É Soul Cultura
Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura returns to the shadow of Strangeways for another night of feral scenes and general abandon, with some super-special guests recruited to provide the soundtrack. The legendary David Holmes will be in the driving seat, alongside the devastation of Rhythm Section and Permanent Vacation’s Paula Tape, all the way from Santiago, Chile (via Milan), famed for her wild Hola Mundo parties. Also on this enviable bill, fast-rising selector Jade Li and the singular Joey T. Luke Una might stick a few on too. Get ready.
Sticky Heat with Decius and Ewan Pearson
The Sticky Heat crew are back at The Yard in Cheetham Hill, after their blow-out party with the legendary Glaswegians Optimo, who tore the place to bits before Christmas. Celebrating the most auspicious occasion of their fourth birthday, residents Massey, Muddy Feet and Marco will joined on the ones and twos by SH regular Psychederek and Sezbenny. Headlining will be the most esteemed Ewan Pearson, with a live set coming from Decius.
Miles Kane
Indie legend Miles Kane celebrates the release of his latest album One Man Band with a date at O2 Ritz in February. Hear him play favourites including Rearrange and Come Closer as well as more recent offerings.
The Vaccines
Indie stalwarts The Vaccines play a rare intimate show at the Manchester Academy this month following the release of Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, which came out in January. Following the departure of founding member Freddie Cowan last year, it’s the first chance for fans to get a taste of the new music and the new line-up.
Chimpo’s 40th Birthday Bash
The one and only Chimpo is pulling in all his best DJ pals for his big four-oh celebrations at the Mint Lounge, brought together by Hit & Run. We’re talking Black Josh, Chunky, DJ Die, DJ Q, Dub Smugglers, Mark XTC, Metrodome, Nanny Banton and Rich Reason. Mega rave.
Example
Known for rap-dance anthems like Kickstarts, Stay Awake and Changed The Way You Kissed Me, Example dominated the charts in the 2010s. Now, he’s back on the road with a show at O2 Victoria Warehouse.
Phil Asher tribute at Community
Electronic music lost one of its very, very best when Phil Asher died in 2021, aged just 55. A prolific producer and DJ, he was pivotal in the West London broken beat scene of the 2000s, and a co-founder of the legendary Co-op nights. He also made regular appearances in Manchester, playing Community’s first ever party 17 years ago. A tribute night will be held at Soup, with Irfan Rainy, broken beat linchpin Afronaut from Bugz In Da Attic, Craig Smith and The Mighty Zaf. Expect fabulous tunes and soulful vibes.
Graeme Park
Hacienda legend and Manchester icon Graeme Park heads to Joshua Brooks for a rare six-hour set. Just over the road from his former Factory bosses’ HQ, the DJ celebrates 40 years behind the decks. Go worship.
Stephen Sanchez
Maybe you heard it first on TikTok, or when he performed it on stage alongside Sir Elton John at Glastonbury. Stephen Sanchez’s breakthrough single Until I Found You gained him a legion of UK fans and now he’s heading out on tour with a date at New Century in Manchester.
Enter Shikari
Hardcore rock band Enter Shikari bring their A Kiss for the Whole World tour to Manchester this month. The quartet celebrate their seventh studio album of the same name which spawned number one singles (pls) set me on fire and Bloodshot.
Sampha
Sampha kicks off a series of live events at Aviva Studios with two very special shows on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 February. Presented in the round in the warehouse, fans can expect to hear songs from the South Londoner’s second full-length album LAHAI – which follows his Mercury-Prize-winning debut Process.
The 1975
Oh, The 1975. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, following the enormous success of their At Their Very Best world tour in 22/23, the band from Wilmslow return to the Arena with the follow-up Still… At Their Very Best. Expect a set list littered with hits including Robbers, The Sound and Part of the Band.
Bombay Bicycle Club
We were thrilled when Bombay Bicycle Club returned with new album My Big Day last year, and so we’re very much looking forward to their return to Manchester this month. The date at O2 Apollo precedes the release of more new music from the band, including an EP called Fantasies.
GZA & The Phunky Nomads Live
After his last two sell out shows in Manchester, GZA Returns with the Phunky Nomads to perform Liquid Swords Live! There will be two shows on Tuesday 20 February due to phenomenal demand.
RAYE
It’s RAYE’s world, we’re all just living in it. The hugely talented singer songwriter performs in Manchester this month, bringing with her hits from 2023’s critically acclaimed debut album My 21st Century Blues, including monumental single Escapism.
The Pretenders
Iconic band The Pretenders play the stunning Bridgewater Hall in Manchester this month. Chrissie Hynde and co celebrate their 12th studio album Relentless, which was released last year, with a string of dates across the UK and Europe.
