Homobloc has unveiled its line-up for this year’s massive queer block party, and they’ve roped in Sugababes as a headliner for 2025.
The phenomenal LGBTQ+ party, which takes over Depot Mayfield every year as part of the Warehouse Project season, will also see performances from Honey Dijon, The Blessed Madonna, and Beth Ditto.
The huge line-up also includes Patrick Mason, Slayyyter, Peaches (DJ) b2b Erol Alkan, Hercules And Love Affair – Live, Todd Edwards and many more.
As well as music, there’ll be performance art from queer collectives like Pxssy Palace, Butch Revival, T4T, Feel It, Ghetto Fabulous, House of Spice x Zindagi, and Red Rodeo Club.
Taking place in December, Homobloc will be returning for its sixth edition, with its most diverse line-up yet.
ADVERTISEMENT
Once again, it’ll be an all-evening-and-into-the-night party that’s all-inclusive to all artists, performers, spectators and clubbers.
Homobloc is one of the biggest dates in the calendar for Manchester, with a diverse line-up of live acts, DJs and performers, showcasing rising talent and queer icons alike.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s a party with purpose, too, raising £137,399 for vital LGBTQ+ charities since its inaugural event in 2021.
This year, the team have hosted a series of one-off events, including events with Romy, Princess Superstar, and closing Manchester International Festival, as well as making its Ibiza debut at Amnesia.
This winter, Homobloc will be lead by pop royalty Sugababes, fresh from their European tour.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sugababes will headline Homobloc 2025. Credit: Jody HartleyCredit: Jody Hartley
Homobloc favourites Honey Dijon and The Blessed Madonna will be back once again, plus Berlin-based techno powerhouse and creative director Patrick Mason, the iconic Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters fame, and a rare DJ set from Gossip’s magnetic frontwoman, Beth Ditto.
The line-up also includes American singer Slayyyter, a special b2b DJ sets from electroclash icon Peaches and Erol Alkan, live performance from dance music project Hercules & Love Affair, and a set from Grammy Award-winning house legend Todd Edwards.
There will be DJ sets from Sally C b2b I.Jordan, Roi Perez, Eliza Rose, Joshua James, Fat Tony, Grace Sands, and Manchester’s Aiden Francis, Gina Breeze and Kim Lana.
It’s all taking places across all three main stages at Depot Mayfield, as well as The Plant Room, the Star & Garter pub next door, and the Loft up on the rooftop.
Rod Connolly, Promoter from Homobloc, commented: “We can’t wait for people to dive into our 2025 lineup of queer excellence, proudly merging global and local artists, returning friends, and scratching the underbelly of the scene to showcase the rawest talent from the queer underground.
“In a time of rising division, events like Homobloc matter more than ever. We deserve a space for our community and allies to come together and hold each other up on a dancefloor full of love and resistance.
“We are the beings the bastards can’t grind down and we invite everyone to join us to shake off the bullshit, recharge, realign and carry our queer power back out onto the streets of Manchester.”
Sophie Bee, Homobloc Creative Director, added: “The team are super excited to be back. We’ve got some unreal collaborations booked in for this year, from Jodie Harsh and Clayton Wright’s London community strong, weekly club night Feel It to local hot talent Rojak.
“Loads of favourites are back like the Fvck Pigs, Sue Veneers, Ghetto Fabulous, Cute Cartel and Jay Jay Revlon, and there’s some really exciting b2b’s. We’re working with mind blowing producers such as Runway X Banksie and the nations favourite, Lill, producing a fabulous line up of queens.
“We’re also cooking away at some special happenings with Sam Buttery and Beau Azra. As always, we just want to blow your socks off and have the best time with all our pals.”
ADVERTISEMENT
House Of Spice commented: “Homobloc is more than a festival to us – it’s a celebration of queerness, music, and chosen family.
“As a South Asian, Middle Eastern and North African queer brown collective, House of Spice is proud to bring our flavour to 2025, featuring Club Zindagi, Armana Khan, Shanika Sunrise, DJ Chafik, and our performers Lucky Roy Singh (Mother), Mixed Spice, Chilli Spice, Saffy Saffron Spice, and Rachel Pro-Filing.
“Together we’re excited to create a space that is unapologetically free, joyful, and rooted in community. Homobloc represents unity and visibility, and we can’t wait to dance, perform, and celebrate with everyone under one roof.”
This year’s Homobloc is set to take place on Saturday 6 December – grab your tickets HERE.
Pre-sale will be live on Thursday 11 September at 10am ahead of general sale from 10am on Friday 12 September.
A beloved Manc gig venue is hosting a special afterparty following Manichester tribute festival
Danny Jones
A much-loved live music institution in Manchester is set to host a dedicated afterparty for the inaugural ‘Manichester’: the live tribute festival in memory of Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.
Seeing the grassroots music scene gathering together in moments like this is the kind of stuff that would make the man himself SO proud.
With Manichester 2026 announced this past March and set to take place later this month in honour of the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist, tickets for the main event sold out very quickly.
This came as no surprise, of course, but now other Manc venues are joining in toasting the life and career of Mani for one very special evening.
Shared by Madchester.com, who are helping organise the Manichester ’26 along with surviving members of the Mounfield family, as well as Mani’s friends and peers such as his brother Greg and Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene, gig space Gorilla are hosting it.
The small-cap live music room, bar and restaurant has hosted many a special night over the past decade or so – hosting multiple War Child charity shows in the past few years, for instance – and even when they’re not hosting a set themselves, they’re always more than happy to join in the celebrations.
With that in mind, there always likely to pay their respects to the late, great and iconic local musician in some way, but now they’re teaming up with Madchester directly.
Positioned as the official ‘aftershow’ following the mini tribute festival, as you can see, there will be just 600 tickets available, with general admission for the main event already gone as mentioned.
At one point, it looked like the kind-spirited and well-meaning idea might be scrapped altogether after some confusion between the organising partners.
Thankfully, that all looks to have been put to bed, and all those involved can focus on what’s important: honouring Mani in the best way possible – with a load of live tunes and a good time.
In terms of those who will be playing on the night ahead of the aftershow, the likes of the equally legendary Peter Hook, Rowetta, The Kowloons, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers, plus many more, have been announced as part of the lineup.
There is also still a ‘AAA’ headliner still yet to be confirmed, so watch this space.
As for the Manichester afterparty at Gorilla, keep an eye out on socials for the ticket link to drop and, hopefully, we’ll see you there for a night to remember.
Rochdale AFC go viral with song choice during promotion party celebrations
Danny Jones
Rochdale AFC are going viral on their return to the Football League, not just because of the remarkable end to their already spectacular season, but over their song choice during the promotion party in the dressing room.
We promise you: even if you haven’t seen it already, you will absolutely love this clip.
For those who haven’t been following their journey over the 25/26 campaign, Rochdale AFC were promoted back to League Two and the EFL proper, after more than a century in the top four divisions came to an end back in 2023.
Thankfully for the Greater Manchester side, who have always served as an important grassroots side throughout the decades, their hiatus wasn’t too long, and scenes inside the Wembley dressing room have been circulating all over social media – especially thanks to the track selection.
— National League on DAZN (@DAZN_NationalLg) May 10, 2026
If Olivia Dean is the artist of the moment, then Rochdale simply have to be one of the teams of the year.
Lifting the National League playoff trophy in the aftermath of a tense 2-2 draw, where the Vallians came back from a two-goal deficit to bring the tie level – thanks to goals from substitute Tyler Smith and Emmanuel Dieseruvwe in the 78th and 96th minute, respectively – you could say they were men in need.
Managing to then survive extra time and make it to penalties, another pair of crucial saves in the shoot-out from starring keeper Oliver Whatmuff, and a decisive miss from Boreham Wood’s Cameron Cox sealed the dramatic win for The Dale.
Breathless stuff.
All that being said, you’d expect some of the usual football-adjacent big win bangers to be heard in the aftermath of a playoff win: ‘Freed From Desire’, chants of ‘We are going up’, ‘Sweet Caroline’ these days, and so on.
But not these lot: they decided to stick on ‘Man I Need’, singing their hearts out and jumping up and down in unison like they were in one of her two recent Manc crowds themselves.
In case you missed it, her Co-op live shows were unsurprisingly incredible, but we’ll admit that seeing a bunch of blokes scream and cheer as they throw drinks in the air and sip suds straight from the shiny cup has definitely added another dimension to our love for this song and the Olivia ‘Deannaissance’.
Not only has the soulful singer-songwriter written one of the best radio hits in recent memory, for our money, but she’s even getting now former non-league footballers choosing her as the soundtrack to their main character moments.
You just love to see it (watch the full highlights HERE).
With Jimmy McNulty’s side having only just narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and the National League crown in that crazy title-decider against fellow entertainers York City, it can’t be denied that they’ve been the other truly box office outfit this term; another late comeback proved it once again.
No side with over 100 points and 90 goals scored should be denied going up and a piece of silverware, which is why, although they’ve been a great advert from the fifth tier, so many are still calling for ‘3UP’. We want more moments like this, please…
Daisy Jackson -
9th September 2025 
