One of our favourite music events in all of Greater Manchester is back after a lengthy hiatus and has found a new place to call home: You Are Not Alone returns for 2025 and is coming to the suburbs.
You Are Not Alone (more casually known as YANA) launched back in 2019 as one of the most affordable live music festivals in years, costing only £10 for a wristband that gave you access to multiple venues and dozens of up-and-coming acts.
Holding a super successful second year post-Covid a few years later, the Manc music festival grew to eight venues in the Northern Quarter and well over 70 artists – again, all for just a tenner and with proceeds going to mental health charity, Mind, whose work is at the core of what the event is all about.
Unfortunately, with founder Benji Taylor having been busy with popular Stockport bar Bask and various other projects, the festival had to take a back seat. But fear not, because after nearly three whole years away, YANA is set to return and now right in the heart of the increasingly buzzing town centre.
Announcing the lineup on Friday, 29 November, while the latest event might by scaled back a bit, now spread across four venues whilst still boasting over 30 different artists, You Are Not Alone Festival will make its comeback next March.
ADVERTISEMENT
Names already confirmed to be taking part include headliners Denver County Council, who recently featured on our regular Manc bands of the month round-up, as well independent post-punk favourites outfit Dirty Laces, who have grown a passionate cult following since they formed back in 2017.
Other notable names include fellow Manchester natives, Dr Dr – who we’ve also spotlighted plenty in the past – as well as indie rockers, Uno Mas, rising Stopfordians, The Wears and many more.
ADVERTISEMENT
With AMP bar and Syndikat two of the biggest and most beloved venues set to host the live performances and more acts still yet to come, SK locals are already buzzing to welcome the music festival as early bird tickets have already sold out.
Having been there for the last event, we can only hope for the same energy this time around.
Leaving the familiar surroundings of the city behind for the first time, You Are Not Alone Festival is moving as close to home as it could possibly be for Taylor, who recently stepped away from his role at Bask to look after himself following a difficult period.
ADVERTISEMENT
Born in Heaton Moor, Benji first set up the event to help raise money for mental health awareness after multiple friends sadly took their own lives. His background in the industry through roles in promotion at the likes of Night and Day, Sound Control and Jimmy’s made starting a festival seem like the perfect fit.
Teaming up with Mind from day one, who have bases not only in Manchester but Stockport too, not only does YANA celebrate music’s ability to bring people together but it also helps raise money for crucial services and awareness campaigns, raising over £4,000 thanks to the sophomore event in 2022.
In an effort to contribute right from the off and get people booking their spot for the comeback, the organisers even offered discount prices for World Mental Health Day on 10 October. Just lovely stuff.
The only thing we love more than a live music festival is one that helps do their bit in the process and we can’t think of a better cause that mental health – it remains a crisis here in the UK and across the globe, but events like this can go along way to making a real change.
Taking place on Sunday, 2 March from 1pm onwards, the multi-venue all-dayer will still only set you back £13.75 for full access to see all the talent on show.
ADVERTISEMENT
Should you end up securing a ticket, you’ll find the wrnristband exchange at Blackbird Brewhouse and Kitchen (8 Vernon Street, SK1 1TY), which is another one of provided gig space for You Are Not Alone Festival 2025.
Blossoms to play special ‘intimate’ 10th anniversary gig at The Deaf Institute, Manchester
Danny Jones
Local indie and alternative lads Blossoms have announced a special one-off anniversary show at none other than The Deaf Institute right here in Manchester.
Coming to the iconic small-cap venue this summer, the Stockport band will be marking the 10th birthday of their self-titled debut album by playing one of the smallest gig spaces in the centre, but one that was a massive milestone for them back in the day.
Now a full decade on from the breakout LP, released on 5 August 2026, Blossoms will be rolling back the years by playing the biggest hits from the record, along with a selection from the many other bangers that they’ve gone on to release since.
This is going to be one very special night for the SK natives.
We’re playing an intimate gig at The Deaf Institute on Weds 5th August to celebrate 10 years of our debut album! We’re going to record the show & release it as a special edition double CD of our new album. Pre-order it now for exclusive pre-sale access. https://t.co/ztAkh95RWspic.twitter.com/kuZNnJJBok
Blossoms have never shied away from championing their Stopfordian roots, but neither have they forgotten the city that helped establish them as one of the biggest bands in Britain.
For instance, this upcoming Deaf Institute show – which promises to be a much more intimate show than they’re used to doing these days – comes not even two years on from the mini Manc residency, when they played five nights here in Manchester over the course of a single week.
As we come up to the sixth studio project, Songs From The Wedding Cake, and already have two singles from the next release, we have no shame in admitting we still listen to those first tracks as much as ever.
With that in mind, it’ll be a surreal full circle for everyone, we’re sure, when Tom, Chaz, Myles, Josh and Joe take the stage in that hallowed hometown room with a capacity of just 250 next month; they’re even playing it EXACTLY 10 years on the precise date that maiden outing dropped: 5 August 2026.
Combine this with them pulling stunts like playing people’s weddings and popping up with a surprise set from inside a van outside 42s nightclub on Deansgate, and it’s hard to think of an artist nailing it as well as Blossoms are right now.
Fans can enjoy exclusive early access by pre-ordering the new Blossoms album on their website, and those who have already done so qualify for presale automatically – just keep an eye out for the code in your email inbox.
This limited window will open from 9:30am this Thursday, 30 July, with general admission tickets for their return to Deaf Institute going live at the same time the following Friday (31 July).
Oh, and in case you somehow missed it, they’re also set to play their biggest ever arena shows across the UK later this year, including a huge gig at Co-op Live. Find out all the info down below.
Keo play Projekts: garage and grunge revivalists crush Manchester skatepark for new music video
Danny Jones
This past Thursday evening, fast-rising rock band Keo took over Projekts MCR skatepark for a special pop-up gig and to film a brand-new music video for their latest single, ‘Pistol’, starring some of their biggest fans here in Manchester.
In fact, it didn’t take long for us to suss out that plenty of them had flocked from far and wide to be there, and let’s say we’re sure they’ll say it was worth the journey.
We caught Keo’s well-attended festival set inside the Woodlands at Kendal Calling 2025, not to mention their completely sold-out show at the O2 Ritz back in March – their biggest headline date up to that point – and we’re more certain than ever that they’re going to be absolutely massive.
And if they keep up doing more memorable stuff like this, it’s just a matter of how soon…
Packing out Projekts to the point that people were literally hanging off fences and standing on electrical boxes at the side of the street to try and get a peek at the post-punk, grunge and garage rockers, some of their most enthusiastic young fans had been waiting outside the location as early as noon.
For context, doors opened six hours later, and the boys didn’t come on until 7:30pm.
Those who signed up to Keo‘s mailing list were sent information regarding securing a spot at the one-off performance earlier this month.
While you would have seen the place fill up even if they were just standard concert tickets, the fact that the band were taping the whole thing to use as the visuals for their newest single, as mentioned, meant that Keo’s avid followers were literally clamouring AND clambering to get the best view position possible.
Turning the popular skaters’ hub’s central bowl into a makeshift stage, with lights, camera, booms and various crew surrounding the entire venue, it was a surreal experience to say the least.
And, of course, they were absolutely brilliant – just as they were at the Ritz at the start of the year and Kendal before that, playing a short but sweet set that left everyone wanting more and choruses of punters chanting Keo long after the final song.
We can’t wait to see how the video itself turns out, especially seeing how much the people who wrapped around them and the skatepark were lost in the moment, and we’re also looking forward to them headlining Neighbourhood Fest in Manchester city centre this October.
You can grab a ticket to see them and the rest of the NBHD lineup right HERE, but until then, give the full studio version of ‘Pistol’ a play and get ready for their debut album.
Danny Jones -
30th November 2024 
