Sounds of the City to return to Manchester in 2018

Shed Seven, Hacienda Classical, Rag 'N' Bone Man and more announced.

Sounds of the City have been announced for Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl in the summer of 2018.

The concert series will feature headline shows from Shed Seven, Hacienda Classical, The Levellers, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, and Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott + Elvis Costello & The Imposters.

Shed Seven will be joined by Reverend and the Makers, and The Twang. Stereo MCs will join Hacienda Classical, while The Levellers will be supported by New Model Army and more to be announced.

Shed Seven made a triumphant return this year having released their first new album in 16 years. Instant Pleasures entered the UK charts at No.8, featuring singles Room In My House and It’s Not Easy. They’ll take to Castlefield Bowl on the 29 June alongside Reverend and the Makers and The Twang.

Following last year’s A Beautiful Day Out, The Levellers return to the Bowl on Sunday 1 July, billed as a sister event to their Beautiful Days festival. More acts are expected to be announced soon who join them and New Model Army.

On Friday 6 July, the Bowl will host Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott + Elvis Costello & The Imposters. Heaton and Abbott will be performing tracks from their 30 year history, including their latest album Crooked Calypso. Costello arrives after a major Las Vegas residency, promising timeless pop melodies, piano ballads and solo narrative interludes.

Rag ‘N’ Bone Man will headline the event for the first time on Wednesday 4 July, following the success of debut album Human. He’s sold near 900,000 copies in the UK alone, having played sold out shows across Europe.

Hacienda Classical will be back on the 30 June with a brand new soundtrack. DJs Mike Pickering and Graeme Park will team up with the Camerata for a night of classic dance music, joined by Stereo MCs.

Here’s how that line-up looks in full so far: