Manchester is about to get blessed by the music gods this summer as our annual free jazz festival is making its way to the city centre very soon.
Whether it’s the rich and creamy vocals of Raye that feel like a warm embrace or the lively and energetic horns of Ezra Collective that get you on your feet instantly, jazz is beloved among us Brits.
Jazz aficionados and music lovers alike are welcome to rejoice in the resounding rhythms of this special genre for free as Manchester Jazz Festival returns for an equally special anniversary.
This iconic festival, commonly abbreviated to MJF, has been blasting out triumphant horns, piano riffs, vocal scats and more for a whopping 30 years, and they’re inviting everyone to party with them.
Manchester Jazz Festival is returning to the city centre this May.This year, Manchester Jazz Festival are celebrating their milestone 30th birthday.Credit: Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Manchester Jazz Festival is taking over First Street with tonnes of family friendly activities, food and drink vendors and, of course, lots of live music.
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So much live music that they don’t just have one stage; in fact, this summertime festival will be spread across three different stages with a sweet selection of over 20 different bands too.
This year sees the event running across three dates next month, all aimed at featuring the very best homegrown contemporary jazz artists, with a showcase for rising stars on the final day.
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We got to see the likes of Nubiyan Twist, adopted Manc favourites Conor & The GreensKeepers, Mercury Prize-nominated Corto Alto and tonnes more last time around.
The first batch of activities that will be taking place on 16 May include crafting with the geniuses from Plant, an ‘interactive Alice in Wonderland show’ and even a free yoga session.
Of course, there will be plenty more announcements and updates to follow, but this is already set to be a vibrant and exciting three-day party dedicated to keeping everything groovy.
In order to keep Manchester Jazz Festival ‘jazzin up your summer since ’96‘, they rely on donations to make the event accessible for all, support northern artists and keep running incredible creative projects.
That’s why, to celebrate this festival’s milestone birthday, a ‘£30 for 30’ campaign has been set up to raise money for the charity, which you can contribute to as you like.
Manchester Jazz Festival is returning for 2025 throughout First Street and further out into Manchester city centre from 16-18 May; best of all, as mentioned, the large majority of shows are completely free with no prior booking required.
However, if you’d like to keep attending events such as this, once again, you can pledge a donation to their ‘£30 for 30’ campaign, and it really does make a big difference.
You can check out the full lineup and events programme HERE.
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MJF 2025 is set to be packed with all the usual groovy tunes and fun activities.Smiles all round, especially when you’re watching live entertainment at this impressive festival.Credit: Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Featured Images — Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Audio
Lady Gaga is a tour-de-force of talent at the Co-op Live Manchester
Clementine Hall
Lady Gaga proves she’s a truly world-class act after two sold-out nights at the Co-op Live Manchester, as if we needed any reminding.
The city of Manchester has been flooded with harness-wearing, mesh-sporting little monsters over the past two days.
And that’s because the absolute icon that is Lady Gaga brought her ‘Mayhem Ball’ to the Co-op Live for two nights.
I don’t think you’ll find anyone who doesn’t know who this fabulous woman is. Over the past decade, she’s won an Oscar, headlined the Super Bowl, performed in blockbusters alongside Al Pacino, no less, and her songs are literally ingrained into our minds.
It’s been a whole 11 years (yes, really) since she performed in Manchester, and it’s safe to say she was back with a bang.
The performance was split up into five distinct acts, and each one was as exhausting and exhilarating as the next.
She begins the show by bopping out of a comically huge red dress, but this staging was only the start of what madness was about to ensue.
Luckily, we’d been prepared by the other half of the Audio North team, who had the equal privilege of seeing her on night one and were left similarly speechless.
Throughout the 30-song epic, we had crutches, sand pits, cages, skeletons, enough wigs to produce an amateur production of Annie, and we didn’t question any of it. Why would we? It’s Lady Gaga.
Kicking things off with ‘Bloody Mary’, the two and a half hour marathon didn’t leave any stones unturned.
We had all the bangers, from ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Paparazzi’ to ‘Bad Romance’ and ‘Applause’, it had us wondering why any other superstar even bothers putting a song out these days.
Pop is in a good place at the moment with the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and so on, but you can make a strong case for Gaga having helped pave the way for every lady in the business ever since.
Gaga truly had us in the palm of her hands (or claws at one point), even more so when she left the stage to de-robe and show her more vulnerable side for the last two songs – beanie firmly on.
It wasn’t just a concert: this was a fully-fledged tour de force of talent that Manchester won’t forget any time soon.
Sometimes there’s no point in intellectualising why someone has that ‘X-factor’; sometimes you just have to take a step back and say WOW.
Manchester nightclub clamps down on no-phones policy after ‘disappointing’ rule breakers
Daisy Jackson
Amber’s, a nightclub in Manchester with a strict no-filming policy inside, has shared a strict new set of rules to prevent people using their phones.
The venue says it’s seen an ‘increased amount of phones on the dance floor’ despite its very clear policy against such a thing.
That’s included a recent set from Fred Again, where videos of his show were all over social media the next day.
Amber’s has said it’s ‘disappointing’ to see people flouting the rules of the space, leading to the venue introducing a zero tolerance policy.
Fans who are caught filming on their phones will be asked to leave Amber’s on the spot – no second chances.
There’ll even be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, to protect the ‘vibe of the space’.
“If you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s,” they shared.
Amber’s wrote in a statement today: “Since our launch back in December, we have made it very clear that we are a No Phones venue. We want to create an experience for everyone where they are present in the moment and not distracted by phones.
“While the majority of people that attend Amber’s keep their phones away, there are a select few that don’t.
“This is of course disappointing.
“Over the recent weeks and months, we have seen an increased amount of phones filming on the dancefloor and we are aware of numerous videos shot on phone appearing online.
“To those that come to Amber’s and respect our house rules, thank you, you are contributing to an incredible vibe in the room.
“For those that don’t, we ask that you think about the space and the people around you before removing your stickers.
“The rules previously have been that if you are seen filming on your phone, you are politely asked to stop, if you are seen again, you are asked to leave the venue.
“From now on, as a renewed pledge to our No Phones policy, if you are seen recording in the venue, you will be asked to leave, there will be no second chances.
“There will now be extra members of staff patrolling the venue, ensuring that the vibe of the space is protected and if you are spotted at any point across the night using your phone to record, you will no longer be permitted inside Amber’s.
“Open your mind. Honour the concept. Respect the space.”
Thomas Melia -
10th April 2025 
