Our favourite time of the year is about to kick off, as Highest Point launches us head-first into festival season.
The massive open-air music event begins tomorrow and promises another bumper weekend of music, food and activities, as well as a whole day dedicated to families.
Set in one of the most picturesque locations of any northern festival, Highest Point will lure in around 35,000 music-lovers over the next few days.
It paves the way for the summer of live music across the north west, including Parklife, Bluedot, and Kendal Calling, plus the Sounds of the City series at Castlefield Bowl.
Highest Point Festival was first set up in 2018 as a tribute to the late Chris Glaba, who started A Wing alongside Richard Dyer and Jamie Scahill but tragically lost his short battle with cancer in 2016.
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Now, it says its ultimate goal is to ‘create a legacy music festival, to join all of the other amazing events that happen in the city, that the people of Lancaster can be proud of’.
So if you’re digging out your best festival fit and getting ready for a weekend of dancing in the fields, here’s what you need to know about Highest Point Festival 2023.
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When and where is Highest Point Festival 2023?
Highest Point Festival. Credit: Robin Zahler
This year’s festival will run between Thursday 11 and Sunday 14 May, back at the beautiful setting of Williamson Park in Lancaster.
The entrance to the park is located on Wyresdale Road, LA1 3EA.
If you’re using public transport, get the train to Lancaster and then either walk the 30 minutes to the park or take a 10-minute taxi.
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Road closures are in operation so if you’re driving, follow the signs to the customer car park at North West Auctions, Wyresdale Road, LA1 3JQ.
Who’s on the line-up for Highest Point Festival 2023?
Headliners at Highest Point 2023 will include Bastille, Anne-Marie, Sub Focus, Freya Ridings, Friendly Fires, Craig Charles, and Wigan’s very own chart-toppers The Lottery Winners.
There’ll also be a special launch night on Thursday, headlined by Hacienda Classical.
The music is split across six stages – the main stage, the Chris Glaba Memorial Stage, The Sundial, The Woods, The Dell Inn and Bushrocker HiFi at the Waterfall.
Keep reading for the full line-up, including who’s playing which day.
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Highest Point Festival 2023 tickets
Highest Point Festival. Credit: Robin Zahler
Tickets for Highest Point 2023 are priced as the following:
Adults: £145 for weekend tickets, £39.50 Thursday, £69.50 each for Friday and Saturday.
Teen tickets: £80 for weekend, £20 for Thursday, £35 each for Friday and Saturday, .
Festival food will take the shape of a regional street food offering.
The full line up of street food stalls features Supper by Sanah, Cubbins, Kitchen Tap, Pizzarana, Eat Like a Greek, Veggie Republic, Furness Fish, Senor Paella, Yardies, Halloumination, Spoon Crepes, La Petite Crepe, and Mac and Wings.
What is the Big Family Day Out?
Taking place on Sunday 14 May, this low-cost, all-inclusive day out is geared towards families to want to soak in the atmosphere at a lower ticket price.
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The theme this year will be Kings and Queens of Pop, inspired by the Coronation and Eurovision.
Visitors are encouraged to dress as their favourite pop icon from years gone by, with prizes awarded to the best-dressed.
There’ll also be music on the main stage, craft zones, vintage markets, carnival parades, dinosaurs, Paw Patrol, birds, bees, and loads more.
Binx 23:00-0:00 Sub Focus 22:00-23:00 Charlie Tee 21:00-22:00 AMA 20:00-21:00 Emily Makis 19:00-20:00 Nathan X 18:00-19:00 Lasko and T.Lee 16:30-18:00 Monika & NafroB 15:00-16:30
Dell Inn
Jamie McCool 20:15-21:00 Pub quiz with The Lovely Eggs 19:30-20:00 Lowes 18:45-19:15 Melanie Williams House Party 17:45-18:30 In Conversation with Gordon Raphael 16:45-17:30 In Conversation with DJ Paulette 16:00-16:30 Lois 15:00-15:30
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The Woods
Craig Charles 19:30-21:00 DJ Paulette 18:00-19:30 Audiowhores 17:00-18:00 Sam Redmore 16:00-17:00 David Dunne 13:00-16:00
The Waterfall
North Fire Soundsystem 19:00-20:00 Daddy1Love 18:00-19:00 Chris Holt 17:00-18:00 John Hayward 16:00-17:00 Jojo & Jnr Jahvis 15:00-16:00 Miss Chop 14:00-15:00 The Buddhakkan Headset 13:00-14:00
Danny Howard 22:30-00:00 Ki Creighton 21:00-22:30 Arielle Free 19:30-21:00 Pirate Copy 18:15-19:30 Murphy’s Law 17:00-18:15 Matrefakt 15:45-17:00 Beth 14:30-15:45 Nico Balducci 13:15-14:30 Eldon 12:00-13:15
Sundial
Binx 23:00-00:00 Sigma 22:00-23:00 Goddard & MC XL 21:00-22:00 Turno & MC Dreps 20:00-21:00 A Little Sound 19:00-20:00 Binx 18:00-19:00 DJ Clumsy 17:00-18:00 Rek:law 16:00-17:00 Charlie Tee 15:00-16:00 Coded 14:00-15:00 Grimsey 13:00-14:00
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Dell Inn
Vicky Radio 1 (pub quiz) 20:30-21:00 Sk Shlomo 19:30-20:15 Mike Garry 18:45-19:15 Andy Ellis / Thomo Turgoose 17:45-18:30 Cuban Brothers in convo 16:45-17:30 Lowes 16:00-16:30 Rich & Jamie In convo 15:00-15:30 Chris DJing 14:00-14:30
The Woods
Guilty Pleasures 16:00-21:00 Bucky 15:00-16:00 Les Croasdaile 14:00-15:00 Mark Hogg 13:00-14:00 Ginny K 12:00-13:00
The Waterfall
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Jinx in Dub & Cheshire Cat 17:30-19:00 Catch a Fire & MC Dandy Dizzle 16:30-17:30 Matty Banton 15:00-16:30 Prof P 14:00-15:00 Impressa Soundsystem 13:00-14:00 Ranking Miss P 12:00-13:00
Featured image: Robin Zahler
Audio
Interview | Chatting with Tim Burgess before he chats to Mancunians on their doorstep
Danny Jones
In case you hadn’t heard, local music legend Tim Burgess is coming back to the AO Arena right here in Manchester this February for another intimate evening following the success of his last visit.
Set to include not only an interview but live stripped-back performances as well as Q&A, it’s your chance to see one of our region’s most famous musical sons up close and personal.
Returning for a candid and eye-opening sitdown with local DJ and radio host and Northern music champion, Chris Hawkins, it’s sure to be a special night.
Before posting up in The Mezz (which you can still grab tickets for), we had the honour of interviewing Salford’s very own Tim Burgess ourselves. Here’s what he had to say ahead of the event…
So you’ve returned to the AO again for another intimate gig. What do you love most about these smaller, conversational evenings compared to traditional gigs?
“Live events just have a connection with an audience that no remote link, AI or recording could ever match. From arriving and running through a soundcheck, meeting the arena team and catching up with Chris Hawkins, it all builds up to when the audience comes in.
“Chris and I don’t plan what he’s going to ask, so it’s all on the spot – nothing’s recorded, so you never know what might get said.
“Chris is a fantastic interviewer, and I get to meet everyone over the merch table at the end; I don’t get that at a Charlatans show – they are brilliant, and the tour we did in December was a brilliant experience for all of us.
“Maybe I prefer my bandmates being there when it comes to playing the songs, but it’s a chance for an audience to hear them in a way that they probably haven’t heard them before.
For anyone who hasn’t been to a Q&A-Sides show before, how would you describe the experience?
It’s a brilliantly informal night out – the chance to hear some of the stories behind the songs and 35 years’ worth of recording and touring adventures – plus a few songs with me and a guitar, and maybe a harmonica involved too.
“I’ve chatted to lots of people after the shows, and they always say it was a fantastic insight and that they loved the songs – then I realise they’re talking to me and they’d probably just say that anyway.”
Are there any particular songs that really shine in this stripped-back setting?
“You get to hear them as many of them were written. Particularly, the songs that Mark [Collins] and I came up with – it would usually just be me singing and him with an acoustic guitar, so it’s back to how they originally sounded.
“I’ve got quite a back catalogue of songs I’ve learned, so I’ll maybe keep them a bit secret. Suffice to say, there will be a few Charlatans’ classics, absolutely.”
When you look back on your career so far, are there any moments that feel especially meaningful to share in a setting like this?
“Our audience has grown up with us – lots were teenagers when we started, and I was in my early twenties. We’ve shared moments of grief, triumph, elation and tragedy – it’s just that ours were done in the cauldron of touring and recording with sometimes the eyes of the world on us.
“At times, it’s not been easy, but life will have been tough for our fans too. Chris is brilliant at making it seem like it’s just the two of us, and nothing is off limits – then you might say something funny and two hundred people laugh, and you snap back to realising it’s not the two of us talking in a pub.”
You’ve met and worked with so many iconic artists – are there any stories that always get a great reaction when you tell them live?
“I suppose there are some fairly iconic times – lots of people in the audience would have been at Knebworth when we played there with Oasis. Our situation was made all the more poignant as Rob Collins had died shortly before the show, and we weren’t even sure if we would play.
“It was a real existential moment for us – then there are funny stories of doing Top Of The Pops with a dressing room opposite The Smurfs. A lot has happened in those three and a half decades…
Being a Salford lad yourself, what do you think it is that makes a Manchester crowd so special?
I’m biased, but up until the band started, all my greatest moments happened in and around Manchester, and I was part of that crowd, whether watching [Man] United, seeing a band or losing yourself on the dancefloor of a club.
There’s a sense of feeling at home – there’s a BIG, beautiful world out there, and maybe we won’t tell the Midlands contingent in The Charlatans, but Manchester is always a homecoming for us.
Once again, if you fancy grabbing a last-minute ticket for ‘Tim Burgess – Live and In Conversation’ on Sunday, 8 February, there are still a few available.
The show starts from 7pm, and you can secure your seat right HERE.
Printworks set to host a FREE music festival headlined by local music veterans
Danny Jones
You heard us right, Printworks is expanding its wide-ranging calendar of entertainment and leisure in 2026 with its very own completely free music festival here in Manchester.
Better still, it’s set to be headlined by some cult favourites.
The one-off event will debut next month to celebrate the arrival of the 2026 BRIT Awards, with the annual ceremony and accompanying seven days of intimate live shows coming to the city of Manchester for the very first time.
Set to take place from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, 27-28 February (4-10pm and 2-10, respectively), the open access weekender has been dubbed ‘Live and Loud’.
Judging by the lineup of artists announced for Printworks’ debut music festival, we have every faith it will live up to the name.
As well as Manchester DJ Matt Hydes kicking things off, followed by the likes of R’n’B soul artist, KingFast, resident Reform Radio MC Urbi will also be joining the lineup, as well as regional dance veteran, Gareth James, and an intimate set by Sabira Jade.
That’s just a small handful of those who signed up to play the inaugural Live & Loud 2025.
As for your headliners, we’re buzzing to confirm that local house legends K-Klass are topping the bill; they may be from Chester, but they’ve been based here for ages and are practically part of the cultural fabric at this point.
You can see the full Live and Loud lineup and Printworks artist spotlight down below:
Friday, 27 Feb, 2026
Tristan Walsh
2Vibe
Urbi
KingFast
Honey Bee Jazz Band
Matt Hydes
Sat, 28
K-Klass
Matt Walsh & Jay Murt
Sabira Jade
Gareth James
Kick Back Sundays
Jorge Martin
Guy Connor
Emma Ellis
Printworks general manager, Dan Davis, said in an official statement: “Manchester is renowned for its musical heritage, and we are excited to bring music to life here at Printworks.
“Live & Loud will place Manchester artists front and centre, with an eclectic line-up that is diverse in genre, background and generation – reflecting our commitment to championing a wide range of local and upcoming artistic talent for a must-attend weekend of live music.”
In case you missed it, this brand-new event also comes amid a raft of small-capacity fundraising shows across the country.
Colette Burroughs-Rose, Director at Genre Music, added: “Live & Loud is Manchester in full voice – familiar faces and new names coming together under one roof across two standout days.
“This is Genre Music’s home city, and we’re proud to be partnering with Printworks on a music programme that welcomes everyone: family-friendly by day, great for evenings with friends.
“Alongside curating a truly eclectic mix of the city’s incredible DJs and live acts, we’re also capturing the artists’ stories on film to help amplify their voices and creativity beyond the stage.”
With the BRIT Awards being hosted at the Co-op Live arena not just this Feb but until 2027 as well, here’s hoping this is just the inaugural ‘L&L Fest and we at least get a sophomore edition next year.
There’s plenty of other music festivals happening in Greater Manchester throughout the year, especially this summer.
Sounds From The Other City has released its 2026 lineup, and there's set to be more than 100 exciting acts playing on 17 stages across #Salford. 🎶🎸
Daisy Jackson -
10th May 2023 
