Nearly 1000 people who work in the live music industry in Manchester participated in a socially-distanced silent march through the city centre today.
The march formed part of the #WeMakeEvents – RED ALERT Day of Action nationwide event.
The #WeMakeEvents campaign – which has been organised by PLASA – is to raise awareness of the UK’s one million highly-skilled live music industry professionals, all of whom have had little to no work for the past four months amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and with little likelihood of the industry restarting until Spring 2021.
The live music sector includes a huge supply chain of workers in areas ranging from production, audio, lighting and video, to logistics, planning, transportation, and some of the world’s leading technology manufacturers.
#WeMakeEvents is calling on the UK government to “throw us a line”.
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As stated on the PLASA website, without additional government support for the supply chain, the UK is not only “in danger of losing its global position as a world leader in world class events”, but “all of our incredible creatives and technicians could lose their livelihoods for good”.
Manchester is a city synonymous with music and the industry needs our help.
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We support the 100,000+ professionals in #Manchester who make our city one of the top destinations in Europe for live music and events.
You should support them too. Their jobs could be lost without intervention. #WeMakeEvents
#WeMakeEvents is calling for “meaningful support from the government until the industry is allowed to operate in a way that is not limited by social distancing policies”.
This includes three main objectives:
1. Grants – not loans – made available to businesses in the events supply chain.
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2. Furlough scheme extended until the industry is back to work.
3. Extension of the self-employment scheme – tailored towards the live music industry.
— Hits Radio News | Manchester (@hitsmcrnews) August 11, 2020
#WeMakeEvents Great scenes in Manchester. First industry to stop, last to return! More support is needed from the government until live music and events are able to start up again #letmusiclivepic.twitter.com/izny27imai
— Hits Radio News | Manchester (@hitsmcrnews) August 11, 2020
There has been a substantial amount of support seen for the #WeMakeEvents campaign within the wider music industry and across social media this week.
Many famous and well-respected names in the Manchester music scene have publicly expressed their support.
Sacha Lord – Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester and co-creater of Parklife Festival, The Warehouse Project and United We Stream GM – said that work by many crucial events staff goes “unseen by the public”.
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This morning I will be marching (socially distanced and wearing my mask!) to support the freelancers, event and festival staff who have been simply forgotten. Nearly 114,000 people need urgent financial support now #WeMakeEventspic.twitter.com/JterGW7Cn1
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester this morning, he said: “From my own experience with Parklife, there are about 4,500 people working on that,”
“The stages don’t erect by themselves, the Portaloos don’t arrive by themselves, the fences, the arenas, the lighting techs, it is a vast swathe of freelancers that work behind the scenes, and sadly they have been forgotten.”
Mr Lord was also seen present at the city centre March today as well.
Without major immediate support from the Government, the entire live events sector supply chain is at risk of collapse. Red Alert is a campaign to raise public and media awareness in support of the live events sector #WeMakeEventspic.twitter.com/IX3YdLtvvp
#WeMakeEvents is an initiative looking for a solution to the devastating crisis that the live music industry is facing. Concerts have been organised in the past to help people all around the world – right now, it’s those who arranged and worked at those events who need help
Yes, performers, artists, speakers. But also venues, lighting/sound engineers, photographers, event planners, bar & catering teams, security, tent & stage hire, booking agents, festival teams etc etc. So many of us with little or no support. #WeMakeEvents I’ll see you there. pic.twitter.com/iIGvRVYwzL
Today the #WeMakeEvents RED ALERT Campaign calls on the government to support the live events industry before we lose the talent and expertise that is the envy of the world.#WeMakeEvents
Buildings across Manchester and the UK are also set to light up red this evening in support of the live music industry and as part of the #LightItInRed campaign.
Over 500 buildings throughout the country are said to be registered to take part.
CALL TO ACTION!
We are calling again for companies and venues to light up red on the 11th of August 2020.
With many other activities also happening throughout the day, we want YOU involved!
You can find out more information and show your support for the #WeMakeEvents campaign here.
Audio
Beyond The Music moves to MediaCity for the first-time ever
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
You’ll have to wait a little while longer for a full live music lineup, but watch this space…
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.”
Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE. Roll on an even more extensive festival season than ever.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall Manchester – groovy, hazy and effortlessly cool
Clementine Hall
Unknown Mortal Orchestra at the Albert Hall proved exactly why they’ve built such a cult following over the past decade.
Formed in 2010 by frontman Ruban Nielson, the band first broke through with their scrappy, lo-fi self-titled debut and since then, they’ve become known for their signature blend of psychedelic rock, funk, and warped pop.
I first saw the band back in 2023 at Glastonbury, and yes sorry I am one of those annoying people that bring it up all the time.
They’re the perfect band to close your eyes, sway your head and tap your foot to – and that’s exactly what the crowd were doing in unison last night at the Albert Hall.
Image: The Manc Group
From the second they stepped on stage, there was no rush – just that signature hazy groove met with enough stage lights to sink a ship.
You could barely see them on stage, but that made it even cooler. And you can only imagine how gorgeous the Albert Hall looked with hundreds of spotlights in different colours whizzing all over it.
Early tracks simmered and pulled us in before the band stretched out into crowd pleasers like ‘Multi-Love’ and ‘Hunnybee’. What an absolute tune by the way.
Image: The Manc Group
There wasn’t much crowd interaction but, again, there didn’t need to be. They let the music do the talking and by treating us to some of the most epic guitar solos we’ve ever heard (no, seriously), we’ll forgive them for not talking to us.
Each song melted into each other as the band oozed effortless charm and talent throughout the almost two hour set, which is no mean feat.
Of course, a sea of phones shot up for ‘So Good at Being in Trouble‘, their most popular track which prompted a harmonious audience singalong. Not very harmonious by me, admittedly.
It was a fantastic ending that left the audience feeling united by the laidback brilliance of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and I hope they don’t leave it too long to come back this time.
Emily Sergeant -
11th August 2020 
