It would be impossible to deny that Manchester is a city of music. With venues stretching across the city centre and beyond, as well as an ever-growing scene of upcoming artists able to build upon an impressive legacy, Manchester certainly stakes its claim to be the music capital of the country. It’s no surprise, then, that both new and established artists are drawn here to gig, and it’s no surprise that the listings of Manchester’s venues are consistently rammed.
To narrow it down, here are five unmissable gigs taking place in the city between now and Christmas.
2 - 3 October: Ethel Cain at O2 Apollo Manchester
Credit: Samuel Chamberlain @ The Mancunion
As part of her Willoughby Tucker Forever tour, Ethel Cain is due to bring her live show from Tallahassee, Florida, to Manchester for two special nights at the O2 Apollo. The tour follows the August release of Cain's sophomore album, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You: a darkly brooding and near-flawless extension of the narrative that she has constructed for her artistic persona since her career began with the release of her debut EP, Carpet Bed, in 2019.
Expect astounding vocals, dutifully reciprocated by Cain’s devoted fanbase, set amongst the art deco design of an Ardwick Grade II listed building.
8 October: Chloe Slater at Gorilla
Described by Rolling Stone as the “Gen Z guitar hero who wants her music to unite the world”, University of Manchester alumna Chloe Slater is set to headline the 550-capacity city centre venue Gorilla in October.
With literary references, social commentary and guitar riffs that simultaneously shimmer and pierce the heart, Slater’s second EP, Love Me Please, arrived in February, accompanied by a sold-out tour the following month.
If any Mancunian is slated to be a star, it’s her: the venues she’s headlined have tripled in size in a matter of months, so this gig is guaranteed to be an 'I was there' moment.
16 October - Little Simz at Co-Op Live
Credit: Issy Hatton-Williams @ The Mancunion
After her debut album introduced her to the world of hip-hop in 2015, Little Simz has experienced a steady rise. 2019’s GREY Area provided sincere reflections on her own standing in the male-dominated sphere of rap music, while its follow-up, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, proved her to be better than most within it.
Now, it is undeniable that Little Simz is Britain’s best female rapper, and that gendered categorisation is needed less and less with each release she puts out. Lotus was released in June and stands as one of the greatest rap albums of the decade so far, incorporating elements of jazz, Afrobeats and even post-punk: an eclectic mix perfectly suited to the arena she’s due to play.
27 November: TTSSFU at The White Hotel
Similarly to Chloe Slater, TTSSFU is swiftly rising in the ranks of Manchester’s music scene. Citing aforementioned Ethel Cain as an influence, Tasmin Stephens crafts shoegaze-tinged masterpieces filled with feeling, leading the artist to land positions on prestigious Spotify playlists and amass almost 150,000 monthly listeners on the platform.
The Wigan-born artist is also signed to Partisan Records, home of IDLES, PJ Harvey and Ezra Collective, and has performed support slots for the likes of Soccer Mommy and Mannequin Pussy. In summary, a trip across the city to Salford’s famed White Hotel is definitely in order.
28 November: Wolf Alice at AO Arena
Credit: Samuel Chamberlain @ The Mancunion
The last week of November is guaranteed to be a busy week of gigs in Manchester: last year saw Charli xcx, Fontaines D.C., and Confidence Man all bring stellar shows to the city.
This year, though, it’s Wolf Alice who are due to close out the final month of autumn and finish a busy gig period in style, during the same weekend Irish trio Kneecap take over the Students' Union’s own Manchester Academy. Wolf Alice's latest album, The Clearing, received rave reviews, enabling the band to rightfully graduate to headlining arenas. With tickets as reasonably priced as they get nowadays, missing out on one of Britain’s best would certainly be a bad idea.
As usual, there’s a gig for everyone happening in Manchester this autumn: whether you’re looking for a cheap night in a grassroots venue or a performance from one of the world’s best and biggest artists, you won’t have to look far to find a great musical experience.
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