One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.
The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.
With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.
With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.
The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.
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Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.
This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?
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In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.
With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.
Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.
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Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin CompstonVicky McClure leading the dance routines
This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.
The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.
This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.
So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?
Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.
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Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!
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
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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 -
17th December 2024 
