What's On in Manchester

THE SURFRAJETTES - The Bread Shed, Manchester — Picture surf guitar reverb crashing through The Bread Shed like a wave that has no business being this far from the coast — The Surfrajettes are one of those live acts that leaves you grinning for days. Their all-female instrumental firepower blends retro cool with serious musicianship, and at £15–£20 for a 7:00pm show, this is an early-evening must that doubles as a conversation starter for the rest of the weekend.

KI/KI Manchester — Depot Mayfield's cavernous industrial space becomes a world of its own when KI/KI rolls into town, and this 9:30pm affair promises exactly the kind of immersive, boundary-dissolving night out that Manchester's queer clubbing scene is rightly celebrated for. Expect lush production, a fiercely welcoming crowd, and music that refuses to sit still — tickets are £38, and honestly, worth every penny for a night that feels like an event rather than just a club.

Sashi Perera || Pear Tree || Creatures Tour Show — Creatures Comedy Club hosts Sashi Perera on her Pear Tree tour at 6:30pm, and if you haven't caught her live yet, consider this your very timely nudge. Sharp, warm, and completely her own, Perera is one of the most exciting voices in British comedy right now, and £20 in a proper comedy room is the kind of Friday evening that reminds you why going out beats staying in.

Elephunk in the Room — Band On The Wall at 7:00pm for just £8 — and you get a funk collective with a name this good? Elephunk in the Room bring the kind of groove-heavy, brass-laced energy that turns strangers into dance partners and ordinary Friday evenings into something you text your friends about the next morning. A brilliant value, low-commitment, high-reward choice for anyone looking to ease into the weekend.

Bussdown presents - N-Type, Cartridge, Breakfake + more — Late-night and unapologetically bass-heavy, Bussdown takes over the Stage And Radio Basement at 11:00pm with a lineup that should have grime and jungle fans circling the date in red — N-Type alone is a reason to stay out past sensible hours. At £7–£12, this is the kind of grassroots, genre-savvy night that keeps Manchester's underground reputation absolutely intact.

Lavender Rodriguez EP Launch — There is something genuinely special about being in the room on the night an artist releases their music into the world for the first time, and Lavender Rodriguez's EP launch at the Rat and Pigeon at 7:30pm promises exactly that kind of charged, electric intimacy. Entry is a very generous £5–£10, making this one of the most rewarding gambles of the evening — discover someone brilliant before everyone else does.