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Parklife has quietly added a major DJ set from Happy Mondays’ Bez

Hello Bez, when did you get here?

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 16th June 2026

Parklife has quietly added a DJ set from Bez this afternoon, joining an already stacked festival line-up.

Eagle-eyed users of the Parklife app (aka, us) have spotted that as the big weekend nears, a few new stages have popped up on the plans.

And that’s included a new Beatbox Stage, which on Saturday will host a mega set from the icon that is Bez, from Happy Mondays.

Bez isn’t the only nostalgic name who’s been added to the line-up for Saturday – the Beatbox Stage will also host a set from Artful Dodger.

The 2000s garage icons will be taking to the stage at 3pm for a set that will hopefully include their massive hits like Moving Too Fast, Re-Rewind (with Craig David), and Woman Trouble.

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On Sunday, the newly-added Beatbox Stage will be hosting DJ Fat Tony, who you might know for getting stuck into the middle of the Beckham family feud – but he’s also one of the most in-demand A-list DJs, having spun for icons like Madonna, Prince, and Elton John.

Parklife has also quietly added a few secret sets to the bill, which we’ll be keeping a close eye on.

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They join existing Parklife headliners including Calvin Harris, Zara Larsson, Chris Stussy, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and East End Dubs.

On Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June, thousands of music-lovers will be flocking to the fields of Heaton Park ready for this year’s instalment of Parklife.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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You can win two VIP tickets to a Co-op Live show as part of a heartwarming Manc charity raffle

Danny Jones Danny Jones Win VIP Co-op Live tickets Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity raffle 2026

Fancy bagging yourself the posh treatment at the biggest indoor gig and live entertainment venue in the city? Well, you can do just that by entering the latest Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity raffle, which is offering a pair of VIP tickets to a Co-op Live show.

All you have to do is simply do your bit for a crucial local cause.

It’s one that we’ve worked closely with in the past on many occasions: the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, which helps house rough sleepers across the region.

Teaming up with The 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness – which was created specifically to generate funds for this ongoing crisis – as well as an upcoming community social, all you have to do to be in with a chance is put your name down for a cheap raffle ticket.

Writing in the caption of the post, the Mayor’s Charity has revealed that “Cross Club Social and The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness are teaming up to raffle off 2x VIP Co-op Live tickets to a show of your choosing.”

That’s right, not just any random show – you get to pick which one you fancy going along to in style.

As it goes on to explain: “Entries are £5, with proceeds going towards ‘A Bed Every Night’ via The Manchester 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness.”

With the 2026 edition of the annual fundraising relay event, on behalf of Greater Manchester’s homeless community, taking place this November (find out more on the GMMC website and keep up to date with us here at The Manc for the latest) they’re hoping to get the donations going nice and early.

For anyone unaware, the Cross Club Social, or ‘XCS’, has been going for a few years now; it brings together runners from all over the 10 boroughs for a big post-race party, all whilst raising money for charitable organisations.

The next edition will be taking place this Friday, 19 June, over at the award-winning Fairfield Social Club, where an all-day party will run, pardon the pun, well into the night.

Better still, entrants into the raffle don’t have to wait long to find out if they’re a winner, as the lucky recipient is set to be announced the following Saturday (20 Jun) after the big shindig over on the XCS Instagram page.

The Mayor’s Charity team signed off by adding, “Good luck and together, we will end homelessness” – a mission that many Manc groups, especially, have been working so hard to make possible in recent times.

For instance, last year alone, the aforementioned 24 Hour Run, whose team will be in attendance and taking donations for at XCS 2026, generated a whopping £70k, and the total tally has now reached truly life-changing sums.

As for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity raffle, you can grab a ticket HERE for just a fiver to secure your chance to go along to a VIP night at Co-op Live. Fingers crossed!

The Manchester 24 Hour Run raises over £70,000 for the region’s homeless community
Find out more about these incredible campaigners.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Cross Club Social MCR

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Olivia Rodrigo says ‘very inspiring’ Manchester is one of her favourite places in the UK

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Olivia Rodrigo on Hits Radio UK

Olivia Rodrigo has named some of her favourite places in the UK… and it’s good news for Manchester.

If you weren’t aware, the global pop superstar has a bit of an affinity for the UK, having spent a lot of time over here in recent years – particularly in London – and developing a love for some of our nation’s finest delicacies in the process, like M&S fan-favourite sweet treats Percy Pigs and Colin the Caterpillar, as well as Jaffa Cakes, Cadbury, sausage rolls, and plenty more.

And it’s fair to say that she’s once again proven herself to be a somewhat of an honorary Brit during the recent promotional tour for her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love – which released to the world last Friday (12 June).

In a recent interview with Hits Radio UK, Olivia was asked where some of her favourite places in the UK are, other than London… and it was good news for our city.

I mean, not that ‘good’… she’s still not chosen to bring her upcoming ‘The Unraveled Tour’ over to us this next time around in 2027, opting to just stay in London for more than a dozen nights instead, but it seems she’s keen to show Manchester some love regardless.

When asked if she has a favourite area of the UK, Olivia said: “I spent some time in Manchester which was really nice. Very inspiring, so many great bands from there. I spent some time in Wales too, which was fun. I’ve been around but I need to go and see more things.”

She then went on to add: “I really want to go to Leeds this year. I think that’ll be fun. Just like as a spectator, I think that’ll be cool.”

It’s not the first time Olivia has publicly spoken about Manchester either, as in another recent interview with Dazed Magazine, she claimed she’s the ‘best version of [herself]’ in the UK.

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“Maybe it’s because it rains so much that all you want to do is be inside with the guitar and write. I spent some time in Manchester a few years ago and it was so rainy I was like, ‘No wonder so many great bands come out of Manchester’,” she concluded.

Featured Image – Hits Radio UK

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