Sounds of the City 2024 is now well and truly underway and with Loyle Carner next up at Castlefield Bowl, the party is stepping up another gear.
The British rapper, who has carved out a sizeable space for himself in the overlapping jazz-fuelled and neo-soul spaces, is one of the biggest hip-hop artists in the UK and genuinely might be one of the first names that comes to mind when we think of a chilled voice we love listening to.
Loyle Carner has fast become one of our favourite solo artists in recent years but it’s also worth reminding those who might be new to his music that the London-born lyricist has been at this for well over a decade now.
Now, over a year on from his big slot at BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2023, the 29-year-old is on his way back to Manchester as the latest act at this year’s Sounds of the City and here’s everything you need to know if you’re going along.
For those of you looking for a last-minute Loyle ticket, you’re in luck because there are still a handful of general admission spots up for grabs.
ADVERTISEMENT
At £45 including fees, they’re pretty reasonably priced too, especially for such a big name and what has become a super popular city centre festival of late.
You can grab yours HERE but be quick about it or you’ll be rolling the dice on a reseller.
ADVERTISEMENT
Who is supporting Loyle Carner at Castlefield Bowl?
Another reason you can be happy with that ticket price is who you’re getting for the support act too, as opening up for Loyle will be fellow soul and hip hop connoisseurs Children of Zeus, who have a bit of legendary local status.
The Manc duo are both equally respected MCs, producers and beat-makers in their own right, so it’s no surprise their fellow contemporary gave them the nod for the show and it’ll be great to see them taking centre stage in front of a packed-out amphitheatre.
They also epitomise the smooth and RnB-inspired soulful sound that complements Carner’s sounds so well, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a live collab.
ADVERTISEMENT
Stage times for Sounds of the City 2024
For those who’ve never been, this is your wonderful venue for Manchester’s Sounds of the City festival (Credit: The Manc Audio)
Another thing a lot of people like about Sounds of the City is that the gigs tend to lean a little bit towards the earlier side of gigs, as doors open from 5:30pm and headliners don’t usually take the stage until between 8-9pm, though in Carner’s case, he is currently expected to wrap things up around 9:30pm.
This means you can look at around the 6-7pm mark for the warm-ups but, of course, these things are always subject to change so take that info with a pinch of salt and keep an eye out on socials.
We will update you on timings as we have more details.
Setlist
Now, while many of his recent gigs have been festival slots, so we can’t be too sure of what exactly to expect when it comes to his running order of tracks, you can expect plenty of tracks from his latest album hugo to be in the mix.
Also, thanks to the likes of ever-trusty Setlist.fm, we can at least give you a rough average estimate of what you might be listening to:
Castlefield Bowl (M3 4JR) is on Rice Street just down Liverpool Road which cuts off the main Deansgate strip in the city centre and you can enter Manchester’s much-loved outdoor amphitheatre via Duke or Castle Street.
It’s just a short walk from Deansgate train station or the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop, where you’ll find regular trams running all over Greater Manchester.
If you’re driving there, Great Northern Warehouse’s (M3 4EE) car park, as well as two other NCPs near Bridgewater Hall and on Quay Street in Spinningfields.
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
Danny Jones -
8th July 2024 
