The Alternative Manchester Pride Festival will stream live music and DJ sets direct to people’s homes. Otherwise, there are a few other ways in which you can celebrate in the city.
The majority of this summer’s events have been scrapped for 2020, and Manchester Pride is no exception.
Sadly, there’ll be no parade this year, but a global pandemic won’t stop this city’s glitterball spinning.
There are still plenty of reasons to get into the Pride party mood this week if you choose to celebrate from the comfort and safety of your living room.
As Manchester is experiencing continued local lockdown restrictions, the usual Canal Street antics have moved online this bank holiday – with the Alternative Manchester Pride Festival launching Friday 28 August to Monday 31 August.
The KAMPUS bungalow.
The LGBQT+ charity has put together three days of music and performances – all broadcast live from the new KAMPUS bungalow via United We Stream GM and YouTube.
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Saturday’s lineup features performances from Pride faves Pixie Lott, Karen Harding and Jodie Harsh, whilst on Sunday, there will be whole host of film showings, workshops and even YouTube yoga sessions.
KAMPUS, the new multi-use space developed by HBD overlooks Manchester’s Gay Village. It will be transformed into a studio as the main festival hub of activity.
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Adam Brady, Executive Director at HBD said: “KAMPUS is right next door to Canal Street, and the Village is one of our closest neighbours, so it seemed like the perfect fit for the festival to live stream from the Bungalow this weekend. We’ve been really impressed with the creativity and determination the charity has shown to deliver an event this year in such challenging circumstances.”
Alternative Manchester Pride Festival lineup
If you are able to venture out, bars in and around Canal Street will be open with outdoor seating and a limited capacity.
The Refuge have also announced their annual Come As You Are Weekender will return on Friday. To adhere to government guidelines, it will be a stripped-back, socially distanced edition.
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Homoelectric will take control of the soundtrack on the first night. The likes of Luke Unabomber and Gina Breeze will step up on Friday. Popular Manchester club night, High Hoops, ware set to share their hedonistic house and disco sound on Saturday. DJ Paulette, Massey, Abigail Ward and Kim Lana will close on Sunday.
Likewise, the new 600-capacity Escape to Freight Island in the grounds of Mayfield Depot is also holding its own Pride celebrations from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August.
Their three-day programme of music and drag opens with Bollox Queer Pride on Friday. Saturday and Sunday will see takeovers from House of Ghetto. Finally, Mix-Stress brings the affair to a climax on Sunday evening. The city’s newest venue is fully booked most nights despite being the newest kid on the scene. Book in advance if you want to make the trip.
Escape to Freight Island Pride weekend lineup.
Whatever you decide to do for Pride this weekend, stay safe and keep your distance.
For more information and the full Alternative Manchester Pride Festival schedule, visit the website here.
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Grammy-winning disco legend Purple Disco Machine is heading to Manchester for a huge gig
Daisy Jackson
Legendary German nu-disco and house producer Purple Disco Machine has a huge Manchester gig on the horizon, hot off the back of the release of his Paradise album.
The Grammy Award-winning artist’s latest release is packed with collaborations from some of the biggest names in music, including Nile Rodgers, Metronomy, Jake Shears, Duke Dumont, Sophie and the Giants, Nothing But Thieves and more.
And now he’s bringing his unforgettable disco vibes to a dance floor on our home turf, with a massive gig lined up at O2 Victoria Warehouse.
Set to take place on Friday 7 March, Purple Disco Machine will promise an incredible night of sizzling dance and house music, with support from Dan Shake, Oden & Fatzo Live!, and Urbi.
His irresistible sound includes hits like Hypnotised, Dished (Male Stripper) and, never one to miss a trend, an addictive remix of I’m Just Ken from the Barbie soundtrack.
His other remixes have included tracks for Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John, Mark Ronson, Calvin Harris, Fatboy Slim and Britney Spears.
And of course there’s that Grammy win for his remix of Lizzo’s About Damn Time.
On Paradise, he’s released tonnes more addictive disco beats, notably Substitution with Julian Perretta, and Honey Boy with Nile Rodgers.
And live, Purple Disco Machine has cut his teeth on the British festival circuit, including recently joining Fisher at his headline Gunnersbury Park show in London.
Now a multi-platinum-selling artist, with more than two billion streams worldwide, the Paradise tour is set to take Manchester by storm.
Purple Disco Machine will be at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on Friday 7 March – you can get tickets HERE.
A club night dedicated to the emo anthems of your youth is heading to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Manchester, prepare to dust off your stompers and dig out your fingerless gloves, and get ready to party to the biggest emo anthems into the early hours.
A club night dedicated to 00s Emo Anthems is heading back to one of the city’s most iconic venues this spring.
Black Parade will be taking over the O2 Ritz Manchester for a night of pure noughties punk, running all the way from 9pm until 1am.
That’s four hours packed with party anthems from the likes of My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Blink-182 and loads more.
On Friday 11 April, Black Parade will promise a playlist that’s filled with hits from the biggest names in emo.
That list also includes Taking Back Sunday, Bring Me The Horizon, Panic! At The Disco, The Used, All American Rejects, Jimmy Eat World, Linkin Park, Enter Shikari, You Me At Six, Pierce The Veil and loads more.
Black Parade has been running for eight years in venues all over the UK, even featuring at the mighty Download Festival for all that time, taking the prime spot in The Doghouse.
Black Parade, a club night dedicated to 00s emo music, is heading back to Manchester
And now it’s Manchester’s turn to rock out like it’s 2005 again.
I can’t be the only one who still remembers all the words to I Write Sins Not Tragedies, surely…
If you spent your teenage years sleeping beneath a poster of Gerard Way and scouring the shops for that perfect checkerboard belt for your skinny jeans, or if you just developed a love for this elite genre of music at any stage of life, this is the club night for you.
Maybe just step away from the boxed black hair dye this time around…
Black Parade – 00s Emo Anthems will take place at the O2 Ritz Manchester on Friday 11 April, from 9pm to 1am.
Hannah Starkie -
26th August 2020 
