808 STATE (DJ SET), CHICANE, DJ SPOONY, DJ LUCK AND MC NEAT AND MORE JOIN FAITHLESS AND CRAIG DAVID AT BARTON LIVE OPEN-AIR SERIES, MANCHESTER

Barton Live has announced a wave of high-profile lineup additions to its debut four-day open-air music series at Barton Aerodrome, Manchester, which runs from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 July 2026. The new names strengthen an already standout programme that brings together some of the most influential figures in UK dance and electronic music alongside globally renowned headliners.

Saturday 4 July sees Craig David Presents TS5 elevated with a heavyweight garage and club lineup, featuring UK garage pioneers DJ Luck & MC Neat and Kiss FM mainstay DJ Spoony plus multi-genre master Patrick Nazemi. The additions underline this as a definitive celebration of UK garage and r&b past and present and complements the much loved Craig David’s signature blend of live vocals and DJing.

On Friday 3 July, iconic electronic act Faithless (Live) will now be joined by acid house pioneers 808 State who will deliver a showcase of their raw sounds with an exclusive DJ set alongside trance and progressive legend Chicane. 

Thursday 2 July is headlined by David Gray, whose Past & Present Tour is already nearing sell-out while Sunday 5 July’s Electric Heart festival features indie favourites including The Fratellis, Scouting For Girls, The Feeling, The Hoosiers, Toploader and Dodgy.

Located on Liverpool Road in Eccles, Barton Aerodrome will host four consecutive 5,000-capacity open-air shows that combine large-scale production with a welcoming and accessible outdoor setting. The site will feature bespoke staging, immersive sound and lighting and practical amenities including on-site parking and strong public transport links with early evening finishes designed to appeal to a broad audience.

Barton Live is conceived as a cohesive summer series rather than standalone events so offers audiences the opportunity to experience multiple genres and world-class performances across a single long weekend. 

Ticket prices vary by event. For more information, visit bartonlive.co.uk

Thursday 2 July
David Gray – Past & Present Tour (14+)

Support Acts TBA

Gates open: 18:00 |  Last entry: 20:00 | Event ends: 23:00

Friday 3 July
Faithless – Live (14+)

Chicane
808 State
Gates open: 17:00 | Last entry: 20:00 | Event ends: 23:00

Saturday 4 July
Craig David – Presents TS5 (14+)

DJ Luck & MC Neat 

DJ Spoony
Patrick Nazemi
Gates open: 16:00 | Last entry: 18:00 | Event ends: 22:30

Sunday 5 July
Electric Heart – Manchester Indie Festival (14+)
The Fratellis

Scouting For Girls

The Feeling

The Hoosiers

Toploader 

Dodgy

Gates open: 14:00 | Last entry: 17:00 | Event ends: 22:30

UNLOCKED SICILY CELEBRATES 15 YEARS WITH A LANDMARK SUMMER SEASON AT THE ISLAND’S MOST EXTRAORDINARY LOCATIONS

Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Francesco Del Garda, Quest, Josh Baker, Deborah De Luca and more feature across UNLOCKED’s 2026 events: AURA, SOLO and UNLOCKED Music Festival

http://unlockedparty.com | Instagram

After 15 years of shaping Sicily’s electronic music scene, UNLOCKED enters its next chapter with an expanded summer programme. Since its inception, the promoter has paired underground music with the island’s most distinctive locations, from ancient archaeological sites to coastal settings. The 15th season builds on that vision, bringing events to six breathtaking locations across Sicily.

Reflecting on the milestone, the UNLOCKED founders say: "We've spent 15 years building this community, sharing emotions through music in extraordinary places, opening this land to the world. Now we evolve. Not just to grow, but to honour what we've built and take it further than ever before."

The 15th anniversary events take place across Sicily’s most storied locations, from the ancient ruins of Segesta and the hilltop city of Palermo to the coastal town of Castellammare del Golfo, the Baroque streets of Modica, and the historic centres of Castelvetrano and Alcamo. The programme spans festival-scale and intimate events, bringing world-class electronic music into spaces of rare cultural and architectural significance.

The UNLOCKED season includes five events across five locations, with a combined capacity of 30,000 and introduces three distinct event formats that will shape how the season unfolds. Aura is the flagship format with large-scale, immersive events rooted in culturally significant spaces. Solo presents single-artist performances in intimate historic settings, offering a more focused encounter between artist and audience. Meanwhile, Unlocked Music Festival continues as the brand's established multi-day format, with broader lineups and wider audiences.

Full event announcements, lineups and ticketing information will follow in the coming months.

Below are the events revealed so far. Additional events and venues will be announced throughout the season

LOCATIONS

Segesta Archaeological Park // Porto Nuovo, Castellammare del Golfo // Castelló dei Conti di Modica // Sistema Delle Piazze // Gibellina // Alcamo // Trapani // Palermo

UNLOCKED 15TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

AURA (1st-2nd May)
Aura Festival @ Segesta Archaeological Park

Francesco Del Garda
Quest
Onur Ozer
Oshana
Josh Baker
Traumer
Locklead
Bartolomeo

AURA (1st June)
Palermo

Lineup TBC

UNLOCKED MUSIC FESTIVAL (25th July)
Unlocked Music Festival @ Porto Nuovo, Castellammare del Golfo

Marco Carola
Ilario Alicante
Frank Storm

AURA (14th August)
Aura @ Sistema delle Piazze, Gibellina

Lineup TBC

SOLO (22nd August)
Solo @ Castello di Modica, Alcamo

Lineup TBC

+ MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

SANKEYS MANCHESTER ANNOUNCES SEASONAL CLOSING PARTY AND SEPTEMBER REOPENING

Instagram | Website

After a standout run to start the year, iconic Manchester club Sankeys has confirmed details of its seasonal closing party alongside plans to reopen later this year following a short summer break.

The Sidney Street venue will host its seasonal closing party on Saturday 27 June to mark the end of a successful first run since reopening. The night will serve as a final send-off before the club temporarily closes its doors for the summer period.

Reflecting on the season, Wilf Gregory, Club Partner of Sankeys, says, “We have truly been blown away by the love and support in our first season of reopening and it’s been an honour to bring back such a well loved brand as Sankeys to Manchester. That being said, we will be taking a break this summer to fine tune the venue and sound ready for our winter season.”

Sankeys will return with a reopening party on Saturday 26 September, kicking off a carefully curated programme and a renewed focus on its signature underground club experience. The pause will allow the team to further refine the venue and enhance its sound system ahead of the next chapter, with more bookings that reflect Sankeys's original ethos but through a contemporary lens, and always with the music front and centre. 

Since relaunching, Sankey’s has re-established itself as a key fixture in Manchester nightlife, bolstered by a 6am licence and the return of its iconic in-house brand, The Redlight. The club has welcomed a mix of established and emerging artists such as Felix Da Housecat, Maya Jane Coles, Solardo, Stacey Pullen, Steve Lawler, Nick Curly, Josh Butler, Heidi, Lauren Lo Sung, Priku, Reboot, Seb Zito, Tania Vulcano and more with regulars like Pirate Copy, Idris Dee, Kellie Allen, Luca 606 and Krysko anchoring the true Sankeys sound.

For further information and tickets head to https://sankeysofficial.com/