A massive festival full of some of the rarest trainers in Europe is once again heading back to Manchester next month.
If you’d consider yourself to be a ‘sneakerhead’, or just a big fan of everything street wear, then you’ll probably be buzzing to hear that Europe’s leading sneaker event is on its way back to Greater Manchester in just a few weeks time, and will once again be taking over the Bowler’s Exhibition Centre in Stretford for a day of rare shoes, DJs, and street food.
Crepe City Sneaker Festival will see more than 150 of the UK’s top sneaker vendors showcase some of the rarest and most-desirable pairs of trainers.
After proving to be a smash-hit success in our city in previous years, the festival is back this Spring, and you can also expect to see the hottest in streetwear, as well as some of the most exclusive sneakers.
A massive festival full of rare trainers is coming back to Manchester next month / Credit: Crepe City
If all of that wasn’t enough to get you excited as it is, you’ll also be able to find some of the best and most varied street food on site, as well as live music performances and Manchester-based DJs playing throughout the day too.
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Crepe City was originally launched in London over a decade ago, with co-founder Ronal Raichura quitting his job as a lawyer to set up an event for sneaker fans to swap, sell and buy.
The 2023 Manchester edition of the festival will run from 12pm on Sunday 19 March, and as always, is expected to attract a huge audience.
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Crepe City Sneaker Festival will bring together more than 150 of the UK’s top sneaker vendors / Credit: Crepe City
Tickets to the 2023 festival are now available to get your hands on.
A ‘Standard Admission’ ticket including entry to the experience from 12pm setting you back just £13.75, or if you’re eager to get in there before it starts, the ‘Early Admission’ tickets for £18 lets you have access to the festival from 11am and even throws in a beer or soft drink.
Manchester Village Pride reveals first wave of artists for 2026 with ‘historic’ fair pay union agreement
Emily Sergeant
The first 10 acts taking over the main stage this summer for Manchester Village Pride 2026 have now been announced.
In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced back in October last year that Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – had entered into voluntary liquidation, but was then confirmed earlier this year that it would return, once again, this August bank holiday weekend as Manchester Village Pride CIC.
And now organisers have announced the first 10 acts who’ll playing the festival this year, alongside a landmark commitment to fair pay – marking the first UK union of its kind for a Pride event.
Manchester Village Pride 2026 wristband holders will be treated to a wide range of pop hits and queer performances this year, as the first wave of acts includes the iconic Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner, Danny Beard, noughties R&B and hip hop collective, Booty Luv & Big Brovaz, and award-winning singer Alison Jiear.
Russell Small and vocalist Katherine Ellis, as well as powerhouse singer Michelle Lawson, Newcastle’s drag cabaret comedian Gladys Duffy, and three of Manchester’s best-loved drag performers, KY Kelly, Misty Chance, and Shania Pain, also join the lineup.
This first wave reveal is said to be one of the first of many announcements coming up, as the new organising team curates a lineup that ‘reflects its core promise’ – rebuilding Pride for the community.
Central to this promise is a guarantee that all artists performing at Manchester Village Pride will receive fair pay, and that professional industry standards will be upheld.
This commitment was formalised last week through a partnership with Equity, establishing a historic precedent for Pride events across the UK.
Manchester Village Pride has revealed the first wave of artists for 2026 / The Vain Photos | Manchester Pride
“Our Village party is returning thanks to the incredible support of our LGBTQ+ community, especially those who have already purchased wristbands to help get us up and running,” commented Carl Austin-Behan, who is the founding board member and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride CIC.
“We cannot wait to see these ten icons take to the main stage, and we are just getting started.”
Carl added that the important difference in the festival this year is that organisers are ‘putting on Pride for the community with grassroots values at its heart’.
He added: “That means paying artists properly and being completely transparent about where the money goes. No one at the organising level is taking a salary this year – funds from wristband sales go straight into event logistics, artist pay, and our five amazing charity partners.”
Manchester Village Pride 2026 will take place this August bank holiday weekend from Friday 28 – Monday 31 August, and you can get your wristbands here.
Featured Image – The Vain Photos (@thevainphotos – Supplied)
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Rick Astley at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Pop hitmaker Rick Astley is playing a few UK shows and is treating Manchester to a night of live music as part of The Reflection Tour.
Newton-le-Willows-born singer Rick Astley has achieved worldwide success, most notably with his work in the 80s alongside songwriting and production duo Stock-Aitken and Waterman.
Astley’s album Whenever You Need Somebody has amassed 15 million sales across the globe and is a pivotal record that many would use to define 80s music.
On this LP is his huge hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, a.k.a. the famous ‘Rickrolling’ tune, but he’s gone to have a real renaissance in recent years, smashing Glastonbury, playing beloved covers with Blossoms, and so much more since turning 50 – case in point: playing Co-op Live for a SECOND time.
With that in mind, here’s all you need to know…
Gig guide | Rick Astley at Co-op Live, Manchester – all the info
Rick Astley brings his ‘The Reflection Tour’ to Manchester (Credit: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons)
Rick Astley UK tour dates 2026
We’ve kindly highlighted other shows in the North for you:
Fri 10 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Sat 11 April – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 13 April – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena
Tue 14 April – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Thu 16 April – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Fri 17 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 18 April – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Mon 20 April – Bournemouth, UK – Bournemouth International Centre
Tue 21 April – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Wed 22 April – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Fri 24 April – Birmingham, UK – BP Pulse Live
Sat 25 April – London, UK – The O2
Fri 5 June – Scarborough, UK – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Fri 19 June – Newport, UK – Isle of Wight Festival
Wed 24 June – Llangollen, UK – Llangollen Pavilion
Thu 25 June – Lincoln, UK – Lincoln Castle
Sat 27 June – Gloucester, UK – Westonbirt Arboretum
Fri 24 July – Ludlow, UK – Ludlow Castle
Sat 25 July – Sheffield, UK – Tramlines
Sat 30 August – Silverstone, UK – Carfest
Are there any tickets left for Rick Astley in Manchester?
No need to ‘Cry For Help’, there’s plenty of tickets for Rick Astley’s Manchester show at Co-op Live, and you can grab yours HERE.
It’s been ‘Driving Me Crazy’ waiting for the right opportunity to do a little Rickrolling of my own – the actual tickets can be found HERE.
Rick Astley setlist for ‘Reflections’ tour
This year will mark Rick Astley’s first official headline tour since 2024, meaning a full setlist is yet to be confirmed.
Here is a setlist from 2024 when the 80s performer played a series of festival sets:
Stage times for Rick Astley and support act for Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Rick Astley’s The Reflection Tourare set to open from 6:30pm, with no official starting time listed as of yet.
Support for this show comes in the form of another celebrated UK performer who achieved prominence in the decade after Astley: Gabrielle.
This R&B-pop singer is recognised for her 1993 hit ‘Dreams’ and is known for soundtracking the 90s and noughties with multiple chart entries throughout the decades.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
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. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event.
Getting there by car and parking
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If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
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 on 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
Walk/cycle
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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 on the Beryl app, 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.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd February 2023 
