As Winter is fast approaching, October is a perfect time to hide away from the dropping temperature and watch some incredible live music. This month is a packed one with some classics and newer artists, it’s certainly a busy one! Here is what’s going on in Manchester this October.

October 1
 Darren Kiely — Gorilla
Jill Scott — Apollo

October 2
 The Inspiral Carpets & The Wonderstuff — Victoria Warehouse
GB — White Hotel

Bill Callahan — Aviva Studios

 

October 3
 Grace Petrie — Aviva Studios
Sigils — Aatma
Elanor Moss — Low Studio Four
Jake Xerxes Fusssell — Halle St Peters
Dead Wells — The Abbey

October 4
 Club Brat — The Lodge
Spitalfield — Rebellion
Walt Disco — Wax & Beans, Bury

October 6
 Baest — Star and Garter
Emma Harner — New Century Locker

October 7
 Sparta — Yes
Dice — Deaf Institute
Gilla Band + Sin Clair — The White Hotel
Cinder Well — New Century Locker

October 8
 Dylan Flynn and the Dead Poets — Night and Day
Alice Costelloe — Yes Basement

Savanna Funk – Band on the Wall

October 9
 The Cheap Thrills — Academy
Jasper Llewellyan — Sacred Trinity Church
Hue & Cry + Roachford — Bridgewater Hall
Buffalo Tom — Band on the Wall

October 10
 The HU — Apollo
Crash Test Dummies — Band on the Wall

October 11
 The Hanging Stars — Night and Day
The Yummy Fur — Kamera
Sam Tompkins — Club Academy

October 12
 Jim Jones All Stars — Night and Day
October 13
 Beth Orton — Stoller Hall
Arab Strap — Band on the Wall
Pip Millett — Locker

October 14
 Boris — Gorilla
10 Years — Club Academy
John Craigie + Jobi Riccio — Yes
Ulrika Spacek — The White Hotel

October 15
 Hollow Hand — Yes
Eleine — Rebellion
Perennial — The Modernist Gallery Shop

October 16
 The Mountain Goats + Craig Finn — Albert Hall
Sophie & the Silhouettes — Kamera
Alison Moyet — Apollo
 Gurriers — New Century Hall – Formed six years ago mid pandemic, Gurriers have spent this time refining their sound. It took them two years to be able to play their first show and when they did it was immediately a sold-out crowd in their hometown in Dublin, and after that they have done nothing but rise. In late September, they released their second record, “Nobody’s Coming To Save You” which has received incredible acclaim from critics. Gurriers have played a few times in Manchester, notably supporting fellow Irish band Inhaler, and a special gig at Projekts skatepark. This gig at New Century Hall promises to be a good one so don’t miss out!
Mercury Rev — Ritz
Mica Paris — Band on the Wall
The Wanted 2.0 — Club Academy

October 17
 Courtney Barnett — Aviva Studios
AV Sunset — Kamera
Margaret Glaspy — Halle St Michaels

October 18
 Huey Morgan — Band on the Wall

October 19
LSD & The Search for God – Gorilla  LSD & The Search for God, have one of the biggest cult followings in modern day shoegaze music despite not much being known about them. In 2007, they released their self-titled debut EP, which sold out and couldn’t be restocked until the following year, and 9 years later they released a second EP titled ‘Heaven’. There isn’t too much to say about LSD & The Search for God as they very rarely do interviews and keep a very low profile, but clearly the music speaks for itself and this gig should not be missed!

The Falling Doves – Band on the Wall

October 20
 Transvision Vamp — Ritz
 Brandon Flowers — Apollo

October 21
 Allie X — Academy 2
La Sécurité — The Abbey
Melanie C — Ritz
The DSM IV — Yes
Why Horses? — Rat & Pigeon

October 22
 Pina Palau — The Abbey
Goldie Looking Chain — New Century Hall
Tigercub — Academy 3
 Personal Trainer — Band on the Wall – Personal Trainer are one of the most exciting indie bands in the music scene today, for nearly a decade, fans and critics have loved the blend of wit and satiricalness of frontman WIllem Smit, and this has taken them from the underground scene in Amsterdam to all over the world. Their latest release ‘Human Assholes’ gives them another chance to show off to the world. To read more about their latest record, check out the review on the SIlent Radio Website.

 

 Sigils — Star and Garter – Formed in Macclesfield in 2022, Sigils are an alternative metal quartet, who promise to blend elements from metal, post-rock and post-metal to create incredibly raw and vulnerable music. Forming in 2022 over a shared love for metal music, the band have continued to perfect their craft and managed to self-fund their debut album ‘108’ which released earlier this year. Critics have described it as an ‘interesting and exciting journey with lots of intimate and vulnerable moments’ What makes Sigils so exciting however is their take on the music that influences them which can clearly be heard across the record. Doors for Sigils are at 6:30pm.
Maria Taylor — The Eagle Inn

October 23
 The Proclaimers — Apollo
Antony Szmierek — Academy – Manchester born and raised Antony Szmierek started his career as an English Teacher, he was an author and performed spoken word poetry at open mic nights in Manchester, during COVID, he put his poetry to music. Following one of his singles being played on BBC Radio 6 Music, he got widespread attention and was named one of their artists of the year. That same year in 2023, he performed at Glastonbury. This October, Szmierek is playing Manchester academy on his tour celebrating the release of his second album, “Decoding Birdsong”. Doors for Antony Szmierek are at 7pm.
Kita Alexander — Deaf Institute
The Coral — Albert Hall
Afterdrive — Kable

October 24
 The Undertones — Ritz
Death Valley Girls — The Abbey

October 24 & 25
 A Certain Ratio — Band on the Wall

October 25
 Khalid — Aviva Studios
Cancer Bats — Gorilla
Soft Loft — The Abbey
James Blake — New Century Hall

October 26
 Arlo Parks — Albert Hall
Lucia & The Best Boys — Band on the Wall
The Strokes — Co-op Live

October 27
 Penelope Isles — Yes

October 28
 Panchiko — New Century Hall – Panchiko are one of the most exciting acts in Manchester this October. In 2016, a CD was found of their ‘Deathmetal’ EP was found in a charity shop and then shared across social media, since then they have amassed a cult following. In 2025 they released their second album ‘Ginkgo’. Supporting Panchiko is legendary shoegaze and dream pop group Alison’s Halo, so it is set to be an amazing gig not to be missed!

October 29
 Modern Woman — The Abbey
Jamie Grey — Deaf Institute
Freya Skye — Aviva Studios

October 30
 Fever Dream Kills — Night and Day
Formal Sppeedwear — Deaf Institute
Shed Seven — Academy 2
The Reytons — Co-op Live

October 31
 Adult DVD — Gorilla
 Manic Street Preachers & Suede — Co-op Live
Noahfinnce — Academy 2