Music
Best Live Music in Manchester This Month: June 2026
Our guide to the must-see gigs, concerts and club nights in Manchester this month
Manchester’s gig calendar isn’t slowing down as we head into May, with a packed week of live music across the city’s biggest arenas and most beloved grassroots venues. From chart-topping pop and R&B icons to rising indie stars and underground favourites, there’s something for every kind of music fan. Whether you’re after a huge night out or a more intimate show, here are the best gigs happening in Manchester this month.
Catch North Carolinian folk singer Barrett on his first UK tour
- Where: The Lodge at The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HE
- When: Tuesday 23 June
Rising artist Barrett comes from Boone, North Carolina, an Appalachian mountain town. He takes inspiration from the musical heritage of that area in his own music, as well as recalling the likes of Noah Kahan and Mumford & Sons. This is his first trip to the UK, so be sure to give him a warm welcome at The Deaf Institute’s smaller room, The Lodge.
Get tickets to Barrett at The Lodge at The Deaf Institute
Let Kaytranada’s groovy beats put you in a dance trance
- Where: Co-op Live, Etihad Campus, 1 Sportcity Way, Manchester, M11 3DL
- When: Tuesday 23 June
Kaytranada is one of the best DJs and producers on the scene right now, picking up Grammys as well as a devoted fanbase and working with the likes of Anderson .Paak, Childish Gambino and PinkPantheress. His latest album ‘Ain’t No Damn Way!’ delves into house, putting his groovy beats front and centre. It’ll be a hypnotic, ecstatic dance party when he takes the stage at the Co-Op Arena on Tuesday.
Get tickets to Kaytranada at Co-Op Live
Get to know fast-rising Brooklyn singer-songwriter Ike Dweck
- Where: Manchester Academy 3, Manchester University Students Union, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PR
- When: Thursday 25 June
Ike Dweck is an independent folk singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, and he’s quickly gathering an online fanbase with his raw, confessional, anthemic songs. Now, he’s hitting the road, and Manchester will host his only headline performance in the UK. This is another one for fans of Mumford & Sons, Noah Kahan or The Lumineers – so it’s looking like a stacked week if that’s your cup of tea.
Get tickets to Dweck at Manchester Academy 3
Get blasted by Bilmuri’s chaotic country-metal
- Where: O2 Victoria Warehouse, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, M17 1AB
- When: Friday 26 June
Bilmuri (yes, pronunced Bill Murray) is the moniker of Johnny Franck, a former founding member of metalcore favourites Attack! Attack!. With Bilmuri, he makes a combination of country-pop and metalcore that’s chaotic, silly and a lot of fun. Get on board, and prepare for it to get wild.
Get tickets to Bilmuri at O2 Victoria Warehouse
Genre-hop with ‘heavy metal boyband’ Banks Arcade
- Where: YES Basement, YES, 38 Charles Street, Manchester, M1 7DB
- When: Saturday 27 June
Originally from Auckland, New Zealand before relocating to Melbourne, Banks Arcade are a four-piece making a slick blend of electro-pop and metalcore. If you like your heavy riffs with a side of catchy melodies, these guys are worth getting into. They’ll be bringing the heat to the intimate basement room at YES.
Get tickets to Banks Arcade at YES Basement
Get Sexistential with Robyn
- Where: Co-op Live, Etihad Campus, 1 Sportcity Way, Manchester, M11 3DL
- When: Saturday 27 June
Robyn is an electro-pop icon, with tracks like ‘Dancing On My Own’ and ‘With Every Heartbeat’ some of the best that the genre has to offer. In the music industry since she was a teenager, she’s been considered an influence on some of pop’s biggest stars, from Charli XCX to Harry Styles to Dua Lipa. Last year saw the release of her ninth album, ‘Sexistential’, on which she processes motherhood and sensuality through dynamic synth-pop, to overwhelming critical acclaim. The atmosphere will be sweaty and electric at the Co-Op Live on Saturday night.
Get tickets to Robyn at Co-Op Live
Vibe with viral R&B maestro Chezile
- Where: The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, M1 7HE
- When: Sunday 28 June
Chezile (real name Alejandro Sanchez) is an R&B singer-songwriter from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who became a viral sensation with the woozy, yearning track ‘Beanie’ in 2023. His impeccable vocals and atmospheric production mark him as a real one to watch, and we’re betting that he’ll bring one hell of a vibe to The Deaf Institute.
Get tickets to Chezile at The Deaf Institute
Join the cult of The Funeral Portrait
- Where: Rebellion, 2B Whitworth St W, Manchester, M1 5WZ
- When: Monday 29 June
The Funeral Portrait are a post-hardcore troupe from Atlanta, Georgia, whose all-out theatrical stylings, introspective subject matter and collaborations with genre legends have won them a cult following. And cult is an apt word, since they refer to their live shows as ‘Devotion Ceremonies’. If you’re ready to join the cult, head to Rebellion next Monday night.
Get tickets to The Funeral Portrait at Rebellion
See Elvis Costello & The Imposters perform Costello’s earliest hits
- Where: Palace Theatre, 97 Oxford St, Manchester M1 6FT
- When: Wednesday 24 June
Elvis Costello is one of Britain’s certifiable musical legends, being considered one of the best songwriters of his generation and inspiring generations after him. He’s incredibly prolific, having been releasing albums regularly since the ‘70s; but for his latest tour, ‘Radio Soul!’, he’s focusing specifically on his earliest hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s. An absolute treat for Costello fans, in the grand setting of the Palace Theatre.
Get tickets to Elvis Costello at Palace Theatre
Christen a new venue with Suffolk indie newcomers 1000 Rabbits
- Where: The Abbey, Guildhall Cl, Manchester, M15 6SY
- When: Thursday 25 June
The Abbey is a new pub and music venue which has just opened up in Hulme, on the site of the Old Abbey Taphouse which sadly closed last year. Its opening slate of gigs is looking really promising, with touring artists and Manchester locals filling the bills. 1000 Rabbits are indie newcomers from Suffolk, with their debut EP ‘Are We Friends Yet’ dropping last month. They’ll be headlining the new venue on Thursday; it’s a great opportunity to get a pint and celebrate live music.
Get tickets to 1000 Rabbits at The Abbey
