Manchester Calling - Manchester’s cultural sector has bounced back post-pandemic and generated more than £342m last year for the city, a report has revealed. The Annual Culture Impact Survey, presented to the Manchester City Council’s Economy and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee last week, declared that the figure amounted to a "very good" return on the investment of council money in culture.
According to the report, Manchester City Council invested £23.1m in arts, culture and libraries in 2023-24, which helped leverage a further £159.2m from other private, public and other funding streams during the same year. It said this represented an overall economic boost to the city of more than £342m, an amount deemed to demonstrate a post-pandemic recovery. The report also revealed that footfall at Manchester’s cultural venues stands at 93% of its pre-pandemic figure from 2019-20, with 9m people visiting cultural venues in the city in the last year.
Tickets To Ride - Ticket sales for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour seem to have gone without a hitch. In contrast to the chaos surrounding Oasis and Taylor Swift's tours, online queues were kept to a minimum, and most people found the tickets they were looking for. "I was in straight away, only 600 in front of me," wrote one fan on Reddit. Beyoncé's six UK dates at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in June will be her first shows since 2023's record-breaking Renaissance Tour. Ticketmaster said prices ranged from £71 to £950, but cheaper tickets were also available direct from the stadium's own website.
Hall of Fame - Oasis and New Order are among the 14 acts being considered for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. They're joined by artists such as Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper and The White Stripes on the 2025 longlist. Half of the 14 nominees are first-timers, including Billy Idol, rock and roll pioneer Chubby Checker, and "mad dog with soul" Joe Cocker. Performers become eligible for nomination 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. Voting starts now, with the finalists revealed in April. About half of the nominees will ultimately be inducted into the institution later this year.
Bradford Boost - Trafalgar Entertainment has boosted its growing venue portfolio after winning the bid to become the new operator of music and comedy venue Bradford Live. The rapidly expanding company is promising to programme the best in live music, comedy and other live entertainment at the 3,000-seat venue, which also has a 3,500-standing capacity. Trafalgar Entertainment will now begin the final fit-out of Bradford Live and is expected to open the venue in the autumn of this year.
Tribute - A photo display paying tribute to the history of black music on Tyneside is on show, as Newcastle gears up to host the MOBO Awards. The ceremony is being held in the city’s Utilita Arena today (Tuesday 18 February), with a five-day fringe event running alongside it to create opportunities for the area's artists. The Discovery Museum is exhibiting the display in partnership with Northern Roots, which supports local talent. Leila D'Aronville, of the organisation, said: "This exhibition is just a glimpse into moments in time, with the future holding so much more for artists and audiences in our community."
(Jim Evans)
