Things To Do

Manchester Music Tours are back next month

Now you can visit the iconic places that helped shape Manchester’s music history.

Hannah Starkie Hannah Starkie - 25th June 2021

After quite some time away at the hands of our foe COVID-19, the award-winning Manchester Music Tours is back to provide a unique experience for music lovers in the city.

By visiting all the places across Greater Manchester that have defined some of the city’s biggest bands, you’ll get a true insights into the band’s lives and where they cut their teeth.

Led by Rose Gill alongside some guest tour guides, you’ll hear stories from those that experienced Manchester’s 80s and 90s music scene first-hand.

The Manchester Music Tours bus.

There are five different guided tours on offer. Each one an ode to a different iconic Manchester band. From Salford Lads Club, synonymous with The Smiths to Boardwalk where Oasis played their first ever gig, this is the ultimate Manchester music pilgrimage.  

If Morrissey is your man, The Smiths tour will take you on a three-hour journey to places like Strangeways prison and The Iron Bridge that all inspired the lyrics to some of the band’s most famous songs.  

ADVERTISEMENT

A guided tour of Salford Lads Club will also grant access to ‘The Smiths Room’ which has been kept as a shrine to the band with memorabilia and posters.

Recreate this iconic image of The Smiths stood outside Salford Lads Club.

Alternatively, fans of Joy Division can embark on a four-hour tour which takes a deep dive into the band as well as The Hacienda and Factory Records.

ADVERTISEMENT

Iconic stop-offs include Epping Walk Bridge and the home of Alan Erasmus, the location of the original Factory Records HQ when it was first established in 1979.  

Praised by the Gallagher brothers themselves, the Oasis tour will explore the pair’s Burnage childhood, before visiting the clubs and rehearsal rooms that changed the band’s career forever. 

Remember the Definitely Maybe album artwork? Well, this one will also take you the very house that was used on the cover. There’ll also be some crate-digging opportunities at Sifters record store, made famous by the band’s song Shakermaker. 

ADVERTISEMENT
Visit the house pictured in the iconic Definitely Maybe album artwork.

The Stone Roses trip, however, will call at Granada Studios where the band made their TV debut performing ‘Waterfall’. And with a visit to Chorlton Waterpark that inspired the hit song ‘Mersey Paradise’ – and a show around the site of International 1 where they held their first gig in 1985 – you can walk in the footsteps of Ian Brown and the boys.  

But for those that can’t decide on their favourite band (and really, we’d be stuck for choice too) you can get a taster of all the best bits with the Manchester Music Tour Special. This one will take you on a whistle stop tour of highlights from all four of the tours for the ultimate experience. 

There are photo opportunities to be had at every location of each tour, plus tea and coffee to keep you going. And if you fancy a private tour of your own, get in touch.

Now, we all know music lover who’d be up for this, don’t we? Grab your tickets here.  

Things To Do

Thousands of FREE tickets to The Big Night of Musicals at AO Arena have been released

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

There are thousands of free tickets up for grabs to attend ‘The Big Night of Musicals’ in Manchester next year which features a variety of theatre classics.

The curtain has risen once again as returning favourite, The Big Night of Musicals, is coming to AO Arena for a fourth year.

Hosted once again by the one and only Jason Manford, this event contains segments from some of the world’s greatest theatre productions.

Fronted by The National Lottery, this showcase is a thank you to all players whose money has supported more than 20,000 theatre-related projects totalling £1.3 billion.

These funds have been used on many performing arts resources including restoring theatres and enabling hundreds of musical-related projects to commence.

This isn’t something to be missed out on as the bill is shaping up to be one of the event’s biggest to date featuring stars from the West End and some of the most notorious shows.

Attendees can expect to hear some familiar favourites in the likes of Bat Out of Hell, Here & Now: The Steps Musical, Mean Girls and more.

There’s even an exclusive preview of the upcoming theatre adaptation of a Disney superhero as snippets from ‘Hercules’ will be performed live.

Guests even have a chance to be in the same room as musical theatre legend Carrie Hope Fletcher as she takes on the role of Calamity Jane in the theatre show of the same name.

Dear Evan Hansen is also on the bill and if you aren’t free for the musical ensemble, it’s running at Palace Theatre Manchester from 18-22 February next year and tickets are available right now.

Read more:

This event has a super varied lineup too, from throwback pop bangers to Wild West heroines, this night really caters to everyone.

In true musical style, there will be big, bold performances and, of course, lots of excellent surprises all set to make a fantastic night of live music at the AO Arena.

All National Lottery players have the chance to reserve up to four tickets, the only cost is proof they’ve purchased a product from the National Lottery and a £2 booking fee per ticket.

Tickets for the ‘Big Night of Musicals’ on 25 January are already on sale you can try your luck at grabbing some free seats HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Publicity Picture (Supplied)

Things To Do

The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

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.

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?

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.

Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin Compston
Vicky 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.

Read 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.

Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity Picture via Supplied

More Things To Do

Inside the Jellycat General Store in Manchester

Kids & Family

An adorable new Jellycat store has just opened in Manchester

Paul McCartney will play in Manchester this weekend. Credit: credit MPL Communications - photographer MJ Kim

Audio

Paul McCartney at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for tour

Boroughs

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 16 – 22 December 2024

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches