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Sounds of the City at Castlefield Bowl – line-up and everything you need to know about Manchester’s open-air gig series

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 5th July 2022

Sounds of the City is set to return this month, bringing some of the world’s biggest bands to Manchester.

Over the course of nine very special evenings, bands including James, Pixies and Foals will all take to the outdoor stage.

This year’s headliners also include Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, and the return of the ever-popular Hacienda Classical.

Since launching in 2013, Sounds of the City has hosted the likes of Kylie, Arcade Fire, Elbow, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Catfish And The Bottlemen and Courteeners.

Read more: Alanis Morissette pulls out of massive Manchester gig due to illness

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As with most music events, Sounds of the City had its 2020 and 2021 summer seasons disrupted, but returned with a handful of gigs last September.

Now it’s back in full force and ready to kick off in a matter of days.

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Here’s what you need to know.

Who’s headlining Sounds of the City on which date?

Foals will be among the headliners for Sounds of the City.
  • Tuesday 28 June – Lewis Capaldi plus special guest Jp Saxe & Emie Nathan
  • Wednesday 29 June – Foals plus special guests Wet Leg & The Regrettes – Sold Out
  • Thursday 30 June – Crowded House plus special guest
  • Friday 1 July – The Libertines – Up The Bracket performed in full plus other classics plus special guests Sports Team
  • Saturday 2 July – James plus special guest – Sold Out
  • Tuesday 5 July – Pixies plus special guests The Slow Readers Club & Klangstof
  • Wednesday 6 July – Sam Fender plus special guest – Sold Out
  • Friday 8 July – Hacienda Classical with special guests Soul II Soul, Peter Hook, DJ Paulette & Tom Wainwright
  • Saturday 9 July – Primal Scream Presents Screamadelica plus special guests The Mysterines, Lonelady & Walt Disco – Sold Out

How do I buy tickets?

Sam Fender.

There are still tickets left for a few of the Sounds of the City gigs, as well as tickets cropping up on resale sites (as always, make sure you’re using a verified fan-to-fan service so you don’t get ripped off).

You can expect to pay between £40 and £50 for most of the events – Lewis Capaldi tickets are £44.25, The Libertines tickets are going for £47.40, and The Pixies for £50.50, for example.

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You can browse the events and see the latest ticket availability through Ticketmaster.

What are the stage and venue times?

Doors to the venue are expected to open at 5.30pm for most of the concerts.

There’ll be a strict 10.30pm curfew.

Each artist is likely to announce their individual stage times on social media in the coming days, but you can probably expect headliners to take to the stage between 8.30pm and 9pm most nights.

What’s the seating chart for the venue?

Castlefield Bowl is an amphitheatre-style outdoor venue in the city centre.

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Although all tickets are billed as unreserved standing, if you’re quick you can take a seat on the large concrete steps that curve around the stage.

Many people also take a perch up on the grassy banks at the back of the venue too.

How do I get to Castlefield Bowl?

Castlefield Bowl is located at 101 Liverpool Road in the city centre.

The closest tram stop is Deansgate-Castlefield, which is only a six-minute walk away.

You can also walk it from the major train stations, or use the 101, 197, 255, 256, 41, 50 or X50 buses.

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Audio

The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.

The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.

With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.

With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.

The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.

Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.

This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?

In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.

With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.

Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.

Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin Compston
Vicky McClure leading the dance routines

This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.

The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.

This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.

Read more:

So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?

Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.

Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity Picture via Supplied

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Sean Paul and Ashanti are hosting a massive Manchester show in 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Sean Paul Ashanti Manchester AO Arena tickets

The one and only Sean Paul is coming to Manchester next year and we’re about to be smashing that buy ticket button it’ll be left sticking like glue.

A terrible pun, we know, we’re just very excited.

Better yet, he’s bringing a fantastic co-headliner along with him as fellow noughties and R’n’B throwback Ashanti will be sharing the stage too.

Landing at the AO Arena in spring 2025, they’ll be upping the ‘Temperature’ ahead of the summer and just in time for the festival season to start getting underway.

Having both enjoyed the scene for many years back in its 2000s heyday and each still boasting their own long-serving fan bases no matter how long it’s been, we wouldn’t think of this as a Sean Paul headline gig with a support act but two very special guests doing what they do best.

The Jamaican-born rap, reggae and dancehall artist as well as all-round popstar needs no introduction really but we’ll give him one anyway: you have to pronounce his name funny and he’s best known for countless club classics like ‘Got 2 Luv U’, ‘Get Busy’ and ‘Gimme The Light’, just to name a few.

As for Ashanti – who came close to a highly-anticipated studio collab with Sean Paul back in the day – the ‘Foolish’, ‘Rock Wit U’ and ‘Always On Time’ singer hasn’t put out new music of her own for a couple years but celebrated two decades since her debut album with a deluxe version re-release in March 2023.

Coming back to Manchester for basically a celebration of what many still revere as one of the golden eras for the genre will no doubt be an unbelievable night and playing the AO Arena after all this time is no mean feat.

Read more:

General admission goes live from 10am, Friday 20 December but presale will be available for Three mobile users who want exclusive early access from Wednesday onwards from the same time.

The ‘Bring It’ Tour comes our way on 13 April 2025, with other dates including Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and a massive London show with Fat Joe joining too.

You can get ready to grab your tickets for Sean Paul and Ashanti’s AO Arena date HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)

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