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Massive music-filled takeover planned as 1.3m tourists descend on Manchester this summer

Get the tunes blasting.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 16th June 2025

Plans for a massive music-filled takeover of Manchester have been announced ahead of 1.3 million tourists descending on the city centre this summer.

It comes as no surprise that this summer is set to be a big one for music in Manchester.

Parklife weekend has just been and gone, but in 2025, the fun is far from over, as there will be countless global megastars taking to the stage at some of our city’s biggest music venues, such as Co-op Live and the AO Arena, over the next couple of months, and there’s also the Sounds of the City concert series to look forward to at Castlefield Bowl, as well as a handful of Wythenshawe Park gigs.

Oh, and in case you’ve been living under a rock, there’s also the small matter of Manchester’s most legendary band, Oasis, reforming for a run of gigs at Heaton Park next month too.

Sure, Manchester is big for music all year round, but as you can imagine, 2025 is set to be bigger than ever, which is why Manchester City Council has now announced its very-own musical takeover called MCR Live ’25 to help celebrate what promises to be a sensational summer of sound.

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There’ll be everything from a pop-up bar in Piccadilly Gardens with surprise live acts doing sets, and markets in St Peter’s Square selling vinyl and vintage goods, to block parties in the Northern Quarter, and the already-announced Music for the Senses art trail dotted around all the well-known city centre sights.

The Piccadilly Gardens space, known as The Hub, is designed to be the ‘basecamp’ for Manchester’s music tourists, and will be an easy place to drink at the bar, sample some of the best street food in the North West, catch surprise acts and DJ takeovers on the outdoor stage, or bring the family along during the day for some music-inspired fun.

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If you head to St Peter’s Square, this is where you’ll find the pop-up markets running alongside Oasis’ legendary homecoming gigs, which will bring together local makers, artists, and indie traders for a celebration of sound, style, and city pride.

Music for the Senses
A massive music-filled takeover is planned as 1.3m tourists descend on Manchester this summer / Credit: David Oates Photography

Several ‘block parties’ will be taking over the Northern Quarter on selected Fridays and Saturdays in both June and July, so it’s your chance to head on down to Edge Street and Thomas Street and take in all the action happening over two stages – with DJs and live acts playing throughout the day.

There’ll also even be an ‘Oasis Week’ at Manchester Central Library, with legendary Supernova live sets, Gallagher look-alike competitions, a Big Oasis Quiz, Supersonic film screenings, and so much more.

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But the stand-out event has to be the art trail, which is titled Music for the Senses: an art arrangement for a musical city, running across the city centre from early July until the end of August, and is a collaboration between global art producer Wild in Art – the creators of the famous Bee in the City project – and the Council.

There’ll be pop-up bars, music markets, block parties, and loads more dotted around the city / Credit: MCC

At the heart of the exhibition will be an interactive installation called ‘Guitar Street’ created by Manchester artist Liam Hopkins, known as Lazerian, which will lovingly repurpose 100+ broken guitars, all donated by members of the public.

“We’re already known the world over for the music we make and for our unrivalled music scene, and this summer we’re going all out with MCR Live ’25 to harness the moment and celebrate the massive contribution that music makes to the city,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.

You can find out everything happening for MCR Live ’25 on the VisitManchester website here.

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Of course, the annual Manchester Day celebrations will also be back and taking over the city centre’s main streets on Saturday 26 July too, and this year, that’s also music-themed… because why wouldn’t it be? It makes sense.

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Find out more about Manchester Day 2025 here.

Featured Image – Alex Bracken (via Unsplash)

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Rising Manchester DJ issues heartfelt statement after Parklife set is cancelled over safety concerns

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Queues outside Matinee after Josh Baker had his Parkilfe set cancelled

Manchester DJ Josh Baker has issued a statement after his Parklife set was unexpectedly cancelled.

The rising star techno and house DJ was supposed to be playing on the brand-new Matinee stage on Sunday evening.

But his set attracted some huge crowds, not helped by the sudden downpour as his set was due to begin.

The area around Matinee became increasingly busy and Parklife announced that the Josh Baker performance would be paused on ‘the advice of safety team’.

Josh Baker has now issued a statement on social media to his followers as his Parklife set was due to end, signed off with a row of crying emojis.

He wrote: “Unfortunately I will not be performing at Parklife due to reason outside of my control.

Josh Baker has shared a statement after his Parklife set was cancelled
Josh Baker has shared a statement after his Parklife set was cancelled
Josh Baker has shared a statement after his Parklife set was cancelled. Credit: Instagram, @joshbaker

“I deeply apologise. I can’t really put into words what today was going to mean to me.”

Next on the Matinee stage should have been Chris Stussy, another name that was predicted to pull in a big crowd.

At the time of writing, The Matinee Stage remains closed but there are again large queues of fans waiting to re-enter the space.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Parklife pauses major DJ set on ‘advice of safety team’ as huge crowds swarm

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Parklife pauses major DJ set on 'advice of safety team' as huge crowds swarm

Parklife has announced it has paused one of the most hotly-tipped sets of the weekend ‘upon advice of the safety team’.

Josh Baker’s set on the brand-new Matinee stage has been attracting huge crowds from the late afternoon.

The Manchester-born DJ is a rising star in the tech and house scene and was always going to be a highlight of the festival’s line-up this year.

But his pull has maybe been a bit greater than expected, with massive crowds swarming around the Matinee stage on Sunday afternoon.

It’s been so busy that Parklife has made the decision to pause his show altogether while crowds disperse.

The warning sent on the Parklife app
The warning sent on the Parklife app
How The Matinee stage looked on Saturday
How The Matinee stage looked on Saturday. Credit: The Manc Group

Security have been managing the crowds at the stage with a queue system, but when the heavens opened (and it REALLY rained at about 7pm) the area surrounding the Matinee stage became even busier.

Parklife has issued a statement on its app that reads: “Upon advice of the PL safety team, the show on the Matinee stage has been paused. We will update ASAP.”

Parklife has described Josh Baker as ‘a versatile DJ and producer, embodying the creative essence of the new wave of electronic artists’.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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