The return of Homobloc is on the horizon and some big names have been added to the 2024 lineup, not least of all, LGBTQ+ icon, Christine and the Queens.
Presented by Homoelectric and nestled in amongst the action of The Warehouse Project’s jam-packed annual programming, Homobloc is one of the most highly-anticipated events on the Manc music and cultural calendar – and it’s no wonder.
Since the likes of The Blessed Madonna, Confidence Man, Horse Meat Disco and salute; Honey Dijon, Hot Chip, Self Esteem and many more have all played the cult-favourite club night over the past few years, it’s gaining a real reputation.
With that being said, the pressure is on every year to improve upon or at least match the lineup from the year before and we can confirm the team behind Homobloc has secured another stellar selection of artists for 2024.
Topping the bill, you can’t go wrong with the ever-creative, critically acclaimed and immaculately cool Christine and the Queens will lead the Homobloc proceedings. Make no mistake, it’s a big deal having a name of this size headlining.
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He will be joined by London-born hyperpop icon Shygirl, who presents her latest Club Shy project: Swedish singer and record producer COBRAH, making her Manchester debut alongside the rhythm-shifting sounds of Olof Dreijer of The Knife.
In addition, they will be joined by the likes of Moonchild Sanelly following an amazing performance at this year’s Glastonbury, as well as queer Manchester rapper OneDa, Chinese producer and artist Alice Longyu Gao, not to mention a special collab between Pxssy Palace and US rapper Mykki Blanco.
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Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg: there will be several other DJ sets throughout the venue and beyond, including Job Jobse b2b Saoirse, 2manydjs b2b Confidence Man, Tiga; HorsegiirL, HAAi, Chloé Caillet and Horse Meat Disco, with live sets from I.Jordan, Christeene, LSDXOXO and more.
Spanning the full breadth of Depot Mayfield‘s main stages (Depot, Concourse, Archive) and more such as the beloved Plant Room, the historic Star and Garter Pub and the Loft – a unique rooftop space set to be taken over by Studio 54 icon Nicky Siano – there will be a whole host of genres on display.
And last but not least, completing what will be arguably the most dynamic and boundary-pushing Homobloc yet, the 2024 lineup will also feature curation and performance art by LGBTQ+ collectives Ghetto Fabulous, Make Me Feel, House of Spice, Sue Veneers and many more.
Homobloc’s Creative Director Sophie Bee said of its return this winter: “It’s been a wild ride since the party started in 2019. The festival production has evolved so much and we’ve gone from half of Manchester plus the kitchen sink on stage, to choreographed pieces with global touring artists.
“Our research and development design team based at Islington Mill has been a place for experimentation allowing space for people’s imagination to flourish. It’s an honour to work on a collaborative, loving, fun spectacle, with such innovative producers from mixed art forms.
“This year there are some really beautiful production moments that we can’t wait to share with all our family, friends and community.”
Homobloc 2024 returns to Depot Mayfield on Saturday, 9 November and, in true all-day and all-nighter fashion, is set to run from 2pm-4am, so you best be prepared to party. Pre-sale goes live at 10am this Thursday, 15 August, and general admission tickets at the same time on Friday, 16 August.
Featured Images — Tom Hancock (Tower Hamlets Council via Flickr)/WHP (Supplied)
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Appeal launched to find the owner of live chickens found at Creamfields festival
Daisy Jackson
The hunt is on to find the owner of a pair of chickens who were discovered at Creamfields festival.
The two birds were spotted on the grounds of the huge electronic music festival by bewildered festival-goers.
The cockerel and hen were trapped in a hedge, after it appears they wandered onto the festival campsite before the security barriers were installed.
The birds then found themselves trapped inside as around 70,000 music fans poured into Cheshire for a line-up that included Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Disclosure, and Tiësto.
The chickens have been safely rescued from the Creamfields festival site and are recovering at a wildlife centre, and now the RSPCA is on a mission to find their owner.
Festival-goers first called the RSPCA on Saturday 29 August to alert them to the cockerel and hen trapped inside the festival, one of whom assisted in the rescue mission.
RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper: “I was surprised that they were inside the festival site and I needed to get through the road blocks and security before reaching them on foot through muddy fields. I met the caller who helped me as they were just running up and down the hedge line where there was a wire fence blocking access.
Where the chickens were discovered at CreamfieldsThe RSPCA wants to track their owners down
“We managed to guide them out and I caught both of them with my rescue net which was a bit of a sight for the festival campers.
“I don’t think they were abandoned and they’re more likely to be stray because it’s farmland all around the festival site. They don’t have any health issues, apart from being quite underweight.
“With the fences going up a week before the festival starts they’d probably been unable to get out for some time and had been left foraging in the hedge. Someone mentioned that a third bird was also trapped, although we couldn’t find any others.
“I am really grateful to the festival-goer who found them and alerted us to their plight.”
Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
Danny Jones -
13th August 2024 
