Preview: Slam Dunk North 2026
The UK’s premier pop-punk festival marks two decades of the scene with a line-up that justifies every penny of the ticket price
Live review: Kesha returns atop of the pop throne
Kesha returns to Manchester for two huge shows at Aviva Studios following an intimate performance at Albert Hall last year
Wu-Tang Clan at Co-Op Live: About time for The Final Chamber
Wu-Tang Clan wave farewell to Manchester as part of The Final Chamber tour
Album review: Embrace the magic of Sports’ self-titled synth-ride
Indie duo Sports return to music with an electric album that struggles to find any footing
Album review: Holly Humberstone crafts a ‘Cruel World’
Holly Humberstone returns with a melancholy yet hopeful second album
Winter wrapped: The most underheard releases from 2026’s early months
A look back at 2026’s current slate of ice-cold and winter-ready soundscapes as the weather grows bound to be warmer
Henry Nicholls headlines Fuel: University of Manchester’s own one to watch
University of Manchester student Henry Nicholls performs his first ever headline show and opens up about his influences and songwriting
BRIT Awards 2026: Milestone music moments for Manchester
The first BRIT Awards to be held in Manchester proves to be a triumph
Live review: Gorillaz take Manchester to the peak of ‘The Mountain’
The virtual band fronted by Damon Albarn bring a live show packed with hits and special guests
Live review: Ninajirachi cultivates an atmosphere as electric as her soundscape
Genre-bending artist on the front-lines of Australia’s underground EDM scene proves anything truly is possible with fingers, eyes, a mouse, and a screen
Basement-shaking bangers: Cheetah and Aries at Kable
Cheetah and Aries deliver a roaring night of jungle and drum-and-bass in the basement of Kable
BRITs Week 2026: YES hosts Rossi. in support of War Child
Breakthrough DJ Rossi. performs at YES for the 2026 edition of BRITs Week in what may well be his final intimate set in Manchester
AI and the publishing industry: Can human creativity keep up?
I contacted three independent publishers to garner their views on AI and discover how it is impacting the industry.
The Layers Beneath Un-Fair-Ground Exhibit at Whitworth Gallery: A Review
In the epicenter of homegrown talent, the Un-Fair-Ground exhibit provides visitors with a range of artworks whose familiarity and curiosity demand attention
All that went down in the art world, so far: Art market round-up
Five art-market stories, five minutes. A beginner-friendly snapshot of January—from auctions to geopolitics—breaking down where the art world stands now. How has this January’s market shaken the post-holiday lull?
UMMTS’ Rocky Horror was the perfect season ender
UMMTS’ Rocky Horror makes for a brilliantly enjoyable show to close out semester one
Live review: beaux brings the love to Deaf Institute on Valentine’s Day
beaux rounds off his UK tour by showcasing the quiet confidence of an artist shaped as much by persistence as by support online
Eraserhead Xiu Xiu at Gorilla: Out-Lynching Lynch
Xiu Xiu reimagine a Lynchian masterpiece as performance art that unsettles long after the lights go up
Philosophical Fiction: The Literary Antidote for a Digital Age
Literature with philosophical leanings might just be the antidote to constant doomscrolling
Album review: Kim Gordon shakes off her Sonic Youth reputation on ‘PLAY ME’
Cultural icon Kim Gordon returns with a solo album that refuses to be palatable