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What’s coming up at Castlefield Bowl this month

Inner-city event series Sounds of the City takes over the Bowl for six nights next week.

Hannah Starkie Hannah Starkie - 14th September 2021

Whilst it feels like summer might be over now, there is still a whole load of open-air events you can get stuck into at Castlefield Bowl this week to help you prolong the summer feeling as much as possible into September.

Since 2013, Sounds of the City has been bringing some of the best UK bands and artists to the city. We’ve seen Manchester bands New Order, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Elbow and Courteeners have all been invited to perform in their hometown, along with the likes of Arcade Fire, The Kooks and Catfish And The Bottlemen over the years.  

But finally, after a year away, the series is back and bringing even more of the UK and Ireland’s finest to Castlefield Bowl this September in celebration of the 2021 edition.  

So, from next Tuesday there are six nights of top-class concerts happening down there – and here we’ve picked out our top three selections, all of which have still got tickets left.

Brit-award nominated Dermot Kennedy will visit on Tuesday 

Dermot spent some time touring America in August. Credit: @jessedeflorio/IG

Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy catapulted to stardom in 2019 following the release of his debut album ‘Without Fear’, and it seems there’s no chance of him slowing down any time soon. 

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On its release, the album became the fastest-selling album of 2019 in Ireland, topping the UK Charts too.  

Bridging hip-hop and folk genres, Dermot has developed a unique sound over the years. You’ll be able to witness the Irish powerhouse in action on Tuesday 21 September as he visits Manchester as part of the Sounds of the City series.  

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He’ll have support from Mimi Webb who is best known for her song ‘Before I Go’ which was featured by Charli D’Amelio on TikTok. This week, Mimi dropped her debut album which entered straight into the Top 50. 

This show will be a warm up for Dermot’s upcoming tour this Autumn which includes two sold-out dates at the O2 Victoria Warehouse.  

For your chance to see Dermot live at Castlefield Bowl, tickets are selling fast but grab them here.

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Lively Wednesday night antics with Kaiser Chiefs  

Kaiser Chiefs visited Halifax’s Piece Hall last weekend. Credit: Kaiser Chiefs/IG

Indie-rock band Kaiser Chiefs have been in the game for 21 years and on Wednesday 22 September they’ll bring their years-worth of stage experience to Castlefield Bowl.  

The band’s last album ‘Duck’ went to number three in the charts in 2019 and was followed by a Europe and UK tour before lockdown in early 2020. 

So far this summer, the band have been busy with a number of one-off gigs and festival appearances including Isle of Wight Festival last Saturday. Now, they’ll add Sounds of the City to their 2021 calendar.

Support will come from fellow renowned UK band Razorlight, plus all-woman rock band PINS who are born and bred right here in Manchester.  

So, if you fancy heading out for a bit of midweek live music, you can find tickets for this one here.

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End the weekend with the melancholic sounds of Snow Patrol  

Snow Patrol were finally back in action last weekend. Credit: @bradleyquinnphotos/IG

Rounding off the Sounds of the City series this year will be indie rock group Snow Patrol. Throughout their stellar career, they’ve racked up five UK platinum albums, along with Grammy, BRIT and Mercury Music Prize nominations. 

Not only that, but the band has the accolade of the most-played song of the 21st century on UK radio with ‘Chasing Cars’. And now, you can hear the iconic anthem live at Castlefield Bowl on Sunday 26 September. 

Irish-born singer Lucy Blue will provide support on the night. The bedroom pop artist also supported Snow Patrol for their first gig back in a while last weekend at Scarborough’s Open-Air Theatre.

As well as Lucy, Wigan band The Lathums will complete the bill. The band has been tearing up the indie music scene in Manchester recently. And with the announcement of their special one-off gig at the legendary Empress Ballroom in Blackpool the band is expected to go from strength-to-strength in the next couple of years.  

To witness Snow Patrol, The Lathums and Lucy Blue in the final instalment of this year’s Sounds of the City, get your tickets here.

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Tickets for all the shows are selling quickly, so don’t wait around. For more info on the Sounds of the City series and all the ticket links, head here.   

And don’t forget to follow The Manc Audio on Instagram to stay up to date with music and events in Manchester.

Featured image: Sam Neill

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Richard Ashcroft announces all-North West lineup of support acts for Alexandra Palace headliner

Danny Jones Danny Jones Support acts for Richard Ashcroft Ally Pally lineup

Wigan’s finest, Richard Ashcroft, has announced an all-North-Western lineup for his upcoming headline show at ‘Ally Pally’.

The former Verve frontman is not only riding a fresh wave of popularity thanks to supporting Oasis on their incredible Live ’25 world tour, but also recently released his long-awaited new album, Lovin’ You.

Not just a Manc music icon but one of the biggest names to have come out of his borough, specifically, the legendary lyricist is finally getting more like the kind of recognition he deserves, and is making sure to pay that exposure forward in the best way possible.

He could have picked from all manner of big British acts as supports at Alexandra Palace, but Richard Ashcroft has chosen to keep flying the regional flag by picking a group he’s spent the last few months with, as well as a fellow Greater Manchester act.

That’s right: as well as signing up Liverpool’s very own Oasis Live ’25 openers, Cast, as one of the warm-up acts, the 54-year-old has also chosen another native Wigan artist in the form of The Lathums to join him for the momentous headline show.

Much-loved not only in their hometown but across Manchester and beyond, the indie favourites – who also released their latest studio LP, Matter Does Not Define, back in February – the young band are only getting better and becoming more established as time goes on.

Having already played the likes of the AO Arena here in Manchester and booked numerous big festival slots of the past few years, we reckon you can pretty much bank on them headlining this historic and bucket list venue for themselves in the future.

In terms of Cast, the scousers continue one of the busiest years for touring in their career by supporting ‘King Richard’, having followed up supporting ‘LG’ in 2024 to both Gallagher brothers over the summer.

As for Ashcroft himself, we’re glad to see him back releasing new music, and can confirm his seventh record is a great listen.

By no means our favourite, but just a taste of his latest sound.

Now, if you were wondering why we’re talking about this show over any of the other gigs (namely the Northern ones) on his upcoming UK run, it’s because most of the tour has now sold out.

His Co-op Live date was obviously the first to go, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium going shortly after, and extra dates being added in the likes of London, Liverpool and over in Leeds.

If you do happen to be in the capital already or are willing to make a trip to London for the show, there are still some tickets left for Richard Ashcroft at Ally Pally in July 2026.

Cannot wait to hear how this sounds in that storied room:

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Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Audio North

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HAIM at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Rock trio HAIM are gearing up to play their first ever arena show in Manchester next week.

Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana – more widely recognised by their surname, which also doubles as the title of their group, HAIM – are about to perform their biggest Manchester show to date.

This should come as no surprise, with the band amassing a cult following of fans and almost seven million monthly listeners on Spotify – thanks to huge tunes like ‘The Wire’, ‘Now I’m In It’, and ‘Don’t Wanna’, as well as newer single released like ‘Relationships’ and ‘All over me’.

The band have already recently played to a near 70,000 fans, thanks to their longtime friend and musical collaborator Taylor Swift, who brought the band out as a special guest on her global phenomenon The Eras Tour last summer.

But now, HAIM are going it alone.

They’ll be stringing up their guitars, and warming up their vocal chords to sing their angsty and fiery hits over at Manchester’s biggest entertainment venue, Co-op Live.

HAIM are bringing their 'I quit' tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied
HAIM are bringing their ‘I quit’ tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 October / Credit: Supplied

HAIM – UK Tour Dates 2025

  • Friday 24 October – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
  • Saturday 25 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Sunday 26 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
  • Tuesday 28 October – London, UK – The O2
  • Thursday 30 October – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Friday 31 October – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

Tickets

No need to ‘Pray to God’, as there’s still a good selection of tickets available for any Manchester HAIM lovers to grab HERE.

If you’re feeling a bit fancier, however, and fancy watching HAIM while ‘Spinning’ the night away in a premium seat, then you can find a handful of tickets up for grabs over on SeatUnique, starting from £25 HERE.

Setlist

  • Gone
  • All over me
  • Take me back
  • My Song 5
  • Cry
  • Spinning
  • Don’t Wanna
  • The Steps
  • Gasoline
  • Blood on the Street
  • Hallelujah
  • Summer Girl
  • Want You Back
  • Relationships
  • Now I’m in It
  • The Wire
  • Down to be Wrong

What are the stage times for HAIM in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, and with doors opening at 6:30pm and a start time of 7.30pm, this rock trio certainly won’t be working to ‘The Wire’ to cram in all their hits, meaning you can get home before the crack of dawn.

Bedroom pop musician Dora Jar supported the girls throughout the North American shows, however there’s no official artist confirmed for the UK leg so far.

Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied
Rock trio HAIM are gracing Manchester, London, Glasgow and more on their UK tour / Credit: Supplied

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.

You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer, and directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl scheme, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

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

Featured Images: Terrence ‘O Connor and Lea Garn / Press Shots (via supplied)

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