Green Island is the Manc music festival you’re all missing out on — and it’s in a garden centre
They don't need any promotion, it sells every time without fail — but we're still going to shout about it anyway because you NEED to get a ticket to this thing.
We’ll be completely honest, we didn’t quite know what to expect when we first stepped foot into Green Island Festival back in June of this year; a festival in the middle of a community garden centre, who the hell put those two things together?
Believe us when we tell you we were by no means prepared for how much of a good time we ended up having after going along for our first visit and we can now confidently say we’ll be going along again.
For those of you who have never heard anything about Green Island Fest, that’s about as close to ‘does what it says on the tin’ as you can get with these kinds of things: every year, Hulme Community Garden Centre turns into this almost tropical island of music, dancing, food, drink, plants and so much more.
Now held over a trio of dates every summer since 2021, the annual festival takes over what is a beloved community and cultural institution down the road in Hulme and turns into almost a small-scale Glasto set amongst a green space just outside the city. It’s simply unlike anything we’ve ever been to before.
One of the first things that struck us about this festival as we walked into the venue, besides the abundance of colour and greenery — something that gave us an instance dose of happiness to start off the day — was, with the best will in the world, how almost casually thrown together a lot of it felt.
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There were no big queues, barriers or large signs segmenting each section or stage, you just kind of strolled into this sun-soaked and extremely wholesome-looking party already in full swing and, fittingly, felt like you were being led down the garden path into a different world.
A table here and a tent there, people just sitting on a log, a patch of grass or even a bed of chamomile where you could rest your head and relax as you gazed up at the blue sky, everything felt a little bit slapdash in the best kind of way, somehow putting us at ease and exciting us at the same time.
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One of the parts we often dread about festivals is the organisation: getting there and navigating the event once you’re inside. While we know a lot of planning goes into making Green Island as wonderful as it is, it feels very free-form and spontaneous — always the recipe for the very best nights, in our opinion.
Fun for all the family (no, really)
And then there was the crowd, which was a wonderful mix of all different ages, cultures and backgrounds. We were told that this was a family-friendly event, but we really didn’t expect to see a dad with a child wearing ear defenders strapped to his chest as they laughed and danced along to baby’s first rave.
Turn one corner and you’d find people dancing to the wide variety of live music, but turn the next and you’d see kids playing, potting plants with their parents and dancing along with all the grown-ups. We weren’t joking about the wholesomeness, it was genuinely one of the cutest things we’ve ever seen.
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It was also completely accessible, meaning people with wheelchairs and mums pushing prams had no problem coming along to enjoy themselves. In fact, we had two new parents with and we’re pretty sure they had an even better time than we did — those customisable cocktails and Midori dumplings was all they needed (get the paloma, trust us).
Even more charming was the fact that you’d occasionally see someone pushing a wheelbarrow past or doing some pruning in a greenhouse and it was at that point that we realised that the garden centre itself was running as usual and hadn’t shut down to make room for the festival. They’re one and the same.
A stage for all seasons and the nightime transformation
Now, you can’t talk about Green Island Festival without talking about the music itself and let me tell you, we had the BEST time singing and dancing along to pretty much every genre of music you could hope for across it’s three areas: the main stage, the forest stage and the third which hosts a rotation of takeovers.
Teaming up with BBC Introducing and various up-and-coming artists both local and from all across the UK, we got to listen to everything from rap, grime and R&B to indie, ska, funk, soul, techno, house and plenty more. We know it sounds unlikely but we didn’t hear a bad act all day long either, seriously.
If we had to pick a favourite, it would have to be the forest stage which made us feel like we’d been transported to some random disco jungle on the other side of the world and once the sun went down, we might as well have been at The Warehouse Project. It was an absolutely unmatchable vibe.
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And then there was the afterparty over at Canvas which ran until late and we’re not going to spoil for you, but all you need to know is that we had an amazing time and never wanted it to end. To be honest, that would be our main takeaway from the festival as a whole, we’ve genuinely become its biggest fans.
From the folks at Seven Brothers slinging drinks across the multiple bars, the independent food traders serving burritos, butties and plenty of other top scran, to the staff at Hulme Garden centre’s in-house Cafe Sorrel, everyone working at this thing helped make it a truly special event
And the best part is, this year’s event isn’t even over yet…
There might not be many tickets left for Volume II on Saturday, 29 July, but you can always try and grab one for the third and final day of Green Island Festival 2023 HERE.
We’ll see you there for nothing but good times and greenery!
A Salford student has made history as BBC Radio 1’s newest presenter
Danny Jones
A University of Salford student has made history after becoming the latest radio presenter for mainstream national station BBC Radio 1.
And he’s only 20 years old.
Matt Hallsworth from Harleston in Norfolk has become the first ever Salford student to sign a contract with the station whilst still studying, and is now set to join fellow alumni such as Vicky Hawkesworth and Katie Thistleton in working for the BBC’s biggest radio station.
If that isn’t hitting the ground running in your career, then we don’t know what is.
👏 We are delighted to share that BA Television and Radio Production student Matt Hallsworth has made history as our first current student to sign as a presenter for @BBCR1!
— School of Arts, Media & Creative Technology (@UoS_ArtsMedia) March 27, 2025
Set to host the spin-off online stream ‘Radio 1 Anthems’ – available via BBC’s digital Sounds platform, which hosts live and pre-recorded broadcasts, podcasts, music playlists and more – Hallsworth will be taking charge of several shows in the coming weeks.
The BA Television and Radio Production student, who is currently Head of Radio at the University’s in-house station Shock Radio, has already won a number of awards in his fledgling broadcast career and is now set to present a total of 16 shows through next month, starting from 8am on Tuesday, 2 April.
Matt has already had a glimpse of life at the BBC, having joined in as one of their Christmas Presenters back in December; he won the coveted slot after being crowned winner of ‘Best Presenter’ at last year’s Student Radio Awards (SRAs) and was the youngest out of a total 27 guest hosts that got the chance.
In addition to that accolade, he also collected the Gold Award for ‘Best Chart Show’ at the 2024 SRAs, with his on-air partner and fellow student Issy Brand also joining him in earning the title of ‘Best On-Air Team’ for the second year in a row in the International Student Broadcasting Championship.
Since then, he’s already enjoyed experience as a freelance presenter for nearby Hits Radio, working and is now the lead host officer for The Student Radio Association’s annual conference over in Salford.
Speaking on the unbelievable opportunity, the rising radio star said: “I am so excited to be joining the BBC Radio 1 Anthems family across April! Since the stream’s launch in October, it’s been evident the BBC is using it as a platform to nurture new presenters, and I feel thrilled to be able to join that.
“I was working on some university assignment work in January when I got the text and call from Aled [Hayden Jones, Head of Station at BBC Radio 1], with feedback from my Christmas show and offering the opportunity.
“The shows have the best playlists, full of songs that I grew up with, forgot about, and play anyway. I can’t wait for people to hear them.”
As for UoS‘s Programme Leader for BA TV and Radio Production, Louise Ready-Syrat, she says: “I’m hugely proud and pleased for Matt, he is such a lovely person and a huge talent that will be amazing in every capacity.
“Watching his development over his time with us on the BA Television and Radio Production course has been a privilege and a real inspiration to his fellow students.
“Always quick to help out on our Open Days, award shows and as Head of Shock Radio, he has proven himself to be a true professional and a genuinely great guy! Super pleased for him, he will smash this!”
Lyndon Saunders, Senior Lecturer and Subject Group Head for Broadcast Media, went on to add: “As soon as we heard Matt take to the student airwaves at Salford, we knew he would be snapped up by somebody big before too long. It’s just amazing to discover that he’s going national on BBC Radio 1.
“He’s so hard working, so determined, but so humble about his on air talent. I’ve worked with Matt in a producer capacity as well and he has an incredible work ethic – a gift for the journalism and storytelling side of radio too. In short, radio is in his veins, and we’re thrilled he’s making his dream a reality.”
You’ve done your department, Salford and Greater Manchester as a whole proud, Matt – we look forward to hearing you on the airwaves for years to come!
As far as universities go, UoS continues to be a brilliant proving ground for up-and-coming media talent.
The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess to host ‘Merch Market’ in aid of bands
Thomas Melia
Tim Burgess, frontman of legendary band The Charlatans, is set to launch a one-off ‘Merch Market’ event, and its core purpose is to support bands.
He might have a ‘Jesus Hairdo’ but he’s currently serving as a good Samaritan as The Charlatans‘ Tim Burgess is putting on an event solely focusing on funding bands via gig merch and other apparel.
Running across a variety of live music locations within Manchester city centre, the day-long event is called ‘Merch Market’, and it’s encouraging music lovers and bands alike to tag along.
Although ticket sales, album sales and streams are critical in funding the careers of all the artists we know and love, one key drive in securing actual revenue in the music industry is merchandise.
Expect to pick up some rare finds and own some limited edition collections.Band merch will be front and centre at this event which is hosted by The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess.Credit: The Hoot/Audio North
‘Merch Market’ is taking place at O2 Ritz as well as adjacent venues Gorilla and Dog Bowl across the road with a special appearance from ‘Tim Peak’s Diner’, the caffeinated brainchild of Tim Burgess.
The whole point of this event is to make sure that bands can receive the full 100% of merch sales without any cuts from any third party.
Fronted by The Charlatans lead singer Tim Burgess, ‘Merch Market’ is building off his 2021 gathering, which had a similar initiative with ‘Vinyl Adventure’ encouraging the sale of physical music and media.
Alongside stocking up your wardrobe with all the latest band t-shirts, hoodies and everything in between, there will be an array of interesting performances and talks happening throughout the day.
Entry to this incredible celebration of bands is completely free of charge and, better still, there are chances to win some seriously cool prizes – including some tasty festival tickets.
Gorilla is one of the live music venues that ‘Merch Market’ is taking place at.The Manc and Antony Szmierek outside O2 RItz, another venue which will be taking part in ‘Merch Market’.Credit: The Manc Group
Expect stalls, live DJ sets, interviews, panels and even a chance to bag yourself VIP tickets for UK festival, Kendal Calling, which Burgess will be returning for 2025.
Burgess is a man of many talents as he will not only be hosting this fantastic initiative, but he will also be hosting a stall of his own and singing a couple of his biggest hits.
Bands don’t have to worry about forking out a fortune for renting a stall either as tables at ‘Merch Market’ are free, the only thing musicians have to bring is their merch and charming personalities.
So whether you’re an artist with leftover stock from your last tour or a music lover who just missed out on snagging a snap back, head down to these three venues on 25 May.
Danny Jones -
22nd July 2023 
