Manchester Pride Festival has today revealed the final headliners for 2023’s star-studded LGBTQ+ celebration.
Taking place, as always, over the August bank holiday weekend, the charity has added big names to the existing line-up that includes Jake Shears, Pabllo Vittar, Gok Wan, Danny Beard, Natasha Bedingfield, Lisa Scott-Lee and Jodie Harsh.
Joining them at Manchester Pride Festival will be Alison Goldfrapp and Raven Mandella, plus celebrated drag artist and musician Conchita Wurst.
The celebrations will run across the Gay Village from Friday 25 until Monday 28 August, culminating as always in the candlelit vigil at Sackville Gardens.
Alison Goldfrapp is best-known for her vocals with electronic duo Goldfrapp, whose hits have included Strict Machine, Ooh La La, Ride A White Horse, and Rocket.
ADVERTISEMENT
She’ll be performing hot off the success of her debut solo album The Love Intention, and the single So Hard So Hot, on the Saturday of the Manchester Pride Festival.
Joining her on 26 August will be the ‘unapologetically Black and queer’ dancer, drag performer and DJ Raven Mandella, who will headline Black Pride MCR on the MancUnity Stage.
ADVERTISEMENT
Raven Mandella. Credit: Publicity pictureAlison Goldfrapp. Credit: Publicity pictureConchita Wurst. Credit: Publicity pictureNew acts have joined the Manchester Pride 2023 line-up
Mandella has performed on stages with Honey Dijon, Groove Armada, Kelly Rowland, and Nile Rodgers, and has become a crowd favourite through his flamboyant performances at Heaven in London, the Ministry of Sound, and Glitterbox.
Conchita Wurst, former Eurovision champion with the song ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’, will join Booking.com in the Manchester Pride Parade before taking to the Village Stage later that night.
Also known as Tom Neuwirth, Conchita became a figurehead of the queer community overnight after that iconic Eurovision win, and has released albums, hosted TV shows, and used his platform to support socio-political causes.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Saturday line-up also includes Black Peppa, Jodie Harsh and international drag icon Pabllo Vittar.
This year, a staggering 96% of Manchester Pride performers identify as queer, as the festival continues its dedication to fostering diversity, inclusivity, and community celebration.
🎉 SPECIAL GUESTS ANNOUNCED 🎉
Prepare to be amazed!! We couldn't be more thrilled to reveal our incredible special guests for the Gay Village Party 2023! ⚡️
Joining us this year are the legendary performers Alison Goldfrapp, Conchita Wurst, and Raven Mandella! 🌈
54% of performers are women, 51% being people of colour, more than 42% from trans and non-binary communities and 34% of performers being disabled or neurodivergent.
Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said: “This year, more than ever, we are thrilled to be presenting such a diverse lineup that truly reflects the vibrancy and diversity of our communities.
“Alison Goldfrapp’s powerful performances, Raven Mandella’s unapologetically queer stage presence and Conchita’s inspiring music and message will undoubtedly make this year’s festival an unforgettable celebration.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets for the Gay Village Party are available to purchase through Ticketmaster, and for each ticket sold, £2.50 will be donated to the Manchester Pride Community Fund, which directly supports LGBTQ+ causes and projects in Greater Manchester via grant distribution.
More information about Manchester Pride Festival 2023 and ticket purchasing can be found at www.manchesterpride.com.
Co-op Live appears to tease major Mariah Carey Christmas gig sending fans into a frenzy
Emily Sergeant
All we want for Christmas… is Mariah Carey in Manchester.
And maybe, just maybe, our Christmas wish might come true very soon, as Co-op Live has taken to social media today to tease its next gig announcement with its hundreds of thousands of followers, and without jumping to conclusions, it does appear to be hinting at the queen of Christmas herself making an appearance.
Look, we know it’s only July and right in the middle of summer, but even if you think it’s too early to be talking about the festive season, you have to admit that the potential of Mariah Carey coming to Manchester is worth getting excited any time of the year.
The US pop powerhouse last performed in our city nearly a decade ago now when she brought her famous All I Want For Christmasshow to the UK for the first time ever, taking to sold-out Manchester Arena stage on 10 December 2017.
Mariah has not performed in Manchester since, but all that could be set to change as Co-op Live has hinted that an announcement is ‘coming soon’.
Taking to its official social media platforms today, Co-op Live posted a very festive-themed AI video of snow falling on the arena as the camera zoomed in and the instrumental of Mariah’s absolutely iconic hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ playing in the background, and the caption hinting at the song’s title too.
Of course, we could be wrong, it might not be Mariah at all, but if the 300+ comments from fans in a frenzy thinking the same as us are anything to go by, it’s looking like we might be right.
“The countdown to Christmas is on,” Co-op Live said in its video, before letting fans know that they would be getting some form of confirmation soon.
So, is it Mariah then? What do you think? Only time will tell, so stay tuned.
Featured Image – Picryl
What's On
Blossoms to play special ‘intimate’ 10th anniversary gig at The Deaf Institute, Manchester
Danny Jones
Local indie and alternative lads Blossoms have announced a special one-off anniversary show at none other than The Deaf Institute right here in Manchester.
Coming to the iconic small-cap venue this summer, the Stockport band will be marking the 10th birthday of their self-titled debut album by playing one of the smallest gig spaces in the centre, but one that was a massive milestone for them back in the day.
Now a full decade on from the breakout LP, released on 5 August 2026, Blossoms will be rolling back the years by playing the biggest hits from the record, along with a selection from the many other bangers that they’ve gone on to release since.
This is going to be one very special night for the SK natives.
We’re playing an intimate gig at The Deaf Institute on Weds 5th August to celebrate 10 years of our debut album! We’re going to record the show & release it as a special edition double CD of our new album. Pre-order it now for exclusive pre-sale access. https://t.co/ztAkh95RWspic.twitter.com/kuZNnJJBok
Blossoms have never shied away from championing their Stopfordian roots, but neither have they forgotten the city that helped establish them as one of the biggest bands in Britain.
For instance, this upcoming Deaf Institute show – which promises to be a much more intimate show than they’re used to doing these days – comes not even two years on from the mini Manc residency, when they played five nights here in Manchester over the course of a single week.
As we come up to the sixth studio project, Songs From The Wedding Cake, and already have two singles from the next release, we have no shame in admitting we still listen to those first tracks as much as ever.
With that in mind, it’ll be a surreal full circle for everyone, we’re sure, when Tom, Chaz, Myles, Josh and Joe take the stage in that hallowed hometown room with a capacity of just 250 next month; they’re even playing it EXACTLY 10 years on the precise date that maiden outing dropped: 5 August 2026.
Combine this with them pulling stunts like playing people’s weddings and popping up with a surprise set from inside a van outside 42s nightclub on Deansgate, and it’s hard to think of an artist nailing it as well as Blossoms are right now.
Fans can enjoy exclusive early access by pre-ordering the new Blossoms album on their website, and those who have already done so qualify for presale automatically – just keep an eye out for the code in your email inbox.
This limited window will open from 9:30am this Thursday, 30 July, with general admission tickets for their return to Deaf Institute going live at the same time the following Friday (31 July).
Oh, and in case you somehow missed it, they’re also set to play their biggest ever arena shows across the UK later this year, including a huge gig at Co-op Live. Find out all the info down below.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd August 2023 
