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Manchester Pride Festival reveals 2023 line-up, including Pabllo Vittar, Jake Shears and Natasha Bedingfield

The LGBTQ+ festival is promising the most diverse and representative bill of performers to date.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 30th March 2023

Manchester Pride Festival has just revealed its 2023 line-up, promising the most diverse and representative bill of performers to date across the city’s world-famous Gay Village.

The beloved LGBTQ+ celebration will be back in the city over the August bank holiday weekend, shining a spotlight on local and international queer talent.

The Gay Village Party will have a line-up that’s 96% queer, with 54% of performers women, 51% people of colour, and more than 42% from trans and non-binary communities.

Headlining will be Brazilian drag sensation Pabllo Vittar, international pop star (and former Scissor Sisters vocalist) Jake Shears, and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard.

They’ll be joined by pop performances from Natasha Bedingfield, and Lisa Scott-Lee from STEPS.

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The line-up has been co-created with Manchester’s queer communities, and will span four days and multiple venues and stages.

Manchester Pride Festival. Credit: Supplied

Manchester Pride Festival will once again host takeovers, including the Queer Asian Takeover, Trans Filth & Joy, Black Pride MCR and the Queer Women’s Takeover.

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The main performances will take place on three stages; the Village stage, the Mancunity stage, and the Alan Turing stage.

Takeovers this year include the Queer Asian Takeover, Trans Filth & Joy, Black Pride MCR and the Queer Women’s Takeover.

Back to that line-up then, and Pabllo Vittar is the most-followed drag queen in the world, with a social following of 34.8m and 4m monthly listeners on Spotify.

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The Manchester Pride march. Credit: Supplied
Manchester Pride Parade. Credit: Supplied
Manchester Pride Parade. Credit: Supplied

Meanwhile Jake Shears has dominated the charts while part of the Scissor Sisters with hits including Filthy/Gorgeous and I Don’t Feel Like Dancing. He’s now pursuing a solo career with a new album due to be released later this year.

Local drag star Danny Beard is also back on the line-up hosting Danny Beard and Friends for the fifth consecutive year.

Also returning to Manchester Pride Festival is multidimensional cultural icon Cheddar Gorgeous, who placed as runner-up in last year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (beaten only by Danny Beard).

They’ll be joined by season four Drag Race UK stars Black Peppa and Dakota Schiffer.

The festival’s first Queer Asian Takeover will celebrate queer brown joy, headlined by international DJ Gok Wan, who will be joined on stage by local talent including The Bitten Peach, a gender-diverse, pan-Asian collective showcasing joy and excellence, Gracie T, who runs a South Asian creative collective and platform for unrepresented artists, and House of Spice, an LGBTQ+ South Asian and Middle Eastern performance house.

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Trans led and curated event Trans Filth & Joy, hosted by Milk Presents and Trans Creative, returns for 2023 where party-goers can expect to be entertained by a night packed with DJs, drag, burlesque, cabaret, activism and music. Headlining Trans Filth & Joy is British drag queen BIMINI, who is best known for competing on the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and has since been awarded ‘Drag Hero’ by Gay Times magazine.

Black Pride MCR will take festival goers on a musical journey, celebrating the black roots of house music, disco, funky house, vocal and tribal, all brought together by exceptional DJs and iconic dancers.

Fat Pride also returns, celebrating big bodies with an evening of dancing, partying, showing off and feeling good.

The Cabaret Stage will again host The Enby Show, described as an ‘electric, unique and vibrant’ gender-bending variety show that ‘bins the binary and crashes the cis-tem’.

This stage will also host Pecs Drag Kings, a female/non-binary theatre and cabaret company who’ve been creating critically acclaimed shows for the LGBTQ+ community since 2013.

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Manchester Pride Parade. Credit: Supplied

Festival goers can also expect exciting and diverse performances from Queeriosity Cabaret, Cutie-POC Cabaret, and Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret.

Other events announced as part of the Pride celebrations include Youth Pride MCR and Family Pride MCR, where young people and families will be able to join in the celebrations with a series of performances and events, such as Ginny Lemon’s Dog Show, an unmissable doggy extravaganza, and Disney Classics performed by The Untold Orchestra.

Other performers include Kelly Llorenna from N-Trance (Set You Free), Jodie Harsh, Misty Chance and Friends, Lucky Roy Singh, Queen Bayard, La Discothèque Orchestra, Manchester Residents Blasha and Allatt (Meat Free/Frixxxion), Kim Lana, Mix-Stress and Friends, SWAGGA, Monopoly Phonic, Kele Le Roc, and Tom Aspaul.

Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said: “We have worked closely with our communities to offer a line-up that is for the community, by the community. As a world leading city and an organisation that is spearheading the global Pride movement, our aim is to provide a platform which elevates and showcases local queer performers alongside renowned international LGBTQ+ talent, with a little support from our allies. This is Manchester and this is how our communities want us to celebrate our Pride.

“We are so proud to announce that our line-up consists of 96% queer performers, 54% female performers, 51% people of colour, and over 42% trans and non-binary performers.”

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Manchester Pride Festival, in partnership with Booking.com, takes place over four days in Manchester city centre on August bank holiday weekend (25 – 28 August) and is made up of several fringe events.

The events of Manchester Pride Festival 2023 are free to attend with the exception of the Gay Village Party, tickets for which can be purchased through Ticketmaster now. £2.50 from every ticket will be donated to the Manchester Pride Community Fund, with the money going directly to LGBTQ+ causes and projects in Greater Manchester through the distribution of grants.

The Manchester Pride Festival 2023 Gay Village Party line-up in full

Pabllo Vittar | Jake Shears

Natasha Bedingfield | Danny Beard | Jodie Harsh | Gok Wan | BIMINI |

Lisa Scott-Lee | Cheddar Gorgeous | Black Peppa | Jonbers Blonde | Monki | Gracie T | Angie Brown | La Discotheque Orchestra | Kelly Llorenna (N-Trance) | Dakota Schiffer | Ginny Lemon’s Dog Show | Blasha and Allatt (Meat Free/Frixxxion)

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Kim Lana | Mix-Stress and Friends | The Bitten Peach | House of Spice | The Enby Show | Queeriosity Cabaret | The Noirtones | Queer Women’s Takeover | SWAGGA | Black Pride MCR | Danny Beard and Friends | Fat Pride | Cutie-POC Cabaret | Queer Asian Takeover | Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret | Trans Filth and Joy | Misty Chance and Friends | Your Manchester | Monopoly Phonic | Kele Le Roc performing Basement Jaxx ‘Romeo’ | Val The Brown Queen and Blaq Ivory presents | The Runway by Banksie | DJ Stacy Bee | Tom Aspaul | Violet Blonde | Lucky Roy Singh | Jsky | Reeta Loi | Queen Bayard | Barb | Lady Bushra | Misty Chance | The BollyWitch | Lill | Banskie | Joanna Cuddle | Sam Buttery | Ivy Profemme | Leila Rafoui | Joe Spencer | The Niallist | Minara ‘El Waters | Club Clam | What She Said | Vanilla Girls | FATCAMP | Pecs Drag Kings | The Fat Britney | | Ghetto Fabulous | Donna Trump | DJ Nkay | DJ KL | Carrot | Flick | Queens in Kicks | Frequency 3 | DJ Klitbait | Cyro | Club Zindagi | Belinda Scandal | Disney Classics with The Untold Orchestra | DJ Billy Andrew | DJ Callum Parr | Duniya Dhoom | Shanika Sunrise | Immy Terial | Jason Patel | Rikki Beadle-Blair |

A Special Guest soon to be announced

To find out more about Manchester Pride, visit the website: www.manchesterpride.com

Featured image: Supplied

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Oldham mansion that starred in an iconic pop music video is up for sale

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

A Greater Manchester mansion that’s featured in one of the most famous music videos of the past decade is now up for sale.

Situated in the picturesque village of Uppermill, Oldham, Ashcroft House is currently listed at £2,350,000 accepting offers in the region of this figure.

The property has six bedrooms, six baths and five reception rooms – this mansion is a party host’s dream.

Ashcroft House has four storeys with the lower ground floor currently set up as a gym space and the ground floor boasting an eye-catching grand entrance hall.

This isn’t everything the lower ground floor has to offer. There are a number of breakout rooms such as a wine store, cinema room and your own personal steam room.

When going up another flight of stairs, the first floor’s main selling point besides the very large balcony is the matched walk in wardrobes paired with each of the six sleeping quarters, yes please!

The girls styling themselves in one of the many walk in wardrobes at Ashcroft House.
The bold statement front door in the Oldham mansion.
Credit: Youtube (@littlemix)

Finally, if that wasn’t enough to draw you in, there is another flight of stairs leading to the second floor which is currently acting as the house’s ever-impressive storage area.

With the rolling hills of Saddleworth nearby and a local pub a ten minute walk away, how could life possibly get any better?

Oh wait it does! In 2016 one of the UK’s best selling girl groups of all time shot a music video for their worldwide hit right here in these very four walls.

X Factor prodigies and three time BRIT award winning girl group Little Mix perched up with their film crew to spend 21 hours recording the video for their groundbreaking single ‘Hair’.

The video itself has amassed nearly 500 million views on social media platform Youtube since being released eight years ago.

The grand staircase that greets you as you enter this Greater Manchester property.
The Little Mix girls having a bite to eat in Ashcroft House.
Credit: Youtube (@littlemix)

This isn’t the first time Manchester and its surrounding areas have been seen on the big screen as it seems lots of famous faces are keen to film the visual accompaniment to their songs here.

The previous owner of the house even revealed that once the music video shoot wrapped up, the girls stayed with the family to share a slice of pizza or two.

If you’re interested in owning a piece of pop culture history or just as nosey as we are you can take a virtual tour of this mansion in Oldham here.

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Featured Image: Ryder & Dutton via Rightmove

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Where to go before and after a gig in the musical city of Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Manchester is a music city through and through, especially when it comes to the live scene, but one question we hear time and time again is ‘Where should I go before and/or after a gig?’

In fairness, if you’re from the area or have lived here long enough then you’ll have your answer or certainly a few tried and tested go-to places but, for anyone still new to Manchester, there’s some serious concerted effort that goes into planning these things. Get it?

Seriously though, you’ll be pleased to know that not only do we boast some of the best acts to have ever come out of the UK and some of the best venues to watch live music in the country, but we also have some of the best spots to enjoy yourself before and after seeing your favourite artists.

You’ll never need to wonder where to go before or after a gig in Manchester again.

10 of the best pre and post-gig bars and venues in Manchester

big hands bar manchester
rizzos manchester
big hands oxford rd
rooftop terraces in manchester
A top-tier choice either before or after any Manchester gig. (Credit: The Manc Group)

1. Big Hands

First up on our list is a long-standing favourite among students and gig-goers alike: Big Hands, a.k.a. one of the coolest little boozers you’ll find anywhere in the city centre. It also happens to be right near all the Manchester Academy venues, which is handy.

With decent prices catering to those gigging on a budget along the busy university strip of Oxford Road, a lovely dimly-lit aesthetic complete with gig posters galore; a rooftop garden terrace adorned with twinkly lights and plenty of plants, it’s a pure vibe in here.

They also hold live music and DJ set nights of their own, as well as currently serving up great Italian street food from Rizzo’s – formerly T’arricrii) – like pizza by the slice and their famous arancini, it’s quite simply one of our happy places.

2. Bunny/Junior Jackson’s

In a number two is a twofer of sorts because we love them both as much as each other really, but if you’re looking for some solid scran and pre-gig fuel on the cheap, then Bunny Jackson’s is the answer.

Comfortably the best dive bar on the planet, the playlist in here is literally undefeated if you like rock, pop-punk, emo and some good old-fashioned Americana. They also regularly host afterparties following live shows and even the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, The 1975 and more have sampled the goods.

The only thing it has over its sister site Junior Jackson’s or the new country-style karaoke bar (both in Northern Quarter) is the 25p wings. In fact, we’ve got the perfect plan: Bunny’s before the gig, karaoke after and Junior’s well into the small hours.

3. Night and Day Cafe

night and day northern quarter
night and day cafe events manchester
Credit: mcrjh.pix (via Instagram)/The Manc Group

In at number three is another Manc music institution and arguably one of the most important venues of the past two decades or so that has given so many big names their start. It also happens to be a great place for before and after a gig in Manchester.

Should you be starting your pre-concert ritual super early, you can grab breakfast, brunch or pizza all the way up until 2pm, as well as some pretty darn good coffee too, but the reason to head here is to soak up the history and culture literally dripping from the walls – oh, and boogie until 2am, of course.

With artwork and Stanley Chow prints to be studied, as well as that warm red, orange and yellow paint scheme, we always feel welcome walking in here. It may have had a tough time keeping the doors open over the past couple of years, but live music lovers have kept it alive and will continue to do so.

4. New Century

What’s better than a bar right near the venue you’re going to? How about one big bar within an even bigger food hall that’s already inside the same building as the concert?

New Century Hall only opened back in 2022 but it’s fast become not only one of our favourite live music spaces in the entire city – with that spring floor, top-notch sound system and stunning psychedelic illuminated disco ceiling – but it’s also the perfect place to go beforehand too.

With so many independent vendors inside serving up everything from pizza, parmos; Japanese, Vietnamese and plenty of other cuisines on offer, not to mention a great beer, wine and cocktail selection, this stylish 60s-inspired room is right below the venue itself and we love it from top to bottom.

5. Stage and Radio

Similar to fellow Northern Quarter fave Night and Day, Stage and Radio on the other side of the district feels like the equivalent for fans of electronic, dance music and DJ in general.

It acts as a bar in the afternoon and early evening, perfect for pre-drinks especially come happy hour, but by nighttime it hosts a wide range of its own shows, welcoming up-and-coming artists.

The star of the show, however, is the club room in the basement which serves up some seriously good late-night shows, so whether you’re just heading downstairs after a chiller on the ground floor or looking to rave into well into the next day, you won’t go far wrong with this gaff.

6. The Salisbury

From EDM and clubbing to the old-school rock and roll haunt that is The Salisbury, which is arguably one of the very places that comes to mind when we think of where we like to go before and/or after the game, a gig and pretty much any other event to be honest. We’re big fans.

Full of rockers of all ages all either queuing up for the bar or the jukebox, Little Ireland’s little gem of a boozer is much more than just a pub, it’s one of the most well-trodden haunts on Oxford Rd to be found nearby and for very good reason: it’s mint.

Whether you like heavier stuff or just want a good boozer to get ready for a night of tunes, it’s well worth a go. They also have a somewhat secret outdoor area out back that not everyone stumbles across and their in-house New York pizza, Dough161 (fantastic name), isn’t just decent – it’s genuinely up there.

7. Grand Central

In a very similar vein to The Salisbury, next door or rather right in front of one rock pub is another recently renovated bar popular among students, those who enjoy the alternative scene and loved by a fair few of us here at The Manc.

No, we’re not asking you to imagine NYC or turn back to before Manchester Central was even called the GMEX, Grand Central is the name of the longstanding bar that promises a few things: cheap drinks, great music and now plenty of live performances too.

The name is fitting too given the central location for anyone travelling in the city, hence why it’s often heaving. We’ve also got a soft spot for another neighbour known for its Northern Soul nights, so if either or both of the last two suggestions are too busy you can always try Thirsty Scholar.

8. YES

If you cross the road and make your way to Charles Street, just a few short minutes away you’ll find a multi-purpose venue that YES, with food, drink, music and more sprawling across four storeys.

You can do it all here. There are gigs in the Pink Room on the first floor, official artist afterparties and club nights down in the basement; bloody good butties from Micky’s and booze as well as dancing, pizza and tonnes more on the ground floor, plus a beautiful rooftop terrace. Something for everyone.

Students regularly pack this place out too but don’t worry, the various deals are available to everyone and you’ll find it busy with people pretty much all day and night – including our very own Will.

9. Rebellion

This is another one that we’d probably put in the post-gig column but Rebellion just opposite Deansgate Locks is arguably one of the most underrated music-related venues in Manchester.

It’s another city centre venue that (not so) quietly hosts some of the rowdiest nights you’ll come across; you’ll sometimes hear the noise booming from the walls on a walk home from a night out and we’ll admit it’s drawn us in on more than one occasion.

We always remember bumping into local alt-rock and indie icons Everything Everything in here and losing our minds, so it gets bonus points for that interaction alone.

Credit: Rebellion (via Facebook)

10. Satan’s Hollow

And finally, it’s possibly the very first shout we make on where to go most certainly AFTER a proper rock show, Satan’s Hollow is a haven for metalheads emos, goths – whatever arbitrary label you want to throw our way.

All we know is that if you like heavy music, we’re not telling you to go here, we’re considering it a Manc rockers rite of passage if you’ve still got the energy to headbang post-gig.

Tucked away behind Gay Village and strictly cash-only entry, what goes on behind these tall, demonic-looking gates stays behind them and we promise it’s better to leave it to your imagination and just enjoy the carnage once you’re in there.

rock bars and clubs in manchester
what is satans hollow manchester
If you know, you know… (Credit: The Manc Group)

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Featured Images – The Manc Group

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