Angela Rayner has been added to the bill for Andy Burnham’s immense DJ battle this weekend – which is a sentence we never thought we’d be writing.
The deputy Labour leader will be getting behind the decks at the charity event, alongside Manc music legends including Rowetta and Clint Boon.
The event will see Burnham battling against Steve Rotheram in a musical head-to-head between Manchester and Liverpool, all to raise money for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity for A Bed Every Night.
It’s taking place at Depot Mayfield, the home of Warehouse Project, on Friday 2 December – and we’ve got an exclusive discount for £1 tickets for The Manc readers.
All proceeds from bar sales on the night will go to support those who are experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping in Greater Manchester.
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Andy Burnham doing a live-streamed DJ set during lockdown. Credit: GMCA
The line-up will be headlined by Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram (who first battled behind the DJ decks in lockdown), with guest appearances from Angela Rayner, Nihal Arthanayake, Stanley Chow, Clint Boon and Rowetta, plus guest DJs from the Warehouse Project.
Angela said: “I can’t wait to get on the decks and show everyone why Manchester is clearly the best city when it comes to music. I’ve got a lot of love for Scousers, but Team Liverpool will be second best on Saturday night.
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“I’m delighted to be taking part in this event and helping to raise money for such a fantastic cause. I hope you like the songs I’ve picked. It was hard to narrow it down to three because there are so many Manchester music legends!”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “We all know Manchester has the greatest musical heritage and I’ll be giving it my all in the set to prove that point once and for all. There’s serious pride at stake here.
We're raising money for the brilliant @GMMayorsCharity initiative A Bed Every Night & powered by @WHP_Mcr
“But competition aside, our passion for music unites our two city regions. What better way to put on an amazing celebration of our region’s culture and raise money for important causes, to support those who need it most at what is a really difficult time.”
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Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram said: “There can be no debate: the Liverpool City Region is the undisputed home of British music. We’ve given the world some of the greatest artists, albums and songs of all time – no area has had more number one hits than us.
“The fact we beat off competition from cities across the UK to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine speaks to our world-leading reputation as the UK’s premier music scene – and it’s a legacy we’re continuing today.”
The battle is supported by The Warehouse Project, Elevate and Badger & Combes.
Launched in 2018 by Andy Burnham and supported by the Charity, A Bed Every Night provides emergency accommodation for anyone rough sleeping across the city-region, regardless of status, as well as vital personal support.
Since its launch, A Bed Every Night has helped over 4,000 people and been instrumental in reducing rough sleeping in the region since its peak in 2017. But due to the current cost of living and energy crisis, there is an increased need to offer support this winter.
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Currently, there are 619 people in A Bed Every Night accommodation across Greater Manchester who would otherwise be at risk of rough sleeping, with 21 organisations across the region providing accommodation.
To get your ticket for £1 (plus fees), use the code: TheManc – get yours here.
Featured image: Ramona / Supplied
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Rising US star Conan Gray announces huge Manchester arena show as part of UK tour
Emily Sergeant
Conan Gray has just announced a UK leg to his upcoming tour, and he’ll be stopping off in Manchester for a huge arena gig.
In just a few short years, Conan Gray has become a star… and his star is only rising higher.
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter, born in California but raised in Texas, got his start on YouTube, where he began uploading vlogs, covers, and original songs as a teenager, hoping to get his start in the entertainment industry.
He first garnered critical and fan acclaim from the release of his commercially successful singles ‘Maniac’ and ‘Heather’ before he went on to put out his debut studio album, Kid Krow, in 2020 – which placed at number five on the US charts, announcing his talent to the world and making it the biggest US artist debut of the year.
Conan Gray has announced a huge Manchester arena show next year / Credit: Supplied | Angelica Whitney (Wikimedia Commons)
After gaining millions of streams and developing a truly a faithful fanbase, Gray went on to release his second studio album, Superache, in 2022, and his third album, Found Heaven, a couple of years later in 2024.
If three albums in four years wasn’t impressive enough as it is, Gray released his fourth studio album, Wishbone, back in August and it’s catapulted him to a new level of fame, especially with the TikTok success of the single ‘Vodka Cranberry’.
Now Gray is embarking on a major world tour to celebrate his latest album, following the unforgettable Wishbone Pajama Show tour in the US, where he sold out legendary venues like Madison Square Garden, and the Kia Forum.
Manchester! @conangray brings the Wishbone World Tour to the @AOArena – Save the date: Sat 9th May 2026!
The UK arm of the Wishbone World Tour sees Gray pay a visit to us here in Manchester, as he takes to the iconic AO Arena stage next year in May.
Birmingham, Glasgow, and London are the other cities Gray will be stopping off at on his UK tour.
Conan Gray will be playing a huge gig at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 6 May 2026 as part of the Wishbone World Tour, and tickets officially go on sale this week – with both pre-sales and general sale available.
The Three+ presale will begin on Wednesday 22 October at 9am, and the AO Arena presale will start on Thursday 23 October, again at 9am, before general sale launches on Friday 24 October at 9am.
Featured Image – Dillon Matthew Photography (Publicity Picture – Supplied)
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Wu-Tang Clan announce final farewell shows in UK, including a massive Manc arena gig
Danny Jones
The one and only Wu-Tang Clan and their music may be ‘forever’, but they’re coming together for one more global run with their final live gigs here in the UK, including one huge Manchester arena gigthat is sure to sell out.
Arguably the most legendary and influential hip-hop groups ever, Wu-Tang saw their farewell tour across America wrap up this past summer, and now, after having gone from state to state, the Clan will be heading to mainland Europe and beyond for one last ride.
The scenes from the aptly-titled ‘Final Chamber’ have been nothing short of incredible in their home nation, but with a truly worldwide following, you can expect us Mancs and the overseas crowds to provide the same energy.
Narrated by British comedian and renowned lover of rap music, Romesh Ranganathan, the Wu-Tang Clan have announced a handful of additional dates, giving fans one last chance to see them live.
If you haven’t heard about the Final Chamber tour up until now, it’s seen all 10 members of the iconic collective – yes, including Cappadonna – get the show back on the road for what are undoubtedly Wu-Tang‘s biggest shows to date.
After all, if you’re going to call it a day, you might as well go out on the biggest high possible and play to the largest audiences ever.
Following three decades’ worth of music, these farewell shows broke ticket-sale records for the band, selling out 36 shows across North America with Killer Mike and producer El-P’s duo Run The Jewels as the main support act.
Now THAT is some lineup.
Confirmed to play their final ever Manchester show early next year, Wu-Tang Clan will be saying goodbye to their Northern following with a Co-op Live debut.
What makes this even more special is that this is just one of two shows they are currently scheduled to play in the UK – the only other being The O2 in London.
You could keep your fingers crossed for extra dates being added for what we can only imagine will be huge demand, but this could very well be the only other chance you get to see Wu-Tang Clan live in Manchester before they hang up the mic.
Co-op Member presale access for their March 2026 show will be available from 10am on Wednesday, 22 October, with general admission tickets going live at the same time this coming Friday (24 Oct). You can get ready to grab ours HERE.
Until then, you can see more from Wu-Tang’s ‘Final Chamber’ tour so far down below.
Daisy Jackson -
1st December 2022 
