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The top five favourite festivals in the north have been named – and now you can vote for the winner

The Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards are nearly here.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 18th March 2024

The search for the Favourite Festival of the Year in the north of England is nearly over, with five incredible events shortlisted in the inaugural Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards (NMAs). 

After a panel of music industry professionals selected a longlist – including one of The Manc audience’s choosing – it was then over to the public to narrow down the selection to five northern festivals. 

And you lot have picked some cracking events that could end up being crowned the Favourite Festival of the Year at the NMAs. 

Voting is now open for you to cast your vote, with the public whittling down an impressive list of northern music festivals to five of the very best.

Those shortlisted include Stockport’s Moovin Festival, Kendal Calling in the Lake District, Salford’s Sounds From The Other City, Sheffield’s Tramlines, and Beatherder.

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The overall winner will be revealed at the performance-packed awards ceremony on 23 April at Manchester’s iconic Albert Hall.

The awards themselves will be hosted in a different northern city each year and will continue to recognise the breadth of musical talent across the north of England, year after year. 

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This year’s inaugural celebration will be headlined by Courteeners’ Liam Fray with a short and special live acoustic set, plus the legendary Lisa Stansfield, Warrington’s rising stars The K’s, up-and-coming Leeds quartet English Teacher, and spoken word, indie hip hop artist Antony Szmierek, who is to open the awards with a specially commissioned piece about the power of music therapy.

Tramlines and Kendal Calling are among the events shortlisted for Favourite Festival of the Year in the Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards (NMAs)

The Northern Music Awards have been created by the UK’s largest music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins, to raise awareness of their transformative work and fundraise for more music therapy provision throughout the region, including the opening of a new dedicated music therapy centre which will open next year, in Salford.

Awards categories range from Newcomer of the Year to Artist of the Year, Band of the Year, DJ of the Year, Disruptor and the Northern Music Award.

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A special Music and Culture for Wellbeing award will showcase outstanding and innovative creative arts provision in the North, that uses music and culture to support and connect with people that face health, wellbeing and socio-economic challenges.

We here at The Manc are the proud sponsors of the Favourite Festival of the Year category.

You can cast your vote and choose the winner of Favourite Festival of the Year for the NMAs below.

Voting closes at 23.59pm on Wednesday 27 March, 2024.

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Featured image: Publicity picture

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HAIM at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Rock trio HAIM are gearing up to play their first ever arena show in Manchester next week.

Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana – more widely recognised by their surname, which also doubles as the title of their group, HAIM – are about to perform their biggest Manchester show to date.

This should come as no surprise, with the band amassing a cult following of fans and almost seven million monthly listeners on Spotify – thanks to huge tunes like ‘The Wire’, ‘Now I’m In It’, and ‘Don’t Wanna’, as well as newer single released like ‘Relationships’ and ‘All over me’.

The band have already recently played to a near 70,000 fans, thanks to their longtime friend and musical collaborator Taylor Swift, who brought the band out as a special guest on her global phenomenon The Eras Tour last summer.

But now, HAIM are going it alone.

They’ll be stringing up their guitars, and warming up their vocal chords to sing their angsty and fiery hits over at Manchester’s biggest entertainment venue, Co-op Live.

HAIM are bringing their 'I quit' tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied
HAIM are bringing their ‘I quit’ tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied

HAIM – UK Tour Dates 2025

  • Friday 24 October – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
  • Saturday 25 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Sunday 26 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
  • Tuesday 28 October – London, UK – The O2
  • Thursday 30 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Friday 31 October – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

Tickets

No need to ‘Pray to God’, as there’s still a good selection of tickets available for any Manchester HAIM lovers to grab HERE.

If you’re feeling a bit fancier, however, and fancy watching HAIM while ‘Spinning’ the night away in a premium seat, then you can find a handful of tickets up for grabs over on SeatUnique, starting from £25 HERE.

Setlist

  • Gone
  • All over me
  • Take me back
  • My Song 5
  • Cry
  • Spinning
  • Don’t Wanna
  • The Steps
  • Gasoline
  • Blood on the Street
  • Hallelujah
  • Summer Girl
  • Want You Back
  • Relationships
  • Now I’m in It
  • The Wire
  • Down to be Wrong

What are the stage times for HAIM in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, and with doors opening at 6:30pm and a start time of 7.30pm, this rock trio certainly won’t be working to ‘The Wire’ to cram in all their hits, meaning you can get home before the crack of dawn.

Bedroom pop musician Dora Jar supported the girls throughout the North American shows, however there’s no official artist confirmed for the UK leg so far.

Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied
Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.

You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer, and directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

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Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl scheme, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images: Terrence ‘O Connor and Lea Garn / Press Shots (via supplied)

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Benson Boone at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Viral pop belter Benson Boone is bringing his ‘American Heart’ world tour to Co-op Live for two nights of backflipping and radio bangers.

Known for his roster of hits, spanning from ‘Beautiful Things to ‘Mystical Magical’ and everything in between, Benson Boone has soared to success in recent years thanks to his music becoming popular on various social media platforms like TikTok.

This superstar knows a thing or two about performing, singing to the likes of Katy Perry and Lionel Richie when he auditioned and gained popularity through US talent show, American Idol.

With two songs already surpassing one billion streams on Spotify, and a collection of tracks having 100 million streams or more, you’re guaranteed to be singing and dancing for ‘Forever and a Day’.

Now, ‘Mr. Electric Blue’ is taking on the Manchester crowds for himself as he gears up to play two nights at 23,500 capacity entertainment venue, Co-op Live.

Benson Boone is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester for two nights on 26 and 27 October / Credit: David Roemer (Supplied)
Benson Boone is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester for two nights on 26 and 27 October / Credit: David Roemer (Supplied)

Benson Boone – American Heart UK Tour Dates

  • Sunday 26 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Monday 27 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Thursday 30 October – Glasgow, UK – SSE Hydro
  • Saturday 1 November – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Monday 3 November – London, UK – The O2
  • Tuesday 4 November – London, UK – The O2
  • Wednesday 5 November – London, UK – The O2

Tickets

If you want to watch Boone backflip the night away while singing his recognisable pop ballads, then thankfully you can still find a small handful tickets available for both shows HERE.

And if you’re feeling a bit fancy, you can also treat yourself to a more ‘Mystical Magical’ experience by opting for a premium seated spot thanks to SeatUnique, with an array of options available for both nights HERE.

Setlist

  • I Wanna Be the One You Call
  • Wanted Man
  • Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else
  • Man in Me
  • Drunk in My Mind
  • Slow It Down
  • Be Someone
  • Mystical Magical
  • Pretty Slowly
  • In the Stars
  • Let Me Go / There She Goes / Sugar Sweet
  • Take Me Home
  • Young American Heart
  • Mr. Electric Blue
  • (Surprise song each night – like THIS viral Adele cover)
  • Momma Song
  • Love of Mine
  • Reminds Me of You
  • Beautiful Things
  • Cry
The 'American Heart' tour sees Benson Boone visiting many UK arenas including Manchester and London / Credit: David Roemer (Supplied)
The ‘American Heart’ tour sees Benson Boone visiting many UK arenas including Manchester and London / Credit: David Roemer (Supplied)

What are the stage times for Benson Boone in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning Boone has plenty of time to ‘Slow It Down’ and still get you all home before the early hours.

Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6:30pm with no official kick-off time listed as of yet, but you’ll definitely want to get in early, as supporting Boone is rising star and local Bury lad, James Elliot Reay – who’s featured in our Manchester artists of the month back in December last year.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.

You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): Plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): Expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): Plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
Expect to hear Benson sing 'Beautiful Things' and 'Mystical Magical' at Co-op Live, Manchester this October / Credit: David Roemer (Supplied)
Expect to hear Benson sing ‘Beautiful Things’ and ‘Mystical Magical’ at Co-op Live this October / Credit: David Roemer (Supplied)

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl scheme, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination, and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.

There’s hire points just near the south west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road, and for more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images: David Roemer (Press Shots) via supplied

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