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Country 2 Country music festival is coming to Manchester next year

Yee to the haw.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 12th March 2026

Hold on to your cowboy hats, country fans: the smash-hit Country 2 Country music festival is coming to Manchester.

The massive live music festival specialising in all things country, folk, bluegrass, Americana and more has slowly been expanding its presence across the UK and Ireland over the last decade or so.

Starting in London at the O2 Arena, before hitting the Emerald Isle in 2015 and debuting in Scotland just three years later, it has seen some of the biggest acts from the world of country music cross the Atlantic to show off the Stateside genre, plus plenty from around the globe already immersed in the culture.

We’ll confess, even prior to the official announcement, we had a feeling this was coming when we spotted these posters dotted about in town:

Like so many of those buzzing in the comments, we cannot wait for this to come around.

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With this year’s respective events taking place simultaenously place over the coming weekend, Friday, 13 to Sunday, 15 March, it’s fair to say they’ve timed the news perfectly.

Everyone from established names such as Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, to up-and-coming bands as well as fast-rising artists working in and around the genre, like Nate Smith, Lainey Wilson and, of course, the now well and truly massive Luke Combs.

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For instance, the likes of Keith Urban, Noah Rinker, Alana Springsteen – no relation – Zach Top and many, MANY more, are playing across London, the OVO Hydro in Glasgow and Belfast’s SSE Arena for the 12th edition of the now annual celebration.

Set to arrive in our city centre for the very first time, Country 2 Country (C2C) will be making its Manc debut at none other than the legendary AO Arena, where so many of the biggest names and current generation of stars alike have played.

You only have to look at recent examples like Darius Rucker last year and the ever-growing Tyler Childers, helping kick off this season of country gigs here in Manchester.

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Meanwhile, as you can see for Country 2 Country music fest’s Manchester debut, it’s coming in March 2027, and they’ll be teaming up with other local gig venues and bars to turn 0161 into a little slice of Broadway – we just hope we get a bit of Austin weather to boot.

It’s fair to say that this particular part of the music industry is definitely enjoying a big boom right now, with lots of different acts dipping their toes into the bayou, if you will.

However, C2C have been flying the flag for country music over here for ages now, and with it being hailed as remaining “one of the UK’s most spectacular annual festivals” by the likes of The Express and countless, among countless other reviews, we think it’s time you give it a go.

Better still, let’s show everyone that we can do it even better up North, and here in what everyone knows is Britain’s real musical home: Greater Manchester.

Tickets will be available from 10am next Friday, 20 March, and you can sign up to get early bird pre-sale
access right HERE.

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Credit: Niko Moon/Luke Dyson Photography (supplied)

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Featured Images — Niko Moon/Luke Dyson/Anthony Mooney (supplied via SJM Concerts)

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Andy Burnham’s favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Andy Burnham's favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast

Andy Burnham’s favourite pub, restaurant, neighbourhood, and Sunday roast have been revealed – and the man’s got taste.

Old footage of now-PM Andy Burnham chatting to content creator Isaac Likes has been doing the rounds again, and while the interview dates back to before Andy left us and headed down to the big smoke, his Manchester recommendations still stand.

From his go-to neighbourhood and favourite pub to where he heads for a Sunday roast, and even the song he likes to play when he gets behind the decks, Burnham gave us a glimpse into his ideal Manchester day.

First up, there’s the Northern Quarter, which Burnham reckons has to be his favourite neighbourhood in the city.

He said: “Got to be the Northern Quarter. It’s the place where it’s all happening.”

When it comes to food, he singled out Firehouse, sitting on the edge of the Northern Quarter, as one of his favourite places to eat. He also gave a shoutout to its sister venue Ramona, where he’s been known to get behind the decks.

Andy said: “On the edge of the Northern Quarter, Firehouse is a place I love to go. Ramona Pizza, I’ve DJ’d there – if the mayor DJs there it’s gotta be alright.”

For a proper pint, Burnham’s choice is a little more traditional, saying his favourite pub is the ‘proper old school’ Peveril of the Peak.

The beautiful tiled pub was recently named the best in the UK, just days before its legendary landlady Nancy passed away.

When Sunday rolls around, Burnham said he has a couple of options up his sleeve. The Wharf in Castlefield gets a mention, as does Edinburgh Castle up in Ancoats.

The Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
The Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
The Edinburgh Castle has ranked highlight in the Top 50 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group
The Edinburgh Castle
Firehouse
Firehouse
Some of Andy Burnham’s favourite places in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

He said: “We love our gravy, we drink it by the pint in Manchester.”

Of course, no conversation with Burnham about Manchester would be complete without talking music.

Asked to name the best Manchester band of all time, he offered a few contenders – The Smiths, New Order, and, ultimately, The Stone Roses.

“The band I think are quintessentially Manchester is The Stone Roses. That was peak Manchester,” he said.

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Featured image: Shaun Peckham (via GMCA)

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Fontaines D.C. announce massive return to Manchester on new European tour

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Fontaines D.C. are heading back to Manchester on their new European tour

Fontaines D.C. have just announced their biggest headline tour to date, including a massive arena gig here in Manchester.

The wildly popular Irish rock band are set to play a whopping 20 arena shows across Europe and the UK this autumn.

The tour has been announced in celebration of their upcoming fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, which is set for release this October.

Fontaines D.C. will hit the road just five days after the album drops, kicking off their European tour in Lisbon on 21 October.

Then they’ll make their way over to the UK, with shows in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.

Fans in their home country of Ireland are told to stay tuned for live news very soon.

As we speak, Fontaines D.C. are warming up to play one of the country’s biggest festivals, with headline slots at Reading & Leeds Festival.

They’ve already released Marianne, the first single from their new album, and frontman Grian Chatten says of the album: “The album itself is a dopamine chamber. You step inside and we test these different mind- or mood-altering pieces of music on you.”

The new record has been recorded between London, the English countryside, and Palermo, where Chatten recorded vocals in a makeshift booth built from mattresses and cushions.

He said: “There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity.”

Tickets will go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 3 September, with pre-sale live from 10am on Tuesday 1 September.

You can access tickets for Fontaines D.C. in Manchester HERE.

Fans who pre-order Dopamine Chamber from the official store by 6pm on Monday 31 August will gain access to the UK pre-sale.

Fontaines D.C. UK tour dates in full

  • Friday 20 November – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
  • Saturday 21 November – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
  • Sunday 22 November – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
  • Tuesday 24 November – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
  • Wednesday 25 November – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Friday 27 November – London, UK – The O2 Arena

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Featured image: Elizaveta Porodina

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