As we approach big coat weather, there’s still plenty to do in Manchester. Football fans can head down to Treehouse Hotel for the launch of new book The Story of Football in 100 Objects whilst Manchester Camerata celebrate their Here We Are festival – bringing their fantastic musicians to the most unexpected places.
Football in 100 Objects: An Evening with the Author
Treehouse Hotel Manchester hosts the launch of The National Football Museum’s new book, The Story of Football in 100 Objects. To celebrate the release, join them for an intimate Q&A dinner where guests will enjoy food and drink, an insightful interview with curator Marek Romaniszyn, and an interactive discussion hosted by Janine Ross. A handpicked selection of memorabilia featured in the book will also be exhibited on the night, as well as copies of the book itself, available for purchase.
Beat The Jams presents Angle Shades
The brand-new Beat The Jams night is a monthly showcase of the very best of Manchester’s world renowned original jazz scene, with short, rush hour gigs at the iconic Band on the Wall. Taking place from 6-7pm, this edition sees Angle Shades take to the stage. The group present music from their latest album Twirler, the eagerly anticipated follow-up to their exciting self-titled debut.
Ustad Noor Bakhsh, Jaubi and Amrit Kaur
Join Band On The Wall for a night of boundary-defying music, where the electric Balochi Benju of Ustad Noor Bakhsh, the genre-blending spiritual jazz of Jaubi, and the soulful, Punjabi-infused storytelling of Amrit Kaur come together to celebrate the vibrant, cross-cultural sounds of South Asia and beyond.
La Voix
RuPaul’s Drag Race star La Voix comes to Aviva Studios. Get ready for an evening filled with electrifying live performances, with La Voix’s powerhouse vocals combined with side-splitting comedy.
Martin Luke Brown
Leicester-born Martin Luke Brown heads to the intimate, sweaty surroundings of the YES Basement, bringing with him his tender, sombre-yet-sweet songwriting. With material drawn from his second album ‘man oh man !’, expect introspective takes on masculinity, but fun!
Food Fest
Freight Island will transform into a culinary playground as Manchester’s most exciting chefs take to the city centre venue. Teaming up with Freight’s renowned traders, much-loved spots including Cardinal Rule, Skof, Where The Light Gets In and Madre will create exclusive one-night-only dishes. The feast doesn’t stop at the food either, enjoy live performances from The Juice and Sola Guinto, followed by DJs to keep the party going into the night.
Cover The Walls Opening Night
Cover The Walls is a temporary gallery popping up at Merseyway Workshop in Stockport, putting local artists in the spotlight. The aim is to introduce a broad spectrum of visitors to see unique artwork and help them find a special piece to take home. The gallery opens on 1 October and will be open until 8 November, when visitors are invited to explore the exhibition Thursday to Saturday for free. The majority of the works shown are under £100 – framed and ready to hang on the wall. Founder Matilda Glen said: “We want to make buying art accessible and give people the chance to discover the talent in their community and bring it into their own homes. That’s why the exhibition will feature works across a range of styles, sizes and price points.”
Manchester Camerata – Here We Are
Here We Are is a five-day celebration of music in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. The brilliant Manchester Camerata will be performing for free at venues including skate parks, shopping malls, libraries and more. In addition to the free events, the weekend will feature two special ticketed headline performances by the orchestra. Taking place at The Monastery in Gorton, join them for an unforgettable evening with Music Director Gábor Takács-Nagy conducting works by Mozart, Beethoven and Arvo Pärt. At Aviva Studios, experience the UK premiere of Opera Omnia, a powerful short film by critically acclaimed electronic duo Space Afrika, performed live with the Manchester Camerata musicians.
At the same time, they will be celebrating the launch of ten new free Music Cafés for people living with dementia and their carers across Greater Manchester, supporting people to ‘live well’ through music.
Speakeasy Social: Creating Community
Online community, real world impact. Head down to Cupra City Garage to hear a panel share their secrets to building influence, brands and business. Meet the female pace-setters in the North who have cracked the code to building community online and translating it IRL. Representing Northern voices, hear from viral dance sensation Zoe Baptiste, content creator Alice Lambert, founder of Chlo&Co Agency Chloe Mccullough and Laura Quick, founder of talent agency Our Cnect.
Echobelly at New Century
Britpop icons Echobelly mark 30 years since the release of top five album ON with a huge UK tour. The band will perform the album in its entirety, plus greatest hits, at New Century in Manchester on Thursday 2 October. Echobelly forntwoman Sonya Madan said: “We’re really excited about the chance to play ON in its entirety. A celebration of its 30 years of existence! It’s a special journey for us and a chance to celebrate it with all who come to see us on this tour.”
Black Creative Trailblazers Showcase
Experience a spectacular celebration bringing together some of the UK’s most exciting emerging Black creatives in music, dance, fashion, art and poetry. Whether you’re there to be inspired, connect with like-minded creatives or simply enjoy an evening of unapologetic Black excellence, this is an event you don’t want to miss. Dress code: black tie.
Cupra Headlight Sessions with Hazel Mak
Headlight is a brand-new weekly residency dedicated to emerging musical talent from Manchester and beyond. It will host exclusive listening parties, Q&As and intimate album launches, shining a light on rising stars and the next generation of UK music. On Friday 3 October, award-winning Malawian-born Afrohouse artist Hazel Mak, who has been recognised at the AFRIMA Awards and supported by the British Council, will launch her latest album in Manchester.
JOHN BISHOP: 25
On 2 October 2000, John Bishop stepped onto the stage at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester to perform his first ever comedy gig in front of just a handful people. He was working by day in the pharmaceutical industry, but that night, as he picked up the mic and performed for the very first time, he changed his life forever.
Now, a quarter of a century later, the comedy superstar is embarking on his tenth stand-up tour John Bishop: 25, to celebrate his incredible 25 year career. He will perform a huge date at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 4 October.
Diamond D All Vinyl 45 DJ Set
The iconic Diamond D brings his all vinyl DJ set to Salford. Founding member of DITC and producer Diamond D first brought a stack of seven inch records to town in 2016, and since then that night has gone down in history. This edition will be as close to an original hip hop block party you are going to get – all vinyl and all the original breaks that are the foundation of so many records you know and love.
New Animals – Ritual
New Animals return to the DBA for Ritual – a celebration of the new, spooky season. Expect a twisted night of music, performances and art at the Cheetham Hill venue, which promises to be a ‘feast for the senses’. Alongside the usual antics, there will be SFX face painting, live photography and mind blowing performance art.
Quantic
Will Holland’s long-running project Quantic will be landing at the Pink Room with its Latin-inspired electronica, part of a crammed European tour taking in shows in Oslo, Barcelona, Paris, Athens and Istanbul. Expect a wide-ranging DJ set guaranteed to have waistlines winding.
This Thing of Ours
A pack of Manchester-based veterans put in a shift at this brand new evening-to-night session pushing broad electronic sounds to the dancefloor. Catch Nanny Banton (Trench Noir), Tim Bob, Amy Amor (Present Tense), Animaux (Apéritif), Mouridis (renae) and Martin Guttridge-Hewitt.
Opera Omnia by Space Afrika and Valentin Noujaïm
Electronic music duo Space Afrika join forces with filmmaker Valentin Noujaïm on new project Opera Omnia, performed live with Manchester Camerata.
Experience the UK premiere of the new film starring Axelle Fanyo with a live soundtrack from Space Afrika and award-winning Soprano Nardus Williams, followed by a reading from Dante’s Inferno and a collaborative set with Manchester Camerata featuring new, unreleased music.
Opera Omnia tells the story of two Black teenagers, who are navigating a strange and dark night in Manchester, guided by Space Afrika’s haunting soundscapes. As the boys are pulled into an urban odyssey, the film becomes a surreal, Lynchian exploration of the city’s underground.
Shaker Loops
Manchester Collective – the ever-changing chamber music ensemble – take on John Adams’ ‘Shaker Loops’, a high-energy composition which pays homage to Shaker worship, from the 18th Century. Joining them is Christ Bryan, the Lancastrian poet in residence of The White Hotel. Sounds like an unlikely meeting? Potentially – expect a heady mix of life, death, god and industrial smog.
Mr Scruff, Metrodome & MC Kwasi: Keep It Unreal Afternoon Tea Party
Mr Scruff’s residency returns to Band On The Wall for a six-hour B2B Sunday session with fellow Manchester legend Metrodome, kicking off in the afternoon so you can be tucked up at a reasonable hour. Raised in Hulme, Metrodome has been tearing up clubs since the age of eight and has enjoyed residences at iconic venues including The Music Box and Sankeys, a pretty impressive achievement. The wild-haired wizard of the breakbeat joins the legend that is Andy ‘Mr Scruff’ Carthy for a wide-ranging sonic voyage into the unknown.
Electrik Sunday Roast
Chorlton institution Electrik welcome in the colder months with the return of their roasts. Lead by award-winning chef Tom de Terre, the much-loved venue will serve classic roasts and all the trimmings. The highlight of the offering is their renowned sharing platter – including a mix of roasts meats and all the extras for £20 per head. There’s even all-day Happy hour on Sundays and weekly changing DJs in the evening.
