The Kendal Calling lineup for 2024 has officially dropped and we’re not exaggerating when we say it’s an absolute belter.
With Northern names like Blossoms, Happy Mondays, Reverend and The Makers; Rick Astley, The Lottery Winners and many more playing at the Lake District music festival last summer, we had an absolute blast and we’re genuinely worried how they’d be able to top it this year.
That being said, with everyone from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Paolo Nutini and The Streets to Paul Heaton, Keane, Declan McKenna; Pale Waves, The Snuts, and even the Sugababes signed up for Kendal Calling 2024, just to name a few, the latest edition is going to be absolutely dynamite.
As well as bringing back favourites from the previous lineup such as Lottery Winners, The Hunna and Rianne Downey, other new additions include rising local lads The K’s, Liverpool stars Red Rum Club, The Reytons from Rotherham, British rock veterans Feeder and even some special DJ sets…
Kendal Calling has released its 2024 lineup in full / Credit: Supplied | The Manc Group
Yes, as well as another appearance from Manc music icon Bez and a full night of funk from the one and only Craig Charles, Man United legend, pundit and local businessman Gary Neville (you heard) will also be hopping on the decks back-to-back with none other than Tim Burgess of The Charlatans.
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Can’t lie, that’s worth a headline slot on its own.
They’ve also bolstered the rest of the entertainment since last year, with live stand-up set to descend of Lowther Deer Park in the form of much-loved comedians Russell Howard and Paul Smith.
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As you can see from the full lineup, there are so many names to choose from — over 120 across a total of more than 13 stages, to be more precise — the only tragedy is that you can’t see them all. Still, there’s plenty for you to get up in the late hours once the main acts call it a day.
It goes without saying that Kendal Calling was a huge success last year and with the lineup we’ve got in store, 2024 looks set to be just as memorable as more than 40,000 music lovers are set to pull on their wellies and bucket hats each day.
One of the things that makes this festival so special is how much it champions the North West in particular, so many of the big slots going to artists from this region and the Mayor of Greater Manchester himself, Andy Burnham, even giving the likes of Stockport a shout-out last time round.
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If you’ve never given Kendal a go before, we sincerely advise you to consider it this year. It’s probably one of the most underrated live music events in the country but not for long — this thing just keeps getting back and we are absolutely here for it.
Taking place from Thursday, 1 to Sunday, 4 August, pre-sale goes live at 10am on Friday HERE and general admission will be available from Monday, 29 January.
Featured Images – RTP (via Flickr) / Supplied / Paolo Nutini (Press Image)
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A dedicated anime, movie and gaming concert with a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all self-proclaimed otakus, cinephiles and gamers: a huge concert experience will see dozens of musicians bring classic anime, film and gaming soundtracks and scores to life later this year, right here in Manchester.
The city is no stranger to events celebrating these beloved kinds of media, but you’ll struggle to find another bringing all of them together in one place.
Brought to us Mancs by KIN Music Entertainment, a locally founded arts, events and music label, this celebration of all things pop culture – and specifically, the music tied to it.
Entitled ‘The Kin & Fushigi Anime, Film & Videogame Orchestra’, this passionate collective serves as not only a platform for rising artists but also to hear some iconic sonic moments like never before.
KIN have created a large-scale live concert experience which will bring together a 25-piece pop orchestra made up of emerging professional performers and conservatoire graduates.
Aside from the impressive total of people behind this production to begin with, they also form an immersive hybrid orchestral and live band capable of bringing.
Speaking on the upcoming date, KIN Entertainment said in a statement: “We wanted to create the kind of live experience that many anime and videogame fans in Manchester have been waiting for — something cinematic, emotional and community-driven that brings these sound worlds to life with the energy of both an orchestra and a live band.”
Kin was founded by bassist, composer and ensemble performer Alejandro Urbina Diaz, who first brought his talents and wider interests over from Mexico to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) here in the city centre at the age of 23.
Citing Manchester’s multiculturalism and cosmopolitan cultural fabric as a big part of his inspiration, he and his team have ended up carving out this niche for themselves, and now they’ll be playing this beloved music to Mancs at none other than the O2 Ritz.
Credit: KIN Music Entertainment (supplied via Academy Music Group Digital)
With new arrangements inspired by anime, cinematic and videogame culture, not to mention orchestral and even rock crossover twists – including both vocalist and rhythm sections, by the way – it’s set to be a highly unique experience that most will have never come across before.
This event itself is suitable for audiences aged 14+, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, and it’s taking place at the Ritz on Sunday, 26 July.
We’re not going to spoil any more details about the show for you, so which particular pieces of pop culture they reference will just have to be a surprise…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AMG Digital)
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You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Danny Jones -
25th January 2024 
