Poyton’s Party in the Park is back for 2024 and has an announced legendary disco act as their biggest headliner ever.
Marking the 20th anniversary of the cult favourite event, the old Cheshire town which neighbours the likes of Stockport and Macclesfield is hosting its biggest party to date at Poynton Park this summer in partnership with the local Rotary Club, promising a jam-packed day of live music and more.
Confirming classic New York disco group and vocal trio Odyssey and the main event, with millions of records sold worldwide and some of the most iconic tracks of the 1970s and 80s to their name, this little one-day festival is set for a massive year.
Better still, as a fundamentally not-for-profit event raising money for local charities and community groups, you can party all day and all night whilst doing your bit for a good cause.
They’re best known for tracks like ‘Native New Yorker’ and former ‘Use it Up & Wear it Out’ (Credit: Supplied)
Alongside Odyssey, the lineup for Poynton’s Party in the Park 2024 includes critically acclaimed cover bands like The Soul Providers and Soulvation Band, performing some of the greatest soul, funk, Motown and disco hits of the 1960s.
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There’s plenty of local talent from around the North West on show too, such as Manchester singer-songwriter Imogen Paige, Liverpool-based indie band The Garnetts and, returning due to popular demand, Party in the Park favourites and Poynton’s very own Monkey Harris Band.
Great name and an even greater stage presence.
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They’re the stuff of legend around the local area, regularly playing the likes of the Poynton Beer Festival and this is by no means their first turn around the park.
This year’s Party in the Park is being put on by local festival organiser and Hale Barns Carnival creator, Max Eden, working alongside Poynton Rotary – who founded the event two decades ago – to deliver what they’re calling a “refreshed and updated event for all the family to enjoy”.
The one-day festival also promises to feature lots of new and exciting additions for 2024 including traditional funfair rides for all ages, alongside an extended showcase of the amazing local food and drink, as well as a new VIP area offering premium seats, table service and exclusive meet and greets.
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Local station Happy Radio UK will also be covering the event as the official radio partner, broadcasting in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and across various other parts of the North West, with well-known presenters like Steve Penk, Darren Proctor and Chelsea Norris all set to be involved.
Speaking ahead of the fundraising festival, Odyssey lead singer Steven Collazo said: “We’re so excited to be headlining Poynton Party in the Park this June. We’ve heard you guys know how to party and we can’t wait to get our groove on with y’all!”
As for organiser Max Eden, he added: “I’m thrilled to be working with Poynton Rotary this year to stage the biggest Poynton Party in the Park to date.
“We have an incredible headliner alongside outstanding local musicians and performers, amazing family attractions and the best food and drink from the local area – it’s the perfect lineup for a really good party!
“We hope to raise vital funds for Poynton Rotary to enable them to continue the incredible work they do locally in supporting charities and community groups in our area.”
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Party in the Park starts at 1pm on Saturday, 8 June with tickets starting from £28.50 for adults and just £15 for 5-16s – not to mention kids four and under going completely free. You can grab your general admission, or VIP passes if you’re feeling a bit posh, right HERE.
Blossoms at O2 Ritz Manchester – five-night hometown residency is already a triumph
Daisy Jackson
Blossoms are a band who were born and forged here in Greater Manchester, and now they’re back retracing their steps with a five-night residency across the venues that launched them into the big leagues.
Their star has risen all the way to arena level and headline shows at Wythenshawe Park at this point, especially here in their hometown, so the chance to see them back in these cosy-ish little venues is special, and a little bizarre.
For night two of their landmark sold-out gig series, it was the turn of the O2 Ritz, that sweaty spot off Oxford Road where the floor bounces downstairs and you stick to the carpets upstairs.
Poetically, the first time I ever saw Blossoms was in this very room in 2016, when they had the mid-afternoon slot at Neighbourhood festival and the queue to get in went all the way back to St Peter’s Square.
Since those days, Blossoms have come a long, long way, and their live show has evolved and matured from five lads thrashing on their instruments to this well-oiled, hip-swaying, flares-wearing, chart-topping machine.
There’s even choreography now – how fancy!
A stand-out moment from the show is actually a song from their new, fifth studio album Gary, which is still barely eight weeks old.
A spoof recording of legendary Manchester indie club 42s rings out, then all five band members abandon their stations, slinging keytars and marching drums around their necks so that they can dance together in front of neon signs.
Blossoms have just done their second of five shows in Manchester, this time at the O2 Ritz. Credit: The Manc GroupBlossoms on stage at the O2 Ritz in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Blossoms promised more disco with this album and they bloody meant it. It’s not just the flares and the blow-dries and the moustaches (though those do help) – it’s in the funk and groove that’s gradually crept into their music exponentially with each album release.
This is still indie rock but it’s the most danceable of its genre. Good luck keeping your shoulders from wiggling and jiggling in here. Good luck keeping that grin off your face.
And Gary is one of the most unexpectedly fun albums to be released in the last year – the fact they called it Gary, named after a giant fibreglass garden centre Gorilla, should’ve been our clue. It could border on silly were it not such a masterpiece.
It seems like the only thing Blossoms are trying to prove is that you can be wildly successful without taking yourself too seriously. They just seem like a group who want to have a good time and it’s totally infectious.
Case in point – when each band member is introduced, keyboardist Myles Kellock plays the riff of Satisfaction by Benny Benassi and The Biz. Unexpected.
Blossoms also clearly give a sh*t about their live shows and graft at it – I’ve seen these guys an awful lot and it’s because their tour dates are plentiful and consistently worth the ticket price.
This is definitely the biggest era of their career so far, but have they peaked? Not even close.
The Warehouse Project reveals return to Rotterdam for second-ever overseas event
Danny Jones
The Warehouse Project has confirmed it will be returning to Rotterdam in 2025 for just its second-ever overseas event.
After debuting abroad in 2023 with an action-packed few days in the city of Rotterdam – whose art scene, music culture and even canal network bears lots of similarities to Manchester – Warehouse Project is coming back for more.
There’s just over a month left of the 2024 WHP calendar; you’d think they’d be getting ready to wind down and enjoy the Christmas breather, but not so: the organisers are already planning what is set to be one of their biggest and best long weekends to date.
Set to take place over the early May bank holiday, the Dutch port city will once again play host to one of Manchester’s legendary club nights.
The second biggest city in the Netherlands behind Amsterdam, the next edition of Warehouse’s international series is set to return to Rotterdam RDM – a warehouse space very reminiscent of both Depot Mayfield and their original home at Victoria Warehouse.
WHP x RDM II is already being billed as an “unforgettable weekend” and if any of this year’s mainline events here in Manchester are anything to go by, they’re bound to live up to that promise.
There’s also a full FAQ page for anyone looking to find out more information regarding Rotterdam, the venue itself, travel and more.
As well as revealing the dates (2-4 May 2025), the organisers have already teased a good chunk of the lineup, with the likes of Chris Stussy, Peach, Four Tet b2b with Sammy Virji, salute and many more already confirmed.
With a slew of incredible acts, multiple afterparties on boats and other local venues, as well as plenty of opportunity to see the rest of Holland’s ‘Manhattan on the Maas’, this is going to be SO good.
We were lucky enough to have been sent to sample their inaugural Rotterdam date back in April of 2023 and, we have to say, it was an absolute blast.
Take it from us, if you’re considering being a part of this next event you won’t regret and we’ll be putting together an extensive guide to help you feel prepared for raving overseas. Registration for early access is already live, so sign up fast if you want to give yourself the best chance of being there.
Limited presale and accommodation packages will be available to those who have applied at 9am on Monday, 2 December (UK customers only). General admission tickets will go live from 9am n Tuesday, 3 December sale for UK and Dutch customers starts Tuesday 3rd December at 9am GMT/10am CET.
Rotterdam 2025 will be here before you know it, so take a boots-on-the-ground at what an international Warehouse Project date looks like down below:
Danny Jones -
27th April 2024 
