Sex Pistols, featuring Frank Carter, celebrate 50 years of The Lesser Free Trade Hall at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl
FEATURING FRANK CARTER
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE LESSER FREE TRADE HALL
CASTLEFIELD BOWL, MANCHESTER
SUNDAY 12TH JULY
PLUS VERY SPECIAL GUESTS
DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE & THE UNDERTONES
– Kerrang!
“a brilliantly brutish, chaotic, and entirely joyful homage…” – Evening Standard
“…the vibe is spot-on, and the Pistols are thunderous…” – Mojo
“Rip-roaring punk rock redux” – The Guardian
“Delivered with a pile-driving, wall-shaking intensity…” – Daily Telegraph
“Sheer joy. They should tour it everywhere. God save their mad parade.” – Louder
“The group performs with the tightness and chemistry of a band that have been playing together for years…. Sex Pistols are f**kin’ back.” – CLASH
On Sunday 12th July, 2026, Sex Pistols, alongside Frank Carter, will celebrate 50 years of their infamous show at The Lesser Free Trade Hall with a performance at Manchester’s iconic outdoor amphitheatre, Castlefield Bowl. They will be joined by special guests Dr John Cooper Clarke and The Undertones. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 28th November, here.
From Australia to Japan, through European festivals and a legendary Teenage Cancer Trust show at the Royal Albert Hall (where Carter conjured a giant circle pit in that hallowed venue), the new Pistols are once again a force of chaos and celebration. A return to London’s 100 Club sealed the revival: before an audience that included Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller and Bobby Gillespie, they tore the place apart.
For Jones, the mission is simple: “If it ain’t fun, I ain’t doing it. I’m too old for bullshit.” The fun is undeniable. Matlock’s son Louis, himself a musician, first suggested his friend Carter as a natural fit. A coffee meeting became rehearsals, then Bush Hall. From the moment Cook kicked into the drum intro of Holidays in the Sun, it was clear: “This is how it was and how it should be,” he says.