Audio

You Are Not Alone Festival deliver gutting delay news

Can't catch a break.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 13th February 2025

You Are Not Alone Festival has reluctantly had to inform Greater Manchester music fans that this year’s comeback event has sadly been delayed.

After debuting back in 2019 and hosting just their second-ever festival after lockdown, You Are Not Alone, or simply YANA Fest, was hoping to get back on track following another hiatus.

Having relocated from Manchester city centre to Stockport for their return festival this spring, where founder Benji Taylor first drummed up the idea and has gone on to build a strong local reputation thanks to the success of Bask, it’s an exciting prospect for the borough’s growing arts and cultural scene.

However, those hoping to go along to the event will have to wait a little longer as Taylor and his team have announced that You Are Not Alone 2025 has been officially delayed.

Sharing the unfortunate update on social media this week, they explained that having “lost four stages, of fairly big capacities”, they have been left with no choice but to postpone the event until further notice.

ADVERTISEMENT

This comes after Blackbird Brewhouse and Kitchen, Syndikat, AMP – formerly Remedy Bar and then Dr Feelgood (a sister site of the short-lived Glass Spider, both of which closed) – joined the ever-growing list of Manc hospitality and venue casualties.

Syndikat is currently set to be transformed into a new music-forward space but some uncertainty around the project remains, meaning it could not be guaranteed as a venue.

ADVERTISEMENT

All told this means that YANA Fest has suddenly found itself without four of its key stages; they go on to reassure that they are continuing to search for replacement spots in the area to stand in their place but, for the time being, the whole thing is on hold.

With a great selection of acts and all in aid of a fantastic cause, with proceeds going directly to mental health charity Mind, we sincerely hope it’s rescheduled sooner rather than later.

Dr. Dr.
Denver County Council
Two fantastic local acts we’re buzzing to see live again (Credit: Press Images)

Read more:

Signing off the statement, they continue: “Working hard to get this resolved quickly and to keep the lineup in place, and hopefully you can all do the new date once confirmed. Original tickets will remain valid. Lots of love and thanks for understanding. YANA x”

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s unclear when exactly we can expect it to get back on track or whether Stockport will remain the home base for the festival given the struggle for suitable local venues but we’ll be keeping our fingers firmly crossed.

For now, anyone needing support during these difficult times, please reach out to services like Mind, Samaritans on 116 123; contact the NHS via the 101 service and in the event of any emergency, please dial 999 immediately.

YANA x

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — YANA Fest (supplied)

Audio

Robbie Williams at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

The self-proclaimed entertainer, Robbie Williams, is making his way to Manchester for not one but two nights of golden hits.

Mr. Williams last touched down in Manchester back in 2022 when he brought his ‘XXV Tour’ to our lovely city for three nights, so it’s no surprise this new tour features a double bill right here.

This time, Robbie has opted for Co-op Live, and we’re sure that the 23,500 fans in the crowd both nights will be ready to belt out ‘Angels’ word for word – it’s already ingrained into our brains after all.

Never out of the spotlight, he has seen a lot of media attention lately surrounding his biopic, Better Man, which famously shows the pop star’s Life thru a different* Lens by portraying him as a monkey.

Robbie Williams Manchester gig guide – all the important info

Robbie Williams is bringing his latest UK tour to Co-op Live in Manchester.
Robbie Williams is bringing his latest UK tour to Co-op Live in Manchester.

Robbie has always been a big fan of the music capital of the North, especially during the long period he spent up here as part of Take That, who themselves have performed at Manchester’s AO Arena 46 times – a record they still hold to this day.

He’s done a fair few as a solo act himself, and now his debut at Europe’s largest indoor entertainment venue is next on the list.

Robbie Williams UK tour dates

  • Fri 6 June – London, UK – Emirates Stadium
  • Sat 7 June – London, UK – Emirates Stadium
  • Tue 10 June – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Wed 11 June – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Fri 13 June – Bath, UK – Royal Crescent
  • Sat 14 June – Bath, UK – Royal Crescent

Robbie Williams tickets for Co-op Live gig

Tickets, as you can expect, are far and few between as everyone wants a chance of watching the ‘Better Man’ sing out to the crowds of Manchester.

If you do manage to bag yourself some last-minute tickets to see this music legend, make sure you’re not paying ‘Somethin’ Stupid’… to be fair, like millions of others, we’d still pay plenty to see Robbie.

You can find your tickets HERE, with an extra batch of allocation just added.

Robbie Williams setlist

  • Rocket
  • Let Me Entertain You
  • All My Life / Song 2 / Seven Nation Army / Rim Tim Tagi Dim / Minnie the Moocher (The Ho De Ho Song) / Livin’ On a Prayer
  • Monsoon
  • Old Before I Die
  • Rock DJ
  • Love My Life
  • Keep On Movin’
  • Strong
  • The Road to Mandalay
  • Let Love Be Your Energy
  • Sexed Up
  • Candy
  • Relight My Fire
  • Something Beautiful
  • Milennium
  • Theme From New York, New York
  • Come Undone
  • Kids
  • I Could Be So Good for You
  • She’s the One
  • My Way
  • Feel
  • Angels

This setlist is based on his recent show at Emirates Stadium in London, where he surprised the audience by bringing out boyband Five to sing their smash hit ‘Keep On Movin’.

Five are also heading out on the road later this year, choosing AO Arena to host the Manc date of their comeback tour, which is set to make ‘Everybody Get Up’.

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing them, and they really were a joy/

What are the stage times for Robbie Williams in Manchester?

Robbie starring in his music video for 'Lost', as part of his album XXV.
Robbie starring in his music video for ‘Lost’, as part of his album XXV.
Same energy as always.

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning everyone can soar like a ‘Rocket’ while also making sure they’re nice and tucked up under the covers before the clock strikes twelve.

Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 7:30pm and support from local talent The Lottery Winners, get in!

In fact, frontman Thom Rylance has already got to live out a real boyhood dream of his on this tour, joining Robbie Williams on stage for a very special moment – here’s hoping for something similar in Manchester.

Seriously, how cool is this?…

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 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.

ADVERTISEMENT

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. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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 come 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 Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • 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 via 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.

ADVERTISEMENT

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)

Audio

Why fans are fearing cancellation of Catfish and The Bottlemen’s massive Manchester gig

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Will Catfish Manchester gig Heaton Park be cancelled

Indie rockers Catfish and The Bottlemen are playing a headline show at Heaton Park in Manchester, but plenty of gig-goers have a genuine fear of a potential cancellation.

The Welsh band known for their stacked roster of hits, including ‘Cocoon’, ‘Kathleen’, ‘7’, ‘Pacifier’ and many more, are set to play Heaton Park on 13 June, but there has already been a fair amount of scepticism among fans online.

Just last year, Catfish and The Bottlemen cancelled an array of international shows, including one rather long-awaited gig in Ireland.

This Irish date would’ve marked the band’s first show in the country in five years; however, 15 minutes before doors were due to open, the Dublin date got cancelled.

Catfish and The Bottlemen are expected to play at Heaton Park on 13 June
Catfish and The Bottlemen are expected to play at Heaton Park on 13 June / Credit: Supplied

No comments were made by the band as to why this decision happened, instead, all updates and communication came from the ticket company directly.

MCD Productions, who were in charge of hosting the would-be gig at Fairview Park, revealed that the reason for the abrupt cancellation of Catfish’s Ireland gig was due to ‘artist illness’, stating that all attendees would be issued and are entitled to a full refund.

The following week, Catfish also cancelled all of their US and Australia tour with no official statement from the rock group, and fans were frustrated to say the least.

Two weeks after these stark cancellations, the indie rockers announced two stadium shows: Cardiff and London, with the Manchester date in Heaton Park revealed a month later – all scheduled for this summer.

The issues don’t just lie with gig cancellations either; the band’s lineup has been in turmoil over recent years, with musicians joining and leaving this Welsh rock act.

Catfish and The Bottlemen back in 2016 ahead of Sound City in Liverpool
Catfish and The Bottlemen back in 2016 ahead of Sound City in Liverpool / Credit: Supplied

Most notably, former guitarist Johnny Bond, who originally left the band in 2021, issued a statement in 2022 via Instagram about “behaviour constantly re-occurring” that he found to be “intolerable”.

Only two original members remain: Van McCann, lead singer and now the main guitarist since Billy Bibby left in 2021, and Benji Blakeway, the band’s bassist and backing vocalist.

Many have speculated on some of that behaviour, and the source behind at least some of the band’s problems is the extremely talented, charismatic, but often frenetic frontman himself; you only need to search his name on the likes of TikTok to fall down the rabbit hole.

While there are lots dismissing some of his behaviour on stage as nothing more than loose, in-the-moment ‘rockstar energy’, others have expressed concern for his well-being at times.

Catfish’s latest Instagram post reporting the fact that the Heaton Park date is now sold out has been met with hundreds of comments from fans worrying that it won’t go ahead.

One user wrote, “Are u gonna cancel this one 7 mins before doors open too?”, while another took to the comment section to say, “I’ll be there. Don’t know about van tho”.

Replies to their tweets on X (formerly Twitter) have been similar too, as one fan writes: “Don’t worry guys, it’ll be cancelled soon!”.

These are, of course, just a taste of a much larger sample size, as their ‘comeback’ in February 2024 with ‘Showtime’ – their first new song in five years – looked like it could be the start of a new album cycle, but there hasn’t been anything else since then.

Barring the 10th anniversary version of their debut LP, The Balcony, and the re-release of old single and cult favourite ‘ASA’, there’s very little to suggest that there is even a latest project that currently exists to make any progress on.

Catfish and The Bottlemen are scheduled to play Heaton Park in Manchester on 13 June – let’s hope it’s not a ‘Longshot’. For those of you going, do you have any actual doubts whether or not it will go ahead?

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)/Kaleb Nimz (via Unsplash)

More Audio

Audio

Travel warning issued as more than 100,000 people head to Parklife 2025 this weekend

Pitbull at Co-op Live in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

Audio

Pitbull at Co-op Live, Manchester – please, don’t stop the party

Liam Gallagher plans after Oasis reunion not retiring

Audio

Liam Gallagher teases post-Oasis reunion tour plans online

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches