Lineup revealed for new inner city warehouse festival Summer of Love
Taking place this August, Summer of Love is Manchester’s newest festival to hit the scene - and is one of the first in the world to accept payments in bitcoin.
The people behind Manchester label and esteemed party makers, Animal Crossing, have been teasing us with their latest venture for the past week. But today they’ve revealed the lineup for their new festival Summer of Love – and what a weekend it’s set to be.
Known for putting on parties in the most obscure places, the Animal Crossing team are quite the creative bunch when choosing their location. They’ve hosted in lofts, rooftops, railways arches and even a disused car showroom. So, don’t expect Summer of Love to be any different.
This time around, they’ll make use of an abandoned warehouse in a secret location within the centre of Manchester. They’re remaining tight-lipped on its whereabouts. But what we do know is that Manchester’s newest festival is set to deliver the best talent in underground music in real Animal Crossing style.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQTJ8PGBlVB/
On 21-22 August, a full 12 hours programme of music, arts and mindfulness will run from 11am until 11pm with stages hosted by a wide variety of people, with plenty of minimal house and techno on the agenda, and a particular focus on that Romanian style of deep groove.
The likes of Romanian pair Raresh and Praslea – a.k.a. Praslesh – are confirmed to play, alongside Apollonia’s Dyed Soundorom across the weekend. Plus, there’ll be a world exclusive b2b from Traumer and fellow Apollonia member Shonky to complete the headliners bill.
Saturday will see a takeover from Wales’ Gottwood Festival who will look after proceedings at the ‘Love Factory’ stage by welcoming fellow Romanian DJs SIT, Priku, Sepp and Nu Zau to the occasion, whilst Turkish selector Onur Ozer will headline ‘The Second Stage’.
On the Sunday, the ARPIAR trio of Raresh, Petre Insperecsi and Rhadoo will welcome a fourth member, Dreamrec, who will provide some unreal visuals to accompany the set, to create the ultimate 360-degree experience.
Manchester’s own Josh Baker and French selector Charlotte will set the pace at ‘The Second Stage’ on Sunday.
If you have the stamina, after parties will be running at The Loft until 5am too.
But it’s not just music.
As passionate mental health advocates, Animal Crossing spent much of their time in lockdown raising money for Mind Manchester with a fundraising livestream. Now, a dedicated wellness area will be constructed at the festival, hosted by Mind Manchester themselves and complete with yoga classes from Blok.
Some of Manchester’s best independent food vendors will also be on hand to line your stomachs. A selection of hand-picked pop-ups curated by Eat MCR will give you the chance to grab a giant pizza slice from Nell’s Pizza, some fully-loaded fries from FryBy or some lighter options courtesy of The Green Lab, plus more.
The festival’s record fair, featuring local outlets Basement Wax, Vinyl Pimp, Wax Material, will be there if you fancy some crate digging. But more importantly, Summer Of Love will be one of the first festivals in the world to accept bitcoin as payment.
And finally, a dedicated art corner hosted by Smolensky Gallery will invite a load of the city’s painters, designers, photographers and graffiti artists to come together and create some live art. Meanwhile, the man behind Animal Crossing’s iconic illustrations, Matthew Alker, will host a deep dive into what goes into creating this visual feast for the eyes.
Phew.
The two days are set to be absolutely packed with music, art and culture making this one hell of a weekend not to be missed.
The announcement comes at a good time following Boris Johnson’s bombshell lockdown announcement. Let’s hope this restores some hope of a festival summer actually going ahead this year!
Summer of Love organisers said: “This is our moment to reunite, rejoice and celebrate the reopening of the world we love and have missed so dearly.
“The Summer of Love Festival represents our freedom, our connection, our artistic expression in an environment that has been created bespoke for the two-day music, arts and mindful experience. There is always a positive, always a light to shine brighter. It’s all about the love.
“We can’t wait to see you in August, let’s dance like we mean it.”
Those who register online will gain access to pre-sale tickets at 10am on Thursday 24 June, before general sale begins at 10am on Friday 25 June.
All that’s left to do is book the Monday off work, of course.
Audio
Olivia Rodrigo at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for GUTS: Spilled tour
Thomas Melia
The wait is finally over, as everyone’s favourite teen-pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo is bringing her GUTS: Spilled tour to Manchester, playing two nights at Co-op Live more than a year after the high-profile postponement.
Poor Olivia Rodrigo found herself caught up in the delayed Co-op Live opening last year, with the popstar postponing her two gigs just days before they were meant to take place.
Fans then went into a meltdown waiting for new dates, which got announced months later – but it’s finally time.
‘Deja vu’, ‘traitor’, ‘All I Want’ singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo is making her long-awaited debut at Co-op Live Manchester for two nights of heartbreak, angst and back to back hits.
Now, this 22 year old super star is wearing her heart on her sleeve or as Rodrigo phrases it, spilling her guts, playing songs from her impressive discography right here at Co-op Live.
Olivia Rodrigo gig guide
Olivia Rodrigo last visited Manchester in 2022, when she played O2 Apollo.
Olivia Rodrigo UK tour dates
Fri 27 June – London, UK – Hyde Park
Sun 29 June – Glastonbury, UK – Glastonbury Festival
Mon 30 June – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tue 1 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Olivia Rodrigo tickets for Co-op Live gig
If you’re after a way to ‘get him (or anyone) back!’ getting your hands on Olivia Rodrigo tickets might just be the way to do it, and luckily for you there’s a small selection left.
Anyone looking to attend Rodrigo’s 30 June show have a few options, just make sure you don’t get bled dry like a ‘vampire’ trying to buy these prized possessions with exclusive tickets HERE.
For those after tickets to ‘GUTS: Spilled’ night two on 1 July can live out their ‘teenage dream’ in style with a handful of hospitality packages up for grabs HERE.
What are the stage times for Olivia Rodrigo in Manchester?
Olivia Rodrigo is visiting Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 June and 1 July.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm so rest assured you’ll be tucked up in bed before the early hours and you’ll be asleep faster than you can say ‘ballad of a homeschooled girl’.
Doors to open at 6pm with no confirmed kick off time or support act yet but there is an offical afterparty happening at Co-op Live’s new Backstage Club from 10pm onwards for both dates with tickets HERE.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
‘GUTS; Spilled’ has seen this American super star jet-setting across the globe.
Featured Images – Supplied via Larissa Hoffman / Nick Walker
Audio
Popular noodle bar Chopstix to host ALL-NEW live music event in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Much-loved noodle box eatery Chopstix are hosting an all-new series of live music events, with the first kicking off at one of Manchester’s most popular venues.
Chopstix has become a foodie’s favourite in the city centre with its combo boxes and now they’re about to win over the musiclovers thanks to these brand-new live-performances.
The Asian restaurant chain is launching ‘Red Box Live’,a first-of-its-kind music event series taking place in some of the UK’s best independent music venues,, and it kicks off at one of the city’s most beloved music venues,YES.
These events will see a rising star headline slot, DJ’s, free drinks and of course, food, because it couldn’t be a Chopstix party without some of its iconic flavour-packed boxes.
Chopstix is known for serving up flavoursome feasts in their combo boxes.The Asian restaurant chain has chosen YES as the first spot for their ‘Red Box Live’ event.Credit: Supplied
Indie-pop artist Liang Lawrence is claiming the first headline spot and she’s definitely no stranger at frequenting some of the most famed stages in the country, having recently performed at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sefton Park on the BBC Introducing stage, following in the footsteps of Manc rap-talent Aitch.
The ‘Red Box Live’ music events build from the eatery’s previous music-focused series ‘Red Box Sessions’ which saw acts like Flames Collective and Grace Davies (X-Factor) in intimate studio sessions.
Rob Burns, Marketing Director for Chopstix, said: The launch of our brand new Red Box Live event series is incredibly exciting.”We’re bringing big, bold flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our flavour craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
“We’re bringing BIG, BOLD flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our Flavour Craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
Liang Lawrence will be performing at ‘Red Box Live’ organised by Chopstix.There will be free food and live music at this exclusive event.Credit: Supplied
The first ‘Red Box Live’ is taking place on 16 July with a headline performance from Liang Lawrence at YES in Manchester. Doors open from 7pm with a DJ set, and tickets are available to win for free on Chopstix’s website.
Hannah Starkie -
23rd June 2021 
