I’m going start this review (if you can even call it that as opposed to just pure, unadulteratedfanboying) by noting that I have a pretty high bar when it comes to concerts making it into my top 10, let alone considering ‘the best ever’, but Wunderhorse at Manchester Academy was the one.
Game-changing, a magnum opus; the yardstick by which I will now compare every gig for the foreseeable future – this all might sound far too superlative and exaggerated but I’m sticking by it.
This year alone, we’ve had the privilege of going along to see Jungle, Liam Gallagher, The 1975, Blossoms’ biggest-ever show at Wythenshawe Park and even the Sex Pistols with Frank Carter as the frontman just to name an extraordinary few.
Every single one of them was unreal and made me eternally grateful for that incomparable feeling of ecstasy that seeing the music you love brought to life in front of you brings, but seeing the increasingly high-flying Wunderhorse do their thing in front of a Manchester crowd sent actual chills down my spine.
Wunderhorse at Manchester Academy was pulsating from start to finish. (Credit: The Manc Group)
If you’ve for whatever reason not cottoned on to what these lads are doing yet, I’m not going roll out the typical tired trope of “What are you playing at!?” or any of that, I’m just going to implore you to start your journey with this band now and see them live as soon as you can.
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Besides maybe Fontaines D.C., who they have already toured with earlier this year – cannot believe we missed out on that one – they are perhaps one of the most exciting bands around right now and they have just given me a core memory I will never forget. I dare say plenty of others in the room would agree.
For me there’s no question about it: I’ve fallen in love with this ferocious four-piece so hard it’s made me feel like a teenager who’s just discovering their taste for the first time and despite still only being a few years in, I am fully convinced they are the best thing since sliced bread.
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The show itself was everything you would hope for from a proper rock show, from the fans screaming every last word like their lives depended on it, to the entire crowd jumping up and down from start to finish and the pit nearly consuming everyone with crowd-surfers galore and utterly breathless energy.
A 10/10 performance from the audience is always guaranteed in Manchester but the band themselves also went above and beyond by delivering moments like this:
It might seem like a little thing to some of you, but vamping for a good minute or so on stage and thrashing out solos that aren’t part of the studio version of a song as if they’re jamming in a room like no one else is even there just doesn’t happen any more – at least not very often.
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We’ve been watching clips of the Midas tour ever since it kicked off earlier this year and for me, personally, I feared that I had built up the expectation so much that it could never possibly have lived up to the vision I had in my head.
I had absolutely nothing to worry about. Not only were they flawless, with frontman Jacob Slater (who we recently interviewed) and lead guitarist Harry Fowler particularly intoxicating to watch up close and personal, but the roughly 2,600 fans inside the venue gave every last ounce of their effort.
There were the usual limbs, beers, cups and even items of clothing being flung in the air but, more specifically, I don’t think I’ve ever perspired so much at a gig. I was literally dripping and let me assure you, neither I nor anyone else could care less.
In fact, following a particularly sweaty mid-song hug with a stranger, we turned to each other and realised we were wearing the same bit of merch before proceeding to spend the entire gig losing our minds together and even swapping numbers after the show. You have to love special moments like that.
We started out here and ended up bouncing within spitting distance of Jacob’s viral barking. It was utterly delightful carnage.
It’s hard to say how or why a band strikes a chord with so many people, never mind so quickly having only put out their first single back in 2021, but they’re truly bound for greatness in my eyes.
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This isn’t a love-drunk echo chamber either: another member of the team reviewed their gig at The Deaf Institute back in April 2023 and labelled them “a band so good you’ll never see them on a stage this small again.” We love it when we’re right.
We first saw them supporting the mighty Sam Fender in 2022, who is also clearly up there with this country’s greatest at the minute, and we were pretty blown away even back then as largely uninitiated listeners. Nothing has changed since other than the fact that both have gotten much, much bigger.
Wunderhorse have clearly set a ridiculous standard for their live shows and simply refuse to drop their performance levels by even an inch and I can wholeheartedly say with my chest that last night will go down as the single greatest gig of my life.
But they’ve been making those kinds of memories for weeks on end now. Here they were in Leeds on Friday when our equally obsessed Hoot team went along to see them:
Much like their unskippable albums, there wasn’t a single low point in the entire set but highlights included ‘Purple’, ‘Arizona’, ‘Emily’, the ultimate thrasher that is ‘July’ and cult-favourite ‘Superman’, which has only be played a handful of times on this tour. How lucky are we, eh?
In fact, we spent this entire song holding one fan a lot as he didn’t crowd surf so much as he just slowly spun in absolute dreamland and it’s the most envious I’ve been of someone so clearly in the moment that I’ve possibly ever been.
My arms are still aching, as is everything else to be fair, but there is nothing like walking away from a gig knowing that you left it all out on there and so did everyone else.
They were incredible and so were every single one of you inside the venue. I don’t care how over the top it may sound, nights like that are when the power of music literally floors you and makes you feel grateful to be alive to experience that level of emotion.
Anyway, enough of all that uncomfortable sincerity; this review of Wunderhorse at Manchester Academy wouldn’t be complete without the song everyone was waiting for: ‘Teal’, a.k.a. song that made me so happy I let out a tear the second the intro started. Soak it in and go see them for yourself.
Parklife 2026 line-up announced, with headliners including Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson
Daisy Jackson
The line-up for Parklife 2026 has finally dropped, ahead of Manchester’s biggest festival – and this year will include headline performances from the likes of Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, and Skepta.
The huge music event will be back in the fields of Heaton Park next June, ready for two nights of live music from some of the biggest names in the world of dance music and beyond.
Joining those headliners on the line-up will be popstar of the moment Zara Larsson, who’ll be making her Parklife debut in 2026, plus returning Parklife heavyweights like Josh Baker, Chris Stussy, Kettama and Nia Archives, and dancefloor favourites Rudimental.
Along with the line-up, the festival has also announced a brand-new stage for this year, which will be called Panorama.
The stage will be building the festival’s Hangar Stage into a bold state-of-the-art experience, with cutting-edge production, on-stage/behind the booth access, a curved LED screen spanning the entire stage and multi-tiered dance platform.
Last year’s acclaimed new VIP area, with hillside views of the main stage, will return for 2026.
Parklife is also proudly the best-value major festival in the UK, with full weekend tickets from just £138.50 and day tickets just £85.
Leading the stacked line-up for Parklife 2026 is Calvin Harris, who’s back 13 years on from his last Manchester tour date to play his iconic dance bangers including One Kiss, We Found Love, This Is What You Came For. He’s collaborated with huge names over the years, so we’re holding out hope for some surprise guests during his set.
One of the biggest breakthrough names of the last 12 months is Sammy Virji, and he’ll be heading to Heaton Park in June.
Rap and grime pioneer Skepta is also poised to set Parklife alight this summer.
Manc DJ Josh Baker first played at Parklife in 2022, when he opened the G Stage – but now he’s got his sights set on the main stage just four years later, and is headlining an intimate show for War Child’s BRITs Week before then too.
There’s loads more names to enjoy this year too – performances from rising stars will include Marlon Hoffstadt, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, Rossi., Bou, Silva Bumpa, AZYR, Prospa, Morgan Seatree, Clementine Douglas, Chloé Caillet, K Motionz and Mozey.
And that’s alongside trailblazers such as Rudim3ntal, Ewan McVicar, Armand Van Helden, Andy C, Shy FX, Dimension and more.
Stage takeovers will come from XXL, Worried About Henry, Modern Funktion and Ghosts Of Garage.
Tickets for Pepsi MAX presents Parklife 2026 begin to go on sale on Tuesday 27 January with an exclusive presale for Paypal customers (for 48 hours or until the Paypal presale allocation sells out).
A second presale will be live from 10am on Thursday 29 January for those signed up to the Parklife mailing list, before full general sale tickets are released at 10am on Friday 30 January.
Featured image: Jody Hartley
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BRIT Awards 2026 nominations and first performer announced live in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The full list of nominations for the BRIT Awards 2026 have been announced today live from Manchester, as the landmark music awards ceremony moves up north for the first time in its 30-year history.
With just weeks to go until the Co-op Live arena hosts one of the biggest nights in music, all eyes are firmly on Manchester.
And now, thanks to a live broadcast from the venue this afternoon, we know exactly who’s up for an award – and have our first live performer confirmed too.
Olivia Dean is set to perform live at the BRIT Awards when they take place in Manchester on Saturday 28 February.
She’s out in front as one of the most-nominated artists too, with five nominations including MasterCard Album of the Year, Song of the Year (for Man I Need), and Artist of the Year.
Also coming out on top with five nominations is Lola Young, marking a key moment for the next generation of British talent.
With four nominations, there’s Sam Fender, following on from his Mercury Prize win.
And with three nominations apiece is Lily Allen, Wolf Alice, Dave, Fred Again, and Jim Legxacy.
Representing as one of the north’s greatest bands are Sheffield’s Pulp, who have their first BRIT Awards nomination in 30 years.
Other artists to be recognised include Jade, Chapel Roan, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Little Simz, Skye Newman, Sombr, Wet Leg, and loads more.
The live-streamed announcement has been hosted by Charley Marlowe and Sarah Storey, with artists nominated across 15 categories revealed today at Co-op Live, and viewers given a glimpse inside the new home of the BRIT Awards.
There was also a performance from this year’s Critics Choice winner, Jacob Alon.
The actual awards will take place on 28 February, hosted by Jack Whitehall, with an amazing new trophy designed by Manchester-born designer Matthew Williamson.
The BRIT Awards 2026 nominations have been revealed in Manchester
Some winners will be determined by public vote, including Song of the Year with Mastercard, and International Song of the Year – voting is open on the BRITs WhatsApp channel and socials from Friday 30 January until Friday 13 February.
Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK said: “The breadth of artists nominated reflects a thriving year in music and reaffirms that British artists continue to capture imaginations across the globe. I think this list is a powerful demonstration of how vibrant and varied music is right now, with artists across different genres and generations reflecting music that is both commercially successful and has lasting cultural impact.
“At its core, the BRIT Awards exists to celebrate creativity, and these nominations set the stage for an exciting and memorable night.”
BPI Chief Executive, Dr Jo Twist OBE, said: “It’s fantastic to see British talent doing so well across the board, especially a next generation of brilliant artists who have broken through with such impact on the global stage in the past 12 months led by Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Sam Fender, PinkPantheress, Skye Newman, among others – our congratulations to all The BRITs nominees and their labels.
“The BRIT Awards with Mastercard in Manchester will provide a compelling moment for them all to shine brightly and to spotlight the diverse breadth of talent drawn across the UK and internationally.”
Danny Jones -
20th October 2024 
