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.
The Pussycat Dolls announce major comeback with huge global arena tour
Daisy Jackson
Global pop icons The Pussycat Dolls have announced a major global tour, with 50+ shows across Europe and North America.
The pop icons will be performing a massive show here in Manchester as part of the tour, which kicks off this summer.
The Pussycat Dolls have been teasing their return this week, plastering hints on venues across the UK – including the Co-op Live, which displayed a pink digital ad reading ‘Don’t cha wish you knew who we’re announcing tomorrow??’
The multi-platinum pop supergroup will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut record, PCD. They’ll be supported on the European leg of the tour, which will bring them to the UK in September and October, by Lil’ Kim.
The PCD Forever tour will span a whopping 53 dates, where they’ll perform their chart-topping hits including the 5x platinum Buttons, plus Don’t Cha, and Stickwitu.
The Pussycat Dolls were pop heavyweights in the 2000s, known for their electrifying choreography and live performances.
The Pussycat Dolls have announced a major global tour with a Manchester date. Credit: Rankin
Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt, and Ashley Roberts will be back together once again this year for what will be their biggest international run in years.
They’ll be releasing a new song for the first time since 2019 – Club Song is produced by Mike Sabbath (RAYE, Jade) and written by Nicole Scherzinger with Sabbath, Caroline Ailin (Dua Lipa) and Solly (Teddy Swims).
General tickets will go on sale from 10am on Friday 20 March, but fans can sign up for pre-sale at pcdforever.com by Monday to access tickets early.
Country 2 Country music festival is coming to Manchester next year
Danny Jones
Hold on to your cowboy hats, country fans: the smash-hit Country 2 Country music festival is coming to Manchester.
The massive live music festival specialising in all things country, folk, bluegrass, Americana and more has slowly been expanding its presence across the UK and Ireland over the last decade or so.
Starting in London at the O2 Arena, before hitting the Emerald Isle in 2015 and debuting in Scotland just three years later, it has seen some of the biggest acts from the world of country music cross the Atlantic to show off the Stateside genre, plus plenty from around the globe already immersed in the culture.
We’ll confess, even prior to the official announcement, we had a feeling this was coming when we spotted these posters dotted about in town:
Like so many of those buzzing in the comments, we cannot wait for this to come around.
With this year’s respective events taking place simultaenously place over the coming weekend, Friday, 13 to Sunday, 15 March, it’s fair to say they’ve timed the news perfectly.
Everyone from established names such as Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, to up-and-coming bands as well as fast-rising artists working in and around the genre, like Nate Smith, Lainey Wilson and, of course, the now well and truly massive Luke Combs.
For instance, the likes of Keith Urban, Noah Rinker, Alana Springsteen – no relation – Zach Top and many, MANY more, are playing across London, the OVO Hydro in Glasgow and Belfast’s SSE Arena for the 12th edition of the now annual celebration.
Set to arrive in our city centre for the very first time, Country 2 Country (C2C) will be making its Manc debut at none other than the legendary AO Arena, where so many of the biggest names and current generation of stars alike have played.
You only have to look at recent examples like Darius Rucker last year and the ever-growing Tyler Childers, helping kick off this season of country gigs here in Manchester.
Meanwhile, as you can see for Country 2 Country music fest’s Manchester debut, it’s coming in March 2027, and they’ll be teaming up with other local gig venues and bars to turn 0161 into a little slice of Broadway – we just hope we get a bit of Austin weather to boot.
It’s fair to say that this particular part of the music industry is definitely enjoying a big boom right now, with lots of different acts dipping their toes into the bayou, if you will.
However, C2C have been flying the flag for country music over here for ages now, and with it being hailed as remaining “one of the UK’s most spectacular annual festivals” by the likes of The Express and countless, among countless other reviews, we think it’s time you give it a go.
Better still, let’s show everyone that we can do it even better up North, and here in what everyone knows is Britain’s real musical home: Greater Manchester.
Tickets will be available from 10am next Friday, 20 March, and you can sign up to get early bird pre-sale access right HERE.
Credit: Niko Moon/Luke Dyson Photography (supplied)
Harry Quick -
17th August 2025 
