Soooo many gigs, so little time. But we’re here to help, with a round-up of the best things happening in town and beyond.
We’ve got pop royalty – genuine pop royalty – indie-pop-cartoon legends and an icon of the blues.
Here are the best gigs to get out to in March…
Couch
Formed across bedrooms and built over FaceTime, Boston six-piece Couch are bringing their groove-led pop sound to Manchester as part of their international Big Talk tour. With a debut album on the way and a reputation for tight, joyful live shows, this fundraiser date marks another big step for a band who took the long route and made it count.
Egyptian Lover
LA legend Egyptian Lover brings four decades of electro, hip-hop and 808-driven funk to Manchester, drawing on his early days with Uncle Jamm’s Army and classic tracks like Egypt, Egypt. Expect a deep, high-energy set rooted in dancefloor history, with support from Atiké and Dr. Mystery warming things up.
Harry Styles – One Night Only
Manchester’s biggest pop export is coming home for a one-off celebration, as Harry Styles announces a special One Night Only show to mark the release of his fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally. Taking over Co-op Live on 6 March, the arena date lands on the same day the new record drops, giving fans the chance to hear the songs live for the very first time. This is set to be a party.
The Antlers
The Antlers head to Manchester with Blight, their stark 2025 album that shifts focus from personal heartbreak to ecological anxiety and the fragility of the world around us. Now a duo of Peter Silberman and Michael Lerner, they’re leaning into minimal arrangements and whispered melodies, bringing an intimate, slow-burning live show to YES’ Pink Room, an almost improbably intimate setting to be seeing these heavyweights of the alternative indie genre.
Lily Allen performs West End Girl
Lily Allen heads to Manchester’s Aviva Studios as part of her 2026 UK tour, performing her new album West End Girl in full across two nights. It’s her first album since 2018’s No Shame, written between Los Angeles, London and New York, and shaped by ‘autofiction’, drawing on the emotional fallout of her split from David Harbour. Expect a start-to-finish live run of the unflinching record, played exactly as it was intended.
Eric Bibb
Blues and roots legend Eric Bibb returns with One Mississippi, a new album that blends blues, folk, soul and Americana into songs about history, hope and unity. Joined by his full band and supported by the quietly brilliant Janileigh Cohen, expect a warm, thoughtful night of storytelling and musicianship from one of the genre’s most enduring voices.
Kyle Falconer
Kyle Falconer, former frontman of The View, is touring new solo material with a stop off at Manchester’s Night & Day Cafe. Having recently unveiled ‘Midas Touch’, a sleek, R&B-tinged alt-pop anthem featuring Peter Doherty, taken from his upcoming solo album Lovely Night of Terror. The track pairs two distinctive indie voices on a nostalgic duet about romantic regret, while the wider record sees Kyle branching into Americana and atmospheric pop ahead. Summer festival dates beckon.
Kesha at Aviva Studios
Global pop icon Kesha lands in Manchester with her biggest tour yet in March. The T*ts Out Tour sees the TiK ToK hitmaker perform her first headline run in the UK and Europe in over a decade, in celebration of her new album . (PERIOD). Catch Kesha at Aviva Studios on 13 and 14 March 2026.
Keep Walking Live
Keep Walking Live: Manchester is taking over the city with three days of £5 gigs, DJ workshops and community sessions curated by Johnnie Walker and global radio platform NTS. From DJ EZ and Anz at SOUP to KOKOROKO at New Century Hall and an intimate closing set from Nubya Garcia at Impiety Hour (formerly Peste), the weekend champions independent talent while raising funds for Brighter Sound Ltd.
Strong Feelings @ Rainy Heart
The first instalment of new night Strong Feelings will see Moodymanc (Balaphonic/2020 Vision) – aka eminent Manchester producer and DJ Danny Ward – seizing control of the ones and twos. Joining him to take the magnificent Rainy Heart sound system for a spin will be Strong Feelings residents Tom Swallow (of Roots Before Branches) and Sprechen Music’s Lovebreak, taking in everything from Steve Winwood to Ron Trent. Just the good stuff, basically.
Dave – The Boy Who Played the Harp Tour
Grime icon Dave’s new tour lands in Manchester on 16 March, where the South London rapper will take over Co-op Live in support of his upcoming third album ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp’. Known for his unmatched lyricism and introspective storytelling, the album is set to mark another evolution for one of British rap’s defining voices.
Reneé Rapp
Reneé Rapp is out and about out on her Bite Me Tour in 2026, bringing with her sassy pop anthems like Leave Me Alone, Mad and Why Is She Still Here to UK arenas alongside fan favourites from her debut album, Snow Angel. It’s her biggest UK run yet as she ascends as a tour de force of transgressive pop.
Wu-Tang Clan: The Final Chamber Tour
Hip hop heavyweights Wu-Tang Clan arrive in Manchester as part of their worldwide Final Chamber tour, bringing decades of razor sharp bars and era-defining anthems to one of the city’s biggest stages. Expect a set packed with classics, deep cuts and pure Staten Island energy. Oh, and a ruckus.
Bill Ryder-Jones + guests
Merseyside-born Bill Ryder-Jones brings a rare solo piano and four track performance to one of Stockport’s most dramatic settings – St. Mary’s Parish Church – surrounded by stained glass, vaulted ceilings and soaring acoustics. Organisers say to expect an intimate performance dripping in both ‘hope and heartbreak’. It’s the second in a series of test events pairing musical artists with unexpected Stockport venues, ahead Sidelines festival, which debuts this summer. Ryder-Jones will be joined by an as-yet-unannounced support act.
Gorillaz – The Mountain Tour
After a sold-out House of Kong exhibition and arena shows praised as by The Guardian as ‘still riveting and relevant’, Gorillaz are heading back out on the road with The Mountain Tour, landing for two dates in Manchester. With a live set expected to span their ever-shifting, semi-fictitious career, it’s the first date of a major arena run for Jamie Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s virtual musical ensemble. Support comes from Omar Souleyman.
Daniel Avery x Helios
Techno auteur Daniel Avery takes over Victoria Baths for a euphoric DJ set staged inside an empty swimming pool, directly beneath Luke Jerram’s vast sun sculpture Helios. With Aletha warming up the space and Avery moving from deep, hypnotic textures into full lift-off territory, it’s a unique collision of music and sculpture one of Manchester’s most striking venues.
Déyyess
Alt-pop artist Déyyess has just dropped the deluxe edition of Would You Go Down On A Girl?, adding two new tracks written in the midst of new love and longing. Blending dream-pop nostalgia with glossy modern production, the project doubles down on her diaristic take on queer desire and emotional freefall, just as she prepares to head out on her first headline UK and EU tour. In Manchester she stops of at The Deaf Institute, catch this rising star while she’s still playing rooms of this size.
