Manc music lovers and all those new to the city, feel free to do a cartwheel of sheer excitement because one of our favourite dates on the calendar just rolled around: Neighbourhood Festival is back for 2024 and we’re here to guide you through the jam-packed day.
The much-loved noon-until-night event is Manchester’s biggest multi-venue music festival and is returning after a year off and you best believe we’ve missed it like mad. Roll on Saturday.
With more than a dozen venues to be enjoyed and over 100 artists to choose from, the only problem you’re going to face is trying to cram all your favourites into 24 hours.
But don’t worry, that’s where people like us come in. We’ve put together a helpful guide full of important info about Neighbourhood Fest 2024; from ticket prices and those pesky stage splits to where you can pick up your wristbands, we’ve got everything you need to know. Let’s have it, shall we?
Are there still tickets left for Neighbourhood Festival?
First off, if you’re wondering if you can still grab a last-minute day pass to NBHD 2024 then you’re in luck because there’s still a wave of tickets left.
ADVERTISEMENT
Early bird and the first tiers have inevitably sold out (it’s pretty popular this thing…) but if you’re willing to pay a few more pennies, you can still grab a third-tier wristband that will cost you just £43.45. Now that’s some seriously good value for money given the amount of talent on show.
You can pay an extra couple of quid to protect your tickets too and accessible passes also come with a plus one as part of the same price – a nice touch. You can grab your Neighbourhood tickets HERE.
ADVERTISEMENT
NBHD Lineup 2024
Egyptian-born alt-pop phenom, NxdiaFast-growing indie rockers, The SheratonsTwo of the first and most exciting acts of the day. (Credit: Press Images – Supplied)
As for who you’re going to be seeing at this year’s city centre festival, the Neighbourhood lineup is just as good as any year.
With the likes of Sam Fender, Pulp, Sundara Karma, Paul Heaton; The Kooks, Self Esteem, The Wombats and countless other top names having played the event in the past, they always have a job on their hands topping the year previous.
Luckily, with local acts such as Corella, Seb Lowe and Antony Szmeirek all playing big stages, not to mention other favourites like The Academic, Red Rum Club, The Sheratons lot from Leeds, and the returning Brooke Combe bolstering the all-day music festival, they’re not exactly struggling for talent.
ADVERTISEMENT
Even some of the newer up-and-coming names like Manc raised Nxdia playing The Deaf Institute, Salfordian Issy Sutcliffe at hidden gem Lions Den, and the now Phoebe Bridgers-signed Jasmine 4.T grabbing the Gorilla spotlight,
You can find the full Neighbourhood lineup HERE. We even got to chat with local headliners Pale Waves before the big day too:
As mentioned, music festivals might genuinely be one of the best things on the planet but one of the prevailing drawbacks is that you can’t see everyone and sometimes many of the most exciting names have to fall by the wayside to make room for another.
The lineup is a gift and a curse in a way because although it does get you excited for the big day to come around, it’s also followed by the dreaded stage splits and the realisation that a few of your favourites clash with each other – a torturous tale as old as time.
We can’t avoid it, sadly, but what we can do is make it as easy as possible for you to build the schedule that works for you the best and rather than list them all out, it’s easier to just point you in the direction of the official Neighbourhood Festival app for 2024 which you can download now.
ADVERTISEMENT
Simply go through the lineup and the schedule on your phone, favourite the acts you want to see and then you can look through the set times tab to figure out which acts clash with each other. Simple.
But you should definitely come and spend most of the day at ours – not that we’re biased in any way.
If you were wondering which Neighbourhood stage is the best, it’s this one, obviously…
Neighbourhood 2024 map – venues and where to pick up wristbands
Now, with a whole host of gig spaces to shuttle between, it’s handy to get a lay of the land – especially if, say, you’re a first-timer at NBHD Fest or a student new to the city and not yet familiar with where you’ll hopefully be spending many more nights filled with live music.
You can find the full list of venues, all of which are only a short walk away from one another, down below as well as a little bit of information about each of them:
O2 Ritz – Audio North’s official stage, capacity of 1,500, sprung floor for proper dance vibes
Gorilla – Legendary small-cap venue that can squeeze in around 550, one of the favourites
Albert Hall – As legendary as its counterpart in London, two tiers and fits roughly 2,290 in total
The Deaf Institute – Spread across three floors, each with plenty of character. Max cap of 300 (The Music Hall – other rooms are smaller).
The Bread Shed – Just opposite Deaf; popular student spot which can hold 480 at a push.
Revolution – Oxford Road staple bar with a gig space suitable for more intimate gigs.
Lions Den – Tucked away in the somewhat hidden Deansgate Mews neighbourhood. Just great, even with only 200 people in the gaff.
YES – Another student favourite. Multiple floors but the basement and ‘Pink Room’ will be hosting 60 people and a further 250 gig-goers, respectively.
Mother Mary’s – The old Font site, now an Irish bar with the live stage still intact. State-of-the-art sound system and can hold up to 200 people standing.
Manchester Academy 1 + 2 – Hosting the headliners and some of the bigger acts over at the student union. The second floor holds 960 and the big room over 2,500.
As for the wristband exchange, you can present your e-tickets to receive your full day pass to all of these venues at the Symphony Park reception over at Circle Square on Oxford Road. After that, all you need to do is flash it on entry to access any of the above venues. Bob’s your uncle.
ADVERTISEMENT
Albert Hall is one many iconic gig spaces taking part
And that should be just about everything you need to guide your way through Neighbourhood 2024; just make sure to keep your eyes on their socials as well for live updates on the day.
Whether it’s your debut festival or you’re a regular returning for the umpteenth time in a row (guilty), we can guarantee you one thing: you’re going to have an absolute blast.
Oh, and make sure to come say hello to us here at Audio North over in the Ritz – we’ll see you out on the dancefloor!
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/The Manc Group
Audio
Pop icons S Club announce new arena tour, with huge Manchester gig
Daisy Jackson
S Club will be heading back to Manchester on a newly-announced 13-date arena tour next year.
The pop icons have announced the Ain’t No Party Like A S Club Party tour, which will see Bradley, Jo, Jon, Rachel and Tina back on stage for the ultimate pop party.
The huge tour includes a night at the AO Arena in Manchester, as well as two gigs at the O2 in London.
S Club are one of Britain’s most successful pop groups, formerly known as S Club 7, who went on to become a cultural phenomenon with their own TV series – one of which, L.A. 7, remains the highest-rated programme of all time on CBBC.
Their smash hits include Reach, Don’t Stop Movin, Bring It All Back, Never Had A Dream Come True, and S Club Party.
In 2023, S Club celebrated their 25th anniversary with a sellout UK and US tour, shortly after the tragic death of former member Paul Cattermole.
Now, five of the original seven are ready to bring the party back to Manchester, as S Club return to the stage.
They’ll have very special guests supporting on the tour too, announcing Boyzlife, the supergroup made up of the former Boyzone and Westlife members Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden.
S Club say: “We can’t wait to get back out on tour, see you all and celebrate the songs, memories and moments we’ve shared together over the years.
“It’s going to be one BIG party, and we want you all to be part of it!”
S Club will play the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 9 October 2027.
Tickets for all shows go on sale at 9.30am on Friday 6 November HERE.
Manic Street Preachers and Suede at Co-op Live, Manchester – stage times, setlists, and more
Daisy Jackson
Beloved British bands Manic Street Preachers and Suede are back on the road with another co-headline UK tour, including a massive Manchester date.
The two seasoned UK rock artists have teamed up for a huge run of live shows, which will bring them to the Co-op Live this week.
Both will be playing tracks from their newest releases – as well as a fair few of the hits.
The Welsh rock icons and the long-standing 1990s favourites from the London scene have more than 75 years of experience between them, with both outfits forming in the mid to late 80s.
This co-headline arena tour marks the biggest collaboration to date for both legendary bands and offers a unique opportunity to experience their renowned live performances.
If you’re heading to see Manic Street Preachers and Suede in Manchester, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know.
Manic Street Preachers and Suede UK tour dates
Wednesday 28 October – Glasgow OVO Hydro
Friday 30 October – Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
Saturday 31 October – Manchester Co-op Live
Tuesday 3 November – Cardiff Utilita Arena
Wednesday 4 November – Cardiff Utilita Arena
Friday 6 November – London The O2
Saturday 7 November – Birmingham Utilita Arena
Wednesday 11 November – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Thursday 12 November – Bournemouth International Centre
Tickets for Manic Street Preachers and Suede in Manchester
If you’ve not yet snapped up tickets to see Manic Street Preachers and Suede, worry not – there are still some on sale even this close to the show.
Floor standing tickets are available for £70.90 each, or seat are priced at £70.90 or £87.95 each.
You can see the latest availability and grab tickets HERE.
Stage times for Manic Street Preachers and Suede
Suede and Manic Street Preachers are on a joint tour and coming to Manchester. Credit: Publicity picture
Co-op Live hasn’t yet confirmed stage times for the show, other than the general admission doors will open at 6pm.
The bands are actually taking it in turns as to who plays first and who closes out the show – but apparently for Manchester it will be Suede first, Manic Street Preachers second.
Setlist for Suede
Disintegrate
Dancing With the Europeans
Trash
Animal Nitrate
We Are the Pigs
Personality Disorder
The 2 of Us
My City
Filmstar
Antidepressants
June Rain
She Still Leads Me On
Trance State
The Wild Ones
So Young
Metal Mickey
Beautiful Ones
Setlist for Manic Street Preachers
Motorcycle Emptiness
Ocean Spray
Faster
Decline & Fall
You Stole the Sun From My Heart
Everything Must Go
Walk Me to the Bridge
No Surface All Feeling
Autumnsong
A Design for Life
From Despair to Where
The Everlasting
Slash ‘n’ Burn
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
La tristesse durera (Scream to a Sigh)
Die in the Summertime
You Love Us
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
ADVERTISEMENT
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Danny Jones -
3rd October 2024 
