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A COVID-safe ‘Queen by Candlelight’ rock concert is coming to Manchester this weekend

Queen by Candlelight will be one of the first live music concerts to take place in Manchester since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 26th May 2021

After an unprecedented year of cancellations and rescheduling, Queen by Candlelight is finally bringing a rock music celebration to Manchester this weekend.

The music of legendary British rock band Queen has been blasting through speakers right across the UK for over 30 years now, so there’s no better time to celebrate and sing your heart out to some of their greatest hits.

Think Bohemian Rhapsody, It’s a Kind of Magic, We Are The Champions, Who Wants to Live Forever, and so many more.

Featuring an incredible rock band and cast of West End performers, Queen by Candlelight will be one of the first live music concerts to take place in Manchester since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with the venue being fully COVID-secure and at half capacity with social distancing between bubbles. 

This epic rock concert is arriving in central Manchester to play at Audacious this Friday and Saturday night, as well at the same time next Saturday (5th June).

And there’s still time to bag yourself a ticket.

The show will feature an incredible rock band and cast of West End performers / Credit: Queen by Candlelight

“We have had this show ready to go for nearly 18 months and so to finally get our fantastic cast back to work and in front of a live audience is just brilliant.” said the show’s producer, Daniel Wood.

“The show should have been taking place last week at DriveINSIDE at the Trafford Centre, but unfortunately we were let down by the venue and the whole thing was cancelled 24 hours before our opening night

“We managed to find a new venue and move all of our audience bookings over in less than 48 hours.

“It’s been bonkers – but we are ready to go and the show will go on.”

The show will take place at Audacious Church in Salford / Credit: Queen by Candlelight

The show will now take place at Audacious Church – which is a church and events space on Trinity Way in the heart of central Manchester that features an incredible arena style set-up.

“It will have the feel of a rock arena concert.” Daniel adds.

“High-tech video walls, an incredible sound system and loads of space for our audience, all lit by candlelight.”

It’s expected to be a “brilliant night out after a year without live music”.

Although this Saturday’s event has already sold out, you can still grab yourself some tickets to the show on Friday 28th May and Saturday 5th June, so make sure to book early if you want to avoid disappointment.

All tickets are general admission and will set you back £25, with seats allocated once the doors open at 6:30pm on the night.

Grab your tickets here.

Featured Image – Queen by Candlelight

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Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park – tickets, times, supports, setlist and everything you need to know

Danny Jones Danny Jones Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park gig guide tickets times setlist

Besides Oasis’ glorious Heaton Park homecoming, the two biggest headline gigs in Greater Manchester are happening this weekend, with Fontaines D.C. kicking off Live From Wythenshawe Park 2025 this Friday, 15 August.

The Irish giants are bringing their now global, groundbreaking and critically acclaimed musical exports to Manchester for the second time in less than a year, only this will be their biggest gig in this city to date.

Fontaines last visited Manchester back in November as one of the biggest rock, indie and alternative bands to play Aviva Studios, home of Factory International; it’s fair to say it was a stormer.

And now scenes like THIS are set to be scaled up to a field full of Mancs and tourists alike, so it’s best to know what you’re in for…

Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park – all the important info

Fontaines Wythenshawe Park tickets: are there any left?

For starters, if you’re wondering whether there are tickets left for Fontaines at Wythenshawe Park, we’re afraid to inform you that general admission unfortunately sold out in a flash.

There are still VIP options available via Ticketmaster if you fancy treating yourself, but they will set you back a pretty penny.

Of course, you can always keep your eyes out via trusted resale sites like Twickets and TicketSwap, but as always, proceed with caution – let’s help the kick touts out of the music industry.

Who is supporting Fontaines in Manchester?

We’ll confess, one of the things we’re most excited about ahead of the Dublin County icons returning to 0161 is the lineup of supports booked for Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park.

There are no warm-ups; we would and have already happily paid full whack to see some of these supports headline both here in Manchester and around the North.

Not only will fans be getting to see fellow Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital kick off the live music proceedings, but Leeds’ very own Mercury Prize-winning English Teacher will be following them up, before Gaelic rap trio, Kneecap from Northern Ireland, really ramp up the energy.

There’s even going to be DJ sets from So Young record label and magazine, as well as none other than The Stone Roses’ Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.

Kneecap announce UK tour with multiple northern tour dates

Stage times for Fontaines at Wythenshawe Park?

Fortunately, the DC boys have also made things nice and simple when it comes to stage times, too, with a full running order for each artist’s set already published.

They are as follows:

  • The Murder Capital – 16:25
  • English Teacher – 17:35
  • Kneecap – 18:50
  • Fontaines D.C. – 20:30

Doors to the massive outdoor Wythenshawe music venue will be open from 4pm, and the aforementioned DJ sets will be played in between each of the support acts, before the main event gets underway slightly earlier than most other headliners.

We simply CANNOT wait.

fontaines dc outdoor gig manchester
Credit: Audio North

Fontaines D.C. live 20525 tour setlist

As for what the lads will be playing, an added bonus of their ongoing world tour is that it’s given us plenty of time to get to grips with the current Fontaines setlist – or at least the bulk of it.

This is based on their last big standout headline show at Cardiff Castle in Wales (courtesy of Setlist.fm).

  1. Starburster / In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)
  2. Here’s the Thing
  3. Jackie Down the Line
  4. Boys in the Better Land
  5. Televised Mind
  6. Roman Holiday
  7. It’s Amazing to Be Young
  8. Big Shot
  9. Death Kink
  10. A Hero’s Death
  11. Before You I Just Forget
  12. Horseness Is the Whatness
  13. Big
  14. Nabokov
  15. Desire
  16. Bug
  17. Favourite

Encore:

  • Romance
  • In the Modern World
  • I Love You
  • Starburster

However, they did throw in a few surprises down at Finsbury Park in London, so who knows? Maybe they’ll play something special.

Everyone has their own personal favourites.

Travel guide: how to get to Wythenshawe Park

Last but not least, there’s just the small matter of getting there. While we’d always recommend travelling as green as possible/using public transport where you can, there are still some car park tickets that you can buy online from the Live From Wythenshawe website.

As for those of you catching a ride, there is yellow signage to the north of the site, which will lead you to the pick-up/drop-off point on Wythenshawe Road, M23 0AB.

There are also three tram stops to choose from: Wythenshawe Park, Moor Road and Baguley. However, it’s worth noting that both Wythenshawe Park and Baguley will be closed from 9pm, so you won’t be able to get back home this way.

Finally, you can always catch one of the shuttle buses back into the city centre. The service will be operating in a loop from Sale and the city centre, running from 1-8pm on the way to Wythenshawe Park and then from 8pm-1:30am when heading home.

For more information, you can find all the up-to-date travel stuff HERE or check out (TfGM) Transport for Greater Manchester’s guidance and even use their interactive map

We also want to remind everyone to get there with plenty of time to avoid queuing and congestion on public transport in and around Greater Manchester.

Last but not least, make sure to mind the weather, drink plenty of water, look after each other and, above all else, have an absolute belter.

See you in the pit for ‘Here’s The Thing.’

Read more:

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Shots (supplied)

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The UK’s only Pina Colada Festival is coming to a town near Manchester this weekend

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

If you like piña coladas, then there’s only one place you’ll want to be this weekend.

Northwich town centre, over in Cheshire just an hour away from Manchester, is getting a taste of the tropics once again this summer as the popular The Pina Colada Festival returns, and organisers are promising it’ll be the biggest celebration to date. 

The festival was first established back in 2021 after a local resident discovered that Rupert Holmes, the man behind the iconic hit ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’, was born in Northwich in 1947.

A social media post suggesting a celebration went viral… and just like that, The Pina Colada Festival was born and is now in its fifth year.

The UK’s only Pina Colada Festival is coming to a town near Manchester this weekend / Credit: Marcelo Verfe (via Unsplash) | Supplied

Taking place this Saturday (16 August), this family-friendly free festival is a Caribbean fusion of street performances, street food, live music, and of course, piña coladas – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – as far as the eyes can see.

Food and drink will be available across the town centre from Northwich’s bars, cafes and restaurants, all of which put on special events and stalls for the occasion, giving visitors the perfect opportunity to enjoy a bite to eat or refreshments while soaking up the sun. 

And this year will see the introduction of a giant urban beach at the top of Witton Street too, alongside a surfing simulator, a free photobooth, and lots more.

The family-friendly festival will be taking over the Cheshire town this weekend / Credit: Supplied

The Samba Parade is back too, and visitors can expect ‘rhythm, colour, and unstoppable energy’ from a variety of dancers, including butterfly performers and vibrant rainbow dress dancers, creating a street spectacle to remember.

There’ll be a whole host of family-friendly activities happening across the town centre too, including free pineapple-themed kids crafts, glitter face painting, and pineapple-themed mini-golf.

Read more:

The Pina Colada Festival is taking over Northwich town centre this Saturday 16 August from 12pm onwards, and it’s free to attend.

Find out more here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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