Festival Review: Year's End Festival, Manchester, 06/12/2025
The Twang Return to Manchester’s O2 Ritz to top off a fantastic Year’s End Festival.
As ever, the iconic O2 Ritz on Manchester’s buzzing Oxford Road has played host to countless brilliant evenings of music in 2025. With an eclectic offering of gigs being carried out at the venue, it has remained one of the city’s most important venues, making it the perfect spot to host the 2025 edition of Year’s End Fest.
The day-long festival provides music lovers with one final chance to soak up the vibe of a festival before the new year. This year’s instalment saw the iconic O2 Ritz hosting the entirety of the entertainment, with acts spread across two stages within the venue.
A hugely exciting line up created a serious buzz around the event, with The Twang set to headline. The group have become synonymous with their ‘Twangmas’ tours that see them take their countless pieces of brilliant music on the road. The Twang made 2025’s Year’s End Fest a stop on their Christmas travels.
The day of the event saw festival goers flock to Oxford Road, which was bustling with all kinds of people embracing the Christmas spirit. It was all set up to be a brilliant occasion.
The use of multiple stages for the festival was a fantastic move. The basement stage in the Ritz showcased some brilliant up and coming acts, with Redchecks, Adam Robinson and Lizzie Esau all giving brilliant performances. Esau, in particular, has become one to watch recently, with her extremely captivating sound. With a blend of dreamy guitars and emotive vocals, she and her band have all the makings of a group that will go far.
The iconic ballroom of the o2 Ritz acted as the ‘main stage’ of the festival, and it filled up quickly once the doors were opened. There was a real buzz in the air as those in attendance filled the room.
Pack of Animals kicked off the entertainment in the ballroom, and they did so in style. Their provocative sound that can’t be ignored struck the Manchester crowd immediately, and they really let everyone know that they’d arrived. Their gritty guitars and raw vocals made them instantly stand out, and it’s safe to say that they’ve got a bright future ahead.
The Small Fortunes were the other act who took to the ballroom ahead of the evening’s headliners. Their performance didn’t just feel like they were opening for someone, it felt like a statement of intent. The Small Fortunes seemed like a group on the rise, with a huge sound on stage. With blues-y riffs and a commanding rhythm section, The Small Fortunes wouldn’t be out of their depth headlining a venue like the Ritz!
It’s testament to the quality of Year’s End Fest that so many brilliant acts performed on the day.
It was then time for the main event: The Twang.
Those who have seen The Twang before know what’s in store: a run of cult classics, seminal tunes and undeniable Brummie charisma and crowd engagement.
Manchester welcomed the midlands- born outfit like the heroes that they’ve become over the years. The applause and cheers were thunderous. The band wasted no time and kicked their headline set off in style.
Straight away the crowd were with frontman Phil Etheridge and co. Everyone in attendance belted out the words to the songs that the group performed. Early on there were some cult classics on display: from ‘We’re a crowd’ to ‘Twit Too’ and ‘You On My Shoulders’. The final of those, as the name suggests, saw many of the audience rise up on the shoulders of their friends. The party spirit was in full flow and it was beautiful to see.
Straight from this one, the band kicked into the seminal track: ‘Barney Rubble’, a song which speaks for itself. Having been released so many years ago, it’s amazing to see just how strongly this one still resonates with crowds, regardless of age. Looking around the ballroom, there were Twang fans of all ages soaked in the incredibly relatable tune which has become an absolute anthem over the years.
At points throughout the set, Etheridge took to the mic to express his and the band’s gratitude for Manchester, explaining how they think of the city as a second home. The crowd lapped this up and continued to celebrate them as if they were hometown heroes.
The set continued to flow with incredible music. From ‘Beer, Wine & Sunshine’ to ‘’Encouraging Sign’ and ‘Got No Interest’, it had it all.
Last year’s edition of ‘Twangmas’ saw the group performing the entirety of their 2009 record: ‘Jewellery Quarter’, so it was nice to hear some additional songs this time around from their admirable catalogue. One from their arsenal which was performed was ‘It Feels Like (You’re Wasting My Time)’, a track that was extremely well received. Manchester belted out the words and danced their hearts out.
It may be the relatability of the group that makes them so loved. Their raw, unapologetic identity is so hard to ignore, and it seems to be celebrated even further in Manchester.
This celebration culminated in a stellar performance of the huge track: ‘Took The Fun’. Everybody in attendance was in fine voice, belting out the anthemic number. It was beautiful.
The group’s set closed out, before they returned for an encore of some of their heavier tracks, including ‘Guapa’ and ‘Cloudy Room’.
Manchester bounced like their lives depended on it. A sea of heads bopping to the beat of The Twang. Amazing.
With that came the end of The Twang’s set, and the end of 2025’s Year End Fest. The day was perfect from start to finish, and those in attendance will look forward to next year’s instalment.
Words by Matthew Caslin
