It’s safe to say last year’s new intake of university students were robbed of a decent freshers week in 2020. This year, however, is a whole different story.
Manchester’s music scene is unrivalled – we all know that. And being a student in the city, you’re usually spoilt for choice with club nights. Sadly, over the past 18 months that’s not been the case.
But since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in July and nightclubs could reopen again, our calendars have been blowing up with music events.
So, if you’re heading to the city for the first time, or are returning for the new academic year, you’ll be pleased to know that the city’s clubs are throwing some serious parties this time around. And we’ve put together our very own guide to Manchester club nights in and around freshers week.
Which university you’re heading to, will of course determine your official freshers week dates are. But here we’ve included events spanning two weeks to cover all bases.
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These aren’t your typical ‘freshers’ events. There’ll be no foam, UV paint and £1 Jagerbombs. There will, however, be some decent music and even more decent vibes to kick off your time in Manchester properly.
Lean and Bop is back at The Deaf Institute
Fans of Drake, AJ Tracey, Post Malone, Kanye West, Cardi B, Frank Ocean and the likes of, this one’s for you.
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Lean & Bop – Manchester’s biggest hip-hop, grime and R&B club night – is back with a freshers part one event at the Deaf Institute from Tuesday 14 September.
They’re putting on a freshers week double header, with a part two the following Tuesday. And Lean & Bop fans will be pleased to know the club night will be returning for a weekly Tuesday night residency going forward, too.
The Deaf Institute | 135 Grosvenor Street, M1 7HE | 14 September | 10pm – 3am
90s nostalgia at Hatch
Did you know Hatch is launching a new weekly student night ‘Show Me Love’ on 14 September?
Every Tuesday for the foreseeable, you can enjoy a whole evening of old school hits and 90s nostalgia. All this alongside the usual Hatch offerings of beers, cocktail and tasty food options to line your stomach – or sober you up.
Oh, and it’s free to get in. But you’re best booking a table in advance anyway.
On Friday 17 September, newcomer Discopia returns to The Bread Shed for a second time, offering a night of funky beats, house and underground disco.
Discopia’s last visit to The Bread Shed was a delightful concoction of music, confetti and bubble guns.
But joining the lineup this time around will be Matty B, Dom C. Taylor and Cameron Rawson. Together, they’ll concoct the good-vibes-only dancefloor atmosphere that we all need right now.
If Purple Disco Machine, The Shapeshifters and Fat Boy Slim are a bit of you, get yourself down.
The Bread Shed | 126 Grosvenor Street, M1 7HL | 17 September | 11pm – 3am
Festival-like lineups at The Warehouse Project
The Warehouse Project will take over Mayfield Depot for 12 weeks. Credit: whp_mcr/IG
If you really want to go all out with one of the biggest scale Manchester music experiences, the Warehouse Project at Depot Mayfield is a must.
With a capacity of 10,000, the disused train depot opposite Piccadilly Station is like having a mini festival right here in the city.
Known for putting on festival-calibre lineups every single weekend, the 2021 Warehouse Project season is probably one of the biggest we’ve seen to date.
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On Friday 17 September, the lineup is heavily funk, house and disco orientated with Nile Rodgers and Chic, Horse Meat Disco, Craig Charles, Gina Breeze, DJ Paulette and more.
Tickets are generally more expensive but you’ll more than get your money’s worth. Find info and tickets here.
New students might not be familiar with the legend of Rusholme’s Antwerp Mansion. If you’re one of them, Google it.
But whilst it’s gone but never forgotten, the spirit of the beloved mansion lives on in the Antwerp Mansion Presents series. And this latest one at The Bred Shed on Saturday 18 September will see a collab with Bass Face for celebration of the rich history of drum and bass music.
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Seasoned drum and bass DJs will join fresh up-and-coming talent to bring the filthy beats and wobbly basslines. Mampi Swift will also play a two-hour set using a six-deck set up and it’s not to be missed. Plus, a ‘B3B’ with Kara, Kelvin 373 and Katalyst, and B2B from Frankee D and Bad Habitz will make this a big one.
The Bread Shed | 126 Grosvenor Street, M1 7HL | 18 September | 11pm – 3am
Hidden turns ‘weird and wonderful’ with Triple Cooked
The house and techno party starters Triple Cooked are experts at bringing venues to life with their colourful stage design and props. Hidden will undergo a Triple Cooked makeover on Sunday 19 September where two floors of the venue will be transformed into a ‘weird and wonderful adventure’.
Downtex Mill | 16-18 Mary Street, M3 1NH | 19 September | 11pm-4am
The biggest lineup ever from Hit & Run
Hit & Run’s annual ‘Start of Season Slammer’ always kicks off the academic year properly. Credit: gbmultimedia/IG
Longstanding bass music student night Hit & Run has revealed a giant lineup of DJs and MCs for its annual ‘Start of Season Slammer’ which coincides with freshers week.
Across the three floors of Hidden, you can expect to revel in five hours of drum and bass, jungle, bass, and dubstep from all the familiar Hit & Run faces.
Join Chimpo, Metrodome, Truthos Mufasa, Tonn Piper, Strategy, Slay, Rich Reason and more to kick off the academic year in a heavy bass-driven fashion. Plus, there’ll be an exclusive classic liquid DnB set from Ivy Lab.
What else would you be doing on a Monday? Nothing. Tickets on Skiddle here.
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Downtex Mill | 16-18 Mary Street, M3 1NH | 20 September | 11pm-4am
Moxy Muzik returns to Joshua Brooks
After a number of years, Moxy Muzik will return to the new-look Joshua Brooks. Credit: jackkirwin/IG
After an extended hiatus, Darius Syrossian’s Moxy Muzik residency finally makes its returns to the new and improved Joshua Brooks just in time for freshers week.
It all kicks off on Monday 20 September with an extended three-hour set from the man himself. Plus, appearances from Hock and Jake Adams.
This’ll be a one-off event due to such popular demand, because from early November the residency will resume a monthly Friday night slot like old times.
If you fancy one last dance before lectures get serious, tickets are only a fiver. Get them on Skiddle here.
Enjoy some FREE live music at Hatch with Open Beat. Credit: Hatch/IG
If you’re still going by Thursday, there’s another freshers all-dayer on down at Hatch with a music lineup curated by Open Beat in association with BIMM Institute.
The live music will start from 7pm, with performances from Kid Blue, Manta, Minerva Daisy, The Demo, Foxglove, plus DJ set from Unity Radio and BBC Radio1Xtra DJ Jermaine Lee to round things off.
This one is completely free too, which is a bargain considering all this live music! You still need a ticket to get in though, register here.
As one of our favourite small venues in the city, we strongly recommend you get down to Stage & Radio. And there’s a Lucid Juice event happening there on Thursday 23 September which falls within freshers week.
With Samurai Breaks, Hardcore Soy, Tee, Shannon From Admin B2bB Chande and Ekkinz B2B Gina all on the lineup, it’ll be a busy night of jungle, bass, breaks, acid house and grime.
For more music, club nights, gigs and events in Manchester, click here and follow The Manc Audio on Instagram.
Featured image: Hit & Run by gbmultimedia/IG
Gigs & Nightlife
Rick Astley at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Pop hitmaker Rick Astley is playing a few UK shows and is treating Manchester to a night of live music as part of The Reflection Tour.
Newton-le-Willows-born singer Rick Astley has achieved worldwide success, most notably with his work in the 80s alongside songwriting and production duo Stock-Aitken and Waterman.
Astley’s album Whenever You Need Somebody has amassed 15 million sales across the globe and is a pivotal record that many would use to define 80s music.
On this LP is his huge hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, a.k.a. the famous ‘Rickrolling’ tune, but he’s gone to have a real renaissance in recent years, smashing Glastonbury, playing beloved covers with Blossoms, and so much more since turning 50 – case in point: playing Co-op Live for a SECOND time.
With that in mind, here’s all you need to know…
Gig guide | Rick Astley at Co-op Live, Manchester – all the info
Rick Astley brings his ‘The Reflection Tour’ to Manchester (Credit: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons)
Rick Astley UK tour dates 2026
We’ve kindly highlighted other shows in the North for you:
Fri 10 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Sat 11 April – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 13 April – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena
Tue 14 April – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Thu 16 April – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Fri 17 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 18 April – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Mon 20 April – Bournemouth, UK – Bournemouth International Centre
Tue 21 April – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Wed 22 April – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Fri 24 April – Birmingham, UK – BP Pulse Live
Sat 25 April – London, UK – The O2
Fri 5 June – Scarborough, UK – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Fri 19 June – Newport, UK – Isle of Wight Festival
Wed 24 June – Llangollen, UK – Llangollen Pavilion
Thu 25 June – Lincoln, UK – Lincoln Castle
Sat 27 June – Gloucester, UK – Westonbirt Arboretum
Fri 24 July – Ludlow, UK – Ludlow Castle
Sat 25 July – Sheffield, UK – Tramlines
Sat 30 August – Silverstone, UK – Carfest
Are there any tickets left for Rick Astley in Manchester?
No need to ‘Cry For Help’, there’s plenty of tickets for Rick Astley’s Manchester show at Co-op Live, and you can grab yours HERE.
It’s been ‘Driving Me Crazy’ waiting for the right opportunity to do a little Rickrolling of my own – the actual tickets can be found HERE.
Rick Astley setlist for ‘Reflections’ tour
This year will mark Rick Astley’s first official headline tour since 2024, meaning a full setlist is yet to be confirmed.
Here is a setlist from 2024 when the 80s performer played a series of festival sets:
Stage times for Rick Astley and support act for Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Rick Astley’s The Reflection Tourare set to open from 6:30pm, with no official starting time listed as of yet.
Support for this show comes in the form of another celebrated UK performer who achieved prominence in the decade after Astley: Gabrielle.
This R&B-pop singer is recognised for her 1993 hit ‘Dreams’ and is known for soundtracking the 90s and noughties with multiple chart entries throughout the decades.
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 1:00am 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.
Getting there by 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; 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 on 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 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 on the Beryl app, 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.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images – Press shots via Peter Neill (supplied)/Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons)
Gigs & Nightlife
Beyond The Music reveals first wave of lineup ahead of inaugural Salford edition
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester arts festival and conference Beyond The Music is back for 2026, but this time it will be heading to MediaCity for a Salford debut.
The long weekender is still a relative newcomer when it comes to the Manc events calendar, but it’s quickly gathered plenty of repute not just in the North West but within the industry as a whole.
Holding just its third edition later this year, Beyond The Music ’26 is set to be the most ambitious yet, spread across the three days and promising an impressive lineup both in terms of live performers, but also speakers, industry experts and wider activities.
With MediaCity and dock10 hosting their inaugural Beyond The Music, it’s another big win for the second city, with Sports Personality of the Year sticking over Salford way for the foreseeable future, along with other events like the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Awards moving to the Quayside.
Much of the BBC’s World Cup coverage is also being hosted at their Salfordian studios and main Northern base this summer, too.
Given that so many big annual dates have now made the switch to central Manchester – the BRITs and the MOBOs, just to name two recent examples – you could say it only makes sense to spread things out across the surrounding boroughs and their equally rich heritage.
Not that you should need reminding, but Salford isn’t just part of the region: it’s a city all of its own right that boasts an immense amount of pride over what is nothing short of a sterling musical history.
As for the 2026 Beyond The Music programme, besides both the local artists and more international creatives than ever, there’ll be keynote conversations, industry showcases, and wider networking opportunities for anyone looking to immerse themselves deeper in this world.
Having now dropped the initial wave of this year’s lineup, we know the first 22 artists set to play BTM ’26, including Kofi Stone, our very own Loose Articles, fellow Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ewan Sim and plenty more to get excited about.
Sarah Pearson, Co-founder of Beyond The Music, said in an official statement: “Beyond The Music’s mission is to seize this moment, to come together and drive meaningful and lasting change in the music and content industry.
“It’s undeniable that the impact and importance of music and content are stronger than ever, but this is not reflected in their perceived value.
“The ethical and economic infrastructure of the music and content industries demands urgent attention and bold reform… It is our responsibility to protect creativity in order to ensure it doesn’t just survive but thrives. Things may feel difficult, but they are still possible.”
Mayor Burnham added: “Greater Manchester has always been at the forefront of cultural innovation, and Beyond The Music is a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing music and content creation…
“With its move to MediaCity and a bigger-than-ever programme, Beyond The Music is helping to cement our city region’s place at the centre of the creative economy.” Taking place between 7-9 October 2026, you can register for early bird tickets right HERE.
Mayor Andy Burnham and friends help launch Beyond the Music at MediaCityUK (Credit: Mark Waugh)
Hannah Starkie -
10th September 2021 
