MIF has revealed its festival square music programme for summer – and it’s jam-packed with local artists.
This year’s festival runs from July 2-18 and sees over 100 free gigs taking place at the new Festival Square hub on Cathedral Garden – which returns in a safe, seated format for 2021.
MIF has also partnered with United We Stream this year to broadcast a selection of its live Festival Square performances directly into people’s homes.
Our highlights include performances from rappers Abnormal Sleepz and LayFullStop, Children of Zeus’s Konny Kon, soul singer Pip Millett and The Untold Orchestra, plus Homoelectric, Katbrownsugar, Lovescene, Matthew Halsall, SheBeKeke, Swing Ting and OneDa – but there are so many amazing artists set to perform here over the course of the fortnight.
Underground Manchester music champions Reform Radio and Thirty Pound Gentlemen will present some of the finest young emerging talent, arranging nine performances ranging from afrobeat to French electro at The Festival Square over three days.
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Dave Haslam will also present three specially-curated nights of Manchester talent, starting with a showcase of local record label Griot City Records (July 4). His Griot City Experience will feature performers like DJ Werkha, and poets SheBeKeke and Reece Willams, followed by further showcases with artists like Lounge Society, Blanketman and DJ Mark Rae.
And in a unique piece exploring the experiences of black women within the creative industries and society at large, The Untold Orchestra join up with singer Yemi Bolatiwa, original Hacienda resident DJ Paulette, poet Shirley May, dancer Maisha Kungu and contemporary circus performer Seren Marimba to present a tribute to Nina Simone’s Four Women.
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Grove will be bringing their black, queer and feminist sounds to Manchester as part of a curated lineup by DJ and broadcaster Jamz Supernova.
And of course Manchester’s infamous LGBTQ+ club night Homoelectric will be bringing the party – albeit for one night only – with DJ sets from residents like Will Tramp and Gina Breeze, plus performances from vogue house House of Ghetto.
Also curating at MIF’s Festival Square this year isthe legendary Manchester DJ and producer Mr Scruff, who’s bringing the likes of Rebecca Vasmant and Secret Night Gang down on July 16. He’ll end the night with a special B2B DJ set withhip hop pioneerMikey D.O.N.
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BBC Music Introducing has also selected four of Manchester’s rising stars to play across four nights: singer, songwriter and producer Caoilfhionn Rose (July 8), electro dance music quartet Porij (July 10), singer-songwriter Ellysse Mason(July 11) and R&B artistFemi Tahiru(July 15).
And Manchester record label Swing Ting host a takeover with MCs, DJs, and live performances from residents and special guests playing everything from afrobeat and bashment to dancehall, including Tai Chi Rose, Tarsza and label founder Samrai.
Fabaret will return on July 17, curated by Greg Thorpe, with a celebratory showcase of Manchester-based LGBTQ+ artists including drag legend Cheddar Gorgeous and dancer and choreographer Jason Andrew Guest.
Manchester’s legendary spoken word night One Mic Stand also returns for another year with ten spoken word artists including Ella Otomewo, Billie Meredith, Isaiah Hull, and Jardel Rodrigues.
Residents from Greater Manchester will take over Festival Square for Our City Our Festival on July 3 – a free day-long event of music, conversations, performances and participatory activities, celebrating the diversity and talent within Greater Manchester communities.
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Last but not least, in an epic Festival Square finale, grime club night turned creative agency Big People Music will present a big show with Manchester singer Misha B and rapper Abnormal Sleepz performing alongside the new BPM Orchestra.
The night will close with a handful of special guest DJ sets from some of the city’s best selectors.
Manchester International Festival (MIF) will take place across indoor and outdoor locations in Greater Manchester from July 1-18. It features a vibrant programme of original new work from across the spectrum of visual and performing arts and music by artists from over 20 countries.
Further DJ sets include DJ Paulette (July 2), Konny Kon (July 4), Kat Brown Sugar (July 6), Jane Weaver (July 7), Matthew Halsall (July 8), Kath McDermott (July 17) and High Hoops (July 17).
Sam Fender at Co-op Live Manchester – one of the world’s greatest live acts
Harry Quick
Sam Fender, the down-to-earth lad from North Shields has both the crowd and his black and white striped Fender Stratocaster in the palm of his hand alike as he embarks on the first of two nights at Co-op Live.
Strutting out on stage with the nonchalance of a superstar, he’s done it all before. The Pyramid stage at Glastonbury, headlining festivals worldwide and playing in front of 50,000 at his beloved St James Park. Howay man!
Yet, however he does it, it almost feels like it’s just you and him in the room. His relaxed, baggy jeans and oversized t-shirt are emblematic of his laid back approach to just having fun with his mates, even on the biggest of stages.
The humble 30-year-old hit maker, who has now been touring stadiums for seven years, still treats his audience like they’re locals at the Low Lights Tavern – unblinded by the 23,500 flashbulbs in the UK’s largest indoor arena.
Fittingly supported by Wunderhorse, one of the UK’s best upcoming bands, they warm the crowd up with their own supply of rock anthems including Midas, Purple and Teal.
Sam Fender then opens up with Dead Boys, a tune he hadn’t played so far on his 2024 People Watching Tour, and it was to some reception in front of the Manchester crowd.
Alongside his gifted guitar talent, his lyricism is generational, with Dead Boys being a cult favourite and the perfect opener to what is to be an incredible showcase.
The first song chosen from the critically acclaimed Seventeen Going Under album, ‘Getting Started’ follows and in its namesake he’s right…
The floor to the back row are on their feet in unison as Fender and the band catapult into full swing.
In his repertoire of heartfelt classics, Sam gives the Manchester crowd the taste of many a playlist favourite with the production to match.
‘The Boarders’ hits a tone that only builds from start to finish, with the anguish of life as a young lad from the North East playing into poetry, a personal favourite. When the guitar solo hits in the final third of the track, the light show on display gets mesmerising. The saxophone solo takes the spectacle to new levels – as they always do.
Sandwiched between two tracks from his upcoming release is one of his oldest, ‘All Is On My Side’. If there was an indie rhythm to epitomise my adolescent years it would be this one. It is a tune that describes growing up and the challenges that come with it.
Across the tour so far, it has been welcomed back into the setlist with open arms paying homage to the music that took him to where he is that features a signature Stratocaster crescendo.
As an early Christmas gift, People Watching EP dropped into our streaming services with a taste of what is to come on the 2025 full album. Wild Long Lie, which we have already sampled on full release, is paired alongside Nostalgia’s Lie and Arms Length which somewhat dissipated momentum.
Nonetheless, it clearly shows signs of something to become Fender staples in the near future.
Amongst the chaos of the floor, it’s poignant to note the moral compass of the man on stage. Midway through one of his brand new releases, the down-to-earth Geordie pulls the plug to care for fans struggling in the heat of the pit, making a point of looking after each other during the show. Something I can only think he would have resonated with during his youthful yesteryears as a gig-goer on the other side of the barrier. Class act!
‘We Will Talk?’ kickstarts proceedings off again, showering the crowd with another archetypal hit to get the Co-op Live firmly on their feet.
When you know a song is about to blow the roof off the place, as a proud songwriter he only had to say one word. Spice. Dating back to November 2018, ‘Spice’ came along with ‘Dead Boys’ in his debut EP and it holds cult status six years down the line. If the sheer genius of the anthem isn’t enough to keep the audience engaged, then the massive pyrotechnic display firing out the back of the stage might have!
Now, as a man who has religiously listened to Sam Fender’s collection throughout the year, a song that placed number one for me was ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’ – specifically the Finsbury Park live version. In its presence for the first time in the flesh, this more than lives up to expectations.
For a song that, on a surface level – describes separating a reasonable distance from the person in front of you during a global pandemic at a supermarket in Wallsend – it holds about two minutes of the greatest guitar solos you would hear this side of the Tyne Bridge.
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Shades of Springsteen, Petty and Hendrix, and that is high praise, just listen. Breathtaking. Rock. Music.
Running into the final phase of the performance, we were somewhat brought back down to earth with ‘Get You Down’ and ‘Spit of You’. The latter is always a touching tribute to his old man, performed with a backdrop of Polaroid images of children and their parents. More specifically the conversational difficulties between a father and son, but something that could pull on the heartstrings of the entire audience.
Then they arrive… the big finish, the final three. Some may have felt disheartened to miss out on the likes of ‘That Sound’, ‘Saturday’ and ‘Play God’ (me being exactly that person) but listen, he can’t play them all.
To close us out, Sam takes to the keys as the faint intro to ‘The Dying Light’ creeps across the venue. The melancholy piano feels like it could awaken the entirety of East Manchester on a crisp winter morning before creeping up into the traditional electric guitar with an explosive, confetti-worthy finish!
As an encore, ‘Seventeen Going Under’ and ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ provide the musical culmination of truly one of Britain’s (if not the world’s) greatest live acts.
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As the Geordie star and the band prepare for their swan song, the canny lad teases the crowd with waves of acapella Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohh, Ohhhhhh’s, pre-empting the grand finale.
Fireworks, fog machines and confetti pair with an overwhelming chorus of applause to conclude what was undoubtedly one of 2024 best live acts – and he fancies doing it all over again tonight.
Sam Fender setlist
Dead Boys (Tour Debut)
Getting Started
The Borders
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Wild Long Lie
All Is on My Side
Nostalgia’s Lie
Arm’s Length
Will We Talk?
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People Watching
Spice
Howdon Aldi Death Queue
Get You Down
Spit of You
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The Dying Light
Seventeen Going Under
Hypersonic Missiles
Featured image: Publicity picture
Audio
The top 10 biggest gigs in Manchester music history
Thomas Melia
When you think of Manchester one of the first things that comes to mind obviously after ‘best city in the world’ is one word: ‘music’.
Our capital of the North West has birthed some of the world’s greatest singers of all time and welcomed some of the planet’s biggest stars.
Manchester has many live music venues to host impressive gigs including stadiums, arenas, parks and a wide variety of performance spaces.
The real reason these artists keep coming back is because of you, everyone who shows up and shows out to every single tour and performance happening in our culturally rich city.
With a tour titled ‘KylieX2008’, the Aussie sensation made our heads spin around in 2008 as she graced the AO Arena for six nights of pop perfection from 11 July to 18 July.
Minogue has a special connection to Manchester and this arena specifically, performing here over 30 times to a total of 400,000 people.
Taylor Swift performing on the B-Stage at Etihad Stadium in 2018.Credit: The Manc Group
‘Baby let the games begin!’ Swift opened her ‘Reputation Stadium Tour’ in 2018 while standing behind a backdrop of snakes, scales and reptile-like patterns.
The legendary pop star commanded the stage even walking through the crowd to greet fans with smiles and high fives, making sure to get up close and personal even in a venue this grand.
‘Tay-Tay’s last visit to the North West saw her playing three nights of her monumental ‘The Eras Tour’ just a stone’s throw away at Anfield Stadium and who knows, maybe once the Etihad renovation is complete, she might be keen to make another appearance.
8. Oasis: 80,000 – Maine Road (1996)
In signature Liam style, the tambourine is in hand and ready to accompany both the brother’s vocals.Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The Burnage boys were always destined to be on this list in one way or another due to their incredible impact in pushing Manchester music and bands to the mainstream.
Singing hits from their well-known music catalogue, Oasis attracted 80,000 to Manchester City’s former ground in the mid-90s.
Unlike the tour taking place in 2025, tickets for this gig would’ve only set you back £17.50, you’d have been silly not to grab yourself one!
7. Harry Styles: 99,526 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2022)
The former One Direction star Harry Styles spent two nights in June spreading the love with his mega ‘Love On Tour’ and the feeling was definitely mutual.
On 15 and 16 June the ‘Watermelon Sugar’ singer had nearly 100,000 devotees in the palm of his hand as he belted out some of his best solo numbers.
The Cheshire-born superstar even paused his show to find his primary school teacher who he’d been informed was in the crowd, thanking her for all her help and hard work while he was in education. Adorable.
6. Foo Fighters: 100,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2024)
The Washington-formed band put on two impressive nights where Mancs witnessed ‘music royalty’ on their ‘Everything or Nothing at All Tour’ in June.
As well as ‘The Pretender’ hitmakers, the sold-out shows were spoilt with not one but four support acts split across the two dates, including Wet Leg.
On 13 June the rock champions even previewed an unreleased track ‘Unconditional’ for the first time, adding it to the setlist for the 15 June show too!
Old Trafford Cricket Ground was a spectacle this June.The American chaps swooned by the roars of the crowd.Credit: The Manc Group / Publicity Picture (Supplied)
5. Spice Girls: 150,955 – Etihad Stadium (2019)
Etihad Stadium and Spice Girls spiced up our lives three times in 2019 with three non-consecutive performances from 29 May to 1 June.
This tour was missing one key ingredient, ‘Posh Spice’, who missed out on this string of shows for the first time in her career.
In addition to these four fierce ladies, another UK household act Jess Glynne joined them on the bill as a support act. The girls were met with raptures as they made their entrance to Manchester after 11 years since their last visit.
Just look at those iconic fits! Spice Girls performing at Wembley Stadium on the same tour that visited Manchester.Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In 2023 they brought their Music Of The Spheres world tour to Manchester from 31 May to 4 June for four nights of dazzling lights, wowed fans and of course incredible live arrangements.
Altogether, these shows brought together almost 200,000 attendees who had the opportunity to get involved with the show’s production themselves by cycling electric bikes and kinetic dancefloor which both helped power the stage.
The Coldplay lads in all their glory.An awe-inspiring crowd lighting up the already phenomenal Etihad Stadium.Credit: Wikicommons / The Manc Group
3. Ed Sheeran: 218,639 – Etihad Stadium (2022)
Starting his musical career just over the hill busking in Hebden Bridge before becoming one of the UK’s most prominent and successful artists of all time.
In 2022, the ‘Galway Girl’ singer took to Manchester City‘s awesome stadium to play hits from his full discography titled ‘The Mathematics Tour’ in honour of his equation-themed album titles.
The one-man, one-guitar show attracted almost 55,000 people across four nights who watched the singing red-head belt out his bangers on a 360 circular stage.
Ed Sheeran at V Festival in 2014, already a star in his own right.Credit: Wikimedia Commons
2. The Stone Roses: 225,000 – Heaton Park (2012)
The Manchester rock pioneers played a three-night hometown residency as part of their reunion tour following a 17-year concert hiatus.
Fans came in abundance to pack out to Heaton Park, a notorious music-hosting site which has hosted a plethora of acts as well as this formidable band.
Spanning from 29 June to 1 July, The Stone Roses played to a whopping 75,000 fans every night across the three sold-out Manchester shows at Heaton Park in 2012.
The Stone Roses performing at Fuji Rock Festival in 2012, the same year as their Heaton Park residency.Credit: Wikicommons Media
In 2011, ‘The Flood’ boys put on a remarkable eight nights for nearly half a million lucky Mancs from 3 June till 12 June, making for a summer everyone could ‘Never Forget’.
However, they weren’t the only boyband gracing the Manchester City stadium as dance duo Pet Shop Boys supported them on their ‘Progress Live’ tour across the UK.
A fan-captured moment of Take That reunited amidst their eight show run at Etihad Stadium in Manchester.Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Honourable Mentions
One Love Manchester, 55,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2017)
Even though this event may not be topping the attendance records, this concert was a special and remarkable moment in Manchester’s history.
Fronted by Ariana Grande, just two weeks after the Manchester Arena attack, Old Trafford Cricket Ground saw a multitude of artists coming together to celebrate the importance of music while paying respect to those affected by the events in the month prior.
BBC reported the ‘One Love Manchester’ live show had 14.5 million viewers at its peak with an average of 10.9 million worldwide and this benefit concert has since raised more than £10 million for the ‘We Love Manchester Emergency Fund’.
Grande may be reaching height after unthinkable height as a musical artist, but she has always had a special place for Manchester in her heart, donating toys to children in Manchester hospitals at Christmastime.
Oasis Live ’25, 320,000 (Predicted) – Heaton Park (2025)
Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher are heading across the globe next year on their reunion tour of a lifetime, 16 years since their last live performance, with four Manchester dates.
Although the band might not have performed yet, Heaton Park is expected to welcome a ‘Wonderwall’ of around 80,000 fans every night.
We’re not sure we’ll ever be emotionally ready for this but bring it on. We’ve waited long enough. The question is, what do want to hear them play?