There’s a brand new event launching that coincides with Manchester Pride and it’s coming to Depot Mayfield.
Manchester Pride is adding a completely new event as part of its summer showcase which gives us one more reason to look forward to those sunny skies and warmer months.
Titled ‘Mardi Gras’, anyone interested in attending the event can expect two days of high energy live performances and unity.
The name of this new event pays homage to the origins of Manchester Pride before the celebration adopted its official title.
‘Mardi Gras’ will be hosted between two neighbouring venues, both of which are popular for their ability to create outstanding shows, Freight Island and Depot Mayfield.
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Freight Island is renowned for its use of indoor and outdoor spaces, and this two day spectacular will utilise all areas of the venue meaning everyone gets a chance to party.
Then Depot Mayfield, best-known for hosting the enormous Warehouse Project season, will also be used for Mardi Gras.
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As well as this new concept, Manchester Pride will be running its usual joyous occasions in the Gay Village.
Once again, partygoers will live get the chance to see live entertainment across two stages, including the Alan Turing Stage and the Indoor Arena, both of which are set to be electric.
Gay Village will be adorned with various decorations this summer for Pride. Credit: The Manc GroupSome of the festivities you can expect for Pride. Credit: Carl SukonikThe huge main stage at Manchester Pride Festival as 2025 tickets go on sale. Credit: The Manc Group
Guests who are looking forward to Manchester Pride can expect a roster of independent food vendors, market stalls and funfair attractions helping to celebrate the festival in style at the Gay Village Party, keeping the city’s LGBTQ+ heart at the heart of the festival.
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While Mardi Gras is expected to be a big part of the festival, Manchester Pride will also see the return of much-loved events such as the Manchester Pride Parade, Gay Village Party, The Rally, Candlelit Vigil, Superbia, Family Pride MCR, and Youth Pride MCR.
The celebration will, as usual, close with the Candlelit Vigil in Sackville Gardens on Monday 25 August, in partnership with George House Trust.
David McGovern, Chair of the board of trustees at Manchester Pride, said: “Manchester Pride has always been about pushing boundaries, creating new opportunities for people to come together, and celebrating the incredible diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Mardi Gras represents the next step in this journey. Every year our audience has grown and with that, the demand for more ways to celebrate Pride has increased. Introducing this new dedicated venue at Depot Mayfield will mean we can invite new audiences and make Pride even more accessible for all to enjoy.”
Phil Burke, Chair of the Village Licensed Business Association, said: “The VLBA is thrilled to support this exciting new addition to Manchester Pride. It’s fantastic to see the celebrations expanding across the city while keeping the Gay Village at the heart of the festival.
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“Mardi Gras was originally organised by Village venues back in the 1990s, so it’s wonderful to see our community’s rich history celebrated with this revival.
“Our members are proud to host the street parties, showcasing the brilliant LGBTQ+ venues and talent Manchester has to offer. We look forward to welcoming thousands to the Gay Village Party this August and remind attendees to purchase a ‘Gay Village Party Supporter Band’ which will give them access to all the venues within the Village, and ensures the safe delivery of the celebrations.”
Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader, Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester Pride is one of the biggest and best Pride events in the country. It gives an opportunity for Manchester residents from all walks of life to celebrate LGBT+ culture and to continue the fight for equality and against injustice. It also sees huge numbers of people visit our city and shows us in our best, most inclusive light.
“As both Manchester and the event continue to grow, we look forward to seeing Pride celebrated across even more of the city this year whilst keeping the things we value most such as the Parade and the Vigil.”
The festival will kick off on Friday 15 August lasting 10 days until Monday 25 August, featuring the notable annual parade which still champions the fight for equality.
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To register for tickets and to be on the mailing list for updates about Manchester Pride you can sign up HERE.
Featured Image: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
Gigs & Nightlife
Dermot Kennedy at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy is bringing The Weight Of The Woods tour to Manchester for a night of powerful ballads and bangers.
After busking for a considerable time, Kennedy took to streaming platforms to upload his music before dropping notable tracks like ‘Glory’, ‘Moments Passed, ‘Power Over Me’, ‘Giants’ and more.
Since then, this Irish performer has amassed a total of 9 million monthly listeners and multiple songs with over 100 million streams across three chart-topping albums.
In 2023, Dermot Kennedy teamed up with electronic music group Meduza for a monster of a collaboration titled ‘Paradise’, which peaked at 5 on the UK Official Charts.
Gig guide | Dermot Kennedy at AO Arena, Manchester
Are there any tickets left for Dermot Kennedy at AO Arena?
Hoping for some ‘Better Days’? Well, maybe that can happen by getting the chance to see Dermot Kennedy live on his latest ‘The Weight Of The Woods Tour” in support of his most recent album of the same name, which dropped back in April.
Don’t be ‘Outnumbered’ and grab a ticket or two for Dermot Kennedy on Saturday, 30 May at AO Arena in Manchester HERE.
What are the stage times for Dermot Kennedy in Manchester?
AO Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you’ll be leaving the venue reminiscing ‘An Evening I Will Not Forget’ before the sun’s up.
Supporting Dermot Kennedy on the night will be some of his fellow countrymen in the form of Irish trio, Amble, who will be taking the Manchester crowd on a journey to ‘Mary’s Pub’ and reflecting on ‘Schoolyard Days’.
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through 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.
Neighbourhood Weekender confirmed for return in 2027 after standout year
Danny Jones
It’s official: Neighbourhood Weekender WILL be back next spring, making that three consecutive years of the big outdoor bash over in Warrington.
We think it’s time we just scrap this whole hiatus malarkey and make it annual forever and always.
Thankfully, NBHD Weekender won’t be taking a fallow year like Glasto any time soon, as they’ve just confirmed that the festival will be returning in 2027.
It will be a while before we see the lineup, of course, but if the roster is even half as good as the one we just enjoyed over the late May bank holiday, it’s bound to be a belter.
Neighbourhood Weekender 2027 starts here! 😎🎉
Sat 29th – Sun 30th May, Bank Holiday Weekend. Earlybird tickets on sale 10am tomo via: https://t.co/j5GRbT0jDE 🎟️
10% cheaper than 2026 price, and payment plans available via SEE. Earlybird ends Fri 5 June.
Following a standout weekend, the much-loved North West favourite continues to grow in reputation with each and every iteration.
If anything, the short break a couple of years back only confirmed how much people missed it, with people travelling all the way from London, Scotland, the Netherlands and more to attend the two-day celebration of live music.
Managing to welcome one of the largest and most varied audiences they’ve ever pulled in, they’re expecting spring ’27 to draw even bigger crowds.
With the likes of Richard Ashcroft and Blossoms as their two main headliners across Saturday and Sunday, several other big regional names topped the bill, from The K’s and Kaiser Chiefs, to The Fratellis, The Royston Club, Mel C and many more.
And then there was the raft of talent from further afield, like Keo, Example, Brooke Combe, and Aussie exports turned adopted-Notherners, DMA’S, just to name a few.
Safe to say our Audio North team had a blast after making yet another visit earlier this month.
Once again, the latest iteration only further cemented Neighbourhood Weekender as a staple of the UK festival calendar.
As the festival now sets its sights on following up on the rousing success, they’re aiming to continue that growth over the same bank holiday weekend in 2027, and tickets for the next full NBHD Fest will be going on sale sooner than you think.
In fact, a limited number of discounted early bird tickets will go live from 10am this Friday, 29 May and be available until Friday, 5 June via their official website, where you can stay tuned for all further news and updates in the coming weeks.
Last but not least, it’s also worth reminding that its sister spin-off event here in Manchester city centre kicks off in October, and there are still tickets left HERE. In the meantime, you can find our most recent write-up in full down below.
Thomas Melia -
4th March 2025 
