A new live-streamed clubbing series has been announced for Greater Manchester, which will beam our world-famous nightlife scene into living rooms across the globe.
MainRoom is the latest series from not-for-profit platform StreamGM, which comes from team behind lockdown favourite United We Stream.
Episodes will be broadcast live from dance floors, nightclubs, rooftops and basements around the city-region.
It’s all been created to capture Manchester’s legendary underground club culture and will shine a spotlight on the DJs and promoters operating in the city.
MainRoom events will take place monthly, over the course of three or four hours.
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Escape to Freight Island will host the first MainRoom event in July
The first event, She’s In Control, will be streamed from Escape to Freight Island on 24 July and will put women and people of marginalised genders front and centre.
Taking part in the She’s In Control livestream will be Jade Li, Edie, Danielle Moore from band Crazy P and Homoelectric resident, Gina Breeze.
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The collaboration will raise awareness and funds for Brighter Sound, a local organisation aiming to help underrepresented people develop careers in the industry.
StreamGM’s MainRoom series will be presented by Rebecca Swarray aka DJ Mix-Stress, who is the founder and curator of Manchester based events and arts collective, RebeccaNeverBecky and co-founder of queer DJ Collective, Queer Latifah.
Rebecca Swarray. Credit: Supplied
Episodes already lined up include collaborations with La Discotheque, Not Bad For A Girl, Mixing Mates, Black Gold Arts and Band on the Wall.
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Co-founder of StreamGM Laura Graham said: “Greater Manchester’s clubbing scene is historic, and renowned as THE destination city for a night out. This is partly due to the region’s vast clubbing tapestry, amazing super clubs, and major venues across the city, but also because Greater Manchester has always maintained a thriving, progressive and influential, grassroots clubbing scene, and it’s this scene we want to identify and explore.
“MainRoom will provide visibility for Manchester’s local clubbing culture, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, accessibility, empowerment, and most of all – fun times – for marginalised groups.
“We will collaborate directly with promoters and take amazing local talent and new clubbing concepts beyond the venue walls with our online audiences.
MainRoom’s first event posted. Credit: Supplied
“MainRoom will also give viewers a sense of the latest music, dance and fashion trends, straight from the club vibes and dancefloors.
“People all over the world will be able to use MainRoom to dip into Manchester’s epic clubbing scene, use our streams as soundtracks to house parties, or watch them to research future nights out in the city.
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“During United We Stream, our team were overwhelmed by messages from people for whom live streaming had given them access to events they would never normally be able to attend for myriad reasons, from disability and caring responsibilities to location or cost. MainRoom will open Mancunian clubbing to EVERYONE.”
MainRoom host Rebecca said: “MainRoom is a vital and exciting platform that will showcase exactly what the real creative essence of Manchester is.
“Platforming people on the ground, creating spaces and places for the under-presented and less visible is vital for cultural identity. This city has a melting pot of diverse talent, and I am honoured to be involved in MainRoom and look forward to speaking, showcasing, and interviewing some amazing people doing amazing things.”
StreamGM recently partnered with FAC51 The Hacienda for their landmark 40th Birthday party, and livestreamed their entire eight hour event, direct from the carpark of the Hacienda Apartments on Whitworth Street.
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The first live event is on July 24h at 9pm at She’s In Control – Freight Island.
Featured image: Supplied
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Sam Fender, Billie Eilish, and The Killers announced as Reading and Leeds 2023 headliners
Emily Sergeant
Sam Fender, Billie Eilish, and The Killers are all set to perform headline sets at Reading and Leeds Festival 2023.
The first wave of acts has just been announced, and it looks like it’s going to be an awesome weekend.
There’s been lots of rumours circulating about who will be playing, but Greg James put these rumours to bed on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show this morning, The Hoot reports.
Taking to the main stage next year as his first time headlining a major festival will be Tyneside indie favourite Sam Fender, US pop megastar Billie Eilish – who this year became the youngest Glastonbury headliner ever – and indie rock legends The Killers.
Other headliners include Oxford rockers Foals, Scottish singer songwriter Lewis Capaldi, and American pop band Imagine Dragons.
And it doesn’t just stop there either.
Sam Fender, and Billie Eilish have been announced as Reading and Leeds 2023 headliners / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Also performing at the festival is British MC Loyle Carner, Isle Of Wight indie-rock duo Wet Leg, and dance heavyweight Becky Hill.
Also confirmed for the 2023 festival is Bicep, Central Cee, Chase Atlantic, Declan McKenna, Don Broco, Eliza Rose, Georgia, Inhaler, LF System, Lil TJay, Lovejoy, Meekz, Nessa Barret, Nothing But Thieves, Shy FX, Slowthai, Songer, Steve Lacy, The Snuts, Tion Wayne, Trippie Redd, Yung Lean, and You Me At Six.
More than a 100 artists are expected to grace the stages at Bramham Park and Little John’s Park next year.
Further exciting announcements are expected to come over the following months.
Reading and Leeds Festival 2023 takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend / Credit: Reading and Leeds
As always, Reading and Leeds Festival 2023 will once again be happening over the August Bank Holiday weekend between Friday 25 – Sunday 27 August, with tickets set to go sale next Monday 12 December 2022 at 9am.
With a lineup like that, and even more to come, we expect they’re going to fly off the shelves, so make sure to get your alarms set ready.
Grab your tickets here on the Reading and Leeds Festival 2023 website here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Watch Eurovision star Sam Ryder surprise Mancs with busking set at St Peter’s Square
Danny Jones
Eurovision star Sam Ryder caught local Mancunians off-guard when he popped up to perform a surprise busking set in St Peter’s Square.
Making the unexpected appearance on Thursday, 8 December, the ‘Space Man’ singer left passers-by and locals simply going about their workday chuffed to bits as he played a number of recognisable hits.
While Mancs were wrapped up in their winter layers, they were more than happy to stand around and listen to the soulful singer do renditions of Queen, Stevie Wonder, as well as a couple of his own songs.
The 33-year-old who came second to Ukraine in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest obviously played his smash-hit entry as well as one his most recent tracks, ‘All The Way Over’.
He went on to explain he and his team had decided to travel across the country to perform a number of these surprise sets to not only promote his upcoming album, but to spread some festive cheer and return some of the love he’s received from the nation this year.
Ryder wasn’t the only one to surprise Manc music lovers with a live performance this week either.
The Essex boy seemed to have a lot of appreciation for the city of Manchester and it certainly looks to be reciprocated.
His new record, There’s Nothing But Space, Man!, drops on Friday 9 December and he’s hoping to whip up regional support with surprise sets like this to send his album to number one in time for Christmas.
You can watch Sam Ryder’s surprise set back again in full on our Facebook Live below:
Daisy Jackson -
30th May 2022 
