Green Island is the Manc music festival you’re all missing out on — and it’s in a garden centre
They don't need any promotion, it sells every time without fail — but we're still going to shout about it anyway because you NEED to get a ticket to this thing.
We’ll be completely honest, we didn’t quite know what to expect when we first stepped foot into Green Island Festival back in June of this year; a festival in the middle of a community garden centre, who the hell put those two things together?
Believe us when we tell you we were by no means prepared for how much of a good time we ended up having after going along for our first visit and we can now confidently say we’ll be going along again.
For those of you who have never heard anything about Green Island Fest, that’s about as close to ‘does what it says on the tin’ as you can get with these kinds of things: every year, Hulme Community Garden Centre turns into this almost tropical island of music, dancing, food, drink, plants and so much more.
Now held over a trio of dates every summer since 2021, the annual festival takes over what is a beloved community and cultural institution down the road in Hulme and turns into almost a small-scale Glasto set amongst a green space just outside the city. It’s simply unlike anything we’ve ever been to before.
One of the first things that struck us about this festival as we walked into the venue, besides the abundance of colour and greenery — something that gave us an instance dose of happiness to start off the day — was, with the best will in the world, how almost casually thrown together a lot of it felt.
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There were no big queues, barriers or large signs segmenting each section or stage, you just kind of strolled into this sun-soaked and extremely wholesome-looking party already in full swing and, fittingly, felt like you were being led down the garden path into a different world.
A table here and a tent there, people just sitting on a log, a patch of grass or even a bed of chamomile where you could rest your head and relax as you gazed up at the blue sky, everything felt a little bit slapdash in the best kind of way, somehow putting us at ease and exciting us at the same time.
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One of the parts we often dread about festivals is the organisation: getting there and navigating the event once you’re inside. While we know a lot of planning goes into making Green Island as wonderful as it is, it feels very free-form and spontaneous — always the recipe for the very best nights, in our opinion.
Fun for all the family (no, really)
And then there was the crowd, which was a wonderful mix of all different ages, cultures and backgrounds. We were told that this was a family-friendly event, but we really didn’t expect to see a dad with a child wearing ear defenders strapped to his chest as they laughed and danced along to baby’s first rave.
Turn one corner and you’d find people dancing to the wide variety of live music, but turn the next and you’d see kids playing, potting plants with their parents and dancing along with all the grown-ups. We weren’t joking about the wholesomeness, it was genuinely one of the cutest things we’ve ever seen.
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It was also completely accessible, meaning people with wheelchairs and mums pushing prams had no problem coming along to enjoy themselves. In fact, we had two new parents with and we’re pretty sure they had an even better time than we did — those customisable cocktails and Midori dumplings was all they needed (get the paloma, trust us).
Even more charming was the fact that you’d occasionally see someone pushing a wheelbarrow past or doing some pruning in a greenhouse and it was at that point that we realised that the garden centre itself was running as usual and hadn’t shut down to make room for the festival. They’re one and the same.
A stage for all seasons and the nightime transformation
Now, you can’t talk about Green Island Festival without talking about the music itself and let me tell you, we had the BEST time singing and dancing along to pretty much every genre of music you could hope for across it’s three areas: the main stage, the forest stage and the third which hosts a rotation of takeovers.
Teaming up with BBC Introducing and various up-and-coming artists both local and from all across the UK, we got to listen to everything from rap, grime and R&B to indie, ska, funk, soul, techno, house and plenty more. We know it sounds unlikely but we didn’t hear a bad act all day long either, seriously.
If we had to pick a favourite, it would have to be the forest stage which made us feel like we’d been transported to some random disco jungle on the other side of the world and once the sun went down, we might as well have been at The Warehouse Project. It was an absolutely unmatchable vibe.
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And then there was the afterparty over at Canvas which ran until late and we’re not going to spoil for you, but all you need to know is that we had an amazing time and never wanted it to end. To be honest, that would be our main takeaway from the festival as a whole, we’ve genuinely become its biggest fans.
From the folks at Seven Brothers slinging drinks across the multiple bars, the independent food traders serving burritos, butties and plenty of other top scran, to the staff at Hulme Garden centre’s in-house Cafe Sorrel, everyone working at this thing helped make it a truly special event
And the best part is, this year’s event isn’t even over yet…
There might not be many tickets left for Volume II on Saturday, 29 July, but you can always try and grab one for the third and final day of Green Island Festival 2023 HERE.
We’ll see you there for nothing but good times and greenery!
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
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Manichester organisers confirm tribute festival will return in 2027
Danny Jones
For anyone who didn’t manage to make it to the inaugural ‘Manichester’ festival held earlier this year in memory of British music legend Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, you’ll be glad to hear that the tribute festival will be returning in 2027.
Set up in the name of the late, great Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist, the event sold out in the blink of an eye, as hordes of Mancs and more turned up to honour the local icon through live music.
Following paying their respects in the immediate aftermath, his surviving family members, peers and other figures from within the industry then held that wonderful evening, where several big names turned up to remember with live performances – and it’s official: they’re not done yet.
Writing in a lengthy caption, the brand said, “The family of Stone Roses legend Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield have thanked everyone who made Manichester at Diecast such a special day — performers, organisers, and the thousands who turned up to celebrate a true Manchester icon.”
The evidently emotional and grateful statement goes on to read: “On behalf of Gene, George & the Family — thank you to everyone who performed, contributed and attended Manichester on 30 May 2026, and for all your kind words of support.
“The response was massive — fans travelled from everywhere, demand through the roof, love for Mani louder than ever. [Local fashion label] GioGoi even said they could’ve filled Old Trafford.”
Revealing that the team of organisers have now green-lit the follow-up edition next year, they promise to deliver the same kind of magic, only “bigger, better, built properly” and with more music and people involved this time around.
They also thanked Manc-Mexican musician and creative, Alejandro Reyes Knight, for filming and editing the content on the night, adding that since he “grew up in Madchester”, there was no better person to be tasked with the job.
For anyone who was there at Diecast on the special memorial evening itself, we don’t need to tell you how special the energy was in the room.
We spent a good week or so looking back at footage following the maiden Manichester festival, as we’re sure plenty of you did, too; safe to say we’re glad we’ll have another opportunity to celebrate his life and career in the best way we know how: with plenty of tunes and singing our hearts out.
It remains to be seen whether Diecast will remain the host venue for the sophomore tribute fest, and the next date is also still yet to be fully set.
All we do know is that with such a good lineup and turnout the first time around, you can expect an excellent and equally heartfelt sequel in 2027.
You can register your interest right HERE. Wherever and whenever it is, we’ll see you there.
@the.manc Yesterday, Manchester laid one of the city's greatest music legends, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, to rest at Manchester Cathedral. 🍋 Fellow band member and life-long friend Ian Brown read out a speech as hundreds gathered outside the cathedral to pay their respects to The Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist. Mani will be missed by many, and we send love to all his family and friends. ❤️ #manchester#mani#ianbrown#thestoneroses#stoneroses♬ original sound – The Manc
Danny Jones -
22nd July 2023 
