In a coup for the city’s clubbing scene, a huge venue in Manchester has been shortlisted as one of the best of its kind in the UK by this year’s DJ Mag awards.
Depot Mayfield, the home of Manchester’s infamous party series The Warehouse Project, is the only club in the north of England to make the shortlist – sitting alongside London venues Fabric, KOKO and Printworks, and Glasgow nightclub SWG3.
First opened in 2019, the 10,000 capacity venue has been home to some huge events – including MIF and Skepta’s mind-blowing futurist rave DYSTOPIA987 and Manchester Pride’s inaugural music event Pride Live, as well as innumerable shows for WHP over the past few years.
With three separate stages – Depot, Concourse and Archive – it has been home to an eclectic run of Warehouse Project shows, attracting ravers and gig-goers of all musical persuasions.
Image: WHP MCR
Image: WHP MCR
Now it has been recognised as one of the best large venues in the UK as part of the annual DJ Mag awards, widely considered to be one of (if not the) biggest authorities on the UK dance music scene.
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The award ceremony takes place this December 15 in London’s The Steel Yard, in what is the first IRL award show since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
This year marks the 16th edition of the awards, an annual celebration of UK talent. Positioned as a counter-balance to the global Top 100 DJs poll, DJ Mag’s Best Of British awards are a chance to shine a spotlight on the homegrown talent that continues to place the UK scene at the forefront of electronic music.
The 2022 nominations are split across 22 categories, and the awards show in December will also see the return of three editorial choice categories, Outstanding Contribution, Innovation & Excellence and Game Changer.
Also shortlisted in this year’s awards is Manchester’s ‘Baddest of them all’ producer and DJ Interplanetary Criminal, whose BOTA remix with Eliza Rose went viral this year and hit number one in the UK singles charts this September.
Interplanetary Criminal is up for two awards this year – Best Producer and Best Track – showing that Manchester is still at the forefront of the UK music scene, decades after its Hacienda heydays.
You can see the full list of DJ Mag’s 2022 awards and nominations below.
Best DJ
Anz Djrum Palms Trax Patrick Topping Tiffany Calver
Congo Natty Dance System Interplanetary Criminal Loraine James M1onthebeat
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Breakthrough Producer
Breaka CeeBeaats Meg Ward Nia Archives Soul Mass Transit System
Best MC/Vocalist
Bandokay MC Chickaboo Ivorian Doll Knucks Novelist
Breakthrough MC/Vocalist
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Bemz Chinx (OS) Iceboy Violet Jim Legxacy ShaSimone
Best Label
AD 93 ec2a Phantasy Sound Trick XL Recordings
Breakthrough Label
All Centre Over/Shadow Pretty Weird Sondela Recordings Time Is Now [Shall Not Fade]
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Best Album
DJ Q ‘Est. 2003’ [Local Action] Hagan ‘Textures’ [Python Syndicate] Hudson Mohawke ‘Cry Sugar’ [Warp] Kelly Lee Owens ‘LP.8’ [Smalltown Supersound] TSHA ‘Capricorn Sun’ [Ninja Tune]
Best Compilation
PinkPantheress ‘to hell with it (Remixes)’ [Parlophone] V/A ”Club Entry’ Vol. 1′ [Borne Fruits] V/A ‘Hospital Mixtape: Lens’ [Hospital Records] V/A ‘Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura’ [Mr Bongo] V/A ‘Touching Bass presents: Soon Come’ [Touching Bass]
Best Track
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Eliza Rose & Interplanetary Criminal ‘B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)’ [Warner Records x One House] Hamdi ‘Skanka’ [DUPLOC] Joy O ‘pinky ring’ [XL Recordings] LF System ‘Afraid To Feel’ [Warner Music] Nia Archives ‘Baianá’ [HIJINXX / Island]
Best Remix/Edit
KH ‘Looking At Your Pager’ [Ministry of Sound/Three Six Zero] Michael Bibi ‘La Murga (Michael’s Midnight Mix)’ Nick León ‘Xtasis feat. DJ Babatr (Pearson Sound Remix)’ [TraTraTrax] Tessela ‘Hackney Parrot (Bailey’s Techno Tool)’ Tirzah ‘Tectonic (FAUZIA Remix)’ [Domino]
Best Rap Album/Mixtape
CB ‘A Drillers Perspective 2’ [mayowahd] FLOHIO ‘Out Of Heart’ [AWAL] Horrid1 x Sav’O ‘Violent Siblings’ [CGM Records] Jeshi ‘Universal Credit’ [Because Music] Loyle Carner ‘hugo’ [EMI]
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Best Rap Track
Darkoo ‘Always feat. Black Sherif’ (Prod. by Albert kweku Koranteng) [Atlantic Records UK] Giggs x Tiny Boost ‘The Family’ (Prod. by RichMadeRecords) [Self-released] Kojey Radical feat. Lex Amor ‘War Outside’ (Prod. by Swindle & Kztheproducer) [Asylum Records UK] LD x C1 ‘Hillside Demons’ (Prod. by JS OTP & Hilzz) [24 Hour Ent] Nemzzz ‘2MS’ (Prod. by Wydsonni) [Motown Records UK / EMI]
Best Radio Show
Emma Jean Thackray, Worldwide FM Ellie Prohan, KISS FM Felix Joy Breakfast Show, SWU Pure Spice with DJ Manara, BBC Asian Network Soup To Nuts, NTS
Best Large Club
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Depot Mayfield, Manchester fabric, London KOKO, London Printworks, London SWG3, Glasgow
Best Small Club
Colour Factory, London Night Tales, London Strange Brew, Bristol Sub Club, Glasgow Ulster Sports Club, Belfast
Best Club Event
Club Blanco Distant Planet PXSSY PALACE Teletech Small Talk
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Best Festival
Houghton Festival Naked City Festival Otherlands Music & Arts Festival Outlook Festival UK Queen’s Yard Summer Party
Best Boutique Festival
Field Maneuvers Freerotation KALLIDA Festival No Bounds Festival Watching Trees Festival
Underground Hero Recognising the champions of grassroots music communities
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Double O & Mantra Jeremy Sylvester Lo Shea Man Power Sarah McBriar
Feature image – WHP MCR
Audio
BBC Radio 6 Music Festival is returning to Greater Manchester next month
Thomas Melia
The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival is coming back to Manchester once again, and they’re bringing yet another phenomenal lineup with them.
National radio station and overall upcoming music connoisseurs, BBC Radio 6, are back with their music festival, and just like years previous, it’s taking place across Manchester.
Over the years, the festival has brought some of music’s biggest names to lots of local venues, putting on an array of brilliant live performances.
Last spring saw the arrival of rock band Gossip and Irish singer CMAT, both taking up residency in O2 Victoria Warehouse, Lily Fontaine of English Teacher at Band On The Wall, while DJ Seinfeld went B2B with Salute in Depot Mayfield.
Leading this glowing roster of performers is Ezra Collective, a Mercury award -winning band known for their brilliant jazz productions, and then from one Mercury-winning band to another, Lily Fontaine won’t be riding solo this year, instead she’s bringing all the crew with her, as English Teacher are set to perform at this huge festival.
Fat Dog, whose debut album is titled ‘Woof’, are joining in on the fun with Scottish band Mogwai also making a feature too.
There’s even a chance for an exclusive first listen too, as Kae Tempest will be debuting new material right here in Manchester.
Ezra Collective are performing at BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.English Teacher make a return to Manchester for this special event.Fat Dog are also playing the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival.
All performances will be taking place at a multitude of venues, like the previously mentioned O2 Victoria Warehouse, Depot Mayfield, and Band On The Wall, as well as loads of other events at entertainment bar, Yes.
Every highlight, alongside live and recorded live performances, will be taking place at MediaCityUK in Salford, in order to keep everything Manchester central.
BBC Radio 6 Music Festival is happening from 26 – 29 March 2025, with tickets going on sale from 6 February at 10am here.
Cyndi Lauper at Co-op Live, Manchester 2025 – tickets, times, setlist, and more
Thomas Melia
Cyndi Lauper is visiting the music capital of the north this weekend, and is bringing her lorry load of hits with her too.
Lauper is an absolute legend in the music industry and has established herself as a leading figure in dance and pop music, especially in the 80s, but now, the American musician is gracing the Co-op Live stage as part of her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour, and it’ll surely be ‘A Night to Remember’.
The support act for the UK dates is still yet to be announced, however if the previous US shows were anything to go by, pop stars like Aly and AJ, Elle King, and GAYLE have all had the honour of the opening slot.
Are tickets still available for the Manchester show?
There are still a number of tickets left, and luckily enough, your options aren’t that limited either, so whether you feel like dancing on the sidelines, or being in the middle of the action, you’ll be able to have fun wherever you find yourself in this remarkable venue.
Tickets start from £57.50 each, and can be bought from Ticketmaster’s official website here.
What is the expected setlist?
She Bop
The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough
When You Were Mine
I Drove All Night
Who Let in the Rain
Iko Iko
Funnel of Love
Sally’s Pigeons
I’m Gonna Be Strong
Sisters of Avalon
Change of Heart
Time After Time
Money Changes Everything
Shine
True Colors
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper is playing at Co-op Live this weekend / Credit: Flickr | The Manc Group
What are the stage times for Cyndi Lauper in Manchester?
Doors will open at 7:30pm, and Co-op Live is known for having a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concert-goers can be safe knowing they won’t be pulling an all nighter to hear all the legend’s biggest tunes.
Although the venue hasn’t yet confirmed stage times just yet, it’s expected that Cyndi Lauper will take to the stage in Manchester around 9pm.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop, so you’ll just need to head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
If you’re driving, the postcode for your SatNav is M11 3DU, but limited parking available at the venue, and this must be pre-booked ahead of time.
Also keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide for event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions) – Plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound) – Expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound) Plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post event to help safely manage crowds.
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walking or cycling
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door, if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through Beryl – with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination, and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner on the Co-op Live website.
Georgina Pellant -
30th November 2022 
