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Peter Gabriel announces first European tour in nearly a decade including Manchester date

The former Genesis frontman has been working on a new album — his first in 20 years.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 8th November 2022

Peter Gabriel has announced his first UK and European tour in nearly a decade, with a Manchester gig named as the second to last date on the list.

Confirmed on Tuesday, 8 November, the former Genesis frontman turned successful solo artist revealed his first run of solo shows outside of North America since 2014’s Back to Front Tour, which celebrated his much-acclaimed fifth studio album, So (1986).

Now though, Gabriel promises more than just a greatest-hits show, as he has been working on new music for his forthcoming album i/o — his first in two decades — from the comfort of his Real World Studios in Wiltshire.

As he writes in the caption: “It’s been a while and I am now surrounded by a whole lot of new songs and am excited to be taking them out on the road for a spin. Look forward to seeing you out there.”

The popular 70s and 80s pop and rockstar – probably best known for his smash-hit ‘Sledgehammer‘ (pardon the pun) – parted ways with fellow Genesis bandmate Phil Collins after band relations grew increasingly strained. Collins also went on to leave more than 20 years later.

His tour kicks off in Krakow, Poland on 18 May 2023, before sweeping through the likes of Italy, France, and Germany; Denmark, Sweden, Norway; The Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, before finally moving on to the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

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Gabriel arrives in the UK with a Birmingham date on 17 June 2023 and concludes the tour in Dublin on 25 June. As for his Manchester show, ‘The Book of Love’ singer is set to play the AO Arena on Friday 23 June in front of what is sure to be a sellout crowd.

Tickets for Peter Gabriel’s i/o The Tour go on sale on Friday 11 November via LiveNation.com and those subscribed to his mailing list can secure pre-sale tickets from 12 noon on Tuesday 8 November.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Wikimedia Commons

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Manchester music legends lead Cheshire Fest 2025 lineup

Danny Jones Danny Jones Cheshire Fest lineup 2025

The increasingly popular Cheshire Fest returns for 2025 next month, and some much-loved Manchester music names are leading the lineup.

Hosted at the stunning Capesthorne Hall estate, just a short drive from the city centre and even closer by for some boroughs, the Macclesfield-based music festival is ready for another big summer blowout.

Cheshire Fest came back with a bang and a bit of a rebrand back in 2022, selecting a whole new venue that has gone down as an instant hit across the North West.

Set to welcome more punters than ever this year, the lineup promises indie icons, up-and-coming artists from around the region and beyond, as well as plenty of the usual dancefloor fillers.

macclesfield music festival
cheshire fest ministry of sound
Credit: Press shots (supplied)

So, ‘Which local talents native to Greater Manchester are on the Cheshire Fest 2025 lineup?’, we hear you ask – well, get ready for a bit of the old, the new and the future.

Not only will you be treated to performers from indie icons like Peter Hook & The Light, who will be sure to play plenty of Joy Division and New Order classics, but Bez from the Happy Mondays will be bringing the party atmosphere, along with veteran Oldham rock band, Inspiral Carpets.

There’ll be plenty more dance vibes too, as always with Cheshire Fest and their continued passionate partnership with Ministry of Sound (MoS).

As well as the legendary Tunde from pop-soul duo, you can also expect plenty of club energy from the likes of DJ Billie Clements, Chester’s very own K-Klass and many more.

Oh yeah, don’t forget the stylings of MoS Ibiza Anthems featuring Ellie Sax and Friends, who’ll be pumping out tracks by the likes of Faithless, Eric Prydz, Becky Hill, The Shapeshifters, Daft Punk, Robin S and Fisher, just to name a few.

Made up of multiple stages, including the all-new ‘Indie Live Lounge’, around 5,000 are set to attend this all-day festival, with VIP tickets already sold out. 

Taking place on Saturday, 2 August, you’ll have all fuel you need until the end of the night; there’ll be a street food village featuring local vendors, an international lager bar, a silent disco and even a ‘Wellness Tent’ and relaxing Premium Lounge by Bollinger for when you need to cool off, it’s to everything.

Cheshire Fest is a strictly 18+ only event, but trust us, those who are of age will be dancing the night away with all the vim and vigour of their youth.

General admission tickets are available now and can be purchased from £40 per person before booking/admin fees.

You can grab your tickets HERE.

This isn’t the only big party happening in nearby Cheshire this summer either…

A huge house and disco music festival is taking place just on the border of Greater Manchester
How does a full day house, vocal and disco sound?

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Featured Images — Cheshire Fest (supplied)

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In memory of Gallagher Hill: an ode to one of the greatest moments in Manc music history

Danny Jones Danny Jones

The Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour shows at Heaton Park are officially over, with an estimated 400,000 fans having flocked to the fields for the historic Manchester gigs – but actually, there were A LOT more than that, thanks to what will now and forever be known as Gallagher Hill.

In truth, it’s impossible to know just how many people went to camp out and watch their favourite rock and roll band and arguably the greatest to ever do it, play their five homecoming nights from the unofficial spectators’ hill that was quickly named after the Burnage boys.

But with approximately 80,000 ticketed fans attending each of the gigs and thousands – more and more each night, as it happens, even with the initial views from Heaton Park’s cow field being restricted by a giant barricade – it’s not too outlandish to estimate that not far off half a million came to listen.

Come rain or shine, like true Mancunians, they turned up and sang their hearts out, as did countless others who made the trip just to watch from Gallagher Hill.

By the fifth and final night, as you can see by the scenes above, the raised section of the 600-acre park was absolutely packed with people of all ages and backgrounds, coming not just from all over the region but even further afield.

When boarding one of the trams heading to the show on Sunday, 20 July (Oasis‘ last Live ’25 gig at Heaton Park), we even overheard someone who said they had travelled down from London to the city simply to watch from Gallagher Hill as they’d not yet managed to get a ticket.

Regardless, he just couldn’t wait, and after seeing the videos on social media, was clearly compelled to come and join in the party.

And who could blame him? Like only us Northerners can do, not that we’re biased or anything, the city, Bury, and the boroughs at large managed to turn Oasis Mania/Fever/whatever you want to call it into what we can only imagine it’s like when Glastonbury takes over Worthy Farm and beyond.

The tidal wave of fans jumping on the bandwagon only got bigger with each gig, and it wasn’t long before the Gallagher brothers themselves got wind of it and began dedicating songs to them.

Once the trend had taken off and fully hit social media, Liam told the crowds last week, “If you lot are listening on the hill… ‘Bring It On Down’.”

By the evening of the final farewell, he and Noel had even arranged for free shirts that read ‘Gallagher Hill’ to be handed out to punters posted up on the truly Greater Mancunian mound, with Noel’s daughter Anaïs sharing images of the happy recipients who were among the lucky lot to score one.

With the veritable sea of bucket hats and Oasis merch all over 0161 over the past fortnight alone, ‘Gallagher Hill’ itself was pretty much decked out in ‘Mancuni-form’.

‘What was suppose to be a day in Manchester ended up on Gallagher’s hill singing Oasis with an Oasis top and bucket hat.’
The Gallagher kids doing their bit too.

‘What a 2 weeks to be alive. Oasis Manchester unbelievable last night on Gallagher hill with the wee man.’
Credit: Anaïs Gallagher (via IG)/Paige Coult (via X)/@rossparlane

If the commitment to seeing the Britpop legends here in the UK and, indeed, ‘All Around The World’ wasn’t already evident and impressive enough, we’re sure it is now.

Would-be gig-goers came and set up shop with their camping chairs, kids, picnics, ever so slightly more affordable crates of cider and so on to join in the action for what was (barring Sunday) the perfect place to soak up the sun and some free tunes.

Some fans even went so far as to fly their paraglider over the event – nope, not joking…

Most people just wanted to turn up so they could say ‘been there, done that’ – and ironically, some really did get the t-shirt to boot.

Put simply, Oasis’s Manchester homecoming wasn’t just like festival season for the city, it was practically Manc Christmas; we’ve never seen anything quite like it.

And a big chunk of that, we feel, is owed not just to what was witnessed inside Heaton Park but all around, in places like Definitely Maybe Bar, out on St Peter’s Square and, above all else, the magical, musical, Mancunian commune that was Gallagher Hill.

We know there was controversy around it at times, but above all else, it helped create unforgettable memories among those who missed out on tickets that will, well, ‘Live Forever’.

You can read our full review of Oasis Live ’25 night five at Heaton Park but, for now, we’ll leave you with one last moving image that will be remembered for all time.

RIP Gallagher Hill and ‘as you were x’.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/@rebeccahl26 (via X)/Supplied

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