end of August, it’s little surprise she’s earned the Mercury nod.
She may be Irish-born, but the ‘Dubyone Diana’ truly started to make a name for herself in Manchester, and you’re damn right we’re taking her as one of our own.
Moving to 0161 as a teenager with her old band, Bad Sea, she was just 17 when she got here; now 29 and making fairly different music to the kind she did as part of the previous duo, she’s grown massively in popularity over the last few years – and she’s done a lot of it from right here in Greater Manchester.
From playing the city centre music venue circuit to stunning crowds at the likes of Kendal Calling and Glastonbury Festival, she’s come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.
Come on, if this isn’t award-winning energy, then we don’t know what is…
We welcome her to keep leaning into country music as much as she wants.
There’s another reason we want CMAT to win the Mercury Prize
It isn’t just because we’re somewhat biased local fans that we’re putting our money on her winning the 2025 Mercury Prize: she nearly already did this time last year for her sophomore outing, Crazymad, For Me, having released three impressive studio albums in less than 36 months.
“As she was reading it, I had this weird flip in my stomach, that I didn’t want to win the Mercury Prize for THAT record, because I had a feeling I could make something better.
“Two days later, I started to make EURO-COUNTRY. The Mercury Prize put a bottle rocket up my bum, to try and do something a bit more cutting edge and experimental and intense, if that makes sense.”
She signed off by adding, “I didn’t necessarily expect to be nominated again as a result, but I am very happy to have been.” We had a feeling she would, to be honest, hence why she was among our artists of the month – not even a fortnight before the shortlist was announced, no less.
Unsurprisingly, the likes of Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender are also on there after a standout 12 months for both artists, but we’re sticking with CMAT for our 2025 Mercury Prize winner. After all, surely she can’t miss out two years in a row?
Daisy Jackson -
20th July 2022 
