Johnnie Walker x NTS: Keep Walking Live

Connecting scenes, sounds and spaces across Manchester, Keep Walking brings a three-day, city-wide programme of gigs, club nights and workshops to some of the city’s most vital venues.

Keep Walking Live is billed as a first-of-its-kind, city-wide music programme built around pioneering sounds and the communities that shape them. The weekend opens on Friday 13 March at SOUP with a night focused on UK garage and bass-driven club music. UKG icon DJ EZ headlines, joined by two of the most respected heads in Manch

ester’s underground club scene – Anz and Finn – plus emerging local talents KD22LR and Tyronwithnoe. It’s a line-up that draws a line from scene-defining legacy to Manchester’s present tense, through to the next names bubbling up from the underground.

On Saturday 14 March, the programme splits across day and night. The afternoon centres on DJ culture and knowledge-sharing, with free, bookable workshops at the NTS Manchester Studio led by Finn and Abena, followed by a DJ showcase at Eastern Bloc featuring Annabel Fraser, Kim Lana and Rick. That evening, New Century Hall hosts an afro-fusion and neo-jazz celebration. Kokoroko bringing a joyous mix of jazz, Afrobeat and neo-soul, while the Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Venna offers an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the UK’s contemporary jazz renaissance.

The weekend closes on Sunday 15 March at Impiety Hour with the ‘Sunday Slow Down’, combining listening sessions and panels featuring local figureheads. The evening finale features a stripped-back performance from Nubya Garcia, whose work bridges jazz, dub and Afro-Caribbean traditions. She’s supported by Manchester’s own ambient duo Space Afrika and Oriki, whose music spans Afro jazz, spiritual highlife and ambient.

Curated by Johnnie Walker in partnership with NTS, the programme runs from 13-15 March 2026, with all tickets priced at £5 and 100% of net proceeds donated to Brighter Sound, supporting local artist development and music education across the city.