It’s now just a week until The Warehouse Project Rotterdam and knowing how good a weekend is at Depot Mayfield, we can’t wait to see what a full bank holiday is like on tour in the Netherlands.
The Warehouse Project was recently voted the best club night in the world (yes, the world), so you know for a fact that their first foray into hosting abroad is going to be just as impressive.
Now, if you’re anything like us then you need to plan ahead of any festival, let alone one overseas, so we thought we’d put together a little gig guide for anyone attending or even those of you who are still on the fence.
Let’s start with the easy stuff: The Warehouse Project Rotterdam kicks off on Friday, 28 April and runs until Sunday, meaning you still have the bank holiday Monday to recover and make your way back home.
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Situated over at RDM Rotterdam, an old shipbuilding facility located on the docks of the city’s canal system, this warehouse of choice can cram in around 5,000 people, so it’s going to be quite the atmosphere in there.
The party kicks off at 8pm on the Friday with curfew at 4am and it’s the same closing time on Saturday only you can get there from 6pm; Sunday is even earlier start at 2pm with a midnight curfew, but you’ll probably be thankful for it in the morning.
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Are there still tickets left?
Yes, lucky for you there are still tickets for WHP Rotterdam and depending on your plans for the weekend you can either grab a single general admission day ticket for £60 for Friday/Saturday and just £45 for Sunday, or secure yourself a full weekend pass for £150 that will cover you for all three days.
Better still, as well as the full WHP Rotterdam weekender pass, if you’re interested in any of the boat and after parties, they’ll only set you back £20 plus booking fee.
Lastly, if you really fancy treating yourself for the weekend, there is the option to upgrade to VIP after booking for £49 per person, which includes Fastlane entry, VIP Toilets and a private bar. Boujee.
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WHP Rotterdam Lineup
As for who you’ll be seeing, in case you haven’t peeped it already, the lineup for WHP Rotterdam is absolutely insane — well up there with any night you could hope for back in 0161 — with big names across all three nights.
With the likes of Bicep, Peggy Gou, Overmono, Seth Troxler, DJ EZ and many more on the bill, it’s easy to see why WHP Rotterdam is set to be one of the biggest nights of the year.
As if this wasn’t enough, you’ve also got boat parties and after-parties once the sets are said and done, and you can also download the official WHP app for a full list of set times to make sure you manage your clashes and don’t miss a second. Here’s who you’ll be seeing:
When it comes to where you can stay for the Rotterdam weekender, there are still a handful of rooms left at the main WHP accommodation hub, King Kong Hostel, which will also be featuring exclusive pre-parties in their in-house bar. Here’s what it has to offer:
King Kong Hotel & Hostel
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Award-winning hostel and hotel in Witte de Withstraat (cool district)
Movie lounge, live entertainment and bar
Mixture of dorms and stylish private rooms from just £50 per person
You can add any available rooms that are left to the rest of your booking and even if choose to simply book an Airbnb as well, RDM Rotterdam isn’t far from the city centre anyway, so getting back and forth won’t involve the usual stress that often follows going to a festival.
Travel
Speaking of travel, there will be shuttle services running from a few key locations in Rotterdam to RDM, including the after-parties after the event.
There are also water taxis which can help ferry you around to and from the venue, not to mention around the city, with more than 50 mooring points available.
As for how you get to Rotterdam itself, well that’s up to you; you can get a Eurostar train from London, a ferry from either Hull, Newcastle or Harwich, or even get WHP coach pick-up from around £90.
You can find out plenty more about travel on the ‘routes’ section of the website and if you want all the logistics sorted for you, you can always just book a full accommodation and travel package.
If that lineup alone doesn’t convince you, Rotterdam is a gorgeous destination and has plenty to offer throughout the day and The Warehouse Project has also put together a helpful city guide so never have to wonder what to get up to in the hours before the party starts.
WHP RDM is the legendary music event’s first-ever international date and it’s set to be a night you’ll never forget — or three, to be precise.
You can grab your tickets HERE and we’ll hopefully see you there!
Olivia Dean to play intimate Manchester gig as part of BRITs Week 26 for War Child
Clementine Hall
Morehuge names have been added to the line-up of intimate charity shows ahead of the BRIT Awards coming to Manchester.
BRITs Week 26 for War Child will see major artists playing their most intimate shows, taking over grassroots venues across the UK.
These exclusive shows are in aid of War Child, to help fund aid, education, and specialist mental health support for the rights of children whose lives have been affected by war.
Already announced are Fatboy Slim, Myles Smith, and Josh Baker who will be performing at intimate venues in cities such as Manchester, Nottingham, and Newcastle.
And now, another wave of acts have been announced for BRITs Week 26 including the lady of the moment, Olivia Dean, who will be performing at the Albert Hall.
Image: The Manc Group
Also joining the gig series is Spiritualized who will be taking to the stage in London, and The K’s who will be performing at our very own Gorilla.
The gig series, delivered by DHL, will be the biggest yet and offers fans a chance to see one-off performances from some of the most exciting names in music in smaller, iconic venues, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s vital work.
BRITs Week will take place around The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard, taking place on Saturday 28 February at the Co-op Live – the first time in the awards’ 50-year-history that it’s left the capital city behind.
The very special opening night show on 12 February will see Grammy Award-winning Fatboy Slim performing at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle.
And up here in Manchester, War Child has teamed up with The Warehouse Project to put on two nights at YES – one with Mixmag’s Year Defining DJ Josh Baker, and the other with DJ Mag’s One to Watch Rossi.
The full lineup for BRITs Week 26 for War Child is below
12th February – Fatboy Slim – Boiler Shop, Newcastle, supported by Max Jones
16th February – Lambrini Girls – The Garage, London, supported by Bimini
18th February – Spiritualized – EartH Theatre, London
20th February – The K’s – Gorilla, Manchester
24th February – Myles Smith – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, supported by Saint Raymond
25th February – Jack Savoretti and Katherine Jenkins OBE – Emerald Theatre, London, supported by Gabriella Cilmi
25th February – kwn – Patterns, Brighton, supported by CARI
25th February – Josh Baker – YES, Manchester, supported by Deliah and Alexandria
26th February – Rossi. – YES, Manchester, supported by Olive F
26th February – Olivia Dean – Albert Hall, Manchester
27th February – Jacob Alon – Music Hall at Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
Clare Sanders-Wright, Head of Live Music at War Child, said,“This year’s BRITs Week shows are off to yet another brilliant start and we’re thrilled to add these new names, including three more headliners in Olivia Dean, Spiritualized, and The K’s to our lineup as well as some really exciting support acts for the gigs.
“BRITs Week for War Child wouldn’t be possible without the incredible generosity of the artists, their teams, and our partners, including DHL and we couldn’t be more grateful. 20% of the world’s children are living through conflict right now, and the money raised from these unforgettable shows will help War Child continue our vital work to protect, educate and stand up for as many of these children as possible. Because no child should be a part of war. Ever.”
Fans can sign up to the War Child pre-sale HERE, which closes at 3pm Wednesday 28 January. Pre-sale begins 10am on Thursday 15 January.
General on-sale begins at 10am on Friday 30th January HERE.
There are also £10 prize draws to win tickets to all shows open HERE.
Ne-Yo and Akon announce huge joint arena show in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Two R&B greats are heading out on a joint headline tour for the first time, as Ne-Yo and Akon announced the Nights Like This global tour.
Both artists are Grammy Award winners, and each has a formidable back catalogue of chart-topping hits.
For Ne-Yo, that includes songs like Miss Independent, So Sick, and Closer; while for Akon, he’s responsible for huge tracks like Smack That, Lonelty, and Right Now (Na Na Na).
Between them, they’ve shaped and defined radio, nightlife, and pop culture for decades.
This newly-announced tour will see the pair performing on the same stage – for Manchester, that’s the Co-op Live arena – for a co-headline Nights Like This tour.
They’ll perform in a unique back-and-forth set throughout the show, visiting venues right across the UK and Europe, as well as heading across to the USA and Canada.
The nostalgic gigs will feature everything from slow jams to club anthems, with a party atmosphere throughout.
Ne-Yo and Akon will perform at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Friday 1 May 2026, with tickets on sale from Friday 30 January at 10am.
There will be an artist pre-sale on Wednesday 28 January at 10am.
Nights Like This EU/UK 2026 tour dates
Fri 24 Apr – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Mon 27 Apr – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena Newcastle
Tue 28 Apr – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Thu 30 Apr – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Fri 1 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 4 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Birmingham
Danny Jones -
24th April 2023 
