Audio

Mumford and Sons set for Manchester return and Co-op Live debut

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 12th March 2025

Mumford and Sons are back and heading to Manchester for a massive arena show at none other than Co-op Live.

Ahead of dropping their fifth studio LP Rushmere at the end of the month, the cult favourite folk-rock outfit has announced a brand-new European tour in support of the record, including a limited UK leg.

Set to land back in Manchester for their first big headline show since 2019 – yes, it really has been that long – Mumford and Sons have always had a strong following around these parts.

With our city being one of just half a dozen in Britain, we can count ourselves lucky and it serves as yet another reminder of what a big attraction the Co-op is proving to be.

The significance of the band’s return can be found in the title of the new album, as Rushmere is the spot where it all began for the boys: a pond located on Wimbledon Common in south-west London where Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane first hung out.

However, the multi-award-winning acoustic-driven British rockers and folk revivalists are now a trio following the departure of Winston Marshall, who quit the band back in 2021 following controversies surrounding his right-wing beliefs.

With that in mind, it’s rather fitting that they have insisted that beyond just a place and a title, Rushmere is also the beginning of a new phase.

Following an intense period of creativity, the project was produced by fellow nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb and recorded at the famous RCA Studio A in Nashville, as well as in Savannah, Georgia and back home at Marcus’ studio in Devon.

The album itself drops on Friday, 28 March and judging by the little that we’ve heard so far, they’ve been well worth the wait.

Selecting the likes of London, Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff, Birmingham, Sheffield and, of course, Manchester on their list of domestic tour dates, it feels like it’s even a minute since we’ve seen them. Because, well, it has.

But even before the big Co-op Live date, the group will be heading to 0161 for the latest instalment of the Amazon Music ‘City Sessions’, playing an intimate show at Aviva Studios next month.

As for the arena show, official Co-op members can access pre-sale from 10am on Tuesday, 18 March before general admission goes live at the same time the following Thursday (20 March).

Best of all, they’re donating £1 from every ticket sold straight to War Child UK – this sort of stuff should be standard for any big act as far as we’re concerned.

You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

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Featured Images — Press Images/Audio North

Audio

Gorillaz announce huge Manchester arena gig on upcoming UK and Ireland tour

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Gorillaz announce huge Manchester arena gig on upcoming UK and Ireland tour

Gorillaz are well and truly back, and they’ve announced a huge Manchester gig on the upcoming The Mountain Tour.

The legendary band, created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, will be performing at the Co-op Live arena next spring.

Gorillaz is a virtual band made up of singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle.

The huge tour announcement comes along with the announcement of their new album, The Mountain, which features a whole myriad of collaborations including Johnny Marr, IDLES’ Joe Talbot and Dennis Hopper.

It’s their ninth studio album and promises to be a ‘playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence’.

The Gorillaz The Mountain Tour will visit arenas across the UK and Ireland next Spring, with support from Trueno, and follows the sold-out 5-star House of Kong exhibition and four triumphant performances at Copper Box Arena.

Manchester will get the new Gorillaz tour first, with the band kicking things off at Co-op Live on 21 March before heading to cities including Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham, and Liverpool.

The BRIT and Grammy-winning virtual band formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to blow up a pre-digital world.

The album will officially release on 20 March 2026.

General on sale begins at 11am on Friday 19 September HERE.

Gorillaz’ ‘The Mountain Tour’ dates in full

MARCH
21 – Co-op Live, Manchester
22 – BP Pulse Live, Birmingham
24 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow (support from Trueno)
25 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
27 – Utilitia Arena, Cardiff (support from Trueno)
28 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham (support from Trueno)
29 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (support from Trueno)
31 – SSE Arena, Belfast

APRIL 
1 – 3Arena, Dublin (support from Trueno)

JUNE
20 – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London (support from Sparks and Trueno)

Featured image: Press image

Audio

The adopted Manc indie pop star with that we’re backing to win the Mercury Prize this year

Danny Jones Danny Jones CMAT Mercury Prize shortlist 2025 favourites

The 2025 Mercury Music Prize shortlist is officially out, and we’re proud to say that the North has been well represented once again this time around, with multiple names from the top end of the nation featured among the nominees – including an adopted Manchester-based rising star.

You know what, cratch that: she might as well be a Manc music queen at this point, if you ask.

We may be heavily biased here, but with indie and alt-pop artist CMAT making her way onto the Mercury Music Prize award shortlist this year, our vote is practically already cast.

If you haven’t listened to CMAT yet, then you’re seriously missing out, and following the release of her latest LP, Euro-Country, at the end of August, it’s little surprise she’s earned the Mercury nod.

What is CMAT’s connection to Manchester?

She may be Irish-born, but the ‘Dubyone Diana’ truly started to make a name for herself in Manchester, and you’re damn right we’re taking her as one of our own.

Moving to 0161 as a teenager with her old band, Bad Sea, she was just 17 when she got here; now 29 and making fairly different music to the kind she did as part of the previous duo, she’s grown massively in popularity over the last few years – and she’s done a lot of it from right here in Greater Manchester.

From playing the city centre music venue circuit to stunning crowds at the likes of Kendal Calling and Glastonbury Festival, she’s come a long way in a relatively short amount of time.

Come on, if this isn’t award-winning energy, then we don’t know what is…

We welcome her to keep leaning into country music as much as she wants.

There’s another reason we want CMAT to win the Mercury Prize

It isn’t just because we’re somewhat biased local fans that we’re putting our money on her winning the 2025 Mercury Prize: she nearly already did this time last year for her sophomore outing, Crazymad, For Me, having released three impressive studio albums in less than 36 months.

Further reflecting on the second shortlisting, Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (ergo, ‘CMAT’) went on to explain: “I had a weird thing happen at the Mercury Prize 2024 when Annie Mac was announcing who the winner was.

“As she was reading it, I had this weird flip in my stomach, that I didn’t want to win the Mercury Prize for THAT record, because I had a feeling I could make something better.

“Two days later, I started to make EURO-COUNTRY. The Mercury Prize put a bottle rocket up my bum, to try and do something a bit more cutting edge and experimental and intense, if that makes sense.”

She signed off by adding, “I didn’t necessarily expect to be nominated again as a result, but I am very happy to have been.” We had a feeling she would, to be honest, hence why she was among our artists of the month – not even a fortnight before the shortlist was announced, no less.

Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | August 2025
You say CMAT was our headliner last month, and rightly so, Euro-Country is an absolute triumph.

Thompson joins the likes of resurgent Sheffield Britpop icons, Pulp, as well as Wolf Alice, FKA twigs and lots more talented acts on the list.

Not only are there plenty of Northerners on the list, but our friends over in Yorkshire have had another big year too.

Leeds jazz musician Emma-Jean Thackray has also been nominated, and with the story behind her most recent heartbreaking but brilliant material, it’s no surprise.

Unsurprisingly, the likes of Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender are also on there after a standout 12 months for both artists, but we’re sticking with CMAT for our 2025 Mercury Prize winner. After all, surely she can’t miss out two years in a row?

You can see the full list of nominees down below:

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Featured Images — Raph_PH (via Flickr)/Publicity picture

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