It looks set to be one of the highlights of this year’s events calendar here in Manchester, and tickets are now on sale.
90s kids, 00s lovers, dance floor heroes, and underground clubbers can kick-start the summer season by grabbing tickets to go back to that time they love so much as Flashback Festival – Manchester’s newest and only outdoor music festival celebrating dance music from the last two decades – is bringing “timeless tunes and fresh vibes” to Platt Fields Park.
Some of the biggest names from dance music across the globe, some chart-topping local throwbacks, and some of the elite North West residents from over the years will be gathering in the city for one day only this May.
They’ll be blasting out all the “old skool anthems” you know and love at what is set to be the hottest festival this summer, come rain or shine.
No matter what it is that you’re in to – whether it be euphoric trance and Clubland Classics, to retro house, garage, jungle, hardcore, and just about everything in between – Flashback Festival’s “jaw-dropping” lineup of headliners and pioneers will showcase a full spectrum of dance music royalty from the past 30 years.
There’s over 60 artists on the lineup, spread across five stages.
Flashback Festival is taking over Platt Fields Park / Credit: Flashback Festival
Headliner Example will be taking to the ‘Main Stage’ with his hits ‘Kickstarts’ and ‘Won’t Go Quietly’, and he’ll be joined by other throwback chart toppers Tinchy Stryder, 2Unlimited, Tulisa, Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, Ultrabeat, and so many more.
For the Garage fans, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Artful Dodger, and Sweet Female Attitude will be there to take it back to the most iconic era in music.
Stages will be hosted by legendary brands such as Clubland, Hed Kandi, Back by Dope Demand, and Trance Anthems.
The ‘Main Stage’ will be a huge open-air outdoor stage with SFX, laser shows, and pyrotechnics, and there’ll be huge big top arena featuring a well-known national brand that fills up clubs and dance floors every week.
There’s over 60 artists on the lineup, spread across five stages / Credit: Flashback Festival
And the music is only part of what makes this festival an unmissable event too.
There’s also set to be a VIP bar and plenty of different fairground rides spread across the dedicated ‘Festival Village’, as well as an official after party on the cards, and lots more exciting things to be announced over the coming months.
Flashback Festival is coming to Platt Fields Park on Saturday 21 May 2022.
Tickets are priced at £44.50 for standard entry, £61.50 for a VIP package, and £10 if you just fancy going to the after party, with booking fees added onto each.
Aspiring artists can get their work displayed on one of the biggest digital screens in Manchester
Danny Jones
Are you a budding artist looking to get your work seen or know some who is? Well, you might want to pay attention because there’s an opportunity to have your creation seen by countless passers-by and on one of the biggest displays in the entire UK over at the Printworks.
If you’ve passed through the much-loved hospitality and leisure complex over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed their roof is now no longer a roof at all, really; the striking ceiling is now a constantly moving image and the largest of its kind in all of Europe.
Meaning that anyone who got their artworks on there would effectively be securing one of the biggest displays and public installations on the continent.
As Printworks themselves put it: “This isn’t just a screen; it’s an artistic stage viewed by millions of visitors every year, with the power to turn a single artwork into a 360-degree sensory experience.”
With that in mind, they’re giving one lucky individual the chance to grab the spotlight and see their creative expression plastered on the 1,000m² wraparound LED canvas.
“Supporting emerging talent and seeing fresh, creative perspectives is always inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what these young artists bring to the table! It was so surreal seeing my artwork on the digital.”
Past installations have included the ‘Spaces Up-Above’ exhibition by world-renowned light artist, Rupert Newman, as well as an International Women’s Day showcase by Heitzman herself, as a fellow Manchester-based creative.
In case you need a better idea of the sheer scale of this screen and why this is such an exciting opportunity for up-and-coming local artists, here’s how they celebrated Oasis returning to Manchester for their Heaton Park reunion gigs this week:
Synchronised with sound and added motion effects, the competition is now open to students who are currently enrolled in college, university or art school.
Better still, you don’t even have to be from or based in the area to take part – this is a nationwide competition hoping to spotlight the best talents in the UK.
All you have to do to enter this exciting competition in Manchester is simply provide Printworks your details and upload your artwork of choice HERE by Sunday, 3 August.
Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade
Daisy Jackson
An iconic ready-to-drink favourite has launched back into the UK – oh yes, Breezer is back.
First launched in the 1990s, Breezers – then pitched as an ‘alcopop’ – were a staple on dancefloors and at barbecues right across the UK.
And now Bacardi has decided to bring these delicious, fruity, easy-drinking bottles back to British shores.
There are three new flavours to try as Breezers return to your fridges – Zesty Orange, Zingy Lime, and Crisp Watermelon.
And Breezer launched back into Manchester last night with a suitably memorable party, turning a spot in the Northern Quarter into a corner shop.
The ‘local Cornerbop’ was stacked with your usual essentials, plus shelf after shelf of these colourful glass ready-to-drink bottles.
Inside the Breezer ‘Cornerbop’ corner shop in ManchesterBreezer is back, in three new flavours
The Breezer relaunch party saw Tarsza and Rennie Peters spinning nostalgic anthems with a modern twist at a pop-up party in a corner shop.
Steve Young, business unit director for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland, said: “We know there is a lot of love for Breezer in the UK, and we are confident a new generation of consumers will fall in love with the new Breezer.
“RTDs are booming, however, the Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages category could do with a bit more excitement. By bringing back Breezer we’re definitely putting the fruity taste into FAB.”
The iconic ready-to-drink classic is back – and better than ever.
Emily Sergeant -
4th February 2022 
