Manchester Pride has added some of the best dance music acts in the country to its line-up for ‘The Big Weekend’, which takes place Friday 25 to Monday 28 August. Faithless has been confirmed as a headline act at the LGBT festival. He will be joined by Anton Power, DJ Paulette, Simian Mobile Disco, Crazy P Soundsystem, Ben Pearce and Jodie Harsh. DJ legends Jeremy Healy and Danny Howard are also on the bill to perform a set in the Gaydio Dance Arena.
World renowned DJ and record producer Sister Bliss, aka the musical force behind Faithless have numerous hits under their belts including cult classics Insomnia, God Is A DJ and Mass Destruction. 2015 marked the 20-year milestone in Faithless’ illustrious career and to celebrate the band curated a special remix album, ‘Faithless 2.0’, calling on the greats of electronic music which including Avicii, Tiesto, Eric Prydz, High Contrast and Flux Pavilion.
Danny Howard was discovered through a Radio 1 talent search, which led him to open the legendary Radio 1 Ibiza Weekend in 2011. As a young DJ, Danny’s rise to success has been almost as fast as his heroes of the dance scene. Hailing for the North West of England at the UK’s premier entertainment resort Blackpool, Danny has already established himself as a real genuine next level DJ in a very short space of time. He has held residencies at top clubs such as ‘Ministry Of Sound’ in Egypt and more recently at the UK’s largest nightclub ‘The Syndicate’ in Blackpool. Not just a DJ but also a newly successful producer with the likes of David Guetta, Tiesto & Paul Oakenfold (to name but a few) supporting some of Danny’s recent releases.
Multi award-winning recording artist and producer DJ Jeremy Healy is best known for his work with fashion houses such as Dior, Galliano, Louis Vuitton and is the musical director for the annual Victoria Secret’s runway show. Mixmag Magazine and The Face Magazine awarded Jeremy with the title of DJ of the year and he received a gold disc for his ‘Fantazia House Collection’ album.
Crazy P comprises songwriting, production, and performing gurus Danielle Moore, Chris Todd, and James Baron who have been constantly touring with their DJ and Soundsystem sets, and are regarded as one of dance music’s finest, and genuinely live, performers.
Simian Mobile Disco fronted by James Ford and Jas Shaw are one of the UK’s finest electronic duos, and individually as esteemed producers for other acts. The pair does not use laptops, no racks of hardware, just one synth and one sequencer each, which they took into the Joshua Tree national park in California and recorded the album in front of an audience.
Underground DJ Ben Pearce widely known for ‘What I Might Do’ has dominated club dance floors across the world for years. Ben has collaborated with the likes of Black Orange Juice, Le Youth, Kwabs and Tender Games and now successfully runs his own label imprint Purp & Soul, which has celebrated its 12th release with regular artist showcases and releases.
Anton Powers is a British DJ, record producer, remixer and radio presenter who is most prominently known for his 2015 number 1 collaboration with Philip George, Alone No More. Anton is also a member of UK-based remix/production/DJ team Cahill. Powers has performed internationally at events Creamfields, Tomorrowland, Amnesia, Ruby Skye and Zero Gravity. Anton also runs the A&R for record label 3 Beat Productions which includes a roster of Sigma, Kings, Fuse ODG, Philip George & Pixie Lott. Powers has been responsible for the signing and releases of a number of hit singles including; Philip George – Wish You Were Mine, Agnes – Release Me and Duck Sauce – Barbra Streisand.
In a career currently spanning more than two decades and three countries – DJ Paulette has been a resident at some of the biggest and best clubs in the world, with residencies in prestigious clubs including the Hacienda (Manchester), Queen Club, Mix Club, Cocoon (Frankfurt), Ibiza Rocks at Pikes Hotel. Her dynamic and uplifting shows plus her award-winning work for record labels, press, TV and radio have earned her international recognition and respect. Paulette currently has a monthly 2-hour mix show on Reform Radio and is a resident on rotation and stand in / lead presenter for the weekend 2-hour mix shows, Breakfast Show and The Exchange with Gaydio.
Jodie Harsh is the London icon in hot-pink lipstick, without a doubt, the most striking producer, DJ and club brand creator and the reigning Queen supreme over international nightlife. Harsh’s production career also continues to go from strength to strength, with her effervescent house sound seeing her remix Beyonce, Fergie, Cher and Justin Timberlake and landing three U.S Dance Chart No. 1s in the process.
The Big Weekend tickets are currently priced at £25 for a weekend ticket, £15 for day tickets and children’s tickets are also available from £5. Tickets provide guests with access to the event site, including the Main Arena, Sackville Gardens, the Gaydio Dance Arena and the Expo and help Manchester Pride raise money for LGBT and HIV charities and organisations in Greater Manchester. For more information on The Big Weekend visit the new website at bigweekend.manchesterpride.com
To find out more about the Manchester Pride you can follow the charity on Twitter @manchesterpride or visit the website at manchesterpride.com
