Music in the North
Johnny James, Managing EditorThe outsiders, the oddities, the outrageous – we’re keeping it weird this month with a hot new batch of underground gigs about to hit Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.
Our top picks
Baths at Headrow House
2025 marks Will Wiesenfeld’s first Baths album in eight years, and his first show in Leeds in seven. It’s a big moment, then, as he brings his fourth record, Gut, to Headrow House this May.
Spring/Summer Season at Progress
Manchester’s open-air club Progress scales up to 5000 capacity and launches a spring/summer season of forward-thinking electronic music and grassroots culture.
Sextile at The White Hotel
From sunny Los Angeles to deepest darkest Salford, electronic punk duo Sextile bring an anarchic, serotonin-boosting party to The White Hotel.
Outer Waves Festival 2025
A new festival is born as Outer Waves brings to Liverpool an inclusive space for all things experimental and underground.
Sounds From The Other City
Salford’s Sounds From The Other City returns for a bumper anniversary edition this Early May Bank Holiday, ringing in 20 years by programming over 100 acts across 15 stages around Chapel Street and The Crescent.
Green Island Festival at Hulme Garden Centre
Hulme’s Green Island Festival returns this summer, bringing a three-part series of events to Hulme Garden Centre and the iconic NIAMOS.
Anika at Brudenell Social Cub
Political-journalist-turned-musician Annika Henderson is about to drop her third studio album. Apparently it’s her heaviest and angriest to date, making her intimate gig at Brudenell Social Club an extra exciting prospect.
Keeley Forsyth with Matthew Bourne at Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
When Keeley Forsyth arrived on the scene in 2019, The Guardian called her “The new Scott Walker”. Others placed her next to Beth Gibbons, Nico or Nick Cave. But the more she releases, the more she sounds like no-one other than herself.
Penelope Trappes at Sacred Trinity Church
Penelope Trappes exorcises her demons in the grand surrounds of Salford’s Sacred Trinity Church. For god’s sake, don’t tell the vicar.
Moin at Band on the Wall
Pursuing a thrilling slash-and-burn ethos to music-making, genre collagists Moin bring their rock-informed, techno-adjacent live show to Manchester.
StrangeForms Festival at Brudenell Social Club
StrangeForms Festival returns for its 10th edition, bringing two weird and wonderful days of math-rock, post-rock and post-metal to Leeds’ best small venue.
manchester jazz festival 2025
Jazz lovers rejoice – manchester jazz festival is back with a bumper edition in 2025, as the festival celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Richard Dawson at The Stoller Hall
Experimental folk artist Richard Dawson is no stranger to big musical ideas, but his new work hits different, stripping things down to the bare bones to reveal the brilliant songwriting at its core.
Hamlet Hail to the Thief at Aviva Studios
Hamlet Hail to the Thief brings Shakespeare’s great tragedy and Radiohead’s seminal album together in an intoxicating blend of theatre, music, and movement.
More music events
Sounds From The Other City
One of the country’s foremost festivals showcasing new and emerging talent, Sounds From The Other City is back over Early May Bank Holiday.
from £30
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StrangeForms Festival at Brudenell Social Club
StrangeForms Festival returns for its 10th edition, bringing two weird and wonderful days of math-rock, post-rock, post-metal to Brudenell Social Club.
from £22.00
Deep Red with Live Score by Slow Knife at Hyde Park Picture House
Slow Knife perform a brand new live score for Dario Argento’s iconic giallo as part of Leeds Jazz Festival.
from £11.50
Until
Dance:Music at the RNCM
Through a treasure trove of concerts, the RNCM’s initiative Dance:Music explores the symbiotic relationship between music and dance.
from £0.00
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manchester jazz festival 2025
manchester jazz festival is back this May with 10 days of live music from some of the best northern, national and international musicians operating in the world of contemporary jazz.
0-£30
Manchester Psych Fest 2025
Manchester Psych Fest, the UK’s trailblazing psychedelic music and arts festival has announced a massive bill for its 2025 edition.
from £44.80
Penelope Trappes at Sacred Trinity Church
Salford’s Sacred Trinity Church becomes a gothic dreamland as Penelope Trappes brings A Requiem to the fitting Chapel Street venue.
from £14
Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail with Live Score at The Old Woolen
Accomplished silent film pianist Jonny Best provides live improvised music to accompany Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller.
from £14.00
Until
Factory International Spring Season 2025
Playable art installations, Shakespearean adaptations, contemporary cabaret, hip hop and live photography, Factory International bring another electrifying Spring Season.
Hang The DJ at Treehouse Manchester
After 27 years, the groundbreaking nightlife documentary Hang The DJ takes us back to the nineties dance scene.
from £25.00
Until
Sound Out Leeds 2024/25
Leeds International Concert Season is on a mission to push boundaries, expand horizons, and ask the question: ‘What haven’t we heard?’ as it presents its city-spanning Sound Out Leeds series.
from £10.00
Until
International Concert Series at The Bridgewater Hall
The Bridgewater Hall’s flagship concert series brings the best international orchestras, celebrated recitalists and world-renowned choirs to Manchester.
from £8
Spotlight on
Hidden Bars in Manchester
Manchester's best secret, hidden and hard to find bars - here's our guide.
Take me thereMusic in the North
Manchester
Food Sorcery Manchester Deansgate Square
Food Sorcery is a popular cookery school now opening in the centre of Manchester after years of success in East Didsbury.
Manchester
Imperial War Museum North (IWM North)
Built on a former bomb site and designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, a visit to this iconic museum provides an unforgettable experience for all ages.
Manchester
HOME Manchester
Offering a packed schedule of events and things to do, HOME Manchester is one of the city’s leading hubs for arts and culture.
Manchester
Platt Fields Park
Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield is steeped in history, the land having been acquired by the Platt family in 1225.
Hebden Bridge
The Workshop, Jewellery Studio
Learn from master jewellers Robert and Jenny Dutson with their jewellery making workshops and courses at The Workshop.
Liverpool
MerseyMade West Kirby
In the MerseyMade shop you’ll find bottled gin from the likes of Turncoat Gin, Anfield Gin, Albert Dock Gin and Three Graces Gin. Yep, Liverpool REALLY likes its gin.
Cumbria
Penrith Old Fire Station
Main venue for Eden Arts, an artist-led organisation based in Eden in Cumbria creating projects around mass participation, local distinctiveness and digital engagement, from Picnic Cinema to The Winter Droving.
Waterfront
The Invisible Wind Factory
From the team behind the Kazimier, the Invisible Wind Factory is Liverpool’s most eclectic live music venue and nightclub.
Destination Guides
Culture Guides
Food and Drink in the North
Spring is here and the North is buzzing with must-visit new restaurants and bars.
Cinema in the North
Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.
Tours and Activities in the North
We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.
Theatre in the North
Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.
Family things to do in the North
Crocodile-themed Easter egg hunts, sense-sational museum trips and more this Easter!
Exhibitions in the North
From precarious ceramics to photography festivals, spring is here and brings with it a breath of fresh air in visual art and exhibitions.
Literature Events in the North
If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.