This long-running unadulterated funk and soul night takes place every Saturday night at Mint Lounge in the Northern Quarter and, in testament to its quality, always has a full house.
Billed by promoters as a ‘chronological history of soul’, its team of resident selectors will guide you through four decades of the very best soul, funk, disco and hip-hop with just a touch of smooth r&b.
This month sees Manchester party series WHP return for its 2022 season a little bit earlier than usual with a special joint live set from alternative, downtempo trip-hop stalwart Bonobo and shoegazing dream pop musician Caribou.
Running from 7-11pm on Friday 26 August, it’s just one of several August Bank Holiday weekend WHP events at Depot Mayfield.
One for the millenials and Y2k wannabes to enjoy alike, this poptastic Manchester club night delivers exactly what it says on the tin: non-stop chart hits from some of the biggest artists of the era.
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90’s Baby Pop will go one step further, bringing the likes of AQUA, Eiffel 65, Los Del Rio, Heather Small and B*witched to Manchester AO Arena for a stand-out live show with lashings of nostalgia.
American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo will play Bowler’s as part of a new worldwide tour that sees the ‘Let Me Love You’ singer land in the UK next month.
His first performance in the UK since 2016, fans can expect to see him perform new music from his eighth album, ‘Self Explanatory’, as well as some of his biggest hits.
If you’re looking to discover some weird and wonderful underground bands, you can’t do much better than Manchester Psych Fest.
Spread across some of Manchester’s best indie venues like Gorilla, YES and Deaf Institute, uncover everything from the spoken word absurdism of Dry Cleaning to the devastating folk of Skullcrusher at this all-day event.
Watch a 16-piece orchestra perform a special rendition of American artist Frank Ocean’s two biggest studio albums, Blonde and Orange.
Taking place at the Blues Kitchen over the August Bank Holiday weekend, expect to hear his neo soul and smooth r&b vibes to be taken to new heights courtesy of a full string section.
The man, the myth, the legend returns to Band on the Wall for a night of jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk and disco floor fillers on 12 August.
Macclesfield-born DJ Mr Scruff has been a legend on the Manchester scene for decades, and as his varied collection of fans can attest his eclectic range of selections never disappoint.
Manchester Carnival returns to Alexandra Park this month for its 50th anniversary, with a host of different stages (and street parties) spreading out across Moss Side.
Grime and bass music fans won’t want to miss the Chimpo X Bloc2Bloc stage, run by a group of south Manchester locals with an enviable collection of dubplates.
Prestigious Edinburgh TV Festival to move to Manchester for first time in 50 years
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester will become the new host city for the TV Festival from 2027 onwards it was announced today.
For the first time in five decades, following an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process – which was launched in 2025 – the prestigious festival is set to move from its home in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh to our region from 2027 onwards, beating out other major northern cities like Newcastle in the process.
As part of a UK-wide strategic review into the event’s long-term future, the Festival’s board of directors say the review was undertaken in order to ‘examine how the TV Festival could continue to grow’ amid increasing challenges around accessibility, affordability, and sustainability across the television industry.
Greater Manchester‘s ‘successful and comprehensive’ bid included commitments around affordability, infrastructure, industry partnership, and long-term growth potential.
Plans include holding the Festival in locations in the newly developed St. John’s creative and cultural district.
“Greater Manchester presented a vision for the Festival that combined genuine creative ambition and future-facing energy with practical accessibility and affordability for delegates,” commented Campbell Glennie, who is the CEO of the TV Festival and The TV Foundation.
“This means we can radically reduce the costs associated with attending the Festival as well as the cost of passes.
“The city reflects the expanding ambition of the UK television industry, while still offering the scale, connectivity and unique cultural identity needed for an event of this significance – it gives us the strongest platform to grow the Festival’s reach and impact in the years ahead.”
Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, said being chosen as TV Festival hosts is ‘brilliant news’ for Greater Manchester, adding: “It speaks to the growth, success and strength of our screen sector in the city region and the strong partnerships and talent we have here.”
The final Edinburgh edition of the TV Festival will take place this August, and dates and further details for the TV Festival in 2027 will be shared later this year.
Featured Image – PickPik
What's On
Spend summer in space as 30ft rocket ship arrives at Science and Industry Museum next month
Emily Sergeant
Get ready to spend the summer in space, as Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has announced its summer events programme.
And it’s full of free interactive events and activities to get involved with.
As the temperatures rise, schools across Greater Manchester get ready to break up for summer, and parents and carers gear up to entertain the little ones, the Science and Industry Museum has just announced its summer events programme – with some new space-themed activities on the lineup for the first time.
It’s time to embark on an unforgettable adventure through the Solar System, as families can blast off on a journey packed with hands-on experiences and cosmic fun.
Science and Industry Museum has announced its summer events programme / Credit: Science Museum Group
From live space shows and giant rockets, to tinkering activities Martian discovery trails, and the chance to visit the blockbuster exhibition Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos if you haven’t already, budding astronauts are in for a summer to remember.
By far one of the stand-out free events this summer is the arrival of 30-foot-tall rocket ship, Skybolt 2 – hosted by Manchester-based aerospace company, Starchaser – giving visitors the chance to revel at the real-life space craft and meet the team behind the rocket.
Designed to reach speeds of up to 3200mph, Skybolt 2 first flew in September 2017 and still displays some visible marks from its landing.
There’ll also be a new twist on the classic seaside puppet show, as artist Solar Sister brings space stories to life during interactive walkabout performances alongside an astronaut puppet companion.
Little Mancs can even get involved with draw-a-long workshops, take on space-inspired LEGO challenges, and even turn everyday items into instruments by joining a junk percussion jam inspired by space waste.
Then, on Wednesday 12 August, rocket activities will be swapped for a special event to mark the upcoming solar eclipse.
Expect live interactive shows, demonstrations, spectacular images of the Sun disappearing on giant screens, as well opportunities to discover more about this rare celestial event.
Science and Industry Museum’s Director, Sally MacDonald, said free and affordable experiences are ‘more essential than ever’ during the summer holidays.
“Our summer programme will offer families memorable days out to enjoy together, giving them the opportunity to explore the universe without even leaving Manchester,” she added.
The summer events programme will be running at the Science and Industry Museum from Saturday 18 July through to Tuesday 1 September, and you can find out more here.
Georgina Pellant -
5th August 2022 
