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A candlelit concert of pure country music is coming to Manchester

Forget your 9 to 5

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 22nd May 2025

The biggest hits from the world of country music will be performed at an enchanting concert in Manchester, with the stage illuminated by thousands of candles. 

Candlelight Concerts, which brings the music of the biggest artists in the world to life in magical settings around the UK, is now delivering an evening of country hits as you’ve never heard them before. 

Expect to hear songs from the likes of Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Shania Twain and loads more, performed by a cast of world-class vocalists and an incredible live band. 

The event will be taking over the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester this July, filling the historic stage with flickering lights and the sound of pure country and Western and bluegrass.

Country By Candlelight will be urging fans to grab a Country Girl and a glass of Tennessee Whiskey to dance the night away. 

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Guaranteed to heal your Achy Breaky Heart, Country By Candlelight will feature a soundtrack that includes Kenny Rogers, Rascal Flatts, John Denver, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton and plenty more. 

Country by Candlelight is coming to Manchester
Country by Candlelight is coming to Manchester
Country by Candlelight is coming to Manchester. Credit: Supplied

It’ll be the best and biggest of country music but performed like never before – live, and by candlelight. 

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The events are some of the most popular and memorable in Manchester, with other Concert by Candlelight events including Pink Floyd, Queen, Elvis, Adele, Coldplay, and Taylor Swift – to name just a few. 

Country by Candlelight will be at the Bridgewater Hall on 29 July 2025. 

To book your tickets for Country by Candlelight, head HERE.

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And you can see all their other events HERE.

Featured image: Supplied

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New details released ahead of world-premiere exhibition taking visitors on ‘epic space adventure’

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Some exciting new details of a major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ in Manchester next month have been revealed.

Making its world premiere, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will invite visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System when it launches at the Science and Industry Museum in a few weeks time.

Announced in November last year fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition will encourage visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.

The new exhibition will propel families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.

Left teetering on the edge of our Solar System, explorers will then find themselves staring into the dark depths of space, on the lookout for any extra-terrestrial life that could be staring back.

Whether its sniffing astronauts’ smelly socks, dancing on an alien disco planet, feeling the tremors from a mysterious moonquake, or launching a space rocket, organisers say this new adventure will engage all the senses in a truly immersive experience.

This is the first time Horrible Science has been brought to life as a major exhibition.

Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos opens in a few weeks time / Credit: Drew Forsyth (Science Museum Group)

Visitors will get to see familiar characters from the BBC series – like Dr Big Brain, in particular – on their mission to find out more about our fascinating Solar System through interactive experiments, playful challenges, and sensory exploration.

Newly announced are the names of some of the different exciting areas of the exhibition, like ‘Awesome Astronauts’, where life aboard the International Space Station is revealed, and ‘Mysterious Moon’ where visitors explore the only place beyond Earth ever visited by humans.

There’s also ‘Sizzling Sun’, ‘Weird Worlds’, and sensory spaces like the ‘Cosy Crater’ and ‘Dreadful Deep Space’ to make the most of.

Science and Industry Museum announces new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’

The exhibition is being developed by the Science and Industry Museum in collaboration with producers of the Horrible Science TV show, BBC Children’s and Education, and Lion Television, together with Scholastic, who are publishers of the much-loved Horrible Science book series by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles.

‘Unmissable’ objects from the Science Museum Group’s world-class space collection will also be on show when the exhibition premieres.

Read more:

Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 13 February 2026 for an 11-month run before heading down to London, and tickets are now on sale priced at £10 – with family discounts available, and under-threes going free.

Get your tickets here.

Featured Image – Drew Forsyth (Science Museum Group)

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Printworks set to host a FREE music festival headlined by local music veterans

Danny Jones Danny Jones Printworks free music festival 2026

You heard us right, Printworks is expanding its wide-ranging calendar of entertainment and leisure in 2026 with its very own completely free music festival here in Manchester.

Better still, it’s set to be headlined by some cult favourites.

The one-off event will debut next month to celebrate the arrival of the 2026 BRIT Awards, with the annual ceremony and accompanying seven days of intimate live shows coming to the city of Manchester for the very first time.

Set to take place from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, 27-28 February (4-10pm and 2-10, respectively), the open access weekender has been dubbed ‘Live and Loud’.

Judging by the lineup of artists announced for Printworks’ debut music festival, we have every faith it will live up to the name.

As well as Manchester DJ Matt Hydes kicking things off, followed by the likes of R’n’B soul artist, KingFast, resident Reform Radio MC Urbi will also be joining the lineup, as well as regional dance veteran, Gareth James, and an intimate set by Sabira Jade.

That’s just a small handful of those who signed up to play the inaugural Live & Loud 2025.

As for your headliners, we’re buzzing to confirm that local house legends K-Klass are topping the bill; they may be from Chester, but they’ve been based here for ages and are practically part of the cultural fabric at this point.

You can see the full Live and Loud lineup and Printworks artist spotlight down below:

Friday, 27 Feb, 2026

  • Tristan Walsh
  • 2Vibe
  • Urbi
  • KingFast
  • Honey Bee Jazz Band
  • Matt Hydes

Sat, 28

  • K-Klass
  • Matt Walsh & Jay Murt
  • Sabira Jade
  • Gareth James
  • Kick Back Sundays
  • Jorge Martin
  • Guy Connor
  • Emma Ellis

Printworks general manager, Dan Davis, said in an official statement: “Manchester is renowned for its musical heritage, and we are excited to bring music to life here at Printworks.

“Live & Loud will place Manchester artists front and centre, with an eclectic line-up that is diverse in genre, background and generation – reflecting our commitment to championing a wide range of local and upcoming artistic talent for a must-attend weekend of live music.”

In case you missed it, this brand-new event also comes amid a raft of small-capacity fundraising shows across the country.

Huge artists announce intimate charity gigs for BRITs Week 26 for War Child
It includes 2026 BRITs headliner herself, Olivia Dean, who is playing our very own Gorilla.

Colette Burroughs-Rose, Director at Genre Music, added: “Live & Loud is Manchester in full voice – familiar faces and new names coming together under one roof across two standout days.

“This is Genre Music’s home city, and we’re proud to be partnering with Printworks on a music programme that welcomes everyone: family-friendly by day, great for evenings with friends.

“Alongside curating a truly eclectic mix of the city’s incredible DJs and live acts, we’re also
capturing the artists’ stories on film to help amplify their voices and creativity beyond the stage.”

With the BRIT Awards being hosted at the Co-op Live arena not just this Feb but until 2027 as well, here’s hoping this is just the inaugural ‘L&L Fest and we at least get a sophomore edition next year.

There’s plenty of other music festivals happening in Greater Manchester throughout the year, especially this summer.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Printworks (supplied)

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