July is always big for gigs, but this July is a particularly big one. There’s the open-air Sounds of the City series at Castlefield Bowl, huge pop acts like Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish and Jeff Lynne’s ELO are hitting up the arenas, and on the alternative circuit there are indie heroes like Lucy Dacus and Lætitia Sadier. Oh and then we heard something about a certain pair of Manc brothers…
Here are the best gigs and club nights going on in Manchester in July…
Lucy Dacus at Manchester Academy
The American singer-songwriter, and one third of supergroup boygenius (alongside Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers) brings her introspective folk rock to Manchester Academy. Latest album ‘Forever Is a Feeling’ is full of ‘transcendent, hopeful, horny moments of a young lover’s life’, according to Pitchfork. Support comes from Mancunian singer-songwriter and Radio 6 Music favourite Jasmine.4.T.
Elbow at Castlefield Bowl
Elbow return to their hometown, specifically the majestic, open air Castlefield Bowl. Expect career-spanning hits, as well as new material from their latest album ‘AUDIO VERTIGO’. It’s part of the much-loved Sounds of the City series, which brings huge acts like Elbow, Block Party and Basement Jaxx to the open-air but somehow still intimate venue across the summer.
Reyna Tropical at Band On The Wall
Reyna Tropical, led by the brilliantly multi-talented Fabiola Reyna, bring their live show to Manchester. The outfit is a musical exploration of ‘intuition, transition, connection and continuation—a celebration of spiritual survival pulsing with the beat of all things tropical.’ The performance is a relationship between Fabiola, fans, friends, musicians, DJs, and producers committed to uplifting the culture of the tropical diaspora, and creating spaces where black, indigenous and queer joy can thrive.
Sounds of the City 2025: The Charlatans at Castlefield Bowl
The Charlatans play at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl for the first time in 10 years. The band behind hits including The Only One I Know, North Country Boy and One To Another headline the outdoor city centre stage for Sounds of the City 2025 on Thursday 3 July. They will be joined by special guests Embrace and The Coral.
WAR at Band On The Wall
The multi platinum-selling, original street band WAR – the word ‘legends’ thoroughly appropriate here – bring their live show to Manchester. The band continue to share their timeless music and message of harmony after five decades of music, with hits like Why Can’t We Be Friends and Low Rider. Catch them at Band On The Wall on Friday 4 July.
Excellent Behaviour presents Maurice Fulton at YES
Excellent Behaviour presents its next knees up with an appearance from one of the very best to do it. DJ and producer par excellence, Maurice Fulton is a true maverick of the craft. So there’s not much point outlining what to expect. It could be anything. But it’ll be a journey you want to embark on, and might stop off at touch points in house, disco, hip-hop, pysch-rock, dub, electro; all the good stuff, and with a wilful abandonment of genre thrown in. In support will be Excellent Behaviour residents and creators Kelvin Andrews – known for being something of an eclectic maestro himself – and the irrepressible Joey T.
Stevie Wonder at Co-op Live
Stevland Hardaway Morris, aka Stevie Wonder, one of the most influential artists of all time, arrives in Manchester for the first time since 2008. Songwriter, singer, producer, musical polymath, he remains unrivalled, and still blowing minds at the age of 75. Expect all the classics – Isn’t She Lovely, Superstition, For Once In My Life and loads more. He brings his Love, Light & Song tour to Co-op Live on 5 July 2025.
Lætitia Sadier and Francis Lung at The White Hotel
Lætitia Sadier brings her avant-pop to the industrial surroundings of The White Hotel. Founding member of Stereolab, Sadier is known for her prolific collaborations and dreamy vocals. ‘A master of deceptive sweetness’ according to Pitchfork, she released her fifth album Rooting for Love last year. Manchester-based Francis Lung – of WU LYF – supports with his lo-fi indie pop.
Ludovico Einaudi at Co-op Live
Ludovico Einaudi may be the most-streamed classical artist in the world (around nine billion streams a year at the last count) but as an individual, he retains an eternal sense of mystery. A ground-breaking musician and composer, his live performances promise a truly immersive experience through the power of classical music. Catch him at Co-op Live on Sunday 6 July 2025.
Crop Radio Presents at MIF Festival Square
Join Crop Radio at Manchester International’s Festival Square featuring Conor & The Greenskeepers and Crop Cypher with LZ, Shadev and special guest MCs. Having just celebrated their first birthday, Crop Radio are quickly becoming an integral space for the city’s rising DJs and MCs. Join them for a showcase on 8 July to explore the magic they’re creating.
Jeff Lynne’s ELO at Co-op Live
Jeff Lynne’s ELO, one of Britain’s best-loved bands, have announced their final UK tour. The Over and Out Tour will see the band play in London and Birmingham, as well as a date in Manchester at Co-op Live on 9 July 2025, performing hits like Mr Blue Sky, Livin Thing and Don’t Bring Me Down.
Oasis at Heaton Park
“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.” The rumours were true – against all odds, rows, Twitter spats and general sniping, Oasis reformed and these historic four nights at Heaton Park will be their first live shows in 16 years. The shows will be part of their Oasis Live 25 tour, with shows also happening in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Dublin and Wembley Stadium in London. Oasis will play at Manchester’s Heaton Park on 11, 12, 19 and 20 July 2025.
Ghosts of Garage with Kurupt FM and DJ Spoony at Freight Island
Ghosts of Garage return for another massive free party at Escape to Freight Island with garage legend DJ Spoony of the iconic Dreem Teem on the ones and twos, alongside the one and only Decoy from Kurupt FM (aka Danny Rankin). Join them for an afternoon party at the vast expanse of Freight Island, promising to take in ‘the best of UKG, past, present and future’. Sounds good to us.
Mary Anne Hobbs and Anna Phoebe at Factory International
DJ Mary Anne Hobbs and musician Anna Phoebe ‘work with a freeform collision between live DJing, violins, electronics, voice, and visuals’. They are bringing their creative partnership to Factory International for a never-to-be-repeated, multi-sensory experience. Their debut performance took place at TATE Britain’s re-launch in 2023, and they’ve since collaborated with Thom Yorke’s The Smile. This new piece for Manchester International Festival promises something new entirely.
Beat-Herder Festival 2025
Much loved music festival Beat-Herder marks its 20th anniversary this summer. The Lancashire event, which takes places in the stunning surroundings of the Ribble Valley, will welcome a line-up of dance music icons and emerging talent. This year, catch the likes of Armand Van Helden, Hybrid Minds, Fabio & Grooverider and The Outlook Orchestra, 4 AM Kru and loads more on the bill.
Billie Eilish at Co-op Live
Global pop superstar, multi-Grammy, BRIT and Oscar-winner Billie Eilish lands for her long-awaited four-date run in Manchester at the Co-op Live arena, part of the UK leg of the Hit Me Hard and Soft tour. Tickets don’t get much hotter, to be honest.
Homobloc x Homoelectric presents at MIF Festival Square
The unbeatable Homoelectric and Homobloc return to Festival Square at Aviva Studios for an unmissable Saturday night with Ghetto Fabulous, Joshua James, Grace Sands and more. Born from Manchester’s legendary queer club night Homoelectric, Homobloc is the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ nightlife festival and a celebration of unity, inclusivity and love, and here it’ll be colliding with the Manchester International Festival for the first time.
Leon Bridges at O2 Victoria Warehouse
Atlanta-born soul singer Todd Michael ‘Leon’ Bridges returns to Manchester in the considerable wake of his recent, self-titled set Leon, his fourth studio album, released late last year. Channeling the lush stylings of 70s soul icons like the Isley Brothers and Sam Cooke, and even shades of Van Morrison’s pivotal Astral Weeks, it was received rapturously, as will his arrival be in the Rainy City. Expect future classics like Texas Sun and Coming Home in an acoustic-themed set.
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