One of the summer’s biggest and best-loved music events is now well underway, with a roster of massive names performing at Sounds of the City.
Next up at Castlefield Bowl will be Sheffield Britpop legends Pulp on 4 July, performing in Manchester for the first time in two decades.
Fronted by Jarvis Cocker, the band’s massive hits include Common People, Disco 2000, and Sorted for E’s & Wizz.
With seven albums and some massive award wins – including a Mercury Music Prize and multiple NME Awards – it’s going to be a massive night for Pulp at Castlefield Bowl.
Their summer reunion tour is titled This is What We Do For an Encore.
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The stage is set canal-side in Castlefield, with other headline performances from Hozier, Blossoms and Bastille still to come.
Here’s everything you can expect if you’re heading down to see Pulp.
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Who’s supporting Pulp?
Pulp will be supported by British musician Baxter Dury at their Castlefield Bowl gig.
He has six studio albums and has recently, notably, collaborated with Fred Again on the single Baxter (These Are My Friends).
After his slot supporting Pulp, Baxter Dury will be back in Manchester in October for a headline gig at New Century.
The stage times have already been announced for Pulp, but are always subject to change.
5.30pm – Doors and DJ 7.45pm – Baxter Dury 9pm – Pulp 11pm – Curfew
Tickets
Tickets for Pulp are, sadly, totally sold out.
They were initially priced at £75.35 including booking fee.
If you’re desperate to go, keep an eye on resale sites but make sure you’re buying from a trustworthy seller so you don’t get ripped off.
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Weather forecast
Castlefield Bowl is an outdoor venue, with only a very small amount of cover by the amphitheatre seating.
The wet weather is set to mostly take a break for Pulp’s gig on Tuesday 4 July.
Temperatures are set to peak at 19 degrees, with a low of 14 degrees, according to the Met Office.
There’s a 50% chance of light rain at 8pm, but otherwise things are looking dry.
Expected setlist
A previous Sounds of the City gig at Castlefield Bowl. Credit: FAC51 The Hacienda
Pulp have already squeezed in another huge outdoor gig, at Finsbury Park in London.
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The below is the setlist they went for down south.
I Spy Disco 2000 Mis-Shapes Something Changed Pink Glove Weeds Weeds II (The Origin of the Species) F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. Sorted for E’s & Wizz This Is Hardcore Do You Remember the First Time? Babies Sunrise Like a Friend Underwear Common People Encore: Razzmatazz
About Castlefield Bowl
Castlefield Bowl is an amphitheatre-style outdoor venue in the city centre.
Although all tickets are billed as unreserved standing, if you’re quick you can take a seat on the large concrete steps that curve around the stage.
Many people also take a perch up on the grassy banks at the back of the venue too.
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Castlefield Bowl is located at 101 Liverpool Road in the city centre.
The closest tram stop is Deansgate-Castlefield, which is only a six-minute walk away.
You can also walk it from the major train stations, or use the 101, 197, 255, 256, 41, 50 or X50 buses.
Appeal launched to find the owner of live chickens found at Creamfields festival
Daisy Jackson
The hunt is on to find the owner of a pair of chickens who were discovered at Creamfields festival.
The two birds were spotted on the grounds of the huge electronic music festival by bewildered festival-goers.
The cockerel and hen were trapped in a hedge, after it appears they wandered onto the festival campsite before the security barriers were installed.
The birds then found themselves trapped inside as around 70,000 music fans poured into Cheshire for a line-up that included Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Disclosure, and Tiësto.
The chickens have been safely rescued from the Creamfields festival site and are recovering at a wildlife centre, and now the RSPCA is on a mission to find their owner.
Festival-goers first called the RSPCA on Saturday 29 August to alert them to the cockerel and hen trapped inside the festival, one of whom assisted in the rescue mission.
RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper: “I was surprised that they were inside the festival site and I needed to get through the road blocks and security before reaching them on foot through muddy fields. I met the caller who helped me as they were just running up and down the hedge line where there was a wire fence blocking access.
Where the chickens were discovered at CreamfieldsThe RSPCA wants to track their owners down
“We managed to guide them out and I caught both of them with my rescue net which was a bit of a sight for the festival campers.
“I don’t think they were abandoned and they’re more likely to be stray because it’s farmland all around the festival site. They don’t have any health issues, apart from being quite underweight.
“With the fences going up a week before the festival starts they’d probably been unable to get out for some time and had been left foraging in the hedge. Someone mentioned that a third bird was also trapped, although we couldn’t find any others.
“I am really grateful to the festival-goer who found them and alerted us to their plight.”
Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd July 2023 
