Manchester’s annual Parklife Festival has announced its biggest lineup to date ahead of the event’s return to Heaton Park on 11-12 September.
Across the two days, there’s a jaw-dropping selection of artists set to play, featuring some familiar faces back to finish what they started after being booked to play the cancelled 2020 edition last June.
Headlining the bill on Saturday 11 September is Brit Award-winning rapper Dave, in an exclusive UK festival appearance for 2021.
Meanwhile, “WAP” star Megan Thee Stallion will make her Parklife debut and will be joined by some of the finest grime, rap and hip-hop artists including Skepta, AJ Tracey, slowthai, Burna Boy, Mist and DaBaby.
In true Parklife style, we also have a stellar selection of world-class DJs providing the dance soundtrack this year. Over the weekend, Jamie XX, Disclosure, Four Tet, Carl Cox, The Blessed Madonna, Annie Mac, Jamie Jones, Skream and Solardo are all confirmed to play, plus Bicep will spin a special live set.
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For the bass heads among you, Andy C will be joined by Wilkinson, Sub Focus, Dimension, Friction, My Nu Leng, along with the CruCast lads for one massive reunion.
Presale begins at 10am on Wednesday 24 March. Only those who have signed up in advance will be able to access presale tickets – the link should land in your emails soon.
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Organisers have warned that the presale list is massively oversubscribed, with more 250,000 people signed up to it. So, tickets are in extremely high demand.
General Sale will begin at 10am the following day (Thursday 25 March) for everyone else.
Back in December, organisers announced that the long-awaited return to Heaton Park would take place on 11-12 September, instead of their usual June dates, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Up to 80,000 festival-goers are expected to descend on Heaton Park each day, making it one of the UK’s biggest metropolitan festivals.
This year’s much-anticipated edition has been two years in the making and with a lineup like this, we know the organisers will make sure it’s one to remember.
Now, all you need to do is set your alarms!
Stay up to date with Parklife on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for full lineup details, further announcements and festival info.
Music
Little Simz announces biggest-ever Manchester gig ahead of new album
Danny Jones
The queen of British rap, the one and only Little Simz, is coming back to Manchester for what will be her biggest headline show in this city to date.
A whole three years on from her last album No Thank You, the rapper from Islington is heading back out on the road after wrapping up the recording of her sixth studio LP, Lotus.
The first single ‘FREE’ has already dropped, and despite the release date itself being pushed back, news of a new Little Simz tour later this year more than makes up for it, if you ask us.
Little Simz already has two NME Awards to her name for Best British Solo Act and Best British Album, not to mention a BRIT itself for Best New Artist in 2022; oh yeah, and she won the Mercury Prize as well as a BET Hip Hop Award over in the States for ‘Best International Flow’ – all before she turned 30.
With that in mind, you can understand why so many are frothing at the mouth to hear her new record when it does finally drop.
There doesn’t appear to be any problems with the album itself: Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, to use her full name, is simply busier than ever and has just booked a role in a film because, yes, she acts too.
Lotus will now drop on Friday, 6 June, just in time for fans to get learning the lyrics ahead of festival season, which we have no doubt she’ll play a big part in.
You can hear the first taste of the next chapter down below:
Little Simz returns to Manchester for a Co-op Live debut on 16 October with tour supports still yet to be announced.
Pre-sale goes live on Wednesday, 9 April from 10am for official Co-op members and general admission will be available from the same time on the following Friday (11 April).
AJ Tracey is playing a VERY intimate gig in Manchester next month
Thomas Melia
London rapper and respected grime artist AJ Tracey is ‘live and direct’ once again, announcing a whole host of UK dates, one of which is a rather intimate gig right here in Manchester.
It’s official: one of UK rap’s leading gents is getting back on the road and he’s showing a ‘Little More Love’ to lots of cities, including Manchester.
In a post on the UK star’s socials, AJ Tracey trades his music persona for that of a sports pundit as he announces the dates for his upcoming tour while impersonating an F1 commentator.
Anyone looking to attend Tracey’s ‘Not Even A Tour’ can catch the star up and down the country on his over 20-date tour with a stop in Manchester as soon as this month.
The rapper has reached phenomenal heights since dropping the unforgettable ‘Ladbroke Grove’ in 2019 and is heading out across the nation to make sure everyone knows about it.
Get ready to spit bars left and right as this rapper’s discography is stacked with serious tunes like ‘Dinner Guest’, ‘West Ten’, ‘Thiago Silva’ and more.
More recently, he collaborated with Walsall’s finest Jorja Smith for a flirty garage beat also known as ‘Crush’ with the video being the two artists talking it out in a good old fashioned caff.
The latest collaboration with Smith marks the start of a new era for Mr. Live and direct as it fell in line with the announcement of his third studio album.
Titled Don’t Die Before You’re Dead, we’re sure he’ll be “building a vibe” wherever he goes and probably previewing a few exclusive tracks from his upcoming project too.
This gig may come as quite a surprise for any hardcore fans of the ‘Ladbroke Grove’ star as the venue in which he’s performing is definitely intimate only, holding just over 250 guests.
This rap giant is bringing his unbelievable beats to none other than the legendary small-cap city centre live music venue, The Deaf Institute, at the end of this month.
It’s safe to say you won’t get many more chances, if any, to see him in such a tight-knit space again.
AJ Tracey is bringing ‘Not Even A Tour’ to Deaf Institute in Manchester on 30 April, with tickets on sale Friday 4 April from 12 noon.
Hannah Starkie -
23rd March 2021 
