Thousands of fans have been battling with online queues this morning in a bid to sign up to win tickets to The 1975‘s intimate charity gig at Gorilla.
The sign-up page to enter into the prize draw for the chance to win tickets to see the wildly-popular Manchester indie pop rock band live in the intimate setting of one of the city’s best-loved small music venues on Wednesday 1 February finally went live this morning after weeks of waiting.
The charity gig as part of the BRITs Week series was announced last month, with all proceeds set to go straight towards War Child UK.
👀 HERE IT IS // We are over the moon to officially announce that @the1975 will play Gorilla on Wednesday 1st February as part of BRITs Week 2023 presented by @Mastercard for @WarChildUK.
Given that Gorilla only has capacity for about 550 people, and The 1975 have already sold out two nights at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena, as well as a night here at the AO Arena next Friday 20 January on their UK tour, the demand for tickets was always going to be high.
But demand ended up shooting through the roof though after the band’s frontman Matty Healy announced the gig way before tickets or other behind-the-scenes processes had taken place – which left Gorilla having to bat away thirsty fans trying to secure their place in the venue before even knowing the process and protocol.
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Some fans on Twitter even went as far as to offering the venue tongue-in-cheek bribes for tickets.
Bribes were coming in the form of meal deals, homemade banana bread, and a cardboard cut-out of Matty Healy, as well as “48p and a Wispa” from a Cadbury superfan – but sadly, none of these were going to cut it, so when the sign-up page for tickets did eventually go live, the band’s loyal fans were preparing for a fight.
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And, as was to be expected, fans found themselves in an online queue with thousands of others this morning.
The 1975 will play an intimate gig at Gorilla in Manchester on 1 February / Credit: The 1975 (via Twitter)
After the sign-up page for the BRITs Week presale went live this morning, War Child UK took to Twitter to warn fans that its website was “struggling with the traffic” from people hoping to get their names in the prize draw, and Gorilla followed-up by confirming that “thousands” were in the queue,
The venue encouraged people not to lose hope and to stay on the webpage if they’re hoping to get through, while telling people to “be nice to our friends at War Child UK”.
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Both Gorilla and War Child UK also reissued warnings to fans about fake tickets as the sign-up page went live this morning after receiving reports earlier this month that scammers were planning on targeting the sough-after event.
Just want to repeat what we have said in the past.
Please be careful with ticket touts/fake tickets/ people on here trying to scam.
We do everything we can as a venue to ensure tickets are sold to fans and stay with fans.
“Just want to repeat what we have said in the past. Please be careful with ticket touts/fake tickets/ people on here trying to scam,” Gorilla said on Twitter this morning.
“We do everything we can as a venue to ensure tickets are sold to fans and stay with fans. Don’t want anyone getting mugged off.”
The venue had previously warned fans “not to buy tickets from anywhere for any show unless advertised directly by us”.
War Child UK also echoed this warning.
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The charity added on Twitter after the sign-up page went live: “We’ve been seeing a few tweets about people selling fake tickets – be careful. The ONLY place tickets will be available is through the ticket link we or Gorilla provide, AND photo ID will be required for entry [so] please don’t fall for a scam.”
Manchester artist Stanley Chow to host free DJ set at beloved Chorlton bar
Danny Jones
Well-known Manchester artist Stanley Chow is set to host a exclusive DJ at one of the most beloved neighbourhood bars in Chorlton– and it’s happening this weekend.
So, if you fancy something other than BRITs buzz that has well and truly gripped Manchester, you can always go and dance with Stan.
Following the success of other special one-off performances such as Cain Dingle from Emmerdale (yes, really), The Garden Bar will be inviting the famous portrait creator to spin a few tracks with his fellow suburban residents.
Previously known as The Font, which sadly closed it’s city centre site a couple of years ago and has since been reborn in Chorlton and hosted all kinds of fun events throughout the week. Up next:
Still living nearby and remaining a passionate Chorlton regular – as we found out from his very opinionated ‘Tram Takes’ interview last year – the 52-year-old illustrator and local legend with be heading to Garden Bar this Friday, 27 February.
He’s also no stranger to stepping behing the decks.
As a member of not only of the art hub here in the city centre, but Greater Manchester’s wider creative scene as a whole, he played the likes of Green Island – which recently announced the first wave of its lineup for 2026 – and he’s played the area more than once before.
It’s still unconfirmed whether or not he’ll be returning to the big outdoor bash in garden centre, but he’ll certainly be an equally popular and familiar face at The Garden at the end of the month.
Also, we caught him at Green Island ourselves and, on this ocassion, we can vouch: the man’s not half bad, you know…
Speaking on booking his next live gig, Stan said: “I’m very happy to be back DJing in Chorlton. The Garden Bar is a fantastic local spot, and I’ll be playing a mix of my favourite tracks, some old classics and a few surprises.
“DJing has always been a big part of my life, and it’s a joy to share that with a friendly crowd in such a creative space.”
Jess Anderson, Manager of The Garden Bar, added: “As one of our regulars we’re thrilled that Stan will be bringing some of his record collection for us all to hear.
“His DJ night comes straight off the back of brilliant guest slots with Jeff Hordley [aka Emmerdale‘s Cain Dingle], and James Cartwright [aka Coronation Street‘s Theo Silverton] and we’re expecting more of the same with Stan as guest DJ. We can’t wait to see the energy he brings.”
So yeah, if you fancy seeing Stan the man swap his 2D geometric portrature for a fun little night on the tiles, it’s completely free entry, with the party starting from 8:30pm and food served until 9pm.
You can of course phone ahead to book yourself a spot on 0161 518 2227, and in case you’re wondering what else they’ve got on at The Garden, find out more down below.
Featured Images — Clear as a Bell /Stanley Chow(supplied)
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PinkPantheress named the youngest ever recipient of the BRIT Awards 2026 Producer of the Year Award
Clementine Hall
The BRIT Awards 2026 has announced that multi-platinum recording artist, songwriter and producer PinkPantheress is the recipient of this year’s Producer of the Year Award.
The award is decided by a group of expert judges from the music production sector, and has previously been presented to an incredibly selection of British producers including Paul Epworth, Calvin Harris, Fred again.., and last year’s winner, A. G. Cook.
At just 24 years old, PinkPantheress will be the youngest ever recipient of this coveted award, which recognises the excellence of her work in music production.
She is also the first woman to be presented with the honour.
As well as taking home Producer of the Year, PinkPantheress is also nominated for two further awards, for Artist of the Year and Dance Act.
The BRIT Awards are coming to Manchester for the first time in its history in 2026 / Credit: ITV / BRITs / Co-op Live
PinkPantheress spoke about winning the award: “As the first woman to win this award, I’m grateful to be recognised. My music production is the thing I’m proudest of, and I’ve worked really hard at it, so I hope this inspires others to pursue their passion.”
Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK said: “PinkPantheress is both an inventive and instinctive voice in British pop right now. As a producer, she’s precise and playful, building bold, boundary expanding sounds that travel beyond the UK.
“She’s quietly reshaping what modern pop can be, and in doing so, opening the door for a new wave of female producers to step forward. Celebrating her at the BRITs is both timely and significant.”
The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard will take place on Saturday 28 February from Manchester’s Co-op Live, and audiences at home can watch on ITV live or stream later on ITVX.
Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall will return to presenting duties in 2026 – his sixth time hosting the show.
This year’s incredible line-up of artists include Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X, Wolf Alice, Mark Ronson, ROSALÍA, Alex Warren and SOMBR.
Emily Sergeant -
11th January 2023 
