The lineup is nothing short of extraordinary, the main headliners taking an excursion to Manchester are Calvin Harris, Sammy Virgi and Skepta. Huge names in the modern day music scene, these guys know how to get a crowd going.

In the next row down we have performances from Zara Larsson, Chris Stussy, Josh Baker, NIA Archives,  and Shy FX. Not only are these huge names displaying their talent there are also countless other exciting names on this stacked lineup.

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The festival predominantly features music of the electronic/dance genre. The festival is notorious for its high-energy genre blending shows and leaves attendees tiresome after a long weekend of dancing.

Sammy Virji is a performer to keep a close eye on. The english electronic dance DJ has grown a dedicated fan base growing with each musical release and stage show. His iconic single “Stella Verse” was a breakout hit that solidified Virji’s status as a key figure in the UK garage scene. The tracks success emphasised an ever-growing appetite for UK garage.  Make sure you catch him at Parklife to witness his genre bridging performance.

Calvin Harris’s set is certified to be the one to look forward to the most. The Scottish DJ was the first artist to place three songs simultaneously on the top 10 of Billboards Dance/Electronic Songs chart. He is also the first solo UK artist to reach over one billion streams on Spotify. His fanbase are dedicated and raring to see a new set from him, Harris plays significantly more shows abroad than in the UK, with his performance schedule being dominated by high-profile consistent residencies in Las Vegas and Ibiza. UK fans have paid their dues and are awaiting a stellar Calvin Harris performance on their home soil.

Looking to grab your own tickets? Presale sign up is available on the Parklife website. Attendees can sign up via email and phone number to receive an exclusive access code. The planned ticket sales are as follows:

–              PayPal Presale – 10am Tuesday Jan 27

–              Standard Presale – 10am Thursday Jan 29

–              General Sale – 10am Friday Jan 30

Parklife 2026 is set to take place on Saturday June 20 and Sunday June 21 at Heaton Park in Manchester. General sale is set to start on January 30, tickets are available via Ticketmaster UK, Skiddle, See Tickets, and Fatsoma. Always confirm a ticket ugliest validity before purchasing online. Good luck getting tickets to one of the most anticipated festivals of the year!

The raucous weekend first came about in 2007 after a group of students decided they wanted to put together their own rave, aptly named the Mad Ferret Festival. The event kicked itself into gear in Platt Fields Park, Rusholme, but by the early 2010s it had relocated to Heaton Park and christened as Parklife. Since then, the event has witnessed a huge surge in popularity and has been crowned the UK’s largest metropolitan music festival, growing from a one-day event in a field to over 160,000 ticketholders rushing to north Manchester every year.

After today’s announcement, superstar rapper Doja Cat has no doubt cemented herself as the queen of the 2024 festival season, boasting headline slots across the globe for Coachella, Rock in Rio and Open’er Festival. The polarising singer and internet personality is most certainly set to bring the heat ahead of her European leg of The Scarlet Tour.

Festival-goers can also expect performances from powerhouse vocalist Becky Hill, DJ and singer Peggy Gou and Canadian producer Kaytranada, as well as unmissable sets from Anne-Marie, Nia Archives, Fourtet, Barry Can’t Swim, ANOTR, Camelphat, Rudim3ntal, Digga D and Sugababes.

Welcoming a multitude of different genres, the festival has since steered away from indie bands headlining in recent years, predominantly featuring dance, electronic and hip-hop acts to cater to its everchanging audience. This year is predicted to mark a new era for the festival, showcasing a brand new stage, jaw-dropping production, state-of-the-art tech and fewer line-up clashes.

Early Bird tickets sold out rapidly in December 2023, but an exclusive 2024 presale will be open from 10am on Thursday 25th January to anyone who has registered. Registration closes the night before at 6pm on Wednesday 24th January. Three Mobile customers will be able to purchase Saturday and Sunday tickets or full weekend tickets 24 hours before other customers on Wednesday here. Tickets including VIP access and coach travel are also available.

All remaining tickets will go on general sale from 10am on Friday 26th January which you can purchase from Ticketmaster. Both day and weekend tickets will be available either to pay in full or by deposit and signing up to a payment plan.

For those not wanting the party to end, Parklife’s official afterparties, ‘Afterlife’ have been unveiled, including an after-hours set from Kaytranada. You can grab tickets here.

The Ballad Of Darren, out 21st July 2023.

1. The Ballad
2. St Charles Square
3. Barbaric
4. Russian Strings
5. The Everglades (For Leonard)
6. The Narcissist
7. Goodbye Albert
8. Far Away Island
9. Avalon
10. The Heights

Pre-order now: https://t.co/NYFL2LWFDV pic.twitter.com/qYbul5MHgS

— blur (@blurofficial) May 18, 2023

The news comes with the releasing of a single from the upcoming album, “The Narcissist“, an uplifting, alternative rock track that is lyrically both bittersweet and retrospective.

Listen to “The Narcissist” below:

The album announcement follows the recent news that the Britpop heavyweights will play a series of small UK warm-up shows this month, starting tonight in Colchester, that will precede a run of European dates and, on July 8th and 9th, a couple of huge Wembley shows.

Fans of the 90s icons will undoubtedly be astonished by the arrival of a new album that will immediately follow a reunion tour, perhaps even more so than the announcement of the reunion itself back in November last year.

The Ballad Of Darren is set to be Blur’s ninth studio album and their first in eight years, following the release of The Magic Whip in 2015. The LP was recorded at Studio 13 in London and was produced by Frontman Damon Albarn’s long-term collaborating partner James Ellis Ford.

Albarn, on the retrospective nature of the record, told NME that the album has “reflection and comment[s] on where we find ourselves now“, and has described the release as an “aftershock record“. Guitarist Graham Cox added, “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job“.

Blur were formed in London in 1988, with Damon Albarn on lead vocals, Graham Cox on guitar, Alex James on bass and Dave Rowntree on drums, and the ever-present quartet will be the same come July. The group released their debut album, the shoegaze heavy Leisure, in 1991, and transitioned to a more guitar pop orientated style with their next three releases, Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), and The Great Escape (1995), helping kickstart the Britpop movement and creating a rivalry with Oasis in the process.

Watch the music video for “Parklife” below:

The ever-evolving group then transitioned to lo-fi indie rock with their self-titled album of 1997 before moving into a more experimental, alternative rock phase with 13 (1999) and Think Tank (2003).

Watch the music video for “Song 2″ below:

You can pre-order The Ballad Of Darren now here.

See below for tour dates:

19/05/2023 – Colchester Arts Centre – Colchester
21/05 – Eastbourne Winter Gardens – Eastbourne
26/05 – The Halls – Wolverhampton
28/05 – O2 City Hall – Newcastle
01/06 – Primavera Sound – Barcelona
08/06 – Primavera Sound – Barcelona
10/06 – Primavera Porto – Porto
24/06 – Malahide Castle – Dublin
27/06 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam
30/06 – Roskilde Festival – Roskilde
06/07 – Beauregard Festival – Normandy
08/07 – Wembley – London
09/07 – Wembley – London

Purchase tickets here.

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Marking its tenth year, Parklife will also be introducing some brand new stages for the first time. These stages include the likes of Defected, underground giant Fuse, techno heavyweights XXL and tastemakers Eat Your Own Ears and Repercussion. The festival website has also commented on there being a “great variety of food stalls onsite offering a wide range of food including organic, vegetarian and vegan options. There will be a large number of bars selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.”

There are a limited number of remaining tickets available here.

The full lineup and set times can be found below:

Saturday

Parklife Stage

Rich Reason 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Jordss 1.00 PM – 2:00 PM

Yung Filly 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

ArrDee 4:25 PM – 4:55PM

Joy Crookes 5:25 PM – 5:55 PM

Mahalia 6:25 PM – 6:55 PM

Headie One 7:25 PM – 8:05 PM

Tiffany Calver 8:05 PM – 8:35 PM

Loyle Carner 8:35 PM – 9.20PM

50 Cent 9:50 PM – 10:50 PM

The Valley

Yung Omz 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Girls Don’t Sync 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

The Interplanetary Criminal 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Yung Singh 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Conducta 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Shy FX w/ Stamina MC 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Andy C w/ Tonn Piper 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Central Cee 6:50 PM – 7:25 PM

DJ EZ 7:40 PM – 8:40 PM

Chase & Status Live 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

The Hangar

Zutekh DJ’s 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

EFFY 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Or:la 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

HAAi 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Mella Dee 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Mall Grab 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM

Peggy Gou 6:15 PM – 7:30 PM

Four Tet 7:30 PM – 9:15 PM

The Understate 11:00 AM – 1:15 PM

Arielle Free 1:00 PM 2:15 PM

Dom Dolla 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Danny Howard 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Purple Disco Machine 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Gorgon City 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Sonny Fodera 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Repurcussion

ALETHA – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Tarzsa 12:00 PM – 12:40 PM

BERWYN 12:55 PM – 1:35 PM

Sofia Kourtesis 2:05 PM – 2:50 PM

Four Tet B2B Chloe Robinson 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Ross From Friends 5:20 PM – 6:20 PM

Children of Zeus 6:50 PM – 7:20 PM

ENNY 7:50 PM – 8:20 PM

Kojey Radical 8:50 PM – 9:30 PM

Tom Misch 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM

XXL Presents

Kander 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Blasha & Allatt 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Wallis 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Amelia Lens 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Nina Kraviz 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Carl Cox – Live Hybrid 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Kobosil 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

FJAAK 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Charlotte De Witte 9:30 PM – 11:00PM

Fuse

Michael James 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Youandewan 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Dana Ruh 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Rich NxT – 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Apollonia 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Seth Troxler 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Ricardo Villalobos 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Enzo Siragusa 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Parklife FM

Josh Baker 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

La La 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Jaguar 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Prospa 4:00 PM – 5.30 PM

Salute 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Saoirse 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Chaos In The CBD 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Sunday

Parklife Stage

Nicola Bear 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM

Max 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM

House Gospel Choir 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM

Mae Muller 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Raye 3:45 PM – 4:15 PM

Arlo Parks 4:45 – 5:25 PM

Caroline Polacheck 5:55 PM – 6:35 PM

Lewis Capaldi 7:05 PM – 7:45 PM

Megan Thee Stallion 8:15 PM – 9:00 PM

Tyler, The Creator 9:45 – 11:00 PM

The Valley

KRYSKO 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Hammer 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM

TSHA 2:15 PM – 3:40 PM

Jayda G 3:40 PM – 5:10 PM

Annie Mac 5:10 PM – 6:40 PM

Overmono – Live 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM

The Blessed Madonna – 7:45 PM – 9:15 PM

Bicep – Live 9:45 PM – 11:00 PM

The Hangar

SYREETA 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Sarah Story 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Cristoph 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Ewan McVicar 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Skream 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Michael Bibi 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

CamelPhat 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Eric Prydz 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Eat Your Own Ears

Will Tramp! 12:00 PM – 1:05 PM

Kamal 1:20 PM – 1:50 PM

Bklava 2:20 PM – 3:20 PM

George Fitzgerald 3:50 PM – 4:40 PM

Pink Pantheress 5:20 PM – 6:00 PM

Tems 6:25 PM – 7:05 PM

Jessie Ware 7:35 PM – 8:20 PM

Fred Again.. 8:50 PM – 9:35 PM

Folamour – Presents Power to The People – 10PM – 11:00 PM

The Temple

Fleur Shore 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Alisha 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Joey Daniel b2b Pirate Copy 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Mason Collective 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

East End Dubs 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Patrick Topping 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Joseph Capriati 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Marco Carola 9:30 PM – 11:00 AM

Defected Presents

Dunmore Brothers 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Mele 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Dan Shake 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Louie Vega 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Low Steppa 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM

Sam Divine 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM

John Summit 8:15 PM – 9:30 PM

Eats Everything – 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM

20 Years Of Metropolis

North base b2b Mark XTC b2b Mollie Collins w / Tonn Piper 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Turno b2b HEDEX / w Tonn Piper 1:30 PM – 2:20 PM

Metrik w / Lowqui 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Holy Goof 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Bou w / Haribo 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Kings Of The Rollers w / Inja 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Dimension 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Wilkinson w / Ad Apt MC 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Hybrid Minds DJ set w / Tempza 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Sub Focus w / MC ID 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Parklife FM

Eliza Rose 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

ABSOLUTE 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Moxie 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Krystal Klear 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

I.JORDAN 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Joy Orbison 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Special Request b2b KETTAMA 9:00 FM – 10:30 PM

LONDON! It’s going down Friday June 10th at the SSE Arena, Wembley. We’re going to have a good time! Don’t Miss Out • https://t.co/HDHrnuGB3Z pic.twitter.com/VXU44Ljl1p

— 50cent (@50cent) January 26, 2022

The hitmaker is set to play London’s The SSE Arena on 10th June 2022; the upcoming arena show will be the artist’s first performance in the capital since his 2018 show at The O2 arena. After his appearance at the Manchester festival, the “Candy Shop” rapper will perform at Dublin’s 3Arena on 12th June 2022. 50 Cent also shared information concerning the upcoming show on Twitter.

Dublin, Ireland! It’s going down Sunday June 12th at 3Arena! We’re going to have a good time! Don’t Miss Out • https://t.co/6zoKoANax4 pic.twitter.com/J7pbfneWYr

— 50cent (@50cent) January 26, 2022

In other news, the American artist is set to star in the upcoming fourth instalment of The Expendables franchise. The hotly anticipated sequel will mark the rapper’s twenty-eighth feature film. The action film is scheduled to be released this year and features a cast full of the genre’s most sought-after actors including Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. Otherwise known as Curtis James Jackson, the artist appeared in the second and third instalments of the series. Last December the actor-musician shared an Instagram post announcing the forthcoming motion picture.

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The “21 Questions” performer was first seen on the silver screen in the film Get Rich or Die Tryin’, released on 9th November 2005 the film was the rapper’s acting debut. The feature was advertised as a loose biopic of the artist’s life, despite receiving somewhat negative critical reception Jackson’s performance was praised and he was heralded as a multi-talented artist.

50 Cent burst into the charts with his debut solo album Get Rich or Die Tryin, the album was released on 6th February 2003 and catapulted the American rapper into stardom. The album sired five singles including the top-five hit “In Da Club”, the track was era-defining and received many nominations and awards including a Grammy Award nomination for best rap song.

Jackson is well known for his industry-wide talent; the artist has found success in all avenues of the entrainment industry including TV. Last December the rapper expressed interest in creating a modernised version of The Cosby Show. In an Instagram post, Jackson wrote, “I have had a crush on @phyliciarashad for forever. I don’t know, she can talk with her eyes. she was just it, I think it was The Cosby Show it was the only representation of Black love on TV. I gotta make us a new one.”

Tickets for 50 Cent’s headlining appearance at Parklife Festival went on sale this morning, ticket sales for the artist’s London show open on Friday 28th January at 9:30 am.

Click here to purchase tickets.

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The headlining acts confirmed include Tyler The Creator, 50 Cent, Megan Thee Stallion, Lewis Capaldi, Arlo Parks, Jamie XX, Headie One, Caroline Polachek, PinkPantheress. The announced headliners also include Chase & Status; the electronic duo join a long list of DJs and producers also set to perform live sets, including Bicep, Annie Mac and Peggy Gou, Joy Crookes, Kojey Radical, Jessie Ware, Bay Boy Chiller Crew and Mahalia.

Joining the headliner acts is a platter of musical acts including Eric Prydz, Loyle Carner, Central Cee and Joy Crookes. The festival will also feature stage takeovers from Defected, London based promoters Eat Your Own Ears, Fuse, Kaluki, Metropolis, Repercussion and radio stations XXL, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra.

The registration to purchase tickets via the event’s pre-sale has now closed, those who have registered were given access to the pre-sale today. The general sale for tickets will commence on Thursday 27th January from 10 am, however, the tickets are subject to availability as general sale tickets are leftover from the pre-sale. The tickets are available to purchase as Weekend tickets and for each separate day, all ticket options include the four tiers of VIP, General admission, travel pass valid with event ticket and VIP upgrade.

The British festival was co-founded by music business entrepreneur Sacha Lord, and before moving to its current location in Heaton Park in 2013, the festival was initially held in Manchester’s Platt Fields Park. The festival was previously called Mad Ferret Festival and held its first event in 2010, headlined by Friendly Fires, Booka Shade and Calvin Harris.

Through the years the festival has grown in size and popularity and continues to attract ticketholders with impressive lineups. The festival is partners with Livenation and The Warehouse project, a club night series also co-founded by Lord which orchestrates live music events within Manchester. The events have been a staple of the city’s nightlife since 2006 and have organised performances from Aphex Twin, Basement Jaxx and hometown heroes Happy Mondays.

Music fans who are unable to attend will still be able to experience the festival from the comfort of their own home, Parklife Festival 2022 will be broadcasted by BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Talking to NME last month about the return of Parklife this summer, Sacha Lord, co-founder of the festival, said, “We pushed back Parklife to September and we’re confident it will go ahead. We’ve got New Order on the night before and we’re gearing up for success with an 80,000 capacity.”

He added, “We’re not considering operating with social distancing – I personally don’t like these socially distanced events. I think to go to a proper gig or a proper rave you need to be shoulder-to-shoulder in a hot sweaty environment. You cannot create that atmosphere at a socially distanced event.”

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The festival has now revealed its full line-up, including some of the biggest names in hip-hop and electronica. Saturday 11th will see artists such as Dave, Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, Burna Boy, Kaytranada, Carl Cox Peggy Gou, Nines, and Andy C take to the stage. Meanwhile, during an equally impressive line-up on Sunday 12th, artists such as DaBaby, Skepta, Disclosure, AJ Tracey, Jamie XX, Bicep, Slowthai, and Little Simz are also set to perform.

The festival has often drafted in hip-hop and electronica artists; however, since its establishment in 2010, Parklife has increased its focus on these two genres. The festival has also hosted a wide variety of indie artists over the past ten years, including Two Door Cinema Club, The Maccabees, Foals, The 1975, and Bastille. Such acts, however, are not featured at all in the 2021 line-up, which is perhaps indicative of the changing landscape of the UK music scene.

Parklife has a history of putting together exceptional line-ups, with DJ Mag’s Top Festival 2019 list ranking the two-day festival at number 29. This year, the festival’s headliners are a mix of domestic talent and international superstars, with Dave headlining alongside Megan Thee Stallion on Saturday, and Da Baby headlining alongside Skepta on Sunday.

The international artists that will feature at the festival also stretch beyond our American cousins, with Jamaican dancehall and reggae singer Koffee and Grammy Award-winning Nigerian superstar Burna Boy making appearances over the two days. Parklife 2021 will undoubtedly attract a wide-array of music fans from across the country.

Tickets for Parklife were set to go on general sale March 25th (tomorrow) at 10am but have now already sold out through pre-sale.

The hearing will begin at 10am and stream live on parliamentlive.tv, with Parklife co-founder Sacha Lord and Boomtown Communications and Strategy Director Anna Wade appearing to speak along with CEO of UK Music Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, CEO of the AIF Paul Reed and the General Secretary of the AFO Steve Heap.

According to a press release, they will explore the requirements “for UK-based music festivals to survive the impact of Covid-19 and the health and financial barriers to planning festivals in 2021.” Many other festivals and venues have been attempting to find strategies to manage the virus and still hold events, including Glastonbury and Primavera.

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Usually held in South Downs National Park in August, Boomtown posted to their Instagram last week to celebrate the new year, writing, “The dawn of 2021 is a chance to allow real and tangible change to take place; towards a better planet and care for all living things.” This year’s five-day event will run from 11th-15th August. In Parklife’s last Instagram post on 7th December 2020, they explained that they have moved their weekend dates to 11th and 12th September, to allow them time to plan. They assured fans that “a huge lineup is almost ready, that we can’t wait to show you in January. Trust us when we say it’s going to be worth the wait.”

 

 

 

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Yesterday, Wednesday 19th August, it was announced that registration is now open, and those who sign up will gain access to pre-sale tickets, as well as being in with a chance to win four Weekend VIP tickets. Ticket-holders for the 2020 festival can hold on to their tickets and carry them over to this upcoming event.

Are you ready for the games to begin?

Registration for Parklife 2021 is now open, sign up for early access to tickets and be a chance of winning x4 Weekend VIP tickets – https://t.co/SFyDoElIW3

Save the date : Heaton Park, June 12 & 13 2021 pic.twitter.com/lOm0gMlifA

— Parklife 2021 (@Parklifefest) August 18, 2020

Taking place in Heaton Park on 12th and 13th June 2021, there is more news to come in the next few weeks. Organisers have said next year will be “an unrivalled party weekend filled with the best names in modern music,” while fans were told to “expect more surprises, bigger names and memories that’ll last a lifetime. There’s only one place to dance again.”

2020 had planned to have acts such as Lewis Capaldi, Skepta, Georgia, Joy Crookes, Mahalia, and Tyler, The Creator. Sunday tickets sold out completely, and the other options were close to selling out as well, but it was at this point that the event was cancelled, as were many others.

Blur’s Damon Albarn has spoke out about this decision, stating that the main factor in turning down these gig opportunities is in fact Brexit. After being given the chance to perform the record in full, Albarn said “I would only want to perform if it was a positive thing”. 

Of course, the main track on the album is ‘Parklife’; a tune that defined BritPop and celebrated Britishness in the most positive and upbeat way. To the band, performing this song in the midst of the disastrous Brexit talks wouldn’t represent what the song is really all about – being proud to be British. 

Albarn went on to say: “Say we got to the point of having a second referendum, then I would be happy to play that record as a celebration and a way of reminding ourselves of a time when we had an idea of Britishness that wasn’t political”. 

Despite not re-uniting for such a momentous anniversary, Blur did perform a surprise gig in London at the end of March. ‘Africa Express’ was put together by Damon Albarn and is a celebration of music artists from around the globe; the event has been running since 2006, some of the previous performers being Paul Mccartney, Paul Weller and Johnny Marr. 

Even though we may not see Blur take to the stage anytime soon, we can still celebrate the anniversary ourselves, and hope that Brexit doesn’t ruin any other momentous British music milestones!