Audio
Sex Pistols and Frank Carter to toast important Manc music anniversary with massive outdoor gig
This article affiliate links.
Danny Jones -
24th November 2025 
Frank Carter and Sex Pistols are continuing their fruitful partnership and are celebrating the anniversary of a very important Manchester music venue with a massive outdoor gig right here in the city centre.
Yes, you lucky sods are getting more Frank Carter as the perfect new lead singer for the Sex Pistols, live and in the flesh.
The frenetic frontman, best-known for his self-titled outfit and the Rattlensakes, as well as his time with Gallows and Pure Love, initially joined the legendary punk rock band on the road for a special handful of live shows; ultimately, the reviews were so glowing that they announced an entire UK tour.
It seems fitting, therefore, that as we approach half a century of punk – a movement that the Sex Pistols themselves kicked off right here in Manchester – that the landmark shows celebrating that milestone should be held where it was arguably first born.
NEW // Next summer, @sexpistols will celebrate 50 Years Of Punk with a string of huge outdoor UK shows, with @gallowsofficial / @therattlesnakes icon @frankcarter23 taking on vocal duties once more 🤘
— Stereoboard (@stereoboard) November 24, 2025
Grab tickets 10am Friday: https://t.co/HVgeW9iZA5 pic.twitter.com/DrANGlBw77
The Sex Pistols’ infamous gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall on Peter Street (now the Radisson Group’s Edwardian Hotel) on 4 June 1976, which contained a crowd filled with numerous future musicians, marks its 50th anniversary in 2026.
Even to this day, it’s still talked about as an ‘I was there’ gig that not only spawned so many artists from this city, but that helped shape both the British scene and global music industry as a whole for decades to come.
Therefore, the veterans couldn’t let the seminal date simply pass without recognising it in some way, and after the success of their previous shows alongside Carter, they’ve decided to do it all over again.
While the first run – which included a Manchester date at Academy One back in September 2024 – saw the band and 41-year-old vocalist play their debut and only album in full, this upcoming outdoor gig is more importantly pegged as a celebration of the movement as a whole.
You can see the kind of energy they generated inside a sweaty mid-capacity room; just imagine how incredible this is going to be live at Castlefield Bowl:
Yes, Frank Carter and the Sex Pistols will be playing the city’s increasingly iconic amphitheatre next festival season, following the likes of New Order, Noel Gallagher, The Courteeners, Blossoms and just a handful of other local names.
Joining the lineup for the annual Sounds of the City music festival, spread across several nights every summer, they follow the likes of Johnny Marr, The Ks and The Charlatans among the latest raft of regional acts on the roster.
The event itself never disappoints, and it’s great to see so many Greater Manchester natives and other nearby artists getting spotlighted at a venue that is becoming increasingly iconic in its own right.
It might never birth a moment in musical history quite like Free Trade Hall, but it’s definitely helped put a few more local talents on the map.
As for Frank and the Pistols, we don’t want to sound like someone else’s broken record, but you really did have to be there…
Other outdoor dates announced include The Piece Hall in Halifax, Cardiff Castle and the Scarborough Open Air Theatre.
Perhaps one of the coolest parts about this next batch of live shows is that they’ll also be joined not only by fellow long-serving contemporaries, The Undertones, but by ‘The Bard of Salford’ himself, John Cooper Clarke, too.
‘The Godfather of Punk Poetry’ and spoken word hero has already hosted two popular evenings in Manchester this year alone, and is set to prove a real fan favourite once again.
General admission tickets are set to go live at 10am this Friday, 28 November, and you can bank on them being snapped up just as fast as you could say ‘Anarchy in the UK’; get ready to grab yours HERE.
They’re not the only rock legends coming to town soon, either.
These pioneers of heavy metal are heading back on the road. 🤘 @AOArena https://t.co/jhX2jSuIeT
— The Manc (@TheMancUK) November 18, 2025
Read more:
- Childish Gambino confirms shock stroke that caused him to cancel his world tour
- Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts to play huge Heaton Park gig in Manchester
- Honey Dijon and Mix-stress on Homobloc, Manchester nightlife and more
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Audio North/Birgit Fostervold (via Wikimedia Commons)
