Sounds of the City returns to Castlefield Bowl this year with a stellar line-up featuring dance acts, 2000s pop-rock and classic indie hits.
Over the years, the summer concert series has featured performances from some of the biggest names in music, including Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, Kylie Minogue and Elbow. 2023’s line-up included The Lathums, Pulp, Hozier and Blossoms.
This year, Sounds of the City will see headline performances from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Manic Street Preachers, Fatboy Slim, Jungle and Tom Grennan across eight shows this month.
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The shows will kick off on July 3 with Avril Lavigne, and will conclude on July 13 with a performance from Hacienda Classical featuring iconic dance anthems reimagined by a full orchestra.
Whilst the majority of the shows have now sold out, there are some limited tickets available via Ticketmaster. If you’re one of the lucky few that already has tickets to these special set of shows, then we’ve got the details you need to know - including getting there, support acts and which artist is performing when.
We are currently still waiting for set times from the promoters. Last year’s Sounds of the City shows saw doors open at 5.30pm, with most headliners taking to the stage between 8pm and 9pm. We will update details when we get confirmation for each show.
Some resale tickets will be available for a number of the shows. As always, it is important to note that many event promoters say tickets, sold on sites like Viagogo and Vivid Seats as two examples, should not be resold after initial purchase and will not be valid for admittance to gigs.
Fans attending live events with tickets acquired through resale websites are advised to double check the ticket terms and conditions at the point of sale - such as Ticketmaster or Live Nation - to ensure a smooth live event experience. Tickets could be voided if they were found to be bought second-hand. As a result, fans are buying at their own risk.
Wednesday, July 3, 2024 - Avril Lavigne
Fresh from her Glastonbury set at the weekend, pop-rock princess Avril Lavigne will kick things off with an energetic show on July 3. The Canadian singer first emerged onto the music scene with her debut single Complicated in 2002, taken from her debut album Let Go which has sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.
Since then, some of her other mega-hits have included Sk8r Boi, Girlfriend, What The Hell, I’m With You and My Happy Ending. She released her seventh studio album, Love Sux, in February 2022 which featured collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly and Mark Hoppus from Blink-182.
For the Castlefield show, Avril will be supported by early-2000s Canadian rock band Simple Plan. Since the release of their debut single I’m Just a Kid back in 2002, the band have released six studio albums, including 2022’s Harder Than It Looks. Their biggest hits include Perfect, When I'm Gone and Summer Paradise.
We have been informed that doors open at 5.30pm, with the show's curfew set for 10.30pm.
The show has sold out, but there are a limited number of resale tickets currently available via Ticketmaster.
Thursday, July 4, 2024 - The National
Having already impressed audiences at Sounds of the City back in 2019, American band The National return to Castlefield Bowl for another night of indie rock.
Made up of Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, Scott Devendorf, the five-piece first broke out with their self-titled debut album in 2001, but it wasn't until the release of their fourth album Boxer in 2007 where they really started to rise to prominence.
Last September, the band released their tenth studio album Laugh Track, which was a top 40 hit here in the UK. Throughout their career, the band members have also worked on several other musical projects outside of the group, including guitarist and bassist Aaron, who has worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Bon Iver and Taylor Swift on music.
On the July 4 show, The National will be supported by This Is The Kit. Also the alias of British musician and frontwoman Kate Stables, the folk-rock band has released six albums, including 2023's Careful of Your Keepers.
A small number of tickets are still available via Ticketmaster here.
Friday, July 5, 2024 - Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim, AKA Norman Cook, will be delivering the good vibes and good tunes during what is set to be a stellar performance on July 5.
The DJ and producer first emerged onto the music scene in 1996 but it was his second album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby, in 1998 that really brought attention to him. The number one album spawned hits including Right Here, Right Now, The Rockafeller skan* and Praise You.
Through numerous live tours and festival appearances, his large-scale productions have been big crowd pleasers featuring a number of his big hits as well as classic dance songs.
Fatboy Slim will be supported by East London-based DJ and producer Absolute, as well as house and disco DJ Rio Tashan. A limited number of resale tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
Saturday, July 6, 2024 - The Saw Doctors
Returning to Sounds of the City for the second year running are Irish rock band The Saw Doctors.
Led by Leo Moran and Davy Carton, the six-piece have released seven albums, including 1991 debut If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back and 2010's The Further Adventures of... The Saw Doctors. Having covered everyone from the likes of Petula Clark and the Sugababes, some of their big hits include I Useta Lover, To Win Just Once and World of Good.
For their Castlefield Bowl show on July 6, the band will be supported by folk singer Billy Bragg and Irish band The Undertones, who started out in the 1970s and have released a number of albums since. Their debut self-titled album was previously named by Q as one of the 100 greatest British albums of all time.
A limited number of general and resale tickets can be found on Ticketmaster.
Sunday, July 7, 2024 - Tom Grennan
29-year-old Tom Grannan, who has scored two UK number one albums, will be performing at Castlefield Bowl on July 7.
The singer, who is known for hits including Little Bit of Love, Lionheart (Fearless), How Does It Feel and Not Over Yet with KSI. His debut album, Lighting Matches, was released in 2018.
The three-time BRIT Award nominee has also worked with the likes of Calvin Harris, Joel Corry, Ella Henderson, and Chase & Status over the years.
Supporting Tom during his Sounds of the City show will be Victor Ray and Brooke Combe. 24-year-old Victor started out busking on the streets in London before uploading videos on TikTok. He recently released his debut EP I Tried. R&B and soul artist Brooke went viral last year with her take on Baccara's 70s hit Yes Sir, I Can Boogie and released her debut album Black Is The New Gold last year.
Resale tickets are available via Ticketmaster here.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 - Loyle Carner
London-based hip hop artist Loyle Carner will be performing at Castlefield Bowl on July 10.
The Mercury Prize-nominated artist, who was shortlisted in 2017 for his debut album Yesterday's Gone, has worked with the likes of Nas, Kae Tempest, Arlo Parks and Jorja Smith. He released his third album, Hugo, in October 2022 which went to number three in the UK album chart.
Loyle will be supported by Manchester legends Children of Zeus for the Sounds of the City gig. There are still some resale tickets available on Ticketmaster.
Thursday, July 11, 2024 - Jungle
It’s been a big year so far for funk and nu-disco outfit Jungle. Hot on the heels of their Ivor Novello Award-nominated and viral hit Back on 74, the producer trio will perform in Manchester on July 11.
Having released their fourth album Volcano last year, the Jungle, who released their fourth critically-acclaimed album Volcano last year, first emerged in 2014 with their self-titled debut which was nominated for the Mercury Prize.
The band, made up of Josh Lloyd-Watson, Tom McFarland, and Lydia Kitto, won the BRIT Award earlier this year for British Group, beating out competition from Blur, Chase & Status, Headie One & K-Trap and Young Fathers.
It has not yet been announced who will be supporting Jungle on their Castlefield Bowl show. There are currently no tickets available, but keep an eye on Ticketmaster.
Friday, July 12, 2024 - Manic Street Preachers and Suede
Hugely-successful music legends Manic Street Preachers and Suede will co-headline a show together at Castlefield Bowl on July 12.
The Manic Street Preachers are one of the most influential Welsh bands having released 14 albums since 1986. Their biggest hits include the likes of A Design for Life, If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, You Stole the Sun from My Heart and Your Love Alone Is Not Enough.
Meanwhile, Suede, led by Brett Anderson, won the Mercury Prize for their self-titled debut album in 1993 - which also earnt a record at the time for the fastest-selling debut in nearly ten years. They have to date released nine studio albums, including 2022's critically acclaimed Autofiction, with some of their biggest hits including Saturday Night, Beautiful Ones, Electricity and Stay Together.
It has not yet been announced if any artists will be supporting the two acts during the show. Some limited resale tickets can be found on Ticketmaster here.
Saturday, July 13, 2024 - Haçienda Classical
Rounding up the Sounds Of The City line-up of gigs will be a show that truly is the definition of the sound of this city - and it's another that's returning following a popular show last year.
Haçienda Classical on July 13 will reimagine dance hits once spun at the legendary Manchester club as modern orchestral anthems with the assistance of some powerhouse vocalists, including Ultra Naté, CeCe Rogers and Alison Limerick.
As part of the special show, there will also be DJ sets from the likes of David Morales, Graeme Park, Greg Wilson and Peter Hook - ensuring it will be a night to remember. There are currently no tickets available on Ticketmaster.
How to get there
Castlefield Bowl is located on Rice Street in Castlefield (M3 4JR) and is just off of Deansgate in the city centre.
There are two entrances for ticket holders - via Duke Street/Castle Street, which is also the disabled access entrance, or via Liverpool Road where you access the site down steps.
By public transport
It is roughly a five-minute walk from Castlefield Bowl to the main line train station at Deansgate. Here you can also access the Deansgate-Castlefield tram station where there are trams every 12 minutes connecting to all of the main tram routes in the Greater Manchester area.
By car
If you're driving, a number of NCP’s Great Northern car parks are just a short walk away. There are 1,240 spaces in total and prices start from around £3.95 per hour. Use the postcode M3 4EE if using a sat nav.
The NCP Manchester Central next to Bridgewater Hall car park is also nearby, with 643 spaces. For sat navs the postcode is M15 4PS. The next nearest NCP is on Spinningfields on Quay Street with 680 spaces.
