It’s a sight that’s familiar to a lot of us – mismatched velvet bar stools, foam panelled ceiling, metallic streamers behind a makeshift DJ booth. But all is not as it appears at this particular working men’s club.
That’s because, despite all appearances, this isn’t actually a pub – it’s an art installation.
UTOPIA is a new installation that’s opened in the heart of Manchester, and its creator – artist Trackie McLeod – has built an actual working pub inspired by the working men’s clubs he grew up in in Glasgow.
As well as being able to pop in for a free drink during Trackie’s Happy Hour each afternoon, with Trackie actually working a shift behind the bar, the working pub art installation will also feature an expansive day and night programme of live events celebrating the grassroots talent of the city.
UTOPIA is playfully exploring identity, class, and gentrification by building a working, flat-roof pub inside the Warehouse space at Aviva Studios by Factory International.
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The attention to detail in the space itself is a marvel, from the shiny linoleum floor to the wood panelled walls to the pie oven on the bar.
There’s even a dart board plastered in the faces of famous figures like Donald Trump, Margaret Thatcher, and Elon Musk.
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By day, it’s open as a pub, exhibition, and workshop space, showcasing new prints, sculpture and video by Trackie McLeod; before transforming into an intimate venue with free events selected by the Young Curators by night.
Inside UTOPIA, an art installation inspired by working men’s clubsArtist Trackie McLeod behind the bar at UTOPIA Credit: Kieran Irvine
The line-up of events and artists includes drag queen Bailey J Mills, round-table discussions with Rebecca Swarray aka DJ Mix-Stress, Dave Haslam and rebecca elizabeth shaw, a DJ set by Rainy Miller, plus live rap from mamba.exe, spoken word from sonic storyteller Sharari, and a Saturday night takeover by iconic queer venue The DBA.
If you want to pop in for a pint at UTOPIA, you’ll have to be quick – the installation is only at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, until Saturday 21 February.
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Artist Trackie McLeod says: ”I’m honoured to have been selected by the Young Curators to exhibit at Factory International. It’s an amazing opportunity, and Manchester and its people have always held a special place in my heart.
“I often say you can tell how friendly a city is by how you’re treated in a smoking area and in Manchester, like in Glasgow, someone will always offer you a lighter.
“The installation reflects on the loss of community spaces in Glasgow and Manchester due to gentrification and changing city life. UTOPIA aims to reintroduce a sense of togetherness at a time when much of our community exists online. It’s conceived as an inclusive, safe, multi-purpose space for everyone.
Details of UTOPIA. Credit: Kieran Irvine
“Through this work, with the help of the Young Curators I want to celebrate grassroots spaces and emerging talent. I hope the audience can use the space as a community hub for music, art, workshops, talks and of course a cheap pint.”
Young Curator Jack Clarke adds: “Trackie’s a kindred spirit, he doesn’t just get the vibe, he is the vibe. There’s a rebellious tenderness to his work that I’ve always gravitated toward, something that speaks to the mess and the joy and the stubborn resilience of nightlife, especially when it’s disappearing in real time.
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“Working with him is like throwing a spark into a room full of kindling, you don’t know exactly what’s gonna catch, but you know it’s going to burn bright.”
John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International says: ”The Young Curators project is a truly exciting and radical part of Factory International’s artistic programme – handing decision-making over to a talented group of young creatives.
“UTOPIA builds on the successes of our previous public curation programmes and develops our commitment to thinking about artistic venues in new ways.
“We are particularly thrilled that this project results in a commission from such a significant up-and-coming talent as Trackie.”
Music charity launches exclusive giveaway after naming Liam Gallagher as newest ambassador
Danny Jones
A local grassroots music charity is holding a special giveaway of exclusive Oasis x adidas Originals merch to celebrate Liam Gallagher becoming their latest ambassador.
The legendary British frontman and global rock icon is no stranger to teaming up with charities, but this latest project is seeing him focus on his hometown and the Manc music scene more than ever.
Brighter Sound, who are based right here in Manchester city centre, announced the one and only Liam Gallagher as their latest collaborator on Monday, 1 June, but that’s not all.
As mentioned above, they’re also holding a prize draw to raise funds for the cause, with some special kicks up for grabs – and they’re a model that became collectors’ items almost instantly.
The local music development organisation, which has been helping support young artists and aspiring creatives for more than two and a half decades at this point, revealed Liam would be teaming up not only to help promote fellow Mancunians in and around the music industry.
But there’s still much more to it than that.
With this special fundraising initiative also on the table – as are a limited edition pair of his sold-out adidas Achille SPZL trainers (including the extremely rare and highly sought-after Japanese-exclusive version) as part of the giveaway – this marks a commitment to supporting up-and-coming talent.
All proceeds from the charitable prize draw will go towards a crucial pot of money that will then go directly towards backing rising musicians across the region.
In case you haven’t seen the shoes in question, both Liam and his elder sibling Noel teamed up with adidas Originals during the Oasis Live ’25 merch boom and reunion tour phenomenon as a whole, each creating their own special ‘Spezial’ design. You can see more of them down below.
They obviously flew off the shelves rather quickly.
Speaking in an official statement, the 53-year-old said of the fresh partnership: “I’m honoured to be an Ambassador for Brighter Sound and support the new generation of creatives launch their music projects. We need more help for the arts, especially for the working class.”
Getting to work in and around his native territory across Greater Manchester will no doubt be an added bonus for the Burnage-born Gallagher brother.
As for Brighter Sound, the organisation’s director, Kate Lowes, added: “It’s a real honour to be working with Liam and his team on this special prize draw, and to welcome him as an ambassador for Brighter Sound. Manchester is an incredible place for music – and Liam and Oasis are a huge part of that story.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to making sure that more amazing talent continues to grow from the city and find its place on the world stage.”
For anyone looking to enter the prize draw and help support Brighter Sound’s work across Greater Manchester, you can do so right HERE.
Featured Images — Brighter Sound (supplied)/Jonnysmirth (via Wikimedia Commons)
Art & Culture
Lottery Winners help debut new hometown anthem ‘Song For Leigh’ at massive stadium gig
Danny Jones
Indie pop favourites Lottery Winners smashed their first-ever solo stadium show at Leigh Sports Village at the end of May, and they also helped debut a dedicated hometown anthem for the town.
One of several current stars coming from in and around the Wigan music scene, it’s been a big few years for the Greater Manchester band, and their biggest-ever headline show on Saturday was yet more proof of just how much they’ve achieved in their career thus far.
That being said, however, this lot will never, EVER forget where they’ve been and, most importantly, where they come from.
You’ll find no better example of that than their sold-out LSV gig, which saw multiple celebrations of their local area, than one particular moment…
Posting on social media in the aftermath of the landmark live performance for the four-piece, frontman Thom Rylance wrote: “Little old Leigh, I haven’t slept a wink. I’m not sure I ever will again. I’ve never felt such a powerful punch of love hit me like that before, and I’m not even sure what to do with it all.
“Thanks isn’t enough, but let’s start there. Thank you for carrying us all this way. Thank you for making us feel special. Thank you for making all of this feel proper. Thank you to the grown-ups who trusted us with such a mammoth thing. Absolutely stupid that you let us do that, but I hope we made you proud.
“The feeling I get from looking across and seeing my best mates on the planet literally living their dream, in full HD, makes me so happy I could burst into bubbles. And thank you to Leigh. Our home. Our people. Nobody does it better. Last night was proof that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.”
But as mentioned, perhaps the most wholesome part of the entire event was when they aired a brand-new tune created by Spirix Collective – a group of local musicians, dancers, and all-round creatives based in the heart of Leigh. Here’s what they’ve made:
What a lovely thing for everyone tied to this place.
Produced partly in an effort as part of the historic Lancashire county village’s bid to become the UK’s next first Town of Culture, it’s a track created on behalf not just of Leigh itself but to further help shine a light on the often criminally-overlooked borough of Wigan.
As for natives themselves, they signed off the milestone by adding in the caption: “Lottery Winners are massive. KOKO [Keep on keeping on].”
It’s fair to say that after seeing some of the scenes from over the weekend, we tend to agree.
Who was there on the night and, whether you were lucky enough to be or not, what do you make of the ‘Song For Leigh’ now you’ve heard it?
Daisy Jackson -
20th February 2026 
