Kendal Calling has announced the line-up for its 2023 festival, featuring massive headline performances from the likes of Blossoms, Royal Blood, Kasabian and Nile Rodgers & Chic.
The beautiful festival takes place in the heart of the Lake District each July, at Lowther Deer Park.
More than 100 incredible acts have been announced today ahead of tickets going on sale later this week.
This year, the festival will welcome huge artists including Kaiser Chiefs, The Lathums, Example, Frank Turner, Circa Waves and Happy Mondays, who will open the show on Saturday.
Kendal Calling’s 2023 bill features some of the biggest names in pop history, like Rick Astley, Melanie C, and Natalia Imbruglia, plus dance music heavyweights like Annie Mac, Mike Skinner and DJ Yoda as part of Glow by Kendal Calling.
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The festival is famed for providing one of the UK’s biggest line-ups in arguably the most beautiful setting, with something geared towards festival-goers of all ages.
Kendal Calling. Credit: Izzy ChallonerKendal Calling. Credit: Tom Martin
This year’s Kendal Calling will take place between 27 and 30 July 2023, with pre-sale tickets going live on Friday 27 January – you can sign up for pre-sale here.
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Kasabian will headline the beloved music event this summer, with frontman Serge Pizzorno performing their big hits like Fire, Club Foot and You’re in Love with a Psycho.
Royal Blood will make their Kendal Calling debut – the Mercury Prize-nominated duo are widely considered one of the best live acts it the world and have previously supported Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys and Iggy Pop.
Local lads Blossoms, originally from Stockport, will be pulling the crowds to the main stage with their brilliant indie back catalogue, including songs Charlemagne and Your Girlfriend.
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Nile Rodgers & CHIC will return to the Kendal Calling stage this summer too. Rodgers is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and a multiple Grammy Award winning songwriter, composer, producer, arranger, and guitarist – quite a CV.
Kendal Calling. Credit: Tom Martin
The group are behind Le Freak, the biggest selling single in the history of Atlantic Records, as well as working with Madonna, Sister Sledge, Dianna Ross and David Bowie on their biggest songs.
Nile Rodgers said: “The last time we played Kendall Calling was epic and one of my favourite shows ever. We are excited to be back this year for more good times!”
Representing the noughties indie scene will be Kaiser Chiefs, Wigan’s own The Lathums, and Circa Waves.
Pop star Example, famed for his energetic stage presence, is on this year’s line-up, as is the legendary Rick Astley, along with folk-punk favourite Frank Turner.
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Beyond the live music scene, one of the biggest podcasts in the UK JaackMaate’s Happy Hour Live will have their first-ever festival booking at Kendal Calling.
You can see the full Kendal Calling 2023 line-up poster below
Kendal Calling’s luxury boutique camping village The Deer Lodge will be back, with free parking, clean enviro loos, hot showers, phone charging and its own food and drink stall.
There’s also The Frontier, with Live-In Vehicle options.
Festival Co-Founders Andy Smith and Ben Robinson said: “After an absolutely stunning festival last year, we cannot wait to get back in those fields!
“With Kasabian, Royal Blood, Blossoms, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Kaiser Chiefs, Rick Astley, Annie Mac – the line-up is looking absolutely stacked. All we need now is a bit of sun and we’ve got the perfect weekend!”
Kendal Calling 2023 pre-sale will start from 10am on Friday 27 January, with general sale from 10am on Saturday 28 January.
Phoebe Bridgers announces long-awaited return with HUGE phones-free arena gig in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s official, Phoebe Bridgers is back on earth.
More than six years since her last studio album, Punisher, was released to the world, cementing her status as one of indie folk’s leading figureheads, Phoebe Bridgers has given fans the news they have been waiting so patiently for.
A new tour North America and EU tour is on the horizon, and she’ll be stopping off here in Manchesterlater this year for a huge arena gig.
Following a sold-out acoustic show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden last night (4 June), Phoebe has now revealed details of ‘The Lost Tour’ for 2026.
Other than the series of surprise pop-up acoustic shows that have wrapped around the country over the last few weeks – beginning in Roswell in New Mexico on 8 May, and continuing on to smaller venues in other US cities before culminating in last night’s dazzling MSG show – this upcoming full band tour marks the first Phoebe Bridgers shows since early 2023.
Phoebe will be taking to the stage at Co-op Live here in Manchester for one night only on 26 November 2026 – with tickets going on sale next week.
And just like the pop-up shows, the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other recording devices will be strictly prohibited on this tour, encouraging fans to be more present in the moment.
This means the Co-op Live event will utilise secure pouches to store all devices during the performance.
Phoebe Bridgers is playing a huge arena gig in Manchester on her UK tour later this year / Credit: Supplied | Raph PH (Wikimedia Commons)
Upon arrival, all phones, smartwatches, and related accessories will be secured in these pouches, the pouches will be unlocked at the conclusion of the show, and any guest observed using a non-permitted device during the performance will be escorted out of the venue.
If the news of Phoebe’s return wasn’t exciting enough for fans as it is, she won’t be the only one making a highly-anticipated return to the stage, as support on the UK & EU leg of the tour is to be provided by former Black Country, New Road frontman, Isaac Wood.
Wood stepped away from the ensemble band – and the limelight as a whole – right before the release of BCNR’s critically acclaimed second studio album, Ants From Up There, in 2022, citing mental health reasons.
Phoebe has also partnered with PLUS1 so that €1/£1 from every ticket sold on the European tour leg goes to local organisations throughout the EU/UK working to support those impacted by sexual assault and violence.
Phoebe Bridgers will be playing Co-op Live as part of ‘The Lost Tour’ on Thursday 26 November 2026.
Tickets officially go on sale first through the Phoebe Bridgers Pass Presale via Fan3, and Co-op Member Presale starting at 10am on Wednesday 10 June, before general sale then begins on Friday 12 June, again at 10am.
UB40 at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
British-based reggae band UB40 are coming to Manchester for a celebration of all their greatest hits live at AO Arena.
Formed in Birmingham in the late 70’s, this predominantly dub and reggae band has gone on to achieve much success, including 50 UK charting singles.
UB40 have also sold over 100 million records, as well as keeping a consistent line-up for almost 30 years, before lead vocalist Ali Campbell decided to leave the band.
Now, the band’s lead vocalist is former Kioko lead singer Matt Doyle, who’s taken on this role since mid-2021 and is ready to soundtrack your night while you enjoy some ‘Red Red Wine’.
There’s no official setlist confirmed for their latest tour, however, this 11-piece band have played an array of European dates with a pretty consistent roster of tracks:
Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
Maybe Tomorrow
Homely Girl
Sing Our Own Song
One in Ten
Home
Please Don’t Make Me Cry
Many Rivers to Cross
Higher Ground
The Way You Do the Things You Do
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
Cherry Oh Baby
Johnny Too Bad
Red Red Wine
Food For Thought
Forever True
Kingston Town
Can’t Help Falling in Love
What are the stage times for UB40 in Manchester?
Anyone up for seeing UB40 play out at Manchester’s impressive 19,000-seater AO Arena will have to get there a tad early.
Doors will open at 6pm with a gig start time of 6:45pm due to the special guests who will be taking to the stage before them.
Make sure you get down early, as you really won’t want to miss the phenomenal duo Aswad, as well as standout vocalist Maxi Priest – It really is a reggae revolution.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through 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.
Daisy Jackson -
25th January 2023 
