PROUD MEDIA NEWS CENTRE

  Tour shows from stars Sam Fender, Chappell Roan and the Foo Fighters helped boost music tourism in the North West by £1.2 billion last year, according to a new report. Live music in 2024 brought 3.3 million music tourists to the region, including some from overseas, as artists played sold-out shows in Manchester, Liverpool and across the region. Fans of a wide range of genres could see their favourites in the North West with Fender at Co-op Live, Roan at Manchester Academy and the Foo Fighters playing the Emirates Old Trafford last year. Festivals such as Parklife, Creamfields and Beat-Herder also brought a large number of fans to north-west England. The report, published on Tuesday by UK Music – an association which represents the country’s commercial music industry – also found music tourism supported around 9,250 full-time equivalent jobs in the North West. The £1.2 billion boost to the economy from music tourism in the region included ticket sales, food and beverage sales, me...

At its Annual General Meeting,   the PIA   – Syndicate of Independent and Professional Audio Producers – re-elected Katia Sanerot (Louie Media) as President, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the native podcast sector, recognizing audio as a creative work, and supporting culturally significant formats such as youth content, narrative series, and social documentaries. While the report commissioned by the French government from the Inspectorate General of Cultural Affairs (Philippe Chantepie and Myriam Burdin) is still pending publication, the PIA sounds the alarm: podcasts continue to be overlooked in public cultural policies. Despite the fact that 40% of French people now listen to podcasts every month (source: ACPM x CSA) and the audio advertising market is experiencing record growth (+23% in 2024, BUMP - Kantar), some essential formats are weakening due to a lack of structural support. Without public action, these culturally valuable French productions risk being s...

  Thousands of weary music fans are heading home as Glastonbury Festival has come to an end for another year. It comes hours after US pop star Olivia Rodrigo headlined the Pyramid Stage and closed the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset. A team of volunteers have started the major clean-up of the site to prepare the land for a fallow year in 2026. Revellers were urged to take all of their belongings with them and to leave their campsite tidy. People were encouraged to leave the site between 00:00 and 06:00 BST to get ahead of the queues and avoid the heat, as temperatures are expected to reach up to 31C (88F). Those beginning their journeys later were advised to cover up with light, airy clothing, carry water and apply sunscreen regularly. The festival's clean-up volunteers are working their way through thousands of discarded items left on the site, including paper cups and food containers. They are also emptying overflowing bins and removing large items left behind, such as campin...

  The Uefa Women’s Euros is set to deliver a summertime boost to the UK economy with pubs hoping to serve millions of extra pints during the tournament, according to a leading trade body. Pubs being allowed to stay open later if England or Wales reach the final stages could also reel in more customers. The Uefa Women’s Euro 2025 tournament kicks off in Switzerland on July 2, with England’s Lionesses and Wales playing their first matches on Saturday July 5. Pubs are hoping to pull an additional 2.6 million extra pints during the tournament, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) found, based on an estimated increase in pub beer sales during matches compared with the annual daily average. The BBPA, whose members brew 90% of British beer and own nearly half of UK pubs, said this could deliver a £13 million boost to the economy. Furthermore, pubs could be allowed to stay open beyond their usual closing time if either of the two countries reach the semi-finals or final of the Euros...

The raper was set to headline Chester 7s Party at the Park concert in Northwich last night. It's claimed organisers were told he wouldn't be performing just an hour before he was due on stage. In a statement posted on social media, Chester 7s wrote: "Due to unforeseen circumstances Professor Green is unable to perform at Chester 7s tonight. "Whilst circumstances such as these are outside of our control, we apologise to all our amazing players, officials and guests and thank you for making Chester 7s 2025 an amazing experience for everyone." It's believed organisers were told the singer was sick while waiting for him to arrive at the venue. The Sun has reached out to the rapper for comment. Professor Green - whose real name is Stephen Paul Manderson - has not posted on his socials about the no-show. One fan commented: "What happened last night?!? You were booked to headline a festival and then just didn’t show up? "Organisers said at the end of the n...

  Kneecap will be taking to the Glastonbury stage on Saturday afternoon in front of a packed crowd eagerly anticipating what could be one of the most controversial sets in the festival’s history. The Irish rap group are performing at 4pm on the West Holts stage, amid criticism from music industry executives and from the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who said it was not “appropriate” for the band to perform. One of the trio, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is on bail charged with a terrorism offence after allegedly displaying a flag representing Hezbollah,  The 27-year-old is also accused of saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – something he told the Guardian in an exclusive interview was a joke and part of his onstage character, Mo Chara. Of the flag, he said: “It’s a joke. I’m a character. Shit is thrown on stage all the time. If I’m supposed to know every fucking thing that’s thrown on stage, I’d be in Mensa, Jesus Christ.” He added: “I don’t know every proscribed organisation – I’ve got...

  Rumours of Lorde secret set British pop rock band The 1975 will be the first headliners to grace the Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage this year when they perform on Friday evening. Made up of four school friends, the group, known for songs including Chocolate, Someone Else and About You, is comprised of singer Matt Healy, bassist Ross MacDonald, guitarist Adam Hann, and drummer George Daniel. The five-day celebration of music and performing arts, which opened its gates on Wednesday, will also see headline performances from veteran rocker Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo. The BBC confirmed on Thursday that Young’s Saturday Pyramid Stage set will not be broadcast live “at the artist’s request”. This year’s line-up features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, which will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday. Among the music stars rumoured to be performing a secret set is New Zealand sing...

  Ben Duckett’s triumphant 149 guided England to another round of Headingley heroics as they completed a wonderful chase to down India by five wickets in the first Test. Yorkshire’s headquarters have witnessed some outrageous spectacles over the years, with Ashes classics in 1981, 2019 and 2023, and England chalked up another as they knocked off a massive target of 371 late on day five. That was their second highest pursuit ever – seven shy of the 378 they made against the same opposition at Edgbaston three years ago – as well as the 10th largest of all time. Duckett was their inspiration, leading a superb opening stand of 188 with Zak Crawley (65) and going on to a sixth Test hundred to take complete control. Only one Englishman has scored more in a fourth-innings win, Mark Butcher’s unbeaten 173 at the same ground in 2001. With Duckett’s work done, Joe Root’s 53 not out and an unbeaten 44 from Jamie Smith wrapped things up – the latter smashing two big sixes to finish in style wi...

  A statue will be revealed in 2027 Wimbledon plan to honour Sir Andy Murray with a statue at the All England Club. Murray, the Wimbledon men’s singles champion in 2013 and 2016, retired last year and will be involved in designing the sculpture. Wimbledon hope the statue will be revealed in 2027 during the championship’s 150th anniversary. “We are looking to have a statue of Andy Murray here (Wimbledon) and we’re working closely with him and his team,” All England club chair Debbie Jevans told the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast. “The ambition is that we would unveil that at the 150th anniversary of our first Championship, which was 1877. “He’s got to rightly be very involved in that and him and his team will be.” Tennis greats John McEnroe and Billie Jean King are among those that have previously called for Murray to be honoured with a statue at Wimbledon. The Scot ended a 77-year wait for a British man to be crowned Wimbledon singles champion and retired after the Pa...

  Former This Morning presenter Fern Britton has said Phillip Schofield’s departure from the show sparked “a lot of mixed emotions”, and described their years working together as “mostly great fun”. Schofield resigned from ITV in 2023 after admitting to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a much younger male colleague on This Morning. Britton, 67, presented the morning programme with Schofield for eight years before leaving in 2009. In an interview with Saga Magazine, Britton, speaking about Schofield stepping down from This Morning, said: “It brought up a lot of mixed emotions. The years we worked together were mostly great fun and we were a very good partnership, which I can remember with fondness. “I knew how much he loved his job and cared deeply for his public perception. It must have been a terribly difficult time for him and his family.” Britton also spoke about learning not to let others take advantage of her easy-going nature. “I think I understand myself a bit better ...

  Former teammates of a hockey player who died from meningitis 25 years ago have created a joke book to raise awareness and funds for a charity researching the disease. Former teammates of a hockey player who died from meningitis 25 years ago have created a joke book to raise awareness and funds for a charity researching the disease. Big Eddie’s Joke Book is a tribute to Eddie Rosen, son of children’s author and poet, Michael Rosen, whose died from meningitis at the age of 18 in 1999. Created by Eddie’s friends, and former teammates from the Gunners Hockey Club in London and their families, the book is a celebration of his life and love of laughter. It is packed with jokes, limericks and stories, contributed by people whose lives were touched by Eddie’s personality. Eddie was part of a youth hockey programme run by Arsenal in the Community. Freddie Hudson, Eddie’s former coach who is now head of Arsenal in the Community, said: “A joke book is a fitting way to remember Eddie. Humour...