Parklife, the biggest party in Manchester, has announced its 2025 festival line-up, with massive headline performances from Charli XCX, 50 Cent, Jorja Smith, Peggy Gou and Confidence Man.
Now celebrating its 15th year, Parklife will be back at Heaton Park between Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June.
They’re promising a weekend packed with jaw-dropping live shows and the best global talent across dance, electronic, house, hip-hop and more.
Since originating in Platt Fields in 2010, Parklife has grown to become one of the biggest events in Manchester’s cultural calendar every single year since.
And for 2025, Parklife is going bigger than ever, looking forward and bringing some of the globe’s hottest names to our city.
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There’ll be some big changes on the actual festival site too – Parklife will have a brand-new stage, Matinee, featuring a 360° DJ booth, and both VIP and Backstage will move to a more central location.
The festival’s headliners this year are BIG – the iconic rapper 50 Cent will be back in Heaton Park with his hits like In Da Club, P.I.M.P and Candy Shop.
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The woman who dominated dancefloors and charts (and our hearts) last summer, Charli XCX, is also turning Heaton Park back into a Brat summer, with her floor-filling hits like Apple, 360, and Guess.
The beautiful, incredible voice of Jorja Smith will be on the Parklife stage this year – expect to hear spell-binding tracks like Blue Lights, Be Honest, and Little Things.
Interplanetary Criminal will perform at Parklife 2025 as line-up revealed. Credit: Jody HartleyPosters teasing Charli XCX as a Parklife 2025 headliner. Credit: The Manc Group
Firm Parklife and Warehouse Project favourite Peggy Gou will be back behind the decks, and PAWSA will be continuing the massive scenes seen at Parklife 2024 with another appearance this summer.
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BICEP will be soundtracking Heaton Park with their Chroma AV DJ show, and chart-topping artist of the moment Lola Young (she’s the one who did that Messy song you can’t get out of your head) will take to the stage for her biggest-ever festival slot.
The Parklife 2025 line-up also includes Confidence Man, Chris Stussy, Steve Angello, Hybrid Minds, Andy C, Hedex, Bou, RUDIM3NTAL, Girls Don’t Sync, Ewan McVicar, Skream & Benga, Flo, DJ Heartstring, salute (presenting their True Vision show), Marc Rebillet, Interplanetary Criminal, MOCHAKK, Rossi., Partiboi69, and Prospa, alongside many others.
There’ll be more than 100 names across multiple stages, some of which are hosted by the likes of WHP & Teletech’s XXL Techno, DnB heavyweights Worried About Henry, Manchester’s beloved venue YES and forward-thinking crew Ghosts Of Garage.
Now we just wait for Aitch to make his annual ‘surprise’ appearance…
Rockstar Energy presents Parklife 2025 tickets will go back on general sale at 10am on Friday 31 January, with a limited Parklife sign-up pre-sale at 10am on Thursday 30 January.
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Weekend tickets start from just £135 plus booking fee, with day tickets from £85 plus booking fees.
Rockstar Energy presents Parklife Festival 2025 – Full Lineup
Little Simz announces biggest-ever Manchester gig ahead of new album
Danny Jones
The queen of British rap, the one and only Little Simz, is coming back to Manchester for what will be her biggest headline show in this city to date.
A whole three years on from her last album No Thank You, the rapper from Islington is heading back out on the road after wrapping up the recording of her sixth studio LP, Lotus.
The first single ‘FREE’ has already dropped, and despite the release date itself being pushed back, news of a new Little Simz tour later this year more than makes up for it, if you ask us.
Little Simz already has two NME Awards to her name for Best British Solo Act and Best British Album, not to mention a BRIT itself for Best New Artist in 2022; oh yeah, and she won the Mercury Prize as well as a BET Hip Hop Award over in the States for ‘Best International Flow’ – all before she turned 30.
With that in mind, you can understand why so many are frothing at the mouth to hear her new record when it does finally drop.
There doesn’t appear to be any problems with the album itself: Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, to use her full name, is simply busier than ever and has just booked a role in a film because, yes, she acts too.
Lotus will now drop on Friday, 6 June, just in time for fans to get learning the lyrics ahead of festival season, which we have no doubt she’ll play a big part in.
You can hear the first taste of the next chapter down below:
Little Simz returns to Manchester for a Co-op Live debut on 16 October with tour supports still yet to be announced.
Pre-sale goes live on Wednesday, 9 April from 10am for official Co-op members and general admission will be available from the same time on the following Friday (11 April).
AJ Tracey is playing a VERY intimate gig in Manchester next month
Thomas Melia
London rapper and respected grime artist AJ Tracey is ‘live and direct’ once again, announcing a whole host of UK dates, one of which is a rather intimate gig right here in Manchester.
It’s official: one of UK rap’s leading gents is getting back on the road and he’s showing a ‘Little More Love’ to lots of cities, including Manchester.
In a post on the UK star’s socials, AJ Tracey trades his music persona for that of a sports pundit as he announces the dates for his upcoming tour while impersonating an F1 commentator.
Anyone looking to attend Tracey’s ‘Not Even A Tour’ can catch the star up and down the country on his over 20-date tour with a stop in Manchester as soon as this month.
The rapper has reached phenomenal heights since dropping the unforgettable ‘Ladbroke Grove’ in 2019 and is heading out across the nation to make sure everyone knows about it.
Get ready to spit bars left and right as this rapper’s discography is stacked with serious tunes like ‘Dinner Guest’, ‘West Ten’, ‘Thiago Silva’ and more.
More recently, he collaborated with Walsall’s finest Jorja Smith for a flirty garage beat also known as ‘Crush’ with the video being the two artists talking it out in a good old fashioned caff.
The latest collaboration with Smith marks the start of a new era for Mr. Live and direct as it fell in line with the announcement of his third studio album.
Titled Don’t Die Before You’re Dead, we’re sure he’ll be “building a vibe” wherever he goes and probably previewing a few exclusive tracks from his upcoming project too.
This gig may come as quite a surprise for any hardcore fans of the ‘Ladbroke Grove’ star as the venue in which he’s performing is definitely intimate only, holding just over 250 guests.
This rap giant is bringing his unbelievable beats to none other than the legendary small-cap city centre live music venue, The Deaf Institute, at the end of this month.
It’s safe to say you won’t get many more chances, if any, to see him in such a tight-knit space again.
AJ Tracey is bringing ‘Not Even A Tour’ to Deaf Institute in Manchester on 30 April, with tickets on sale Friday 4 April from 12 noon.
Daisy Jackson -
28th January 2025 
