It’s that time once again, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram are going head-to-head in another DJ battle for charity.
Following what was the headline-grabbing showdown between the two Northern mayors last year here in Manchester, where both ended up claiming a victory, Burnham and Rotheram have announced they’re going for round two next month.
And it’s all in the name of charity, of course.
This time round, the Mayor of Liverpool City Region has invited the Greater Manchester Mayor over to his neck of the woods, as the pair will be taking to the decks at Camp and Furnace in Liverpool city centre on Friday 2 February.
Liverpool and Greater Manchester will face off in what is being described as a “good-natured music battle for a worthy cause”, with all the proceeds from the event going to local homeless charities.
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Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram are going head-to-head in another charity DJ battle / Credit: Supplied
It’s not just Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram that you’ll get to see in action on the night though either, as there’s also some local and international stars set to make an appearance too.
Ticketholders will be treated to the musical stylings of singers Rebecca Ferguson and Peter Hooton, alongside LFC and England footballer (and rapper) John Barnes for the so-called ‘home side’, while former Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay, M-People’s Heather Small, and BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Nihal Arthanayake will join the Greater Manchester team.
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“We’re coming back, but this time, we’re heading over to Liverpool,” Andy Burnham said ahead of the DJ battle next month.
“I was so proud of what we achieved with our DJ battle last year, using the power of music and friendly rivalry to unite behind one powerful message, that homelessness has no place in Greater Manchester. It’s going to be bigger and better this time round, as we spread the fundraising and ramp up the noise over in Liverpool.”
The two Northern mayors will face off in Liverpool at the start of next month / Credit: Shaun Peckham
The first in-person DJ battle between the two mayors in Manchester back in December 2022 ended up raising over £25,000, and even won ‘Leading Live Event of the Year’ at the 2023 This is Manchester Awards.
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“I’m really looking forward to welcoming Andy and the rest of the Greater Manchester contingent to Liverpool,” added Steve Rotheram, “We’ve shown time and again that nowhere can throw a party quite like our area, and we’ve got a fantastic lineup of famous faces joining us on stage for what promises to be an evening full of fun and great music.
“Most importantly though, it’s all in aid of a cause that’s very close to all our hearts, and together, we’re showing that the North West will always stand united in support of those who need it most.”
Proceeds from the night will be distributed between the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester charities, and all funds will support initiatives to tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping.
Early-bird tickets for the DJ Battle 2024 are now on sale here.
Featured Image – Shaun Peckham
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Fans are preparing to pay tribute to Mani from The Stone Roses ahead of his funeral service
Danny Jones
Stone Roses fans and Greater Manchester locals alike are getting ready to pay their respects to the late, great, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, following his tragic passing last month.
As well as details surrounding his funeral being announced earlier this week, the iconic Manc musician’s cause of death has also finally been revealed.
While Hatton’s service featured a high-profile cortège which started all the way from his hometown of Hyde, past multiple landmarks and ending at the Etihad Stadium, those local to Mani’s family home on the edge of Stockport are also being welcomed to help send him off.
It's the funeral of Mani of the Stone Roses on the 22nd. He lived locally. This poster is asking people to line the route of his funeral cortege to "show that he truly was adored". pic.twitter.com/X0DYHl10Hp
He had been struggling with emphysema for some time; he was declared dead at his home in the suburb of Heaton Moor, and is said to have died peacefully in his sleep.
As you can see from the posters put in various places around the area, residents wishing to pay their own tributes to Mani before his private funeral service at Manchester Cathedral are encouraged to line the long street leading down from St Paul’s and Heaton Moor United Church as he heads towards the city.
Departing Parsonage Road from 10am on Monday, 22 December, before turning right onto Heaton Moor Rd, then Wellington and eventually on to the Cathedral, you can expect plenty of people to show up.
One of those people will be his former bandmate and another influential guitarist, John Squire, who is one of many famous musical names to have honoured him in their own way over the last few weeks.
Other members of The Stone Roses, as well as Primal Scream (who he joined in 1996), are expected to join the close family and friends at the service itself.
Nevertheless, we have no doubt that plenty will be observing the funeral in their own way.
So, for those of you also looking to honour him, you know what to do; and to quote the poster itself, “together we can show this local legend and his family that he was truly adored.”
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Emily Sergeant -
12th January 2024 
