Pulp delivered a mesmerising 17-song set as they returned to Manchester for the second weekend of Live from Wythenshawe Park, in a true five-star gig.
Opening with a bang
The Sheffield ensemble took to the South Manchester Park to kick off the festival's second weekend of music, following on from The Cure and Lewis Capaldi the weekend before. However, the festivities began even before the band stepped out on to the park on Friday. Just hours before, they opened their 'pop-up pub' at the Rat & Pigeon pub, on Back Piccadilly, with the tag-line 'Manchester deserves more Pulp'.
Admittedly, Manchester hasn't had to wait too long to get more Pulp, with the band having played to 23,000 fans at the Co-op Live just last year. Now they are performing to a venue which can hold up to 35,000.
Support acts set the tone
The gig kicked off with a set from local singer-songwriter Seb Lowe, from Saddleworth, who entertained those first through the park's queues. Self Esteem was next, and preceding her fellow Sheffield natives, she set the pace for the night. With a set which discussed anxiety, misogyny, relationships and female empowerment (as well as a surprise star turn from Corrie legend Julie Hesmondhalgh), Rebecca Taylor - known also as Self Esteem - was able to set a powerful tone ready for the evening ahead.
Her time on stage was filled also to the brim with energy, and so, when Pulp finally came out, the thousands gathered were ready to give their all.
A captivating performance
Pulp opened with Sorted for E's & Wizz, allowing a rather fitting twist to the lyrics where Jarvis proclaimed: "I seem to have left an important part of my brain somewhere in a field in Wythenshawe". Swiftly followed by Disco 2000, also from the band's seminal 1995 album Different Class, Wythenshawe Park became a deafening chorus of lyrics.
While Pulp will evoke Britpop nostalgia for many, last year marked the band releasing their first new album since 2001, More. Spike Island was next on the band's setlist, with this having been the first single of the new album. Sung by frontman Cocker, the single features the lyrics 'I was born to perform, it's a calling', and his time at Wythenshawe Park seems to prove this.
Cocker brings with him his trademark jaunty movements, which seem to resemble something of a puppet-show, making for a completely captivating performance. Not only this, but the set is also splattered with quips of wisdom from the frontman providing moments of reflection - and humour - throughout the night.
Communal sing-alongs and a fitting finale
From their 2025 album, Pulp perform their second single, Got To Have Love, which acts as one of the band's most direct pieces of advice to fans, with thousands chanting back the lyrics. Here, Cocker also asks the audience to reflect on what is more important than anger. "Not nurofen", he jokes.
A number of communal sing-alongs also marked the night, with Cocker leading the audience through O.U. (Gone, Gone) as well as a run through of Happy Birthday To You. Bringing the night to a close, Cocker asked fans to try and forget the first time they heard Common People. Maybe a pretty impossible task as a chorus of 'Wanna live with common people like you' exploded from fans.
Finally, the band slightly defied festival convention by finishing off their set with the slower track of A Sunset from their 2025 album. While normally you may expect to go out with an energetic bang, this calmer last choice offered a moment to really savour the atmosphere at Wythenshawe Park, at what Jarvis said would be Pulp's final gig "for some time". Rounding off a pretty perfect night of music, I'm sure many fans will have been left hoping Manchester doesn't have long to wait for more Pulp.
