Gigs & Nightlife

Bluedot festival 2022 headliners revealed after two years of cancellations

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 1st February 2022

Bluedot festival is finally set to make a return in 2022, with headline performances from Bjork, Groove Armada, Mogwai and Metronomy.

The popular festival at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire has revealed the first wave of its line-up for this July’s event.

Bluedot marries the worlds of music, science and culture in a family-friendly four-day extravaganza.

Both its 2020 and 2021 festivals had to be cancelled, with organisers saying a ‘lack of government support around insurance’ had forced them to call it off.

Bluedot will return in 2022. Credit: Lucas Sinclair

But Bluedot will be back between 21 and 24 July for its fifth instalment.

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There’ll be huge performances beneath the 76-metre-wide Lovell Telescope, which will be lit up with projections as a huge digital artwork for the first time.

Bjork will close this year’s Bluedot in a UK festival exclusive, with a uniquely commissioned performance with the Halle Orchestra.

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Bluedot has revealed its 2022 headliners. Credit: George Harrison

On Friday night, dance act Groove Armada will headline as part of the band’s final live tour.

Scottish post-rockers Mogwai are set to headline the Saturday night, following the release of their Mercury Prize-nominated As The Love Continues.

They’ll be joined on the Saturday evening by Metronomy, who’ll perform tracks from their upcoming seventh album, Small World.

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Bluedot’s now-traditional opening concert on the Thursday evening will see Mercury-nominated Hannah Peel and Paraochestra take to the stage.

  • Bluedot Festival. Credit: Lucas Sinclair
  • Bluedot Festival. Credit: George Harrison

Also confirmed on the bill are psychedelic space rockers Spiritualized, current chart-toppers Yard Act, Warp Records mainstay Squarepusher, multi-instrumentalist composer Anna Meredith, the legendary likes of A Certain Ratio and Tim Burgess, and techno producer and creator of the official theme for the 2023 Women’s World Cup Kelly Lee Owens.

Bluedot 2022’s science programme will welcome key speakers including Radio 4’s Jam Al-Khalili, British filmmaker David Olusoga, space scientist Monica Grady, and many more.

Comedians such as Desiree Burch, Olga Koch, Robin Ince and Ahir Shah will also be making appearances as part of the culture programme.

Read more: Where to find the best Chinese restaurants in Manchester

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The family-friendly festival will also have curations from Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman Animations and Clangers, and an enormous range of science-focused activities, workshops and live experiments across the Star Fields.

Festival director Ben Robinson said: “After two years away we are thrilled to be able to return with such a unique and diverse line up to the iconic Jodrell Bank for the fifth instalment of bluedot.

“We can’t wait for people to join us beneath the Lovell Telescope in July to experience four days of cosmic adventures which will close with a very special orchestral performance from Björk and The Hallé.”

Visit discoverthebluedot.com for more.

Featured image: Scott Salt

Gigs & Nightlife

An old indie favourite is heading back to Manchester for a ‘Best Of Tour’ at a brilliant venue

Danny Jones Danny Jones The Pigeon Detectives Manchester gig tickets

Time to roll back the years as old-school indie favourite The Pigeon Detectives are coming back to Manchester for a special show at one of the most stunning venues in the city.

We swear, if we could find our old iPod, their tracks would still be all over it.

Coming back to another part of the North that always showed them plenty of love, The Pigeon Detectives will be playing a special ‘The Best of Tour’ in line with their latest record, Still Not Sorry.

The Manc gig comes as the Yorkshire lads announced just six UK headline sets to support the album release, but let’s be honest, they were never going to skip 0161, were they?

With only half a dozen domestic dates confirmed so far, including the likes of Manchester, a homecoming night in Leeds and up in Glasgow, this really does feel like a return that long-standing fans won’t want to miss.

The new LP, which is a greatest hits compilation featuring the very best tracks from their discography that stretches over two decades, drops next month and we’re very ready to pump some adolescent nostalgia into our ears.

And best of all, they’ll be playing all the cult favourite Pigeon Detectives tracks at the simply stunning New Century Hall, marking just their second visit to the venue.

Boasting the food and beer hall downstairs as the ideal pre-gig location, not to mention a sprung dancefloor and those iconic, mesmerising lights, it’s a nigh on perfect space for live music.

We’re not exaggerating when we say we’ve had some of our best gigs in recent memory here.

Speaking in a lengthier statement on social media, the boys from Rothwell wrote: “If a band is lucky (and hardworking, and fairly decent at what they do!) there comes a time in their career when they realise that the journey they started as mates messing about on guitars has culminated in a hefty bunch of songs that people actually care about and connect with!

“At this point, the only logical next step is to take a breath, reflect back through the archives and assemble a ‘Best Of’ album. We’ve reached that point, Pigeon Heads!”

They describe the project as a collection of songs and memories that chart their career from their humble beginnings in Leeds to their “adventures around the globe”, where they have been fortunate enough to “some of the biggest stages on the planet.”

“As a band it’s always felt like we had to do things the hard way, even with an amazing set of supportive fans”, they go on to add, “but we just kept on writing songs, kept on playing gigs and kept on being The Pigeon Detectives. Us against the world. We weren’t sorry then, and we’re Still Not Sorry now!”

Maybe it’s our age showing but those last few lines alone have got us feeling all teary-eyed.

Read more:

The Pigeon Detectives come to New Century on Saturday, 29 November, which will be the closing night of their ‘Best Of’ run.

The greatest hits album arrives on 23 May via Dance To The Radio and tickets for all other shows go on general sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am.

You can also gain access to pre-sale by pre-ordering Still Not Sorry. Get ready to grab tours HERE.

They’re not the only throwback we’re looking forward to catching this year.

Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Elvis ain’t dead and neither are Scouting.

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Featured Images — Nina Zimmerman (via Flickr)/Resident Music

Gigs & Nightlife

Loyle Carner announces THREE massive Manchester gigs to follow Glastonbury headline slot

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Loyle Carner has announced three Manchester gigs

Loyle Carner will perform three huge gigs in Manchester as part of a newly-announced UK tour, chasing his headline Glastonbury slot.

The groundbreaking British artist will be heading to the O2 Victoria Warehouse later this year alongside shows in cities including London, Glasgow, Newcastle and Birmingham.

Loyle Carner has also confirmed today that a brand new album is on the way – hopefully! is set for release on 20 June.

It’ll give fans a week to listen and love his new music before he headlines The Other Stage at Glastonbury festival on 27 June.

He’s already released two surprise new songs – ‘all i need / in my mind’, as his new chapter sees him explore fatherhood, childhood and alternative music.

Loyle Carner has sung, produced and ‘accidentally’ formed a band for this latest release, which includes audio clips of his son.

Loyle Carner first emerged in 2013 with his A Little Late EP, followed by his debut album Yesterday’s Gone in 2017, with plenty more releases in the years since.

He’s been shortlisted TWICE for the Mercury Prize and has scored BRIT and NME Award nominations too, as well as 1.1 BILLION streams.

You’ll recognise his face from campaigns with global brands like YSL, New Balance, and Nike, not to mention his sold-out shows including Alexandra Palace, Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall in his beloved London hometown alone.

Loyle Carner will perform at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on 23, 24, and 24 November 2025.

Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday 2 May – you can get tickets HERE.

Loyle Carner UK tour dates in full

  • 02.11.25 || London || O2 Academy Brixton
  • 03.11.25 || London || O2 Academy Brixton
  • 04.11.25 || London || O2 Academy Brixton
  • 05.11.25 || London || O2 Academy Brixton
  • 07.11.25 || Cardiff || Utilita Arena
  • 12.11.25 || Glasgow || O2 Academy
  • 13.11.25 || Glasgow || O2 Academy
  • 14.11.25 || Glasgow || O2 Academy
  • 18.11.25 || Newcastle || O2 City Hall
  • 19.11.25 || Newcastle || O2 City Hall
  • 20.11.25 || Birmingham || O2 Academy
  • 21.11.25 || Birmingham || O2 Academy
  • 23.11.25 || Manchester || O2 Victoria Warehouse
  • 24.11.25 || Manchester || O2 Victoria Warehouse
  • 25.11.25 || Manchester || O2 Victoria Warehouse

You can get tickets HERE.

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Featured image: Publicity picture

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