Stockport town centre’s brand-new live music and events space, simply called Underbank, is finally set to open this month.
After a series of social media teasers over recent months, the fittingly named gig venue and bar, which is located in the Stopfordian old town and Underbank district, is finally set to unveil what it has on offer – or at least some of it.
Promising an unprecedented addition to Stockport that bridges culture, hospitality and entertainment, the so-called ‘beer hall and sound system’ opens its doors to the public on Friday, 30 May.
Taking direct inspiration from the historic section of the centre that both touches on those Cheshire roots and also channels some of that buzz from the growing scene around the SK1 postcode.
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Case and point would be the nearby record store street parties, which have absolutely blown up in the last couple of years, and similarly, Underbank has plans to bed into that community as well as go above and beyond.
Nestling into the Syndikat site on the corner of Great Underbank, which itself was previously a banking branch, it’s in a perfect location to catch the footfall and overspill from those aforementioned SK1 Records events, the ever-popular Foodie Fridays and more.
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Headed up by local husband and wife team, Des and Nina O’Malley, who are also behind Nook over in Heaton Moor, they’re looking to create a premier music-led location, with plenty of room for other events as well as a place to house local food and drink vendors.
For instance, local breweries like Runaway and Pomona Island are already set to be on the taps, while Vaso Kitchens (Patel’s Pies) has been named as the first guest scran supplier.
Oh, did we mention there’s a margarita bar too, with frozen margs flavoured with everything from the classics to mango to coconut as well as watermelon tequila hot shots? Yeah, we’re definitely going to be spending a lot of time here, especially if the plans for the other storeys follow suit.
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CGIs of what is planned for each floor of Stockport’s soon-to-open Underbank.
Commenting ahead of the opening, the team said, “Stockport is changing, you can feel it, the quality of food and drink is getting better and better and we want to be a part of it.”
Sprinkling in some details about what’s planned next, they added: “We’re working around the clock to get open. We will open in phases, and will be opening up more floors as we grow. In the basement we have a recording studio and events space.
“We have plans for Stockport’s first roof terrace next year.. If all goes to plan.”
The audio facilities alone are something local artists and performers should be very excited about, as the very first ‘Void’ sound system is set to be delivered by Hollowsphere, who are renowned for their festival credentials the world over.
Launching the venue with a festival boasting names like Rich Reason, James Holroyd, Mix-Stress, and Sticky Heat taking over the system on 30 and 31 May, the end of this month is going to be a belter. You can grab your tickets for the Underbank grand opening in Stockport right HERE.
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Safe to say it’s a very exciting time for the borough, and this spring in particular has plenty going on.
Courteeners to play legendary intimate venue in Manchester THIS weekend
Daisy Jackson
Courteeners have just announced an incredibly intimate show in Manchester, taking to the stage at the legendary Night & Day this weekend.
The indie rock legends, and proud Mancunian export, have just confirmed they’ll be playing a very special one-off show in their hometown on Saturday 11 April.
Night & Day is a venue Courteeners played several times at the start of their career, and now they’re heading back to the 250-capacity institution.
The news comes alongside an announcement for a best-of album, God Bless The Band, as well as several new arena shows across the UK.
Courteeners will be playing the Leeds First Direct Arena, London’s Alexandra Palace, Cardiff Utilita Arena, Liverpool M&S Bank Arena, Glasgow OVO Hydro and Birmingham Utilita Arena this autumn.
That comes in addition to their existing live shows this summer, which include an almighty outdoor summer show at Wythenshawe Park.
Courteeners have also released a new single, The Luckiest Man Alive.
Speaking of Courteeners’ return to Night & Day in Manchester, the venue wrote: “Night & Day are thrilled to announce that seminal Manc band THE COURTEENERS will be coming back to where it all started on Saturday 11th April.
“From their formative years practicing in our cellar, crucial early shows upstairs in the venue proper, to supporting us through threats of closure, The Courteeners have played a huge part in the history of Night & Day Café, and we can’t wait to welcome them back to the venue this weekend.”
As for that new tour – £1 + VAT from every ticket sold will be donated to the newly launched LIVE Trust, a new funding initiative from LIVE that will offer much-needed financial support to those working across live music.
“It’s fantastic to see Courteeners supporting the LIVE Trust with a £1 per ticket contribution on their upcoming tour, building on their commitment for the Wythenshawe Park show in August,” said Jon Collins, CEO of the LIVE Trust. “This donation will directly benefit the full grassroots ecosystem – from venues and artists to promoters and festivals – helping to protect, expand and support grassroots music across the UK.”
Speaking about the release, Liam Fray says “In October it’s 20 years since our first gig, so with a couple of new songs fresh from the studio, the timing just seemed right for a Best Of. If we mean half as much to people as they have done to us over the years, then we’ve not done too bad. We look forward to seeing you down the front God Bless The Fans x”
Newly Announced Courteeners Arena Dates
Fri 06 Nov Leeds, First Direct Arena
Sat 07 Nov Cardiff, Utilita Arena
Fri 13 Nov Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena
Sat 14 Nov London, Alexandra Palace
Fri 20 Nov Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Sat 21 Nov Birmingham, Utilita Arena
Pre-sale tickets go on sale Wednesday 15 April. General sale from Friday 17 April from ticketmaster.co.uk and gigsandtours.com.
Additional Summer Shows already announced:
Thu 23 Jul Stoke-On-Trent, Victoria Hall (sold out)
Sat 25 July Sheffield, Tramlines (festival headline, sold out)
Thu 27 Aug Leicester, O2 Academy (sold out)
Sat 29 Aug Manchester, Wythenshawe Park (sold out)
Noah Kahan has just announced TWO huge gigs in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Noah Kahan has just announced details of two massive arena gigs here in Manchester.
The Stick Season singer is heading back to UK shores, two years after his last appearance in our city when he played to a packed-out Co-op Live.
This time, Noah Kahan is doing the double and will play two nights at the legendary AO Arena.
He’s set to perform here in November as part of a newly-announced tour, in support of his upcoming fourth studio album, The Great Divide.
Noah Kahan is a two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, originally from Vermont, and has become one of the biggest and most recognisable voices on the planet.
His music has now amassed almost 15 billion streams worldwide, with nearly 12 million albums sold.
Noah’s star rocketed in 2022 with the release of his acclaimed third album, Stick Season, which sat in the UK album chart for three years.
The album featured collaborations with top artists including Hozier (Northern Attitude), Post Malone (Dial Drunk), and Sam Fender (Homesick).
In 2023, Kahan launched his mental health non-profit, The Busyhead Project, which has raised over $5.5 million to date in support of its mission to increase awareness around the importance of mental health.
His upcoming fourth album, The Great Divide, is said to ‘build on Kahan’s signature storytelling while pushing his sound into more expansive, anthemic, and sonically adventurous territory’.
He will embark on The Great Divide Tour this summer, headlining stadiums across North America for his biggest tour to date.
Noah Kahan will be at the AO Arena in Manchester on 9 and 10 November 2026, with tickets on sale from 10am on Friday 17 April.