When: 7.30pm on Friday 11 December 2026
Where: Hallé at St Michael’s, 36-38 George Leigh Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5DG

We’re delighted to welcome James Yorkston back – this time, to St Michael’s!

James Yorkston is a singer-songwriter and author from the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. Since 2001, he has released a series of acclaimed albums on Domino Records and toured them worldwide.

His most recent album, 2025’s Songs for Nina and Johanna, is a collection of duets with Nina Persson of The Cardigans and Johanna of First Aid Kit, and earned James and Nina a slot on Later… With Jools Holland, as well as BBC 6 Music sessions for Huw Stephens, Marc Riley and Gideon Coe.

‘Travelling with James Yorkston, Persson, Söderberg, and all their friends is a journey entirely devoid of cliché, full of adventure, and impossible to tire of.’ – Popmatters.

James most recent novel is due in October 2026: Callum, Reine, Sylvie and Sparrow is fragmentary novel. Nine interwoven fictional tales involving Callum, a journalist and musician, alongside his friends, lovers and family. Includes: music, travel, lochs, love, despair, strippers, football, antiquarian books, Scotland, Ireland, goodies and baddies and everything else that matters in the world. Perhaps.

‘I absolutely love this book… The story flows effortlessly… An unsentimental and unflinching miracle of remembrance’ – Jarvis Cocker on The Book of the Gaels.

Special guest is Caitlin Gilligan. Scottish folk multi-instrumentalist Caitlin Gilligan hails from the rolling hills of rural Galloway. Though now based in Liverpool, her songs still echo the wildness of her Scottish youth. Her live performances combine haunting vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo and harmonium to create soul-stirring drones and melodies, weaving age-old folk songs into sets of bareboned and poetically-crafted originals. She demonstrates refreshing insight whilst simultaneously summoning the voices of times gone by. She draws from the well of folk giants such as Anne Briggs, Jackson C Frank, Nick Drake and Lisa O’Neill as well as the traditional vocal music of Scotland, Ireland and America.

This concert takes place in Hallé at St Michael’s – a former Roman Catholic church, which was founded in 1859 and became the heart of the Little Italy Community in Ancoats.

This is a 14+ show. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Book tickets now.

Attend on: Facebook