Music

Johnny James, Managing Editor

From drone metal to art pop, free festivals to gigs in museums, welcome to one of our more eclectic music updates.

We start in the fog with Sunn O))), who bring their tenth sternum-rattling drone metal album to Project House, before heading to The White Hotel for One Leg One Eye, where Irish mythology meets industrial noise.

The gain knob comes down just a hair with Wednesday at The Ritz, whose alt-country noise and brilliant lyric writing made Bleeds one of last year’s most acclaimed rock records. Down we come again with sideways art poppers 1000 Rabbits, who are helping Now Wave launch their new venture: The Old Abbey Taphouse in Hulme – now simply ‘The Abbey’.

Then something extra curricular: Amplified: Music of Protest brings RNCM students into the People’s History Museum after hours, to perform new music among the strike banners and protest placards that inspired it.

Closing on a freebie, We Invented the Weekend returns to Salford Quays this weekend, with highlights including Afriquoi, Afrodeutsche and English National Opera.

Our top picks

Ora Cogan at The Abbey

Ora Cogan at The Abbey, Manchester, 24 August 2026, From £18.50 - Book now

Gothic country ballads, psych-folk drones and pedal steel drawn long and slow define a record made away from music entirely.

Ora Cogan by Alexa Black.
Ora Cogan by Alexa Black.

Champion Trees at The Peer Hat

Champion Trees at The Peer Hat, Manchester, 9 August 2026, From £10.00 - Book now

For fans of early Black Country New Road, Champion Trees render stalled lives and small defeats in exacting, wry and self-deprecating detail.

Champion Trees.
Champion Trees.

Lauren Auder at YES Basement

Lauren Auder at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 29 September 2026, From £15.61 - Book now

British-French singer-songwriter Lauren Auder brings her second,a post-industrial love album album to YES Basement.

Lauren Auder
Lauren Auder

Greg Freeman at YES

Greg Freeman at YES, Manchester, 20 August 2026, From £18.00 - Book now

Greg Freeman mines local history for character-driven tales of violence, loss and epiphany on his second album, Burnover.

Greg Freeman by Steve Gullick
Greg Freeman by Steve Gullick

Manchester Psych Fest 2026

Manchester Psych Fest at Albert Hall, Manchester, 5 September 2026, From £44.80 - Book now

O2 Apollo becomes Pysch Fest’s main stage for the first time, with Billy Nomates and bdrmm heading the final wave.

Image courtesy of Now Wave.

The Hallé – Choral Classics at The Bridgewater Hall

The Hallé - Choral Classics at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 11 July 2026, From £18.50 - Book now

All killer no filler. The Hallé presents three centuries of choral heavyweights performed by full orchestra, choir and children’s choir together.

Hallé Choir
Alex Burns - The Hallé

Amplified: Music of Protest at People’s History Museum

Amplified: Music of Protest at People’s History Museum, Manchester, 4 July 2026, From £13.00 - Book now

RNCM students perform new music inspired by Manchester’s protest history, after hours at the national museum of democracy.

Singer playing keyboard
Hannah Walker, RNCM

International Concert Series at The Bridgewater Hall

International Concert Series at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 29 September 2026–24 July 2027, From £8 - Book now

Nine centuries of music, one incredible local story, and a Wagner opera that the composer feared would drive people mad.

Tadaaki Otaka by ©Takashi Iijima.

Wednesday at The Ritz

Wednesday at The Ritz, Manchester, 25 August 2026, From £29.95 - Book now

Victory lapping the best album of their career so far, there hasn’t been a better moment yet to catch these North Carolina rockers.

Photo by Zachary Chick, courtesy of Grand Stand.

DJ HELL at The Golden Lion

DJ HELL at The Golden Lion, Todmorden, Todmorden, 24 July 2026, From £13.20 - Book now

An electronic auteur, a veteran of the world’s major clubs, and the man who named electroclash – playing a pub in Todmorden.

DJ HELL
DJ HELL

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark at Rochdale Town Hall Square

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark at Rochdale Town Hall, Manchester, 7 August 2026, From £55.00 - Book now

This summer, foundational British synth-pop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark return to Rochdale, the town where they recorded ‘Electricity’, the breakthrough single that helped set their trajectory.

Synth pop Icons
Image courtesy of Sonic PR

More Music

DJ HELL
MusicTodmorden
DJ HELL at The Golden Lion

An electronic auteur, a veteran of the world’s major clubs, and the man who named electroclash – playing a pub in Todmorden.

From £13.20
Champion Trees.
MusicManchester
Champion Trees at The Peer Hat

For fans of early Black Country New Road, Champion Trees render stalled lives and small defeats in exacting, wry and self-deprecating detail.

From £10.00
Greg Freeman by Steve Gullick
MusicManchester
Greg Freeman at YES

Greg Freeman mines local history for character-driven tales of violence, loss and epiphany on his second album, Burnover.

From £18.00
Ora Cogan by Alexa Black.
MusicManchester
Ora Cogan at The Abbey

Gothic country ballads, psych-folk drones and pedal steel drawn long and slow define a record made away from music entirely.

From £18.50
MusicManchester
Wednesday at The Ritz

Victory lapping the best album of their career so far, there hasn’t been a better moment yet to catch these North Carolina rockers.

From £29.95
Tokky Horror at Partisan by Jess Robinson.

Never Miss a Show.

Subscribe to our newsletter for curated arts and culture picks, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By subscribing, you confirm you have read and accept our privacy policy

Image by Jess Robinson.

Explore Music by city

  • Music Venues in Liverpool

    When it comes to music venues, there's more to Liverpool than the Cavern Club. Lots more. Here are our top spots in the city.

  • Music Venues in Leeds

    Boasting a strong musical heritage, Leeds has a wealth of music venues to match: from suburban social clubs and former textile mills to co-operatively run DIY spaces.

  • Photo of the Halle orchestra at Bridgewater
    Music Venues in Manchester

    Manchester is still a great place to watch new and innovative music – so here’s a guide to where to watch the best live music in the city.

  • Music Venues in Sheffield.
    Music Venues in Sheffield

    With a strong and diverse musical heritage, you'll find many music venues, appeasing different tastes, in the city of Sheffield.

Hotel Guides

  • Photo of the exterior of the Palace Hotel
    Hotels in Manchester

    To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to Manchester's best hotels.

  • The Nadler Hotel exterior
    Hotels in Liverpool

    There’s no shortage of hotels in Liverpool, but you don’t have to go far to find something a bit more stylish than a Travelodge. Here’s our guide.

  • Hotels in Leeds.
    Hotels in Leeds

    Leeds has plenty of new types of accommodation, from sleek, modern luxury to affordable art hostels and grand accommodation in green space.

  • Great Victoria Hotel
    Hotels in Bradford

    For a weekend break in a private apartment or an overnight stay in high luxury, we've rounded up the best places to stay in Bradford, Ilkley and Saltaire.

Recently covered restaurants

The Abbey
Manchester
Restaurant
The Abbey

Historic Hulme pub with a very good live gig space, brought to you by the very capable team behind YES, Gorilla, Now Wave and Manchester Psych Fest.

City Centre
Restaurant
Portfolio

Portfolio is a Champagne boutique on Manchester’s Bridge Street, offering a set menu of fine-dining small bites.

The Old Abbey Taphouse
Manchester
Restaurant
The Abbey

Now Wave – the team behind YES and some of the best independent gig programming in the city – have taken over The Abbey.

Deansgate
Restaurant
Podium

Podium delivers high-end, seasonal dishes, largely geared around produce and ideas from the British Isles, but with a few deft twists and turns.

Spotlight on

Food and Drink in the North

It's heatwave time, so set your small talk phasers to 'weather' and get out there and grab some cold drinks and delicious food.

Take me there