After another stellar edition of Neighbourhood Weekender last month, the festival’s organisers were quick to announce the first wave of artists and release tickets for the fourth instalment next year.
Moving back to its usual May dates and taking place on 28 and 29 May 2022, Neighbourhood will return to Warrington once again.
If you haven’t got your tickets yet, what are you waiting for?
In case you still need a bit of convincing, we’re on hand to give you a little push with five reasons why you should get straight onto that ticket page and get it booked.
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1. It’s less than 20 miles from Manchester
Happening at its usual home of Victoria Park again in 2022, it’s less than 20 miles from Manchester City Centre and just down the road from Altrincham too.
You can get to the festival using several modes of transport, whether it be by the local bus networks, on foot, drop off, or by car using the dedicated car park that’s just a 10 minute-walk to the festival gates.
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Trains to the two stations – Warrington Bank Quay and Warrington Central – are also just a short 20 minute journey from Manchester.
Direct eco-friendly coaches courtesy of the festival’s travel partner Big Green Coach are also being put on, and with pick up points in the city centre and Stockport, your coach will drop you right at the festival site and will take you right back afterwards – it couldn’t be any easier.
2. The lineup
Known for putting together lineups of big names alongside breakthrough and up-and-coming talent, next year’s Neighbourhood will be no different.
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The first wave of artists was announced last week, revealing that a handful of Greater Manchester’s very-own will take centre stage across the two days.
Courteeners, Blossoms, Pale Waves and The Lathums are all confirmed to play. Whilst Kasabian, Australian trio DMA’s, and Dublin-based Inhaler will also add the weekender to their early summer festival calendar.
But it’s not just bands and indie music, as the lineup boasts a full range of genres, with music from the likes of Example, Tom Grennan, Becky Hill and more throughout the weekend, providing plenty of listening options – so, there’s definitely something for everyone.
And as this is just the first drop of artists, there’s loads more waiting to be announced.
3. The unique experience
Drawing on its namesake, the festival’s main hub, The Neighbourhood, is a hive of activity and immersive fun.
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You can grab a pint down the local at the Neighbourhood Inn, stock up on festival essentials and snacks at the Corner Shop Rave, and even experience the silent disco in The Library.
Grab a pint down the local pub in ‘The Neighbourhood’, the festival’s mini town hub.
The mini town creates a unique experience, with so much going on for you to get involved in – including solving fictional crimes with the festival’s Inspector Malaprop, chasing down a dangerous robbing duo.
And as it’s open to those five and over, it’s super friendly and suitable for the whole family.
4. Affordable ticket options
For this level of festival with this calibre of artists, you could expect to pay hundreds – but Neighbourhood offers some genuinely affordable ticket options, with day tickets costing as little as £59.50, and full weekend tickets for just £115.
On each day of the festival, the gates will be open from 12.30pm, with the music running until 22.30pm, so you’ll be getting an entire day of music action for your buck too.
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Accessible tickets are also available, and there’s a dedicated free ticket scheme for carers and assistants to those who could not attend the festival without their help.
To apply for one of these, you’ll need to buy one ticket as normal through Gigs and Tours or See Tickets, and then email [email protected] with the relevant proof (e.g. PIP form or access card), along with photo ID, booking reference, the ticket agent you used and state what you’ll require: carer ticket, accessible car parking area and/or viewing platform.
5. The VIP treatment
For that added extra Neighbourhood experience, you could go VIP.
You’ll get a separate entrance away from the main gate to avoid any entry queues, and access to the main stage viewing area with great views of the crowd and artists.
As well as this, you’ll get access to a dedicated VIP area with fancy toilets – because we all know what festival toilets can end up like – and a chill out area with comfy seats, so you can give your feet a well-earned rest.
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Chill out in the VIP area. Credit: Anthony Mooney
The food and drink are also levelled up too, as with your VIP ticket, there’ll be unique food vendors that aren’t available to the rest of the festival, plus an undercover bar, which is ideal should it start raining – this is the north, after all.
So, now you’re fully convinced, you can secure your tickets for Neighbourhood Weekender here and find more information on the website.
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To read more about music and events in Manchester, head here – and don’t forget to follow The Manc Audio on Instagram to stay up to date.
Featured Image – Neighbourhood Weekender
Audio
Hip-hop, soul and R’n’B legend Mary J Blige is coming to Manchester for a massive arena show
Danny Jones
Manchester is getting ready to welcome a global icon of hip-hop, soul, pop and R’n’B as Mary J Blige is set to put on a massive arena show.
With a music career spanning more than 30 years, Mary J Blige is an absolute legend of the American music scene, with nine GRAMMY Awards and nearly 40 nominations, along with a plethora of BET, Billboard, and AMA nods over the years.
Currently on ‘The For My Fans Tour’, jetting quite literally all over and recently adding on even more dates, not only has London been given some love, but so has Greater Manchester – and rightly so.
Announcing the special one-off show and Co-op Live debut this Wednesday, 16 April, Mary J Blige won’t have to wait too long to be part of the ‘Family Affair’.
The 54-year-old from New York will be coming to the state-of-the-art, one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues in all of Europe, in just a few months’ time.
On top of the already well-established AO Arena, this is the pedigree of truly worldwide artists that Co-op Live was built to further attract – and it looks to be working.
It’s been the best part of a decade since she was last in these parts, so she’s sure to get a huge reception.
While most audiences in the likes of North America have been treated to fellow R’n’B favourite Ne-Yo, those watching Ms Blige will be keeping things domestic as long-standing London collective and producers, Soul II Soul, will be joining her for the show.
‘Back to life, back to reality…’
So there you have it! Mary J Blige will be coming to Manchester on Friday, 4 July 2025, with her own pre-sale going live at 10am on Thursday, 24 April, but Co-op members can get there even earlier, with the venue’s early access available from the same time the day before.
As for general admission, you can get ready to grab your tickets HERE from 10am on Friday, 25 April.
Fri 18 April – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley (Sean Paul, Ashanti and Big Joe)
Sat 19 April – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Sun 20 April – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
22 April – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
23 April – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre (Sean Paul ONLY)
24 April – Bournemouth, UK – BIC (Sean Paul ONLY)
Sean Paul and Ashanti tickets for AO Arena gig
Just like Ashanti’s 2002 hit, you’d have been ‘Foolish’ not to get tickets when they first came out, however, there’s still a chance for you to ‘Get Busy’ like Sean Paul’s ‘02 throwback.
There’s a limited run of tickets left throughout the venue, including standing, seated and even an option to watch the show from ‘The Mezz’ if you’re after a VIP experience – AllHERE.
There’s no official setlist yet, however, if you consider the past selection of hits from their previous separate gigs, fans are in for a jam-packed night.
Sean Paul:
So Fine
Get Busy
Ever Blazin’
Cheap Thrills
Baby Boy
Bailando
Hot Gyal Today
Infiltrate
Breathe/ Make It Clap
Give It Up To Me
Got 2 Luv U
Mad Love
No Lie
Boasty
Love Me Ladies
Tip Pon It
Volcano
Bring It
Greatest
I’m Still In Love
Light My Fire
Punkie
Rockabye
Like Glue
Deport Them
Trumpets
She Doesn’t Mind
Temperature
Ashanti:
Happy
Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)
Mesmerise
Only U
Baby
Southside
Down 4 U
Body On Me
What’s Luv?
Ain’t It Funny
Always On Time
Foolish
What are the stage times for Sean Paul and Ashanti in Manchester?
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm; anyone attending this link-up of a lifetime can enjoy their night knowing they’ll be ‘Ever Blazin” after a full night’s sleep.
Doors for the ‘Bring It Tour’ are scheduled for 6pm with a kick-off time of 7pm, with no confirmed or mentioned support acts as of yet.
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.
Getting there by car and parking
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.
About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.