We’re quite literally doing somersaults because one of the very best music festivals in the North and possibly the entire UK if you ask us, Green Island Festival, is returning to Manchester for 2025 and we cannot wait.
The predominantly outdoor summer music celebration has grown a fiercely loyal cult following over the years and now entering its fifth year, they’re making sure that the rather fitting wood anniversary of the forest-like festival is the biggest yet.
With the first wave now out and the weather shaping up nicely (no, we don’t know that for sure, but we’re manifesting nothing but good vibes from here on out… ), the festival season can’t come soon enough.
For anyone still not clued up just yet, the fast-growing Manchester-based festival based over at Hulme Community Garden Centre is a three-part music series spread across three months.
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With a trio of day-into-night festivals taking place once a month over a busy summer period for gigs and events, it’s one of the best-organised bits of live entertainment you’ll find in all the 10 boroughs.
As mentioned, 2025 marks Green Island’s fifth birthday, born with the mission of creating a space to platform and celebrate the flourishing scene of musicians and DJs in the North, as well as platforming sounds around the globe, with artists from as far and wide as Tanzania and Cuba taking to their stages.
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Having started out as just a 150-person capacity event with just two stages back in 2021, the four years since have seen the festival grow massively and become not only a staple event for the local community but the Manc grassroots music scene as a whole.
Championing multiculturalism, individualism and music in all its diversity of sounds and forms, with unrivalled up-close performances and a charming and welcoming atmosphere, Hulme Garden Centre serving as a shining example of a crucial community and arts space makes for the perfect venue.
Here’s the lineup so far:
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Green Island Fest 2025 is going to go OFF. (Credit: Press Images)
Spanning four stages this year a record max limit of 1,500 people per day – yes, as in 10x the number of punters it started out with – we can’t wait to see the level up.
You’ll navigate between the plants and trees to discover the various stages, each with a unique atmosphere and showcasing different sounds, as well as a block party occupying nearby Warwick Street.
For wave one of the lineup: June will see DnB hero DRS headlining the Main Stage, joined by a full 11-piece band for a very special performance on his home turf. With over 25 years of discography, he’ll be shutting down the stage with old-school gems as well as fresh releases.
Also gracing the stage will be The Zawose Queens, set to bring a slice of Eastern Africa to Manchester with their enchanting fluid polyrhythms and rapturous polyphonic singing of the Gogo (aka Wagogo) people of the Dodoma region of central Tanzania, plus tonnes more.
July presents a couple of our favourites from the most recent Manchester Jazz Festival (MJF); Conor Michael & The GreensKeepers will bring their lively blend of hip-hop and jazz, as well as poet turned rapper Meduulla, who featured on our Manc Artists of the Month back in July, will be both be in tow.
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As for the third and final event in September, the story is very much a similar one, as our MJF 2024 pick of the bunch, a.k.a. the nine-piece powerhouse of players, producers and composers that is Nubiyan Twist will be bringing their infectious, free-flowing ‘jazztastic Afro-kissed funk’ and groove to the party.
Whether you’re there from the start whilst half of Manchester and beyond else is over at Parklife this year, or you’re there for the final chapter, we can guarantee you one thing: you will never have been to a live music event quite like this and you WILL have the time of your life.
Block parties are cool and all that but the Forest stage is where it’s at, just FYI… (Credit: Supplied)
The rest of the lineup is still yet to be announced, so keep your eyes peeled for wave two over the coming months. Plus, if you or someone you know is looking to book their first-ever festival slot, they can send in samples of their music/mixes to register their interest in being part of it.
We call that grassroots and supporting local artists in action.
The three-part series of day festivals will return on 7 June to celebrate its fifth anniversary, with the sophomore event on 2 August and a final closing party on 6 September 2025.
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Pre-sale is already live with general sale available from on Friday, 28 February, with tier one tickets priced at £25; tier two at £30 and T3 at £35.
Best of all, not only will there be low-income and neighbours ticket options priced at just £12.50, to ensure accessibility for all and local community inclusion, but entry for children under 12 is completely FREE – because music is for everyone and they want to encourage families to come and dance together.
Get ready to grab your tickets for Green Island 2025 HERE.
Madison Beer announces massive Manchester show at Co-op Live arena
Danny Jones
Yes, not long after a breakout period in her career, rising pop star Madison Beer has announced an extensive series of arena shows, including one right here in Manchester at Co-op Live.
Heading to major cities in mainland Europe before arriving here in the UK for just a pair of British shows and then moving on to North America, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter has gone from playing small rooms just a few short years ago to now playing some of the biggest rooms an artist could hope for.
Madison Beer got her first taste of fame after Justin Bieber shared her YouTube cover of Etta James’ ‘At Last’ way back in 2012, but it’s been quite the journey for the New York-born vocalist over the past decade or so.
Announcing the new tour in support of her third studio LP, Locket, which is scheduledfor release later this week (16 January), Beer will be coming to Manchester in late spring.
Confirming the concert themeslves, the venue wrote: “Two-time GRAMMY-nominated, platinum-selling artist Madison Beer is heading to Co-op Live with the locket tour.
“This tour marks the first time her forthcoming new album, locket [stylised in all lowercase] will be played live for the masses.”
Best known for tracks like ‘Selfish’, ‘make you mine’, as well as her most recent singles ‘yes baby’ and bittersweet’, she has hundreds of millions of followers all over the world and across her Instagram and TikTok platforms alone.
With that in mind, booking a room as big as Co-op Live was only a matter of time, really.
Madison will be arriving in Manchester on 31 May and bringing along a trio of rotating support acts with her on the road.
As you can see, Cuban-American alt-pop singer Isabel LaRosa will be joining her fellow contemporaries on stage later this year.
Just 21 years old, she might be a few years behind Beer, but she still has a passionate cult following of her own, even at such a young age.
The pre-sale window for Madison Beer’s Manchester gig at Co-op Live will be available to official members from 10am on Monday, 19 January, or by signing up/pre-ordering via her mailing list.
As for general admission, tickets will go live at the same time the following Wednesday (21 Jan). You can get ready to grab yours HERE.
It really is a great time for pop music once again – so much so that even themed nights centred entirely around smash-hit albums are being put on…
Featured Images — Justin Higuchi (via Flickr)/Press shot (supplied)
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Huge artists announce intimate charity gigs for BRITs Week 26 for War Child
Daisy Jackson
A huge line-up of intimate charity shows from some of the world’s hottest artists has been announced, ahead of the BRIT Awards coming to Manchester.
BRITs Week 26 for War Child will see major artists playing their most intimate shows, taking over grassroots venues across the UK.
These exclusive shows are in aid of War Child, to help fund aid, education, and specialist mental health support for the rights of children whose lives have been affected by war.
Posters have been popping up all around Manchester announcing the upcoming shows, and now the full line-up has been released.
The BRITs Week 26 for War Child will see artists including Fatboy Slim, Myles Smith, and Josh Baker performing at intimate venues in cities such as Manchester, Nottingham, and Newcastle.
Also joining the gig series this year are Lambrini Girls, Jacob Alon, kwn, Rossi., Jack Savoretti and Katherine Jenkins OBE.
The gig series, delivered by DHL, will be the biggest yet and offers fans a chance to see one-off performances from some of the most exciting names in music in smaller, iconic venues, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s vital work.
Previous War Child gigs locally have included Manc music icons The 1975 performing at the 550-capacity Gorilla.
BRITs Week will take place around The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard, taking place on Saturday 28 February at the Co-op Live – the first time in the awards’ 50-year-history that it’s left the capital city behind.
The very special opening night show on 12 February will see Grammy Award-winning Fatboy Slim performing at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle.
And up here in Manchester, War Child has teamed up with The Warehouse Project to put on two nights at YES – one with Mixmag’s Year Defining DJ Josh Baker, and the other with DJ Mag’s One to Watch Rossi.
Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks.
Clare Sanders-Wright, Head of Live Music at War Child, said: “BRITs Week is back for its 13th year, and once again the lineup is nothing short of extraordinary. The atmosphere at these shows is always electric, with fans getting the rare opportunity to experience their favourite artists up close in some of the UK’s most beloved intimate venues.
“Right now, one in five children globally are living with the devastating impact of war. That’s more than 520 million children worldwide, facing violence no child should ever have to endure.
“I want to extend a huge thank you to the artists and their teams for giving their time, passion and talent to make these shows possible. Their support helps War Child continue our vital work to protect, educate and stand up for children caught in conflict, and to champion our message that No Child Should Be Part of War. Ever.”
The full lineup for BRITs Week 26 for War Child is below
12 February – Fatboy Slim – Boiler Shop, Newcastle
16 February – Lambrini Girls – The Garage, London
24 February – Myles Smith – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
25 February – Jack Savoretti and Katherine Jenkins OBE – Emerald Theatre, London
25 February – kwn – Patterns, Brighton
25 February – Josh Baker – YES, Manchester
26 February – Rossi. – YES, Manchester
27 February – Jacob Alon – Music Hall at Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
Fans can sign up to the War Child pre-sale HERE, which closes at 3pm Wednesday 14 Jan. Pre-sale begins 10am on Thursday 15 January.
General sale then begins at 10am on Friday 16 January HERE.
There are also £10 prize draws to win tickets to all shows open HERE.
Danny Jones -
25th February 2025 
