It is an absolutely massive few days of music here in Manchester and although while plenty will be focused on the arrival of Parklife, there’s another big name arriving at the Etihad this Weeknd.
See what we did there?…
That’s right, Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd is one of many amazing incredible acts set to perform this Saturday, following Coldplay last week by taking the stage at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
With The Courteeners kicking off the Heaton Park party vibes on Friday before the Parklife festivities get into full swing, you obviously can’t cram absolutely everyone onto one big field, so for those of you that are going along, here’s everything you need to know.
Are there any tickets left for The Weeknd’s Manchester gig?
We’ve got some bad news for you, tickets to see The Weeknd at the Etihad sold out a while ago — we’re talking seated, standing, hospitality, the lot.
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He is one of the biggest pop and R&B artists on the planet, so not that much of a surprise, to be fair.
You can obviously always keep your eye out on resellers like TicketSwap and Twickets for any spares that might go up but, as always, we advise caution when purchasing second-hand tickets from anyone and to steer well clear of ticket touts.
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Who are The Weeknd’s support acts?
As for those of you who have managed to bag a ticket, you’re in for an absolute treat as not only will you be seeing The Weeknd but his support acts are absolutely dynamite.
As well as prolific producer Mike Dean (not the one that’s usually at the Etihad) as the first support, who has worked with the likes of Kanye West, Travis Scott, Drake and countless other big names — The Weeknd included, obviously — you will also get to see global DJ and electronic sensation Kaytranada before the main event.
Madness, right? For anyone still sleeping on Kaytra (there can’t be many of you left in the world), the fellow Canadian is arguably one of the best live acts going at the minute, selling out stadiums all across the world, headlining Coachella and costing a fair few quid to see alone.
Now, when it comes to setlists, given that artists like switch things up from show to show all the time, we can only ever really give you predictions.
However, according to Setlist.fm and his last show in Passeio Marítimo de Algés, Portugal, he is what you very well be hearing come Saturday night.
We’ll warn you now, it’s an absolute whopper of a line-up.
Take My Breath
Sacrifice (Swedish House Mafia remix)
How Do I Make You Love Me?
Can’t Feel My Face
Lost in the Fire
Hurricane
The Hills
Often
Crew Love
Starboy
House of Balloons
Heartless
Low Life
Reminder
Party Monster
Faith
After Hours
Out of Time
I Feel It Coming
Die for You
Is There Someone Else?
I Was Never There
Wicked Games
Call Out My Name
The Morning
Save Your Tears
Less Than Zero
Encore
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Blinding Lights
Double Fantasy
Creepin’ (Metro Boomin cover)
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What a show this is going to be.
Stage times
Mike Dean/Kaytranada/The Weeknd (via Instagram)
Speaking of the lineup, in case you’re wondering when you can expect each of them to rock up to the Etihad stage, doors are set to open at 4pm and with Manchester set for yet another gorgeous day, you can spend hours enjoying tunes in the heat before the sun even goes down. Wonderful stuff.
While the exact times of each act are yet to be fully announced, the live entertainment is set to start around 7pm, with The Weeknd expected to take the stage around 9pm.
With a setlist this long, who knows how long he tends to go on for, but we’d ballpark that the show will finish around 11pm.
How to get to the Etihad Stadium
Last but not least, getting to the Eithad should be a doddle regardless of how you’re getting there. If you’re choosing public transport, the Metrolink is the most direct route, with a tram stop right outside the ground and just a few stops away from Manchester Piccadilly.
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Both Holt Town and Velopark Metrolink stops, located on either side of the Etihad Campus stop, will not be open for at least an hour after an event at the stadium and they’ll obviously be very busy, so just make sure plan accordingly.
The trams will be very busy though, and since the weather looks so nice again, so you might prefer to walk; if so, it’s only around a 30-minute stroll from town with this safe walking route recommended.
If you need to drive in, official car parking is priced at £25 for cars, £50 for coaches and £40 for minibuses. There are of course other unofficial car parks and drop-off points nearby too, so just make sure you’re not getting ripped off.
Manichester organisers confirm tribute festival will return in 2027
Danny Jones
For anyone who didn’t manage to make it to the inaugural ‘Manichester’ festival held earlier this year in memory of British music legend Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, you’ll be glad to hear that the tribute festival will be returning in 2027.
Set up in the name of the late, great Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist, the event sold out in the blink of an eye, as hordes of Mancs and more turned up to honour the local icon through live music.
Following paying their respects in the immediate aftermath, his surviving family members, peers and other figures from within the industry then held that wonderful evening, where several big names turned up to remember with live performances – and it’s official: they’re not done yet.
Writing in a lengthy caption, the brand said, “The family of Stone Roses legend Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield have thanked everyone who made Manichester at Diecast such a special day — performers, organisers, and the thousands who turned up to celebrate a true Manchester icon.”
The evidently emotional and grateful statement goes on to read: “On behalf of Gene, George & the Family — thank you to everyone who performed, contributed and attended Manichester on 30 May 2026, and for all your kind words of support.
“The response was massive — fans travelled from everywhere, demand through the roof, love for Mani louder than ever. [Local fashion label] GioGoi even said they could’ve filled Old Trafford.”
Revealing that the team of organisers have now green-lit the follow-up edition next year, they promise to deliver the same kind of magic, only “bigger, better, built properly” and with more music and people involved this time around.
They also thanked Manc-Mexican musician and creative, Alejandro Reyes Knight, for filming and editing the content on the night, adding that since he “grew up in Madchester”, there was no better person to be tasked with the job.
For anyone who was there at Diecast on the special memorial evening itself, we don’t need to tell you how special the energy was in the room.
We spent a good week or so looking back at footage following the maiden Manichester festival, as we’re sure plenty of you did, too; safe to say we’re glad we’ll have another opportunity to celebrate his life and career in the best way we know how: with plenty of tunes and singing our hearts out.
It remains to be seen whether Diecast will remain the host venue for the sophomore tribute fest, and the next date is also still yet to be fully set.
All we do know is that with such a good lineup and turnout the first time around, you can expect an excellent and equally heartfelt sequel in 2027.
You can register your interest right HERE. Wherever and whenever it is, we’ll see you there.
@the.manc Yesterday, Manchester laid one of the city's greatest music legends, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, to rest at Manchester Cathedral. 🍋 Fellow band member and life-long friend Ian Brown read out a speech as hundreds gathered outside the cathedral to pay their respects to The Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist. Mani will be missed by many, and we send love to all his family and friends. ❤️ #manchester#mani#ianbrown#thestoneroses#stoneroses♬ original sound – The Manc
Oasis promoters drop biggest Knebworth hint yet after securing license around key date
Danny Jones
Not that we’re the type to get carried away, but we’ll confess that our curiosity, interest and general levels of anticipation have been piqued, as Oasis’ main promoters have recently renewed the license to host events at the infamous Knebworth.
My word, is this it? Like the reunion, is it ACTUALLY going to happen?…
We’re sure the raw, uncontrollable excitement will come should it be fully confirmed, but for now, all we know is that our colleagues in music media, SJM Concerts, have renewed the land in and around Knebworth Park and House for live entertainment once again.
Moreover, the company have also done so on a rather fitting date decades on from the original and legendary outdoor gigs.
As can be found on the planning application section of the North Hertfordshire Council website – the county in which the storied Britpop gigs took place – a fresh license to hold new events.
If/when the announcement happens, the already granted permission will allow for a capacity of up to 125,000 and a curfew of 3am.
We know the original Knebworth shows were beyond iconic, but let’s say this would be nailed on to be nothing short of absolutely box office.
Besides having also helped promote Oasis’ colossal Live ’25 reunion tour last summer, it’s also worth noting that they secured said license just over a week before the 30th anniversary of the pair of nights back in 1996: 10-11 August, to be specific.
The licence is said to have come into effect this past Saturday (1 Aug) and is believed to be indefinite.
What added even more fuel to the fire of these well-established rumours over the past year was when Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage told the House of Lords the band would be playing FIVE whole nights at Knebworth in the future, before later clarifying that she was speaking in “hypothetical terms.”
All that being said, it’s fair to say we’ll be keeping a very keen eye on socials over the next few days, in particular, just in case.
The Manc has reached out to SJM for an official comment (surprise, surprise), but we are yet to receive a response regarding the matter.
Your silence speaks volumes, just saying.
This coming Monday, 10 August 2026, will mark the official 30th anniversary of Oasis at Knebworth 1996, and with the likes of ‘Wonderwall’ seeing a chart resurgence as the go-to England anthem at this year’s World Cup, we’re choosing to be optimistic. What about you?
Danny Jones -
9th June 2023 
