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

MARTEN LOU COMBINES WITH LUCH ON NEW SINGLE "HIDEAWAY" ON WARNER MUSIC

Marten Lou keeps the exciting collabs rolling: following his track “Need You” with Colyn, his second single of the year emerges from another creative partnership – this time with Mexico City’s Luch. The two DJs and producers are not only longtime friends but also share a passion for warm, organic sounds, deep grooves, and the courage to look beyond the usual house boundaries. “Hideaway” is going to be premiered live at the end of March during Miami Music Week, where Marten Lou and Luch shall play it together for the first time.

The track grew out of an ongoing creative exchange: the two had previously demonstrated their musical chemistry in 2025 with a joint remix of Wales’ viral hit “LoveHate Thing (feat. Sam Dew)” (260 million streams). From there, the dialogue continued through ideas, demos, and sketches shared regularly. “Hideaway” is the result of this sustained collaboration.

"Even from the very first version I had the feeling that there was something special about it," says Marten Lou. “The track has a bit of an indie house character, which feels like a natural evolution from what we did before. We both wanted to create something that still carries emotional depth but also feels fresh and slightly different from our previous collaboration.”

That balance is reflected in the sound: “Hideaway” builds on a hypnotic groove that slowly unfolds, while warm textures and subtle melodies create a dense, almost cinematic atmosphere. For Marten Lou and Luch, the emotional impact was key. “For us it was important that the song creates a certain feeling of escape,” explains Marten Lou. “Whether they’re listening at home or on the dance floor, the song has a very uplifting and emotional energy, which is something I always try to capture in my music.”

The lyrics mirror this feeling perfectly. The song tells the story of an emotional safe haven, a person who provides support when everything else feels unstable. “My light when I’m in the dark / My soul when I’ve lost my heart” sings the refrain, leading into the central line: “I’m safe now you are my hideaway.” It’s this mix of vulnerability and liberation that drives the track: a brief moment of escape from reality captured within a warm, pulsing club context.

“Hideaway” also fits seamlessly into Marten Lou’s musical evolution. Melodic and emotional elements have always been part of his sound, but here they gain a new texture that is slightly more organic and indie-inspired. At the heart of it all is Marten Lou’s drive to explore new textures and sonic directions without ever losing the emotional essence that defines his work.

Timed with both the release and March’s Miami Music Week, Marten Lou also anded the front cover of Mixmag LATAM & Caribbean— a bold visual statement that was hard to miss in the city.

 Follow Marten Lou

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