In the beating green heart of South Manchester, Sam Fender delivered a night for the books at Wythenshawe Park – swapping the safety of arenas for something far more raw and electric under the open sky.
The Geordie hero – now a household name and one of Britain’s most beloved live acts – took to the stage with the confidence of someone who’s played stadiums, but the humility of a lad still jamming with his mates in a garage. And if you thought he’d rest on the hits, think again.
But before he unleashed his arsenal of chart-toppers, support from Bugman, Charlie Noordewier, and Olivia Dean warmed things up. Dean was the name on everyone’s lips, with an almost sell-out capacity turning up for the East London star who released her latest track ‘Man I Need’ on the same day.
Hits like ‘Nice To Each Other’ and ‘Dive’ got people in the swing, but – it has to be said – there was a glaring omission of ‘Rein Me In’, Sam Fender’s tune which featured Dean on an updated chorus! I think when people were heading for the exits at the end of the night, some stayed in their spots waiting for the inevitable classic that never came…
Sam Fender sounded great in the open air of Wythenshawe Park. (Credit: Audio North)
A track from his 2021 album got us going with ‘Angel in Lothian’ opening the show for the very first time – a bold move, but the right one. Fender, bathed in flashbulbs, delivered the track with aching intensity, and from the first note, Wythenshawe knew it was in for something special. No crowd warm-up needed. They were going for it tonight.
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Then came the EP sledgehammer: ‘Spice’. The pit ignited. Flares. Flying pints. Lads and ladies on shoulders. Chaos in the best possible sense. Fender grinned, clearly feeding off the Manc crowd’s energy. “It’s good to be back, Manchester!” he shouted. And we believed him.
‘Will We Talk?’ and ‘Getting Started’ kept the tempo going for the opening of the set – indie anthems bouncing off the trees like echoes from another era. Then came ‘Arm’s Length’, pulling things inward, a slower riff from the most recent People Watching album, and definitely a fan favourite, as evidenced by the number of streams.
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A reminder that Fender’s strength lies not only in volume, but can also pull out his softer side.
But in my eyes, it was ‘The Borders’ that provided the most memorable moment of the night. Mid-song, Sam invited a young fan, guitar in hand, on stage. Together, they nailed the song’s dramatic crescendo that speaks about Fender’s homelife growing up. Thousands watched, phone lights up, cheering on a moment that’ll surely live in that kid’s head forever.
No ‘Rein Me In’, ‘The Dying Light’ and no ‘Remember My Name’ was gutting, we’ll admit. (Credit:The Manc)
More People Watching material followed, including the haunting ‘Crumbling Empire’, giving us shades of Springsteen, which landed with a weight that silenced even the chattiest of crowd members. Then, halfway through the set, ‘Dead Boys’ brought it all crashing back – Fender’s OG storytelling at its most harrowing, the crowd singing every word with defiant pride. One of my all-time favourites!
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As dusk gave way to darkness, ‘People Watching’ and the thunderous new single ‘Tyrants’ brought a fresh edge. Fender was in his element, throwing himself into each lyric like it was the last song he’d ever play.
But the true peak? ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’, with its extended outro! It’s jaw-droppingly good. I’m calling it the North East’s equivalent to ‘Free Bird’, and those comparisons can’t be named lightly. The guitar solo roared across the park like a jet engine, Hendrix by way of North Shields, with saxophones soaring and the band absolutely letting rip. It was glorious noise. Controlled chaos. Pure rock.
Just when you thought he’d played every card, ‘Alright’ made its tour debut. The crowd reacted like it was an old friend returning home. It fit seamlessly – big, bold and born to be played live.
And then, the emotional punch: ‘Spit of You’, a quiet and tender account of a relationship between dad and lad, before the inevitable eruption of ‘Seventeen Going Under’ to close. Undeniably one of his best tunes, it literally takes you back to traversing adolescence, standing in a park, drinking tinnies, listening to your favourite music… oh wait!
Just when the dust seemed to settle, Fender and the band returned one last time for a thunderous encore. And what better way to close out a legendary night than with ‘Hypersonic Missiles’; pyrotechnics blazing, confetti raining down, and the Geordie hero grinning from ear to ear as he stood arms-wide in front of a sky full of stars and a crowd full of love.
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Sam Fender at Wythenshawe Park wasn’t just another tour date. It was a love letter to the North, to music, to the fans that got him here – and to the ones still screaming every lyric just like we do in our bedrooms.
Let’s hope the park’s grass recovers. We might need it again next summer.
Harry Styles announced as latest performer at the 2026 BRIT Awards
Danny Jones
Yes, in what is set to be his Co-op Live debut (yes, the venue he’s literally invested in), Harry Styles has been confirmed as the latest blockbuster performer at this year’s BRITs.
The lineup for the 2026 BRIT Awards was already pretty stacked, but this just takes the cake.
Not long after FINALLY announcing his fourth album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally and releasing the new lead single, ‘Aperture’, the Cheshire-born singer-songwriter is coming to the Co-op Live arena for the very first time as part of the ceremony’s live music lineup.
Absolute scenes. Screaming, crying, throwing up.
we've got news… Harry's coming home 💋🪩@Harry_Styles will be making his live TV performance debut of music from his new album 'Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.' at The BRIT Awards 2026
Watch the performance live Saturday 28th February on ITV1 & ITVX in the UK and on… pic.twitter.com/Aax3lV03xM
The 31-year-old former One Direction member turned solo artist and global megastar recently revealed a raft of live shows this coming May (and there’s been plenty of discussion surrounding ticket prices), but he’s sadly overlooked Manchester for now.
However, anyone who already secured a seat at the first-ever BRITs here in Manchester will no doubt be doing cartwheels now following the announcement.
As if that wasn’t a mega enough name, he will be joining the likes of the wonderful, already award-winning and fellow multi-time nominee, Olivia Dean.
As quite literally two of the biggest musicians on the planet right now, we couldn’t pick a better roster if we dreamed it up ourselves.
Speaking of Ms Dean, she is also one of several acts confirmed to be playing a series of intimate acts across the country – and her’s is right here in Manchester.
You can see the full lineup of gigs HERE – all we’ll say is that there’s some seriously big hitters playing very small capacity venues on this list.
What a great few weeks for music, eh?
Taking place on Sunday, 28 February, public tickets for the show unfortunately sold out some time ago for what will also be his first-ever live musical TV performance.
Perhaps his booking is at least partly why we haven’t got a standalone Harry Styles Manchester gig on the ‘Together, Together’ tour, but we’re still keeping everything crossed that he’ll announce a second leg of shows here in the UK.
You’d think he’d fancy properly headlining the gaff he helped pay for, or maybe a return to the Etihad Stadium across the way, right?
Find the complete shortlist of nominees, as well as the rest of the live music lineup for the 2026 BRITs ceremony here in Manchester, down below; and if you see on screen trying to clutch at Harry’s ankles, we’re sure you’ll understand…
Featured Images — Leticia Moraes (via Flickr)/Press shots (supplied)
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Sounds From The Other City releases 2026 lineup with 100+ acts playing on 17 stages across Salford
Emily Sergeant
More than 100 exciting artists are set to perform on 17 stages dotted across Salford this spring.
In case you hadn’t heard, 2026 is the year Salford is celebrating 100 years since it was first declared its own city, and to celebrate such a monumental occasion, the popular Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC) festival has now released its full lineup ahead of its return on the early May Bank Holiday weekend.
Salford’s long-running independent festival of new music is known for its genre-spanning showcase of new artists from across the UK and beyond.
This year’s festival is curated by some of the most exciting promoters, record labels, radio stations, magazines, and tastemakers in the North.
Music lovers will get the chance to see artists in a wide range of independent venues and unconventional spaces across the city – with 17 stages around Chapel Street and The Crescent, from pubs and churches, to concert halls and galleries.
Artists announced today include the uncategorisable masked provocateur Lynks, South African ‘future ghetto funk’ trailblazer Moonchild Sanelly, Manchester-based artist jasmine.4.t, who has recently been named BBC 6 Music Artist of the Year 2025.
Other artists to look out for include Grey Lantern, FaT OuT, ambient pop artist Pollyfromthedirt, genre-straddling South London six-piece, Blue Bendy, South London trio ashnymph, and Manchester quartet Pyncher.
The Sounds From The Other City festival has released its 2026 lineup / Credit: Breige Cobane (Supplied)
One of the undeniable highlights of the lineup is that the spiritual home of the festival, Islington Mill, will be programmed day and night by the legendary Band on the Wall, multi-award-winning Reform Radio, Manchester’s infamous queer day-rave BENT, and the LGBTQ+ POC collective Swagga, with performances from Sorvina, Renee Stormz, and Chimpo.
“This year, we’re shining a spotlight on Salford’s independent venues and the selectors in the North who shape our programme,” commented Emma Thompson, Co-Director of From The Other, as the lineup was announced this week.
“Giving these organisations the space to showcase the artists they champion is vital, not just for discovering emerging talent, but to recognise how important these spaces are for our scene.”
Sounds From The Other City 2026 takes place on Sunday 3 May, and tickets go on sale this week – with Early Bird ticket access available to mailing list subscribers from tomorrow (Thursday 29 January) and the remaining tickets going on general sale from Friday 30 January.
Prices remain unchanged from 2025 with tiers at £30/35/40/45, and you can get tickets when they go live here.
Harry Quick -
17th August 2025 
