Wilmslow is set to host its first flagship live music festival this upcoming May bank holiday weekend.
There’s lots of stuff going on this long weekend – be it the FA Cup final, the Great Manchester Run, the Manchester Jazz Festival and various other gigs – but if you fancy getting away from the bustle of the city centre, then this one is right up your street.
We’re talking about Wilmslow Live ’24: the affluent Cheshire suburb’s inaugural festival, which is set to be packed out with up-and-coming local acts, lots of food and drink, as well as plenty of fun for all the family.
Taking place on Saturday, 25 May over at the iconic Bank Square building, the local community and people from all over the region, Greater Manchester and beyond are being welcomed to the maiden live music festival just down the road.
BlackSheepLadSiren SoundsCredit: Wilmslow Live
Organised by Wilmslow Business Improvement District (BID), on behalf of the town centre businesses, the event will celebrate the very best in North West talent.
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The main stage in Bank Square, hosted by Cheshire’s local station Silk FM and sponsored by Orbit Developments, will see live performances from 12–6pm.
The lineup kicks off with the Neil Matthews Band, followed by performances from Aura Music Academy, Wilmslow High School’s Sunstate Band; the all-female Siren Sounds choir and Alderley and Wilmslow Musical Theatre Group (AWMTG), just for starters.
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You’ve also got singer-songwriter Jess Scragg, soul and funk band Violet Line, as well as indie folk-pop musician BlackSheepLad to round off the line-up.
But it doesn’t just stop at the music, there are also lots of free things to do for people to get involved with, including plenty to keep the kids busy over in Wilmslow Live’s dedicated Family Fun Zone at the music festival site on the bottom of Green Lane.
Sponsored by handcrafted furniture retailer, Arlo & Jacob, activities include mini golf, free face painting, games and balloon modelling.
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Oh, and then you’ve got all the scran. Sponsored by Langricks Chartered Accountants, a whole host of Wilmslow cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars are helping put on a street food-style service throughout the day. We often hate this phrase but there really is something for everyone at the bank holiday festival.
Wilmslow BID Manager, Lisa Russett, said: “We can’t wait for the first-ever Wilmslow Live! We’re delighted to be able to showcase local talent and with lots of options for food and drink and family-friendly activities on offer we’re confident it’s going to be a fantastic day with a brilliant atmosphere.”
Tickets are selling out fast but you can grab yours HERE.
A dedicated anime, movie and gaming concert with a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all self-proclaimed otakus, cinephiles and gamers: a huge concert experience will see dozens of musicians bring classic anime, film and gaming soundtracks and scores to life later this year, right here in Manchester.
The city is no stranger to events celebrating these beloved kinds of media, but you’ll struggle to find another bringing all of them together in one place.
Brought to us Mancs by KIN Music Entertainment, a locally founded arts, events and music label, this celebration of all things pop culture – and specifically, the music tied to it.
Entitled ‘The Kin & Fushigi Anime, Film & Videogame Orchestra’, this passionate collective serves as not only a platform for rising artists but also to hear some iconic sonic moments like never before.
KIN have created a large-scale live concert experience which will bring together a 25-piece pop orchestra made up of emerging professional performers and conservatoire graduates.
Aside from the impressive total of people behind this production to begin with, they also form an immersive hybrid orchestral and live band capable of bringing.
Speaking on the upcoming date, KIN Entertainment said in a statement: “We wanted to create the kind of live experience that many anime and videogame fans in Manchester have been waiting for — something cinematic, emotional and community-driven that brings these sound worlds to life with the energy of both an orchestra and a live band.”
Kin was founded by bassist, composer and ensemble performer Alejandro Urbina Diaz, who first brought his talents and wider interests over from Mexico to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) here in the city centre at the age of 23.
Citing Manchester’s multiculturalism and cosmopolitan cultural fabric as a big part of his inspiration, he and his team have ended up carving out this niche for themselves, and now they’ll be playing this beloved music to Mancs at none other than the O2 Ritz.
Credit: KIN Music Entertainment (supplied via Academy Music Group Digital)
With new arrangements inspired by anime, cinematic and videogame culture, not to mention orchestral and even rock crossover twists – including both vocalist and rhythm sections, by the way – it’s set to be a highly unique experience that most will have never come across before.
This event itself is suitable for audiences aged 14+, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, and it’s taking place at the Ritz on Sunday, 26 July.
We’re not going to spoil any more details about the show for you, so which particular pieces of pop culture they reference will just have to be a surprise…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AMG Digital)
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Disney are bringing a live music crossover tour featuring three cult favourite films to Manchester
Danny Jones
The latest Disney Concerts live tour is coming to the UK and Ireland in 2027, bringing a music crossover of three straight-to-TV teen movie favourites to Manchester and more.
For any fans of the old Disney Channel films of the noughties and the 2010s, this next musical adaptation might be right up your street.
Set to land at the AO Arena early next year, the ‘Disney Worlds Collide Concert Tour’ will be embarking on its first-ever run outside of North America, where it’s already proved to be a big success.
Here’s a trailer from the start of the tour just a few months ago:
They’re bringing the singalong, and the crowd helps bring the energy.
Throw a kids’ cult classic like Camp Rock into the mix, and you’ve got a great lineup with nostalgia spanning across multiple generations.
Sharing the news on social, Manchester’s legendary venue wrote: “Ready for THE family pop show of the year?! The Disney Worlds Collide Concert Tour is coming to AO Arena next year, bringing the cast from Descendants, ZOMBIES, and Camp Rock together live for the first time!
That’s right, linking up with a talented cast of live singers bringing the 2015 and ’18 Disney flicks to life, respectively, songs from 2008’s Camp Rock will also be performed to what we’re sure will be an audience of various different ages.
Famously featuring the likes of young Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers and more familiar ‘Disney kid’ faces, people remain super nostalgic for the musical/coming-of-age Disney film; even the memes have gone on to enjoy a life of their own.
As for the concerts themselves, these live shows will include stars from the original theatrical releases, too, such as Malachi Barton, Liamani Segura and Dara Reneé; Mekonnen Knife, Hudson Stone, Swayam Bhatia, Kiara Romero, Alexandro Byrd and more.
Having first hit US stages last year, it didn’t take long for this new Disney production to receive positive reviews, notching sold-out arenas in over 40 huge venues, and being named in the ‘Top Family Tour of 2025’ by Billboard Magazine, not to mention being nominated for ‘Top Family Tour’ of 2025 by Pollstar.
For British and Irish fans who might fancy going along to one of these dates, general admission tickets and VIP packages go on sale this coming Friday, June 12, from 10am.
Danny Jones -
22nd May 2024 
