Homobloc, Manchester’s legendary queer rave for all, returns this November with another day-to-night party featuring a star-studded line-up of DJs and performers.
Reuniting the clans once again, on 4 November Homobloc is set to welcome artists, performers, spectators, and clubbers to come together and present one of the most extraordinary dancefloor coalitions of the LGBTQ+ community.
Featuring a roster of heavyweight live acts, headliners this year will include the 2023 Mercury Prize nominated artist Jessie Ware, Australian indie electro-pop band Confidence Man, and Canadian electroclash producer, Peaches.
Further headline DJ sets include performances from The Blessed Madonna, Romy, David Morales, Avalon Emerson, Horse Meat Disco, LSDXOXO, salute, SHERELLE and many, MANY more.
Credit: Homobloc 2023
The programming is a joint effort by many, including LGBTQ+ collectives from Manchester and beyond.
ADVERTISEMENT
The collectives and curation include work by Ghetto Fabulous, Creatures by Beau Azra, Miss Chief by Banksie and Strutty Bitch, who have been part of the Homobloc family since day one, as well as new collectives The Cavalcade and Drag Kings Of Manc.
Homobloc will take over the full expanse of Depot Mayfield, including the three main stages (Depot, Concourse, Archive), as well as expanding across to Temperance Street and into the historic Star & Garter pub.
ADVERTISEMENT
As if that wasn’t enough, this year it will also grow upwards as queer club icons Horse Meat Disco takes over the rooftop with a cinema screening, acoustic performances, pop-up shops, in-session podcasts, talks and more.
You can see the full lineup down below and, boy, what a treat you’re in for:
Rod Connolly, Promoter from Homobloc, said in a statement following the announcement of this year’s event: “It’s with great pleasure we unveil the most adventurous Homobloc line-up to date.
ADVERTISEMENT
“For 2023 we have straddled the edges of queer culture to introduce fresh new sounds and textures from the alternative music scene, aligning them with some of the biggest names in electronic and dance music to create a unique international party-busting with nitty-gritty northern queer energy.”
“The LGBTQ+ community has experienced another challenging year, particularly our Trans siblings who are facing a relentless wave of discrimination.
“Trans rights and liberation are under real threat and in response we are growing our charity partners this year to offer much-needed resources deep within the Trans community. We are also working on a cultural spaces charity partnership to support independent artists and creatives within the Salford and Greater Manchester area.”
As you can see, there’s so much more going on with this event than just the live music side and we simply can’t wait to see how big Depot Mayfield goes off this year.
Presale tickets for Homobloc 2023 go on sale at 10am Thursday, 3 August, with general admission going live at the same time on Friday, 4 August. Be ready and waiting to grab yours HERE.
The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve
Thomas Melia
One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.
The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.
With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.
With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.
The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.
Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.
This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?
In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.
With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.
Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.
Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin CompstonVicky McClure leading the dance routines
This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.
The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.
This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.
So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?
Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.
Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!
Sean Paul and Ashanti are hosting a massive Manchester show in 2025
Danny Jones
The one and only Sean Paul is coming to Manchester next year and we’re about to be smashing that buy ticket button it’ll be left sticking like glue.
A terrible pun, we know, we’re just very excited.
Better yet, he’s bringing a fantastic co-headliner along with him as fellow noughties and R’n’B throwback Ashanti will be sharing the stage too.
Landing at the AO Arena in spring 2025, they’ll be upping the ‘Temperature’ ahead of the summer and just in time for the festival season to start getting underway.
Having both enjoyed the scene for many years back in its 2000s heyday and each still boasting their own long-serving fan bases no matter how long it’s been, we wouldn’t think of this as a Sean Paul headline gig with a support act but two very special guests doing what they do best.
The Jamaican-born rap, reggae and dancehall artist as well as all-round popstar needs no introduction really but we’ll give him one anyway: you have to pronounce his name funny and he’s best known for countless club classics like ‘Got 2 Luv U’, ‘Get Busy’ and ‘Gimme The Light’, just to name a few.
Coming back to Manchester for basically a celebration of what many still revere as one of the golden eras for the genre will no doubt be an unbelievable night and playing the AO Arena after all this time is no mean feat.
General admission goes live from 10am, Friday 20 December but presale will be available for Three mobile users who want exclusive early access from Wednesday onwards from the same time.
The ‘Bring It’ Tour comes our way on 13 April 2025, with other dates including Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and a massive London show with Fat Joe joining too.
You can get ready to grab your tickets for Sean Paul and Ashanti’s AO Arena date HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
31st July 2023 
