Bluedot festival is finally set to make a return in 2022, with headline performances from Bjork, Groove Armada, Mogwai and Metronomy.
The popular festival at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire has revealed the first wave of its line-up for this July’s event.
Bluedot marries the worlds of music, science and culture in a family-friendly four-day extravaganza.
Both its 2020 and 2021 festivals had to be cancelled, with organisers saying a ‘lack of government support around insurance’ had forced them to call it off.
Bluedot will return in 2022. Credit: Lucas Sinclair
But Bluedot will be back between 21 and 24 July for its fifth instalment.
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There’ll be huge performances beneath the 76-metre-wide Lovell Telescope, which will be lit up with projections as a huge digital artwork for the first time.
Bjork will close this year’s Bluedot in a UK festival exclusive, with a uniquely commissioned performance with the Halle Orchestra.
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Bluedot has revealed its 2022 headliners. Credit: George Harrison
On Friday night, dance act Groove Armada will headline as part of the band’s final live tour.
Scottish post-rockers Mogwai are set to headline the Saturday night, following the release of their Mercury Prize-nominated As The Love Continues.
They’ll be joined on the Saturday evening by Metronomy, who’ll perform tracks from their upcoming seventh album, Small World.
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Bluedot’s now-traditional opening concert on the Thursday evening will see Mercury-nominated Hannah Peel and Paraochestra take to the stage.
Bluedot Festival. Credit: Lucas Sinclair
Bluedot Festival. Credit: George Harrison
Also confirmed on the bill are psychedelic space rockers Spiritualized, current chart-toppers Yard Act, Warp Records mainstay Squarepusher, multi-instrumentalist composer Anna Meredith, the legendary likes of A Certain Ratio and Tim Burgess, and techno producer and creator of the official theme for the 2023 Women’s World Cup Kelly Lee Owens.
Bluedot 2022’s science programme will welcome key speakers including Radio 4’s Jam Al-Khalili, British filmmaker David Olusoga, space scientist Monica Grady, and many more.
Comedians such as Desiree Burch, Olga Koch, Robin Ince and Ahir Shah will also be making appearances as part of the culture programme.
The family-friendly festival will also have curations from Wallace & Gromit creators Aardman Animations and Clangers, and an enormous range of science-focused activities, workshops and live experiments across the Star Fields.
Festival director Ben Robinson said: “After two years away we are thrilled to be able to return with such a unique and diverse line up to the iconic Jodrell Bank for the fifth instalment of bluedot.
“We can’t wait for people to join us beneath the Lovell Telescope in July to experience four days of cosmic adventures which will close with a very special orchestral performance from Björk and The Hallé.”
Pierce the Veil are bringing their massive world tour to Manchester’s Co-op Live
Danny Jones
Contemporary rock heavyweights Pierce the Veil have just announced a massive world tour and they’re bringing it to Manchester for their Co-op Live debut.
The emo, prog rock, pop-punk, hardcore and all-round heavy hitters last played Manchester this past April, putting on a pretty huge gig at Victoria Warehouse, but now they’re set for their biggest show here to date.
First forming back in 2006 and now five studio albums deep, the new world tour which features nearly 50 dates around North and South America, the UK and Europe, the aim of this new show is to span their whole career thus far.
With a healthy selection of songs from each era, this one will not only as a walk down memory lane for die-hard fans but a pure celebration of Pierce the Veil throughout each evolution of their sound.
Speaking in an official statement after the tour was announced, the band said: “Nearly two decades in the making, this tour is a monument to everything we’ve built with our fans.
“These shows will honour our roots, spanning all five albums and the music that brought us here. We’re bringing to life the songs you’ve been waiting to hear in some of the most iconic venues in the world, including Madison Square Garden, The Forum, Red Rocks, and Wembley Arena.
“This will be our largest, loudest, and most unforgettable tour yet. PTV fans, it’s time to raise our voices like never before. Can you hear us now?”
We’re certainly about to…
JUST ANNOUNCED: PIERCE THE VEIL
PLUS SUPPORT FROM: CAVETOWN, HOT MULLIGAN AND CRAWLERS
Better yet, with a wide breadth of modern rock on show in the support acts too as the San Diego sons will be bringing along Cavetown, Hot Mulligan (a personal favourite of ours) and Crawlers as their UK warm-up acts, these shows are going to be plenty good value for money.
Pierce the Veil’s landmark Manchester gig takes place next autumn on Thursday, 25 September 2025 and, if Sleep Token’s attendance even just a year into their massive boom was anything to go by, this one will sell out pretty quickly.
General admission tickets go live at 10am on Friday, 6 December and official Co-op Members can access exclusive pre-sale from Wednesday (4 Dec).
Featured Images — Stefan Brending (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
Gigs & Nightlife
Iggy Pop announces landmark gig in Manchester next year
Thomas Melia
Pivotal punk icon Iggy Pop has released a massive Manchester tour date as part of a series of UK gigs taking place in 2025.
‘The Godfather of Punk’ and all-round rockstar last visited the music capital of the North way back in 1993 where he performed at Manchester Academy more than 30 years ago.
The latest comeback gigs announced next year will see the living legend headlining the O2 Victoria Warehouse, which can host up to 3,500 avid fans and attendees.
Manchester can expect his usual on-stage antics, shirtless attire, iconic hairdo and plenty of energy. We’re no stranger to hosting some of the most iconic gigs of all time anyway, so this should be ‘She’s a Business’ as usual.
The former Stooges vocalist turned successful solo artist has been keeping himself a mainstay in pop culture featuring on the bill of ‘I Wanna Be Your Slave’ by Måneskin in 2021.
It’s safe to say the star’s touring absence has been truly felt as this new date comes as the result of ‘overwhelming demand’ following the announcement of two other headline shows: one in London and an already sold-out Glasgow gig.
Iggy Pop’s Manchester tour date is for all his fans in the North, giving them the chance to experience his biggest anthems in an electrifying live setting and venue that never disappoints. This crowd is truly about to be ‘Livin’ on the Edge of the Night’.
Come on, how often do you get to throw out Iggy Pop puns?
Alongside being a hugely influential voice during one of the most important and historic eras of music, in more recent times, the man born James Newell Osterberg Jr. has been advocating for upcoming artists on social media in collaboration with BBC 6 Music.
In 2010, Iggy Pop was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of his work alongside fellow bandmates The Stooges.
This isn’t the only time Pop found himself rewarded for his work, receiving a Grammy in 2020 on behalf of his solo work titled the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. He is a true legend not just of the genre but the music world as a whole.
Whether you’re attending for ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ or his more contemporary work like the raw hit ‘Frenzy’, he’s sure to roll out a selection of songs that spans his truly impressive musical career, one which dates back to the 1960s.
Iggy Pop is performing at O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on Saturday, 31 May 2025 with tickets on sale from Friday, 6 December. There is also presale available for MasterCard and O2 members, as well as through the venue itself.
Daisy Jackson -
1st February 2022 
