Two things Manchester loves are music and markets – and we do very well on both fronts. Now, we can enjoy both at once, with The Merch Market, set up by our very of Tim Burgess of The Charlatans.
The Merch Market has been 36 years in the making. That’s how long Tim Burgess has been in The Charlatans – touring the world, playing at festivals, making records and within all that, there’s merch – bringing in the cash that keeps new bands on the road and helps more established bands to keep going.
From the table at the back of a venue to a kiosk in an arena – fans love merch, bands love merch. Inevitably, lots of T-shirts and badges end up stashed in boxes at studios or bunged in a corner of a rehearsal room.
So, Tim had the idea of The Merch Market and spoke to some of his friends – the first event was in Manchester, with over 100 stalls and 4,000 fans, taking in six venues including The Ritz, Gorilla, a bowling alley and the railway arch in between them.
A simple idea: no fee for a stall, no commission taken, 100% of sales going to the actual bands and artists – and free to get in. Plus it was the actual bands who showed up to sell – Stephen & Gillian from New Order, Mark from Ride, Jez and Andy from Doves, all of Inspiral Carpets, Bis, Dave from Blur, Mick Jones even had a stall across the London and Manchester markets.
The Merch Market returns on Sunday 31 January with all the merch, music and celebrity vendors you could ask for, taking over the Platform and Mezz Bar at Freight Island. The Merch Market is completely free to enter, and you can have a mooch any time between 11am and 9pm.
📍 Freight Island, 11 Baring St, Manchester M1 2PY.
