Manchester’s only direct-from-garden-centre music event, Green Island Festival, is returning with free tickets, big charity projects and more.
Now in its fifth year, Green Island Festival is back for 2025 and its set to be bigger and better than ever before, spread across three dates throughout the summer.
The lineup is as diverse as ever bringing in a range of acts from all over the globe such as Australia to local grassroots talents that deserve a turn in the spotlight.
I sat down with the event organisers for this one-of-a-kind music festival George and Stephan to find out why you should go to this hidden music festival in a garden centre.
What makes your festival different from any other?
George: Definitely the garden centre aspect. There’s an escapism element to it and we’re also doing pretty well at championing the grassroots scene, giving people a platform to showcase their music. We’re trying to not be super focused on one specific type of music or genre this feeds through to our lineups.
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Stephan: We’ve been lucky being able to attract different age ranges from 18 and 19 all the way up to 50 and 60 year olds. The people are what make it what it is and they’ve stuck with us from day dot really, it’s one big community. Managing to get a very diverse lineup in place is important too.
Georgegetting the crowd hyped at Green Island Festival.Music festival in a Manchester garden centre? We’re in.
Who came up with the idea to host a festival in a garden centre?
Stephan: George. He walked past the garden centre and thought that’s the perfect place.
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We didn’t know we didn’t know each other at first then George found my page (Me Gusta Collective) and I was fully up for it straight away, and since then we’ve been best friends. And, like, I’ve called him like, my best friend.
Manchester is known for its love of music, how did you guys fall in love with music and then eventually fall in love with festival organising?
George: It’s always come pretty naturally to both of us. Stephan’s done lots of work with Band on the Wall and I did various bits at Freight Island and Canvas when it was still open. Our favourite part is when we’re planning and scheming the flow of the festival and lineup.
Stephan: I guess our love of different types of music comes from our upbringings really. I listened to a lot of salsa and my dad used to throw events when I was a kid with family members so creating events has always been around me. I started my first night when I was 19 in Germany after I fell in love with house music and electronic music in Manchester so I feel like the path to creating events has always been laid out but it took me a while to make a living out of it.
Good vibes only at Green Festival Island 2025.Stephanperforming under his DJ alias Atiké.
Stephan, you’ve been a long time supporter of indie artists and local venues, working at band on the wall yourself. So how important is it for you to see local artists reflected in Green Island’s lineup?
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Stephan: It’s so important to us. We’ve got the marquee stage which is all about local acts and our bandstand stage too. There’s High Hoops [A Manchester-based Queer club night], which has been going for years now, and same goes to Eves’Drop Collective [A group of female DJs from across the UK] that have been doing bits for such a long time, and Ruf Dug who is a no brainer for the lineup.
George: When it comes to headliners there’s only a handful per day and the rest of Green Island [Festival] is pretty much grassroots music. Paying a fortune for each act isn’t the only way to bring a lot of people together and sell a lot tickets, people are interested in grassroots more than ever.
Tickets are quite reasonably priced, too, with children and under 13’s getting free entry, what made you decide to offer this?
Stephan: We want to make this festival available for families so you would have to pay for every kid to get in, it ends up being so expensive.
George: We worked pretty hard on finding the perfect price point for the festival so it can operate but not break the bank because it’s pretty crazy how expensive tickets are getting now.
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Children and under 13’s can get into Green Island Festival for free.The wonderful Green Island Festival team.
What made you choose a lineup that spans lots of different sounds, rather than sticking to a few main genres?
Stephan: We come from a background of music purists who listened to lots of records to a lot of records. I was listening to African bands who are fully authentic much like grassroots music it’s raw. , raw, it’s fresh. We’ve been able to come up with a lineup that fuses African music, Latin music, sounds from the Middle East with ska, house, drum and bass, even jazz. We know exactly what we want to hear.
George: It’s the appreciation of music across the spectrum, there’s so many different facets to it, and we programme a solid lineup that incorporates all of them. We love a challenge and we love feeding the energy throughout the day, leading to the last little crescendo at the end.
You also give attendees the option to donate £1 to Eat Well MCR with every ticket bought, how important is this charity to the pair of you?
George: We know Kathleen [Co-founder of Eat Well MCR] quite well, she’s always been a huge supporter of us so we do what we can to support whatever she’s got going on. We managed to raise quite a bit of money for them last year. Also, when you’re buying food from our vendors you can add a donation for this initiative which last year 90% of everybody that ordered food added on £1 or more which was very nice to see.
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We also work with Play It Green where we have a levy on our ticket and 50% goes to them so they can plant trees around the world. We want to make our festival more sustainable in the long term and eventually be net zero.
Stephan I know you also have a DJ alias, Atiké, how excited are you to play the festival alongside all acts?
Stephan: I can’t wait, I’m doing a b2b set with Little O who is amazing. I met her on Bandcamp, now we’re playing together. I went all over Dublin to see her and because I grew up in Ireland it’s quite nice to kind of reconnect with that side of me. I asked her if she fancied doing a b2b set with me and she was all for it. We bounce off each other so well.
If you could describe green album festival in three words, what would you choose? George: Inclusive, friendly, vibrant. Stephan: Sunshine, diversity and friendship.
Tickets for ‘Green Island Festival 2025’ range from full price to low-income and neighbours tickets at just £12.50 and entry for children under 13 completely FREE – Get ready to grab your tickets for Green Island 2025 HERE.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
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Secret stages, surprise sets and non-stop sunshine – here’s what went down at Parklife 2026
Clementine Hall
Parklife 2026 has officially wrapped up, and dare we say it might have been the best one yet?
Well, that’s it folks. One of the biggest weekends on Manchester’s musical calendar has been ticked off, and what a time we had.
The rolling hills of Heaton Park welcomed thousands of ravers who two-stepped from the moment the gates opened until the final vibrations echoed from the speakers.
So, while we nurse our sore feet and slap on the aftersun, let’s reflect on Parklife 2026 and catch you up on what you might have missed.
Images: The Manc Group
For once, the weather actually delivered.
Blue skies and glorious sunshine stuck around all weekend, giving festival-goers the perfect excuse to stay out from open to close and making Heaton Park look more like Ibiza than north Manchester. We’re exaggerating, of course, but you get the picture.
While headline sets from pop princess Zara Larsson and grime MC Skepta drew huge crowds, some of the biggest moments happened away from the main stages.
Images: The Manc Group
After all, when else can you watch Manc icon Bez DJing on a rooftop at a secret garden party? It truly was a sight to behold.
The festival introduced three brand-new secret stages this year, which we think were a fantastic addition. Our favourite was the Bossmans Tent – an exclusive stage hidden behind the facade of a corner shop, where festival-goers had to enter through a fridge to discover the music inside.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a festival without a few cheeky surprise sets thrown into the mix. Enter Aitch.
At this point, the Manchester rapper is basically a Parklife resident, popping up each year to surprise crowds with a song or two. This year, our hometown hero joined Bou on stage, sending fans into a complete and utter meltdown.
Images: The Manc Group
The city was also well represented through a number of stage takeovers across the weekend. Ghosts of Garage, the Manchester-born brand that has built a loyal following across the region, brought together a host of local DJs on Sunday for a takeover that felt like a celebration of the city’s thriving dance music scene.
One of the most anticipated additions for 2026, the new Panorama stage was a real standout. Featuring a belting 100m LED screen, huge dance platforms and behind-the-booth access, there wasn’t a quiet moment there all weekend – and it’s not hard to see why.
Sheffield DJ Silva Bumpa drew one of the busiest crowds of the weekend at Panorama, creating relentless energy from start to finish. Fans were packed shoulder-to-shoulder as one of the UK’s fastest-rising names delivered a set worthy of all the hype.
Robyn at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, stage times, setlist and more
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Pop icon Robyn is heading to Manchester this week on her 2026 global arena tour, in support of her ninth studio album Sexistential.
This is Robyn’s first proper tour since 2019, and is set to host a star-studded lineup of special guests across her 20 planned gig dates.
We have been blessed with one night of Robyn, at Co-op Live in Manchester, on Saturday 27 June.
Over the past three decades, Robyn has continually contributed to popular culture and with her recent public appearances, fans have been reminiscing and eagerly awaiting this tour.
Most recently, you may have noticed her slowly returning to music, joining the likes of Harry Styles, Charlie xcx and Gracie Abrams in live performances or soundtracking Acne Studio’s 2025 Paris fashion show.
As if we couldn’t love her any more already – she is working with Plus1 to donate a portion of the funds raised from each ticket sold, directly to non-profits working to achieve reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, climate action, and humanitarian relief.
Gig guide | Robyn at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Robyn UK and Ireland arena tour dates
Wed 24 Jun – 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
Fri 26 Jun – OVO Hydro, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Sat 27 Jun – Co-op Live, Manchester, United Kingdom
Fri 3 Jul – The O2, London, United Kingdom
Are there tickets left for Robyn at Co-op Live?
Yes and ‘U Should Know Better’ than leaving it much later to get your hands on them.
There’s still quite good availability for Robyn’s Manchester date – seated tickets are priced at £56.75, £68.20, £79.20 or £125.55 each, and £68.20 for standing.
Go on ‘Call Your Girlfriend’ and get it booked. Click HERE for ticketsto Robyn on Saturday 27 June in Manchester.
Robyn performs in Manchester this week. Credit: Danica Robinson
Support act
Robyn is to be joined by her fellow Stockholmer Zhala, serving up some futuristic cosmic pop to add to the euphoric feel of the evening.
She’ll also have support from iconic electronic music group 808 State, returning to their home city of Manchester, as her special guests for the evening.
Robyn setlist for 2026 tour
This is obviously subject to change but it is the most recent setlist Robyn has used on her tour so far:
Missing U
Call Your Girlfriend
Cobrastyle
Blow My Mind (Sexistential Version)
Ever Again
Dopamine
Honey
Be Mine!
Between the Lines
Love Is Free
Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do
Sexistential
Talk to Me
Monument (Röyksopp & Robyn cover)
Life (Jamie xx cover)
Indestructible
Show Me Love
Dancing on My Own
Encore / Extended Tracks
Robyn has been known to throw in an extra song or two for us, including fan favourites such as:
Sucker for Love
Hang With Me
With Every Heartbeat
Do It Again (Röyksopp & Robyn song)
Stage times for Robyn at Co-op Live, Manchester
Co-op Live hasn’t confirmed exact stage times for Robyn yet, but we do know this:
Co-op Backstage Club doors – 5.30pm
Premium doors – 6pm
General Admission doors – 6.30pm
Start – 7pm
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm
We’d guess Robyn will be on stage roughly around 9pm, based on previous shows.
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.
Getting there by 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 on 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 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 on the Beryl app, 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.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Thomas Melia -
22nd May 2025 
