With the penultimate performance on the horizon and this year’s Sounds of the City festival drawing to a close, a pair of legendary British bands are set to see us out in style, as Manic Street Preachers and Suede prepare to play Castlefield Bowl this weekend.
Two of the most revered veterans of the UK’s alternative rock with careers spanning the best part of four decades, the Manics and Suede are up there with the biggest names to have ever played Manchester much loved outdoor arena, and this crowd will be full of people who’ve been there since day one.
With the former flying the flag for the Welsh and the latter keeping the glam side of the genre alive,
So, for any of you going along to see the Manic Street Preachers and Suede double bill at Sounds of the City 2024, here’s everything you need to know about the gig on Friday, 12 July.
Tickets for Suede and Manic Street Preachers in Manchester
Now, the question is are there tickets left for Manic Street Preachers and Suede? And the very simple answer is technically yes, but only a few and they are via resale.
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Unfortunately, when you get two big acts with a reputation and long-lasting following as loyal as these guys command, tickets tend to sell out very quickly – that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.
If you do want to spring for the resales available on Ticketmaster, they’ll cost you £77.85 each before fees and, as always, you can also keep an eye out for spares through other trusted resellers like Twickets and TicketSwap.
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Sounds of the City stage times
It looks as though Suede will play first as the two co-headliners have been taking turns when it comes to opening up for each other on this tour.
As for when you’ll see everyone taking the stage, you can expect them to take the stage around 7:25pm before Manic Street Preachers follow them at 9:15pm.
Gates to the venue itself, as they have throughout SOTC 2024, will be open from 5:30pm onwards and we all know the early birds get first crack at those seats below the canopy.
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We can’t promise you good weather but we can always guarantee a good crowd (Credit: The Manc Audio).
What tracks are they likely to play?
Speaking of previous performances, the last date also gives us a good idea of what we can expect from both bands on Friday night.
Manic Street Preachers predicted setlist for Castlefield Bowl
You Love Us
Everything Must Go
Motorcycle Emptiness
Suicide Is Painless (Theme From MASH – Johnny Mandel cover)
You Stole the Sun From My Heart
To Repel Ghosts
Little Baby Nothing (with The Anchoress)
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough (with The Anchoress)
Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool (Richey Edwards dedication)
A Design for Life
La tristesse durera (Scream to a Sigh)
Walk Me to the Bridge
Tsunami
Orwellian
From Despair to Where
No Surface All Feeling
Today (The Smashing Pumpkins cover – would this be a treat!)
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Again, we’re not soothsayers, so please take all of this with a pinch of salt and just trust we did our best to give you a rough average at the very least.
Castlefield Bowl (M3 4JR) is on Rice Street just down Liverpool Road which cuts off the main Deansgate strip in the city centre and you can enter Manchester’s much-loved outdoor amphitheatre via Duke or Castle Street.
It’s just a short walk from Deansgate train station or the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop, where you’ll find regular trams running all over Greater Manchester.
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If you’re driving there, Great Northern Warehouse’s (M3 4EE) car park, as well as two other NCPs near Bridgewater Hall and on Quay Street in Spinningfields.
That should be just about all you need to know but do keep an eye out on socials for updates on the event night and we’ll do our best to keep you in the loop on our end too.
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
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Manichester organisers confirm tribute festival will return in 2027
Danny Jones
For anyone who didn’t manage to make it to the inaugural ‘Manichester’ festival held earlier this year in memory of British music legend Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, you’ll be glad to hear that the tribute festival will be returning in 2027.
Set up in the name of the late, great Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist, the event sold out in the blink of an eye, as hordes of Mancs and more turned up to honour the local icon through live music.
Following paying their respects in the immediate aftermath, his surviving family members, peers and other figures from within the industry then held that wonderful evening, where several big names turned up to remember with live performances – and it’s official: they’re not done yet.
Writing in a lengthy caption, the brand said, “The family of Stone Roses legend Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield have thanked everyone who made Manichester at Diecast such a special day — performers, organisers, and the thousands who turned up to celebrate a true Manchester icon.”
The evidently emotional and grateful statement goes on to read: “On behalf of Gene, George & the Family — thank you to everyone who performed, contributed and attended Manichester on 30 May 2026, and for all your kind words of support.
“The response was massive — fans travelled from everywhere, demand through the roof, love for Mani louder than ever. [Local fashion label] GioGoi even said they could’ve filled Old Trafford.”
Revealing that the team of organisers have now green-lit the follow-up edition next year, they promise to deliver the same kind of magic, only “bigger, better, built properly” and with more music and people involved this time around.
They also thanked Manc-Mexican musician and creative, Alejandro Reyes Knight, for filming and editing the content on the night, adding that since he “grew up in Madchester”, there was no better person to be tasked with the job.
For anyone who was there at Diecast on the special memorial evening itself, we don’t need to tell you how special the energy was in the room.
We spent a good week or so looking back at footage following the maiden Manichester festival, as we’re sure plenty of you did, too; safe to say we’re glad we’ll have another opportunity to celebrate his life and career in the best way we know how: with plenty of tunes and singing our hearts out.
It remains to be seen whether Diecast will remain the host venue for the sophomore tribute fest, and the next date is also still yet to be fully set.
All we do know is that with such a good lineup and turnout the first time around, you can expect an excellent and equally heartfelt sequel in 2027.
You can register your interest right HERE. Wherever and whenever it is, we’ll see you there.
@the.manc Yesterday, Manchester laid one of the city's greatest music legends, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, to rest at Manchester Cathedral. 🍋 Fellow band member and life-long friend Ian Brown read out a speech as hundreds gathered outside the cathedral to pay their respects to The Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist. Mani will be missed by many, and we send love to all his family and friends. ❤️ #manchester#mani#ianbrown#thestoneroses#stoneroses♬ original sound – The Manc
Danny Jones -
11th July 2024 
