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Bluedot festival reveals 2023 line-up, including Grace Jones, Roisin Murphy and Pavement

UK exclusives, world-firsts and the most beautiful festival back-drop on earth. Let's gooo.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 23rd January 2023

One of the country’s best-loved festivals has revealed its line-up for 2023, with Bluedot welcoming headline performances from the likes of Grace Jones and Roisin Murphy.

The popular music and science event, which takes place every July at the beautiful Jodrell Bank Observatory, will also include a UK exclusive from Pavement.

The multi-award-winning Bluedot has announced its first wave of artists for its 2023 festival, featuring Leftfield, Young Fathers, Django Django, Brett Morgen, Annie Mac, Chris Lintott, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Tinariwen and many more.

This year’s massive line-up of global music talent will perform in front of the iconic backdrop of the 76-metre-wide Lovell Telescope, which last year was lit up with projections as a huge digital artwork for the first time.

Already announced are the BBC Concert Orchestra and Max Richter for Bluedot 2023, which will take place between 20 and 23 July.

Bluedot 2022. Credit: Supplied

Saturday will be headlined by lo-fi pioneers Pavement with their only UK performance of 2023. The group headlined Primavera last year before embarking on a completely sold-out UK tour that took in four nights at London’s Roundhouse.

The legendary Grace Jones will be taking to the Bluedot stage performing songs from her six-decade-long pop career, including hits like Slave To The Rhythm and Pull Up To The Bumper. Bluedot will be her only northern show of the summer.

Róisín Murphy will make history with her first-ever festival headline slot, calling on her lengthy career which began as one half of Moloko – the defacto queen of electropop has since delivered five solo albums, mesmerised audiences across clubland and is now set to open the weekend, with a cosmic dance party to usher in a new era following the success of her Roisin Machine album and tour.

Bluedot 2022. Credit: Scott Salt
Bluedot 2023 line up poster

Electronic music legends and multiple Mercury Prize-nominees Leftfield returned last month with the critically acclaimed This Is What We Do, featuring Lemn Sissay and Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten. They’ll take a headline slot in Bluedot’s Orbit arena.

Also announced are Mercury prize winners Young Fathers, art rockers Django Django, feted post-punk four piece Dry Cleaning, Malian desert blues pioneers Tinariwen and experimental rockers Black Country, New Road, plus a Sunday Closing Party headlined by the iconic Annie Mac.

Nubya Garcia, Georgia, Max Cooper (3D AV), David Holmes, Beak>, Gwenno, Teleman, CMAT, Lava La Rue, Big Joanie, Skinny Pelembe, Scalping, Westerman, Belief, Pictish Trail, Divorce, Madmadmad and Radiophonic Workshop also join the first wave of the festival’s music line-up. 

A huge part of Bluedot – which takes place at a UNESCO World Heritage Site – every year is its science programme, and this year that will include BBC Sky at Night’s Chris Lintott and Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Brainiac Live and renowned climate change researcher and author Mike Berners-Lee, whose How Bad Are Bananas? was named by The Independent as one of its ten recommended “best books to help you live more sustainably”.

Bluedot 2022. Credit: Tom Martin
Bluedot 2022. Credit: Scott Salt
Bluedot 2022. Credit: Lucas Sinclair
Bluedot 2022. Credit: Scott Salt

UK Space Agency’s Libby Jackson OBE and The Open University’s Professor of Planetary and Space Science Monica Grady CBE will also return to the festival. The full science bill will be revealed in the coming weeks. 

On the comedy and culture side of things, festival-goers can expect a David Bowie special edition of Adam Buxton’s Bug!, a screening and in-conversation with Moonage Daydream director, writer and producer Brett Morgan and an afternoon with White Rabbit Books featuring talks with Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite, Lias Saoudi of Fat White Family, and 90’s icon Miki Berenyi, whose book Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success was named Rough Trade’s book of the year for 2022.

Bluedot is a family-friendly festival, and kids will be entertained by the likes of Our Kids Social Silent Disco, Pop-Up Puppet Cinema and the ever popular Jedi Lightsaber Training.

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Food and drink in the VIP Village will be curated by Manchester-based food charity Eatwell, featuring some brands including Dishoom, Caroline Martins, Where the Light Gets In, Another Hand and more. 

Festival director Ben Robinson said: “As we announce the line-up for the 6th edition of bluedot it’s with great pride in the team behind the show. From day one the festival has been ambitious in its programming and mission. Looking at the scale of iconic talent, breadth of genres & one off moments it really has matured into a very special vent. Thanks to everyone who’s continued to support the idea of bluedot, we look forward to gathering together again beneath the telescope with you all.”

bluedot was recently named Line-Up Of The Year at the UK Festival Awards, and Festival of the Year at the Live Awards, and has hosted headline performances from the likes of Bjork, Kraftwerk 3-D, New Order, The Chemical Brothers, Mogwai, Pixies, The Flaming Lips, Underworld and Jean-Michel Jarre, plus high-profile talks from Tim Peake, Brian Cox, Helen Sharman, Alice Roberts and Richard Dawkins and an array of groundbreaking arts and family experiences.

Tickets for bluedot 2023 go on sale 10am Friday 27th January.

To find out more and register for pre-sale access visit discoverthebluedot.com.

Featured image: Supplied

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Royel Otis add second Manchester date due to massive demand

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Australian indie pop group Royel Otis have announced a second Manchester date ahead of their upcoming UK tour due to a huge demand for tickets.

The Aussie duo, who have blown up in the past couple of years with tracks like ‘Oysters In My Pocket’ and two viral covers of Sophie Ellis-Bextor and The Cranberries, are due to play a massive Manchester gig later this year.

Set to make their O2 Victoria Warehouse debut this winter, the ‘Sofa King’ singers saw their ticket allocation sell out quicker than you can say ‘Going Kokomo’.

As a result, there was only one thing for it:

For anyone still unaware of the rising alt-pop outfit led by frontman Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell (hence the name), they began breaking onto the scene around 2022 after having released a couple of tracks the year prior.

Although they quickly gained support back in their home country, their presence over here and indeed around the world was helped no end after their tripleJ take on ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ and stripped-back version of ‘Linger’ for SiriusXM hit the internet.

They even managed to land a feature on EA FC 24 – formerly known as FIFA – and we all know how getting on that soundtrack can transform careers.

Since then, their following has grown exponentially, and the rising double act has booked major festival slots such over the past 12 months or so, playing the likes of Kendal Calling, Glastonbury, as well as Reading and Leeds, just to name a few.

With their second record, hickey, having just been released on 22 August, listeners are lapping up the new music, though the album has been considered “controversial” by some.

Regardless, fervent fans haven’t seen their clamour disappear, and now the band have announced an extra date at Victoria Warehouse.

Now set to play the venue on Friday AND Saturday, 28-29 November 2025, they will be supported by an opening act with a cool UK connection: Still Blank.

The transatlantic outfit is made up of Jordy is from Hawaii, and Ben, from right here in Manchester; the two come together to make what Stereogum has described as “sullen folk-grunge” – yet more reason for locals to be interested in the gig.

Once again, while the first gig has sold out, you can grab your tickets for Royel Otis’ second Manchester show HERE.

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

Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)

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There’s a VR K-pop experience coming to a cinema in Manchester

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A VR experience dedicated to a much-loved K-pop group, ENHYPEN, is making its way to a cinema screen in Manchester this Autumn.

After a stellar performance at AO Arena in Manchester earlier this week, a VR experience dedicated to K-pop group ENHYPEN is coming to a cinema screen in the city centre.

This upcoming experience with the fitting name ‘IMMERSION’, will mark the K-pop group’s first ever VR concert and is premiering across the globe, including right here in Manchester.

Featuring all-new performances, this pre-recorded concert experience allows you the chance to immerse yourself in never-before-seen content that has been specifically produced for VR.

This cinematic concert concept allows fans the chance to watch their favourite live bands and acts up close and personal without having to break the bank.

Made in partnership with Amaze, one of the world’s leading immersive concert creators, previous performers include fellow K-pop acts Aespa, Tomorrow X Together and KAI, as well as rap megastar Megan Thee Stallion.

Get ready to sing your heart out or ‘Scream’ as loud as you can when ENHYPEN take to the screen as they’re expected to perform all their usual classics, including ‘XO (Only If You Say Yes)’ and ‘Bad Desire (With or Without You)’.

If you’re worried about missing your chance to get ‘Loose’, don’t worry, because these seven K-pop stars will be on cinema screens for nine consecutive dates throughout September.

K-Pop boyband ENHYPEN took to AO Arena in Manchester earlier this week / Credit: BELIFT LAB
VR k-pop show Trafford Centre cinema
K-pop boy band ENHYPEN took to the AO Arena in Manchester earlier this week (Credit: BELIFT LAB)

This exclusive ENHYPEN VR concert experience is coming to none other than international cinema chain Odeon, which will be screening this event at one of its prime Manc locations: The Trafford Centre.

ENHYPEN are bringing ‘IMMERSION’, their first-ever VR concert experience, to Odeon Trafford Centre in Manchester from 19 September until 28 September.

You’ll catch us there ‘No Doubt’ – more information HERE.

In the meantime, why not read our review of ENHYPEN’s recent Manchester show, which served as yet more proof that we need to get properly into K-pop.

ENHYPEN at AO Arena, Manchester – They really do ‘Go Big or Go Home’

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

Featured Images – BELIFT LAB (supplied)/Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash) 

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