There are whispers of more illegal raves taking place in Manchester this weekend. But anyone who truly knows what happened at the last set of quarantine parties would never, ever attend. Not in a thousand lifetimes.
The mass gathering in Carrington on Saturday didn’t just make national headlines for being an unruly affair; it permanently changed lives in the worst possible way.
Those affected by the violent events that transpired in Trafford have now spoken out – and one thing has become abundantly clear.
This was not a fun-loving rave. It was a battlefield.
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Thousands of youngsters secretly descended on the local industrial estate on 13 June for a “quarantine rave”, complete with booze and tunes. But it didn’t take long for the night to turn sour.
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Within seconds of the first police car arriving, a shower of bottles and nitrous oxide canisters came raining down on the vehicle – shattering the windshield.
Along the periphery, fences were torn up as people crawled through barbed wire and nettle bushes to reach the main site.
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Mounds of litter and drug paraphernalia piled up across the dirt.
Distraught onlookers desperately tried to point emergency services in the direction of injured attendees.
Brave police officers shielded ambulance crews from the chaos as they scrambled through the pitch-black woodland to find victims who’d been viciously attacked and left to bleed in a field, before escorting them out through a hazardous maze.
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All this, whilst a deadly disease – that’s already killed thousands in Britain – hung heavy in the air.
Greater Manchester Police
One of the people stabbed that night was given life-saving first aid by the Tactical Aid Unit and North-West Ambulance Service.
He is just 18 years old.
At around 11pm, his mother decided to leave him a message to ask what time he’d be home and if he had a key, when a police car pulled up and an officer revealed her son was in surgery.
“That was the first we’d heard he’d gone to this illegal rave,” the mother said.
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“The police took us to hospital and we waited there while they saved his life. Thankfully, he has been moved from ICU and is now on the major trauma ward, so he’s making small steps in the right direction.”
The man’s parents can’t see him due to COVID, but the hospital is sending daily updates and have been “brilliant”, according to the mother.
Greater Manchester Police
“My son made absolutely the wrong decision to go out to the rave,” she said.
“I understand that young people want to go out, they’ve had 12 weeks of lockdown; even though they shouldn’t be going out because of COVID.
“But by choosing to go to a venue like that; there is no security there, no CCTV, no access for police or paramedics. Potentially he could have bled to death in a field because as hard as the police and paramedics tried, they couldn’t get to him.
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“I urge any parent who hears the slightest rumour that there’s another rave going on to tell the police. The police haven’t got the numbers to shut these raves down because there’s so many kids there. But if they know beforehand, hopefully no other family will have to go through what we’ve been through.
“And also a message to younger people: You think you’re invincible but you’re not.
“Before you leave the house and you’re intending to go to one of these things, just look at your mum in her face and know how much she loves you. Know that something potentially awful could happen to you that will destroy her and the family.
“So, please just don’t go to these things.”
The first responders on the scene that evening, PC Andy Hunt and PC Will Horrocks, were taken aback by the hostility that greeted the emergency services that evening.
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“There were hundreds and hundreds of people all walking up to go to where the scene of the rave was,” explained PC Hunt.
“Initially people were engaging with us, but started to become more and more hostile as we walked into the site.
“We realised there were a couple of thousand people there and we soon came across the first victim of a stabbing who we had to remove from the area and give first aid.
“It caused a lot of distress to people walking by… but it didn’t seem to deter anyone. They still went in.”
He continued: “Following that, there were reports of the young man who’d been stabbed. We had to escort medical crews in as we were concerned for their safety. It was slightly chaotic trying to find out where he was.
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“People were in tears trying to point us in the direction of where he was. And extracting him from the area was incredibly difficult due to the gates everywhere because it’s an old industrial area.
“We gave him first aid in the back of the van and whisked him off to hospital quick.
“Just stay away from these things. They have catastrophic consequences.”
As the police moved closer to the nucleus of the “rave”, they quickly learnt they were alarmingly outnumbered.
Upon approach, officers were pelted with objects from the crowd and had to manage what they could from the sidelines.
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PC Horrocks described that as police blocked entrances, revellers began ripping holes in the fences and clambering through dangerous terrain to join the main crowd.
“This is probably due to the drugs and alcohol they’d consumed and they weren’t thinking straight,” he explained.
“Considering it was an illegal rave, it was a lot more anti-police than what you’d expect.
“Bottles were launched at the first police car that arrived causing the windscreen to be smashed.
“Then we got reports of casualties coming in – but describing where the injured people were was a challenge in itself.
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“It’s a minor miracle that the casualty was in an area we could access easily rather than going through the main crowd.”
The makeshift event has also placed immense pressure on the NHS and North West Ambulance service (NWAS) – who had to send more than 20 resources to the site during the evening.
This included hazardous area response teams, emergency doctors, operational commanders, specialist paramedics, rapid response vehicles and three ambulances.
1/2: BREAKING: Outside of London an 18 year old man is fighting for his life in hospital after he was stabbed at an illegal rave attended by around 2000 people held in #Carrington, Greater Manchester, last night.
Oliver Mayor, Operation Commander of NWAS, said: “The impact it’s had on the North West Ambulance service both on the night and going forward is the very real risk of COVID-19 transmission – not just between those who attended but their friends and family also.
“The incidents have taken up valuable emergency resources and it’s a quite clear breach of the Government legislation that’s been there to try and protect us all.
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“These events are not licensed or organised, and there’s a risk of safety and security. It’s selfishly irresponsible behaviour that puts lives at risk.
“We’d like to urge people to please be responsible and continue to follow the social distancing guidelines.
“We’ve got this far – let’s not give up.”
Greater Manchester Police have now issued a statement declaring that anyone involved in hosting or attending an illegal rave will face arrest and prosecution.
If you are one of the morons who attended one of the illegal raves in Partington and Daisy Nook last night, you are a disgrace. You’ve now put yourselves, your friends, your families and loved ones at risk. I’ve seen some of the footage. You aren’t clubbers. Just selfish idiots.
Night-time economy adviser, Sacha Lord, who knows a thing or two about what’s involved in planning a true rave, has also been left aghast.
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“When I woke up to see the news last weekend, I was so saddened to see how so many people had acted so irresponsibly,” said the Parklife founder.
“Organising an event for thousands of people takes many months of working alongside emergency services and local authorities.
“I strongly urge everyone to look back at last weekend and do not ever let it happen again.
“There will be a time to party again. It won’t be too far away, but it will have your safety at the forefront.”
Mayor Andy Burnham has also vowed to “redouble” efforts to close down future gatherings in and around Manchester.
In the meantime, the message is clear: Never attend a quarantine rave. Lives are being needlessly gambled. To turn up is to throw the dice.
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Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Manchester Marathon 2025 guide – all you need to know about the ‘UK’s biggest day of running’
Danny Jones
It’s nearly here… The 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon is just days away, and the mix of pre-race nerves, excitement and general hysteria is palpable, so much so that the only way we can think to calm both us and all you lot down is putting together a helpful guide.
Take no notice of those anticipatory jitters: don’t worry, they’re completely natural, but it’s worth reminding you that the Manchester Marathon is known worldwide not only as one of the flattest and fastest in Europe but also one of the most well-attended and fun to run full stop.
With London’s counterpart taking place simultaneously, the Manchester Marathon this Sunday, 27 April, is set to make up the single biggest day of running in UK history – what a thing to be part of.
All the hard work’s been done, you’re coming towards the end of the taper; supporters, we hope your homemade signs are primed and ready; there’s just one long run left, so with that in mind, here’s all the important info you need to know for this year’s Manchester Marathon.
2025 Manchester Marathon – everything you need to know
How about we start with the start times, eh?
MCR Marathon waves – colours, times and more
By now, those of you taking part should have all received/picked up your event packs, including your bib number and wave colour.
These are essential not only in order for your chip time to be recorded but for you to enter the start process before you actually begin your marathon and, of course, for your loved ones to track your progress throughout the day. Here’s where you need to be at what time, depending on your wave:
You can also find info on your pacers HERE. (Credit: Manchester Marathon)
2025 Manchester Marathon route
Now, the main headline this year is that the Manchester Marathon has a brand-new finish line, with the annual race relocating from the home stretch near the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground to the iconic Oxford Road.
Wrapping up proceedings in the shadow of one of the city’s most beautiful buildings, we can’t think of a more picturesque place for a box office finish.
You can see a quick run-through of the route down below:
As for the points where you’ll be able to grab extra fluids and even back-up HIGH5 energy gels, there will be a total of eight water stations throughout the marathon, spread out as evenly as possible across the various parts of Greater Manchester that the route runs through.
There will be portable toilets available at every single water stop in case of emergencies too, and there is also a full map of where to find them.
As for bag drop, a new system is in place for the 2025 Manchester Marathon, with belongings from each wave being carefully loaded onto separate lorries and transported from the initial drop point near the starting area over towards the finish line, saving your tired little legs from doing any extra work.
Participants will first drop their bags off near the front of Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium, on Wharfside Way – it’s recommended you arrive at least 45 minutes before your actual start time – before being given a wristband and picking them up over at the Oxford Road finish line. More info HERE.
As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate Interchange, the Chester Road strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few.
Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub, including help when it comes to tracking them.
In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs seen in the virtual route tour above, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, the 2025 equivalent of previous years’ event village comes in the form of an all-new fan zone on Oxford Rd.
Find out more about what those taking part and cheering from the sidelines can enjoy in and around the action.
It’s also worth noting that the new ‘Adizero: For The Fast‘ pop-up will be open all the way from Thursday, 24 April to race day at Impossible Bar on Peters Street in the city centre.
The space is open to all and will host shake-out runs, exclusive product ranges, panel discussions and a variety of other activities; a collaborative adidas and Made Running cheer point will also be located at the one-mile mark on the corner of Deansgate.
If, for whatever reason, you can’t help line the streets yourself on the day, then you’ll be glad to hear that you can watch the whole thing online via a livestream on the Manchester Marathon YouTube channel – including Atherton’s very own Olympian getting the runners underway.
MCR Marathon road closures
As for the part of the city, Trafford and other sections of Greater Manchester that will be impacted by the Manchester Marathon road closures, here at the key points to know:
Parts of Oxford Road, Hulme Street, Grafton Street and other city centre streets will shut from 8am on Saturday and noon before the race on Sunday. As for the event itself, the route will go on to shut down the likes of Deansgate, Chester Road, and various other sections of road from 4am onwards.
You can find a full guide along with specific timings for each road closure HERE.
Further travel advice and public transport info
Last but not least, if you’re travelling into or across the city region for the action, Transport for Greater Manchester have recommended using our brilliant Bee Network to get around wherever possible.
Not only will this help reduce congestion in and around the city limits, but it also helps contribute to the adidas Manchester Marathon’s commitment to making the event as green as possible.
There are plenty of park and ride facilities at your disposal, and TfGM have also put together an interactive map for you to consult when planning your journey:
Now, we’re not trying teach you how to suck eggs, but it goes without saying that you should eliminate all panics possible, so get those phones, smart watches earphones and so on charged up, get your safety pins sorted early and so on.
Make sure you take in plenty of carbs for those much-needed energy stores in the days leading up to the race, lots of water too, not to mention as much rest and actual sleep as possible.
As for active preparation, you don’t need to be doing much more than a casual 5k jog or some light exercise in the last few days before the actual race – a steady little shakeout run the day prior at most. Lastly, ensure your race kit is washed and ready because a wardrobe dilemma is the last thing you need.
No matter what happens on the day, we’re already so proud of you all, whether you’re a returning runner, a first-timer, a dedicated fundraiser, or even just walking those magnificent 26.2 miles. Now go and SMASH it and we’ll see you for a refreshing reward at the pub!
The Manc -
18th June 2020 
