Happy New Ye—ah, never mind, we’re well past that; however, we’re never past soaking up new music and song recommendations from the best music city in the world – we’re pretty sure that’s why they really call it Greater Manchester…
If 2026 does happen to be your first year with us, this feature is pretty self-explanatory: every month, we round up some of the best tunes and Manc-based artists you may not have heard before.
Or maybe you have, and you’ve just forgotten about them. You don’t have to be a big name or an up-and-comer here at Audio North; you make it on this list if you’re good. It really is as simple as that.
So, without further ado, let’s get stuck into our very first collection of regional artists you need to try of the year…
Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to recently
1. Spangled
First up for 2026 is a group we’re expecting big things from this year, and hopefully plenty of new music to back it up. They’re playing a huge Ritz headline show with some other Manc bands at the end of February, and it’s sure to be a party, especially when that new single ‘Barracuda Cadillac’ kicks in.
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Spangled is a name you may have already come across, and they’ve certainly been working hard over the past half a decade, but we’ve got into a real groove with them of late. Post-punk, alt-rock, or straight-up Manc indie in moments; they’re given all sorts of labels – we just call it full-tilt rock and roll.
They’ve got a great swagger about them. Frontman Ben Johnson has a bit of Rob Damiani about him; the guitar work is excellent, they do a good music video, and they’ve even got a track that sounds like ‘The Only One I Know’ by The Charlatans. We’d say start with ‘Little Tom’, ‘Human’ and ‘Drift Away’.
Ok, off to a strong start, and while we’re hoping for those lads to finally release their first full album in the coming months, we’re hoping to see fellow rising rock project, PAVÉ, drop a proper lengthier sophomore LP sometime soon. If you fancy taking things up a notch in terms of heaviness, these are just the ticket.
Mixing plenty of distortion, electronics and wider effects to their overall sound, this four-piece (which was also formed in 2019) is great for anyone trying to keep their nu-metal and grunge-soaked younger selves alive, and they definitely know how to write a radio-friendly chorus.
Alanya Jade’s vocals soar over hard-hitting riffs and rapid drumming patterns, and the lyrics are appropriately brooding. We’d recommend their big single, ‘The Weight Of Letting Go’, another fan favourite, ‘Whatever The Cost’, and our personal favourite thus far, ‘aren’t YOU scAREd to be ALONE?’
Sticking with Manc rock but with plenty of US influences, we move on to Gallagher’s Green. Named after a cigarette brand and showing no shame in championing not only some post-Britpop, but unmistakable Americana and even country, this collective has roots in Oldham, the North West, Yorkshire and Ireland.
Their backstory and journey up to this point is as fascinating as it is moving, with founding duo Ian Gallagher and Jon Olphert first meeting whilst serving in Iraq back in 2008, before going to enjoy gigs together and eventually forming a band of musical brothers all their own.
They’ve maintained a clear mix of mainstream transatlantic sounds; it always sounds familiar, but there’s definitely more of a leaning towards the Stateside vibes. Put simply, your dad’ll LOVE these, and we mean that in the best way. ‘Just A Dream’, ‘Not My Day to Die’ and ‘Better Days’ are our standouts.
You’ll get a bit of Oasis, Shed Seven, Feeder, as well as bits of Foo Fighters, Incubus, and much more.
4. CQ Wrestling
Our penultimate pick is, quite frankly, a band that should have been named on our Greater Manchester artists of the month list AGES ago, but given they’ve had a bit of a sea change in the last couple of years or so, we held off to see what we’ve made of it.
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We needn’t have worried – if anything, we’re more obsessed than ever. No longer Chappaqua but now simply CQ Wrestling, the local indie turned even grungier and more shoegaze than ever outfit definitely suits this particular writer’s general tastes, but it does help set them apart a bit more these days.
Personally, we will always have a very strong soft spot for older tunes like ‘Football’, though we do enjoy the growing aggression in 2023’s ‘Kulture’, but our favourite track at the moment is ‘Catherine Wheels’, which feels like the perfect advert for their relaunch as an even darker brand of modern alt-rock.
5. Oscar White
Finishing on a much softer note for this month, we head into February with the dulcet tones of Devon-born singer-songwriter, Oscar White, who has such a command of the acoustic guitar that we believe his intricate picking could genuinely lull a baby to sleep. Or, you know, a fully grown man…
This Manchester-based folk artist definitely enjoys dipping into the old Celtic and bardic traditions, so it feels quite quintessential for the genre, and best of all, we’re starting you off nice and easy, because he’s only got two tracks out on Spotify, but there is more to be found on his YouTube and other places online.
So, stick on ‘Debts and Dry Land’ and ‘Spencer The Rover’ – both of which show off that fingerstyle guitar, but also do a good job of showing two different ways he deploys his raspy voice – but do check out YouTube for his live version of ‘All Turned Out’ at The Whiskey Jar in NQ. Simply gorgeous.
Manchester’s beautiful winter Teepee is back, with free pints this weekend and live music every day
Daisy Jackson
Nothing heralds the arrival of the autumn/winter seasons quite like the appearance of The Oast House’s beautiful winter Teepee.
The popular seasonal space is officially reopening its doors this weekend, and inside you’ll find roaring fires, a giant disco ball, live music, and plenty of pints to keep the colder months feeling a little less grim.
After giving its beer garden a major glow-up this spring and hosting a summer packed with live music, The Oast House is bringing back one of Manchester’s favourite winter hangouts – and it’s kicking things off with a proper belter of an opening weekend.
We’re talking twinkling fairy lights, faux fur throws, and a dedicated bar pouring Staropramen fresh from the tank, all inside its massive winter Teepee.
And there’s even better news for the first few through the door.
To celebrate the Teepee’s return, The Oast House team will be cracking open a full tank of fresh Staropramen on Saturday 10 October, with free pints up for grabs for the first 440 guests.
There’ll be live music every night in the winter TeepeeManchester’s cosiest venue is back
The Teepee will be keeping things lively seven nights a week throughout autumn and winter, with The Oast House’s much-loved Open House programme moving indoors for the season.
Expect everything from Bandeoke and Musical Bingo to Retro Sounds and Oast Acoustic sessions, meaning there’ll be something different on the cards every night of the week.
The venue’s free monthly live music festival, Oast House Live, isn’t going anywhere either. It’ll continue inside the Teepee on the last Saturday of every month, bringing even more live music to the heart of Spinningfields.
Of course, it wouldn’t be The Oast House without a menu worth getting stuck into.
The kitchen will be serving up its 12-hour-brined rotisserie chicken, alongside a line-up of tempting sides like Ziggy Fries tossed in chicken salt and chicken butter, cheddar and onion slaw, and charred corn on the cob drenched in house-made Scotch bonnet butter.
Food in The Oast House Winter TeepeeThere’ll be 450 free pints given away on SaturdayRotisserie chicken
And if you’re after something a bit different, the house-special ‘addictive’ Chicken (T)oastie is one you won’t want to miss.
Sundays are all about the roast, too, with the kitchen dishing up its signature rotisserie chicken alongside chicken-butter roasties tossed in chicken salt, all the trimmings and bottomless house chicken gravy.
Basically, if you’re after somewhere to escape the cold without sacrificing a good night out, you know where to head.
The Oast House and its Winter Teepee are open daily from 11am until late throughout the season.
The Oast House Winter Teepee opens Saturday 10 October, with free Staropramen pints for the first 440 guests.
For more information and to book your table, head HERE.
Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
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.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Danny Jones -
2nd February 2026 
