Original Hacienda resident DJ Paulette has been awarded DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2022 Lifetime Achievement gong.
The Manchester-based DJ has been given the award in recognition of her pivotal role at the center of a number of significant moments in European electronic music history over the past thirty years.
A DJ, radio and TV host, A&R and PR for over 30 years, whilst still in her twenties Paulette made history as the Hacienda’s first female DJ resident – first coming on board to play the club’s gay night, Flesh Nites, with organizers bringing her in after seeing just one DJ set, which happened to be her debut.
She stayed for four and a half years, progressing to resident along the way, then moved down to London to play at the Garage club nights at Heaven, followed by residencies at Brighton’s The Zap Club and the Ministry of Sound.
Later, in 2004, she lived in Paris for some time and has also done some stints in Ibiza, but today she can be found in her hometown of Manchester – the place where she was born and raised.
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Speaking to DJ Magabout her heady career, she described how her first ever DJ gig came about, saying: “Fast-forward six years of buying records and whatever and a friend of mine knew somebody who was putting on a party at the No.1, and she’d spent all the money on the promo.
“She didn’t have any money to pay a name DJ, and was told about somebody who had lots of records who could do it. She must’ve been so fucking desperate!”
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DJ Paulette first started off in music working for Manchester Piccadilly 261 radio station, aged 18, as a cub reporter but has since gone on to do great things – including helping the Roni Size & Reprazent ‘New Forms’ album win the Mercury Prize.
Moving down to London in the mid-90s, she got a PR job at Mercury Records to supplement her DJing income.
Speaking about that time in her life, she told the magazine: “Everything that happened for Roni Size Reprazent, and also 4hero who were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, came off the back of the press campaign and their live gigs.”
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“It’s very rare to translate a good press campaign for some dance music singles to the Mercury Prize, it has to cross them over into the nationals and broadsheets everywhere.
Image: DJ Paulette
“Obviously they had to perform live, I would never take credit for their creativity, but without that press campaign… there were so many other bands who were really great live, but they didn’t have the press.”
She would then go on to win a gold record for the Reprazent PR campaign after they sold 100,000 copies of ‘New Forms’ and were nominated for two Brit awards.
It’s a well-deserved accolade for the Manchester music legend, who is also on the cusp of releasing a new tell-all book – detailing her amazing 30-year career and shining a light on discrimination within the dance music world.
Titled Welcome To The Club: The Life And Lessons Of A Black Woman DJ, Paulette says it will tell the ‘candid story’ of her hugely successful DJ career, which has seen her hold high profile residencies at some of the best parties in the world, including the Hacienda, Ministry of Sound and Queen Club in Paris.
Described as both a memoir and a “call to arms”, Welcome To The Club will feature contributions from some of her fellow UK DJs including Dave Haslam, Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, Sonique, Smokin Jo, Norman Jay and Jaguar.
It’s sure to be filled with some amazing stories. She is, after all, a true dance music icon and has been at the heart of the global house scene for many years.
The smash-hit daytime rave where you can still be in bed early is returning to Manchester
Clementine Hall
That’s right: Day Fever, the daytime rave designed to still get you tucked in at a reasonable hour, is coming back to Manchester city centre this year.
Following their biggest raft of shows across the UK and Ireland in 2025, the smash-hit night out that is very much aimed at those of us 30 and over – but fellow sleepy heads are obviously more than welcome – Day Fever are targeting big things in 2026.
Launched in early 2024 by actress Vicky McClure and Reverend & The Makers frontman, Jon McClure, Day Fever has become a cultural sensation.
From its debut in Sheffield to a tour that sees thousands of ravers hitting the dance floor each month, the message is clear: people want to dance and let loose, but still be in bed before 9pm – and let’s be honest, who can blame them?
The founders (L-R): Jon McClure, James O’Hara, Jonny Owen, Vicky and Chris McClure. (supplied)
Running from 3-8pm, Day Fever provides a proper night out that doesn’t completely write you off for the entire weekend.
“It started as a WhatsApp idea”, says Jon McClure. “Jonny just said, ‘A daytime disco, how good would that be?’ We’re all a bit nuts, so we just said, ‘Come on then!’”
“It feels like a massive house party at your nan’s,” laughs Vicky. “No drama, no egos, just people acting daft, getting dressed up, and having the best time.”
From here in 0161 and our mates over in Leeds, to Newcastle, Glasgow and many more, each Day Fever event has its own unique flavour.
There’ll be local DJs who know their crowds keep the energy high with a nostalgic mix of Northern Soul, disco, indie, and 90s classics. “Manchester goes mad for Oasis,” says Jon, “and if Vicky’s there, we have to play Whitney, it’s non-negotiable!”
For starters, just look at the turnout they got over Christmas:
They last popped up their second home of New Century Hall over the festive period, so it’s no surprise they’re coming back from.
Day Fever will be turning up the speakers at New Century once again on Saturday, 31 January, and we will absolutely see you there. Better still, the organisers have just announced additional shows due to phenomenal demand, including 7 March and 11 April here in Manchester.
Find the rest of their previously announced shows, as well as the extra dates for 2026, in full down below:
24 Jan, 28 February and 25 April – Glasgow, BAaD
24 Jan, 14 Feb and 21 March – Nottingham, Palais
24 Jan, 7 March and 4 April – Sheffield, City Hall
31 Jan, 7 March and 11 April – Manchester, New Century Hall
Parklife 2026 line-up announced, with headliners including Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson
Daisy Jackson
The line-up for Parklife 2026 has finally dropped, ahead of Manchester’s biggest festival – and this year will include headline performances from the likes of Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, and Skepta.
The huge music event will be back in the fields of Heaton Park next June, ready for two nights of live music from some of the biggest names in the world of dance music and beyond.
Joining those headliners on the line-up will be popstar of the moment Zara Larsson, who’ll be making her Parklife debut in 2026, plus returning Parklife heavyweights like Josh Baker, Chris Stussy, Kettama and Nia Archives, and dancefloor favourites Rudimental.
Along with the line-up, the festival has also announced a brand-new stage for this year, which will be called Panorama.
The stage will be building the festival’s Hangar Stage into a bold state-of-the-art experience, with cutting-edge production, on-stage/behind the booth access, a curved LED screen spanning the entire stage and multi-tiered dance platform.
Last year’s acclaimed new VIP area, with hillside views of the main stage, will return for 2026.
Parklife is also proudly the best-value major festival in the UK, with full weekend tickets from just £138.50 and day tickets just £85.
Leading the stacked line-up for Parklife 2026 is Calvin Harris, who’s back 13 years on from his last Manchester tour date to play his iconic dance bangers including One Kiss, We Found Love, This Is What You Came For. He’s collaborated with huge names over the years, so we’re holding out hope for some surprise guests during his set.
One of the biggest breakthrough names of the last 12 months is Sammy Virji, and he’ll be heading to Heaton Park in June.
Rap and grime pioneer Skepta is also poised to set Parklife alight this summer.
Manc DJ Josh Baker first played at Parklife in 2022, when he opened the G Stage – but now he’s got his sights set on the main stage just four years later, and is headlining an intimate show for War Child’s BRITs Week before then too.
There’s loads more names to enjoy this year too – performances from rising stars will include Marlon Hoffstadt, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, Rossi., Bou, Silva Bumpa, AZYR, Prospa, Morgan Seatree, Clementine Douglas, Chloé Caillet, K Motionz and Mozey.
And that’s alongside trailblazers such as Rudim3ntal, Ewan McVicar, Armand Van Helden, Andy C, Shy FX, Dimension and more.
Stage takeovers will come from XXL, Worried About Henry, Modern Funktion and Ghosts Of Garage.
Tickets for Pepsi MAX presents Parklife 2026 begin to go on sale on Tuesday 27 January with an exclusive presale for Paypal customers (for 48 hours or until the Paypal presale allocation sells out).
A second presale will be live from 10am on Thursday 29 January for those signed up to the Parklife mailing list, before full general sale tickets are released at 10am on Friday 30 January.
The Manc -
31st October 2022 
