One of the most-anticipated gigs of the summer is upon us, with Liam Gallagher set to play a biblical homecoming gig in Manchester.
The former Oasis frontman will take to the stage at the massive Etihad Stadium – the home ground of his beloved Manchester City FC.
Liam will go on this week to play two historic gigs at Knebworth, though sadly without guitarist and long-time friend Bonehead at his side.
The star is performing straight off the back of the release of his new album, C’Mon, You Know, and will likely dip into the huge Oasis back catalogue too.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday night’s gig.
Who’s supporting Liam Gallagher at the Etihad Stadium?
The Charlatans
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Tim Burgess on stage with the Charlatans. Credit: Flickr
The Charlatans need no introduction, as fellow giants of the mid-90s rock scene that they shared with Oasis – and Liam Gallagher himself.
Fronted by Tim Burgess, the group have 13 studio albums, all of which have charted in the top 40.
They most recently released a greatest hits compilation, titled A Head Full of Ideas.
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Goat Girl
London four-piece Goat Girl will be supporting Liam Gallagher at the Etihad on Wednesday night as well as at his two Knebworth gigs.
They’ll then head out to tour Europe, including additional dates in Manchester at Castlefield Bowl and at Psych Fest.
The group first formed in 2016 and have released two studio albums to date.
Paul Gallagher
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Liam’s big brother Paul has just been announced on the line-up for Wednesday’s Etihad concert.
He’ll be playing a DJ set to get the crowds warmed up.
What are the stage times for Liam Gallagher’s gig?
Doors for the Etihad Stadium will open at 5pm on Wednesday 1 June, with Paul Gallagher on decks to welcome people.
The rest of the stage times are expected to be as follows:
Goat Girl – 6.25pm
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The Charlatans – 7.25pm
Liam Gallagher – 9.00pm
How do I get to the Etihad Stadium?
There’s a tram that runs straight to the Etihad from the city centre in less than 10 minutes, which might be your best option, though it only runs every 12 minutes and is likely to be very busy.
Holt Town and Velopark tram stops won’t operate after the gig until the crowds have cleared from Etihad Campus.
You can also walk to and from the stadium, which takes around half an hour from Piccadilly.
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There are several car parks around the venue if you want to drive, though again, these will be busy and will fill up quickly.
TfGM have said: “Based off data from previous events at the Etihad, we expect the roads such as – Regent Road, Hyde Road, Ashton Old Road and Mancunian Way – to be busy in the hours before and after the concert. Please consider leaving the car at home or re-routing your journey. D’You Know What I Mean? This way, you’ll avoid the congested areas.
“City centre Metrolink stops and services on the Ashton line will run to a 12-minute frequency and will be busier in the run up to the gig. This means You’ve Gotta Roll With It, Gotta Take Your Time when boarding a service. Don’t Look Back In Anger wishing you would have set off a little earlier for a more comfortable journey.”
General admission standing tickets are all gone, but if you don’t mind sitting right up at the top of the huge venue, you can grab a last-minute ticket for £62.10.
There are also a few seats a little closer to the stage, priced at £83.10 each before booking fees.
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What will Liam Gallagher’s setlist be like?
As this is the first date in his stadium tour, and the new album has only been out for a few days, it’s hard to call the setlist at this stage.
When he recently performed an intimate gig in Blackburn, this is what he went for:
Hello Rock ‘n’ Roll Star Morning Glory Wall of Glass Shockwave Everything’s Electric Better Days Slide Away Stand by Me C’mon You Know World’s in Need The River Once Encore: Cigarettes & Alcohol Cast No Shadow Live Forever Wonderwall
Featured image: Publicity picture
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Blossoms at O2 Ritz Manchester – five-night hometown residency is already a triumph
Daisy Jackson
Blossoms are a band who were born and forged here in Greater Manchester, and now they’re back retracing their steps with a five-night residency across the venues that launched them into the big leagues.
Their star has risen all the way to arena level and headline shows at Wythenshawe Park at this point, especially here in their hometown, so the chance to see them back in these cosy-ish little venues is special, and a little bizarre.
For night two of their landmark sold-out gig series, it was the turn of the O2 Ritz, that sweaty spot off Oxford Road where the floor bounces downstairs and you stick to the carpets upstairs.
Poetically, the first time I ever saw Blossoms was in this very room in 2016, when they had the mid-afternoon slot at Neighbourhood festival and the queue to get in went all the way back to St Peter’s Square.
Since those days, Blossoms have come a long, long way, and their live show has evolved and matured from five lads thrashing on their instruments to this well-oiled, hip-swaying, flares-wearing, chart-topping machine.
There’s even choreography now – how fancy!
A stand-out moment from the show is actually a song from their new, fifth studio album Gary, which is still barely eight weeks old.
A spoof recording of legendary Manchester indie club 42s rings out, then all five band members abandon their stations, slinging keytars and marching drums around their necks so that they can dance together in front of neon signs.
Blossoms have just done their second of five shows in Manchester, this time at the O2 Ritz. Credit: The Manc GroupBlossoms on stage at the O2 Ritz in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Blossoms promised more disco with this album and they bloody meant it. It’s not just the flares and the blow-dries and the moustaches (though those do help) – it’s in the funk and groove that’s gradually crept into their music exponentially with each album release.
This is still indie rock but it’s the most danceable of its genre. Good luck keeping your shoulders from wiggling and jiggling in here. Good luck keeping that grin off your face.
And Gary is one of the most unexpectedly fun albums to be released in the last year – the fact they called it Gary, named after a giant fibreglass garden centre Gorilla, should’ve been our clue. It could border on silly were it not such a masterpiece.
It seems like the only thing Blossoms are trying to prove is that you can be wildly successful without taking yourself too seriously. They just seem like a group who want to have a good time and it’s totally infectious.
Case in point – when each band member is introduced, keyboardist Myles Kellock plays the riff of Satisfaction by Benny Benassi and The Biz. Unexpected.
Blossoms also clearly give a sh*t about their live shows and graft at it – I’ve seen these guys an awful lot and it’s because their tour dates are plentiful and consistently worth the ticket price.
This is definitely the biggest era of their career so far, but have they peaked? Not even close.
The Warehouse Project reveals return to Rotterdam for second-ever overseas event
Danny Jones
The Warehouse Project has confirmed it will be returning to Rotterdam in 2025 for just its second-ever overseas event.
After debuting abroad in 2023 with an action-packed few days in the city of Rotterdam – whose art scene, music culture and even canal network bears lots of similarities to Manchester – Warehouse Project is coming back for more.
There’s just over a month left of the 2024 WHP calendar; you’d think they’d be getting ready to wind down and enjoy the Christmas breather, but not so: the organisers are already planning what is set to be one of their biggest and best long weekends to date.
Set to take place over the early May bank holiday, the Dutch port city will once again play host to one of Manchester’s legendary club nights.
The second biggest city in the Netherlands behind Amsterdam, the next edition of Warehouse’s international series is set to return to Rotterdam RDM – a warehouse space very reminiscent of both Depot Mayfield and their original home at Victoria Warehouse.
WHP x RDM II is already being billed as an “unforgettable weekend” and if any of this year’s mainline events here in Manchester are anything to go by, they’re bound to live up to that promise.
There’s also a full FAQ page for anyone looking to find out more information regarding Rotterdam, the venue itself, travel and more.
As well as revealing the dates (2-4 May 2025), the organisers have already teased a good chunk of the lineup, with the likes of Chris Stussy, Peach, Four Tet b2b with Sammy Virji, salute and many more already confirmed.
With a slew of incredible acts, multiple afterparties on boats and other local venues, as well as plenty of opportunity to see the rest of Holland’s ‘Manhattan on the Maas’, this is going to be SO good.
We were lucky enough to have been sent to sample their inaugural Rotterdam date back in April of 2023 and, we have to say, it was an absolute blast.
Take it from us, if you’re considering being a part of this next event you won’t regret and we’ll be putting together an extensive guide to help you feel prepared for raving overseas. Registration for early access is already live, so sign up fast if you want to give yourself the best chance of being there.
Limited presale and accommodation packages will be available to those who have applied at 9am on Monday, 2 December (UK customers only). General admission tickets will go live from 9am n Tuesday, 3 December sale for UK and Dutch customers starts Tuesday 3rd December at 9am GMT/10am CET.
Rotterdam 2025 will be here before you know it, so take a boots-on-the-ground at what an international Warehouse Project date looks like down below:
Daisy Jackson -
1st June 2022 
