Sacha Lord announces grand return of United We Stream for four Christmas shows
Starting on ‘Mad Friday’ (December 18) United We Stream will party right on through the Christmas holidays - with shows on December 19, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.
Manchester’s acclaimed United We Stream GM platform is returning to action this winter to raise local spirits just in time for Christmas.
In support of Andy Burnham’s new oneGM initiative, the city’s Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord is planning some festive, feel-good shows to give the region’s residents “a break from the boredom”.
Starting on ‘Mad Friday’ (December 18) United We Stream will party right on through the Christmas holidays – with shows on December 19, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.
Proceeds raised will go towards the OneGM campaign – getting vital resources to people who require them most.
One reason organisers opted to reboot United We Stream was to give residents some much-needed joy around the holidays – but most importantly of all, they wanted to raise awareness of, and funds for, people struggling during the pandemic.
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The Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation’s helpline received 2,168 calls in July compared with 1,187 in April, as coronavirus continues to take its toll on mental health throughout the region.
OneGM is aiming to turn the tide – and funds raised via United We Stream’s Christmas programme will go to this worthy cause.
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Lord explained: “Greater Manchester is the most resilient city region in the UK. When we are up against it, we come together to look after those most in need.
“Last week, our Mayor, Andy Burnham launched oneGM, a campaign to look after many people who need it right now. The next morning, he called me to see if I could persuade the original United We Stream team to get back together and support the campaign.
“Without hesitation, the whole team said yes. We’ve programmed 4 huge festive parties, including what will undoubtedly be the biggest NYE party in the UK. So many of us want put 2020 truly behind us, and we totally understand that for many, their mental wellbeing is at tipping point and that the holidays could be a very lonely and bleak time.”
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He continued: “We hope that these shows will allow you a bit of escapism for a few hours. As always, United We Stream will be completely free to watch, and I know for many that money is very tight, but if you can spare a pound or two, that would be great, and your donation will go straight to oneGM.”
United We Stream GM was launched in response to the first UK lockdown and began on April 3.
The project wrapped up 12 weeks later after raising £477,000 for 12 different good causes and local charities, with 35 fundraising events broadcast to 14.5 million people over three months.
People around the world will be able to watch the Christmas streams via the website’s event page, www.unitedwestream.co.uk, as well as via Facebook, Twitter and You Tube accounts.
The festive shows be will be produced by Parklife Festival founder Sacha with a team from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture department, Badger & Combes production company and L.G. Publicity.
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The production team won two Prolific North awards in the summer for United We Stream: 2020 Digital Campaign of the Year and 2020 Broadcasting Programme of the Year.
A highlights reel from the first series of United We Stream can be viewed online.
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Rick Astley is returning to Manchester for his 2024 Swinging Christmas show
Danny Jones
The mighty Rick Astley is heading back to Manchester this festive period for the return of his smash hit Swinging Christmas show.
Move over, Mariah and Micky Bubble, ‘r Rick needs room to thaw out in time for the holiday season too.
The past couple of years have seen Rick Astley more than re-endear himself to the British public and beyond, not just getting himself back on the map thanks to big gigs with Blossoms and stunning festival sets at the likes of Glastonbury and Kendal Calling but with some genuinely wonderful new music.
To be brutally honest with ourselves, we all took the ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ singer for granted; he’s well and truly reminded us of what a wonderful performer he is and with the holiday season coming up, he set to deliver his stunning Christmas set once again.
Excited to announce my Swinging Christmas Tour! 🎺
Tickets go on general sale 9:30am Friday 11 October. For pre-sale access from 9:30am Thursday 10 October, pre-order Never: The Autobiography by 3pm on Wednesday 09 October at https://t.co/Newx2V17K1pic.twitter.com/zYELqOTOrh
This tour is just the second time ‘Swinging Christmas’ has been brought to the masses after its debut back in 2022 and follows Rick’s lifelong passion for the golden age of big band and swing.
He’ll be performing festive classics in stunning venues, including right here at Manchester Bridgewater Hall, to truly capture the magic during the most wonderful time of the year.
For a man who is arguably the contemporary king of covers in this country, the first iteration of the show was a dream come true and he’s even more excited to be pulling these old classics once again to a crowd who have been crying out for another edition.
Speaking on the upcoming tour, Rick said: “These classic songs have been a part of me for so long. Singing them with a big band was a dream come true. I can’t wait to share this special experience with you again this Christmas. See you there!”
Trust us, with plenty of Rat Pack covers under his belt, not mention numerous nods to iconic old-world orchestras, he knows a thing or two about big band-style cabaret celebration.
Better yet, Manchester is fittingly the final festive stop of Rick’s seasonal tour, rounding off a run of shows in Brighton, Wolverhampton, Portsmouth, London and Edinburgh.
The Newton-le-Willows-born singer brings his festive show to Bridgewater Hall on Friday, 20 December 2024 and now we’re thinking more about this than we are the big day itself.
What better way to get into the festive spirit than a true celebration of Rick’s love of music, the roaring swing sound, classic tracks and many more?
Tickets for Rick Astley’s Swinging Christmas go on sale at 9:30am on Friday 11 October – you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Featured Images — Raph_PH (via Flickr)/Press Images (supplied)
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Stereophonics announce huge Stadium Anthems tour – but Manchester is set to miss out
Thomas Melia
Welsh rock band and all-round music legends Stereophonics are embarking on their first tour together in three years next summer, announcing a series of massive ‘Stadium Anthem’ dates.
Formed in 1992, the band have enjoyed plenty of commercial and critical acclaim over the years, with 11 UK top ten hits and despite only managing one chart-topping single in 2005, the unforgettable ‘Dakota’, they’re known for countless other hits like ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ and ‘A Thousand Trees’, just to name a few.
Led by the instantly recognisable voice of frontman, Kelly Jones, the band has gone from making music together as neighbours to becoming one of Wales’ biggest exports and a beloved British group. It’s no wonder that more than 30 years later they’re still headlining huge stadiums.
However, we’re sure you were right on track to ‘Have A Nice Day’, but we sadly have to break the news that they’ll be skipping Manchester as well as other big Northern cities like Leeds, Sheffield and more.
Announcing the ‘Stadium Anthems’ tour on Monday, 7 October, the boys from Cwmaman village in the Cynon Valley are doing their bit to back that same small-town feel and show some love for cities that often get overlooked when it comes to big arena tours.
Notably including Cork and Huddersfield’s John Smith Stadium among the small handful of sure-to-be sell-out concerts.
Crowds can expect all the usual suspects: ‘The Bartender And The Thief’, ‘Mr Writer’ and ‘Pick A Part That’s New’, their iconic ‘Handbags and Gladrags’ cover, alongside songs from their discography which dates all the way back to 1997 and their debut LP, Word Gets Around.
As well as hearing all the favourites in the flesh, crowds can also expect to be treated to some more live music from special guests, although the support act(s) will be announced at a later date.
The rock band are ready to deliver an unforgettable performance to a crowd of almost 25,000 as they bring their UK and Ireland tour to the home of Huddersfield Town and Giants on 14 June 2025, but Manchester fans will have to travel for a change.
On top of their incredible achievements with smash hit singles, the band also managed to amass eight number-one albums, a feat which many aspiring artists dream of.
Catching attention throughout the turn of the millennium, their second studio album Performance and Cocktails released in 1999 was when Kelly Jones’ unmistakable vocals got us all hooked for the foreseeable future.
Eager fans who want a bigger chance of securing tickets can do so by pre-ordering the band’s newest album, the title and artwork for which are yet to be revealed.
Tickets for Stereophonics’ stadium tour including the West Yorkshire date go on general sale Friday 11th October at 9am HERE.
The Manc -
5th November 2020 
