Pulp Announce Manchester Pop-Up Pub Ahead of Wythenshawe Park Show
Ahead of their headline UK exclusive show at Wythenshawe Park on Friday, August 28, Britpop icons Pulp have announced the opening of a dedicated pop-up pub in Manchester called the Rat & Pigeon. Located at 33 Back Piccadilly in the city centre, the takeover features rare band archives, a custom jukebox programmed by frontman Jarvis Cocker, and test pressings of an upcoming live album.
Inside the Rat & Pigeon Takeover
According to announcements from the band, the Pulp pop-up pub at the Rat & Pigeon opens its doors on Friday, August 28, operating from midday to 7pm. Weekend hours extend the experience, with the venue running from midday until late on Saturday, August 29, and midday until 2pm on Sunday, August 30. The space is decked out in rare memorabilia borrowed directly from the band’s archive, while the physical jukebox has been curated personally by Jarvis Cocker.
Frontman Jarvis Cocker outlined the ethos behind the venue in a statement, asking fans if they wanted to “revitalise your social life” and get “drunk on possibility” while exploring a thirst for knowledge. Alongside the atmosphere, visitors can access limited-edition merchandise, competitions, and exclusive test pressings of the band’s upcoming live album, titled Live!. The project captures Pulp’s two sold-out shows at The O2 in London from the previous summer.
Global Screenings and Touring Context
The Manchester activation arrives amid a busy touring and release schedule for the Sheffield band. Following the Wythenshawe Park concert on August 28, Pulp is slated to headline the End Of The Road 2026 festival next month. This follows a summer that included a major headline set closing out Mad Cool 2026, where the band performed ‘Common People’ as fans celebrated an England win at the World Cup, alongside an orchestral gig celebrating 50 years of Rough Trade at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
On the cinematic front, global distributor MUBI is previewing a new concert film titled What Do You Do For An Encore?. According to release schedules, the film heads to UK and Irish cinemas for a one-night-only preview on September 18, Canadian theatres on September 23, US cinemas on September 24, and arrives on streaming platforms on September 25. The release follows a wave of recent studio work that includes the track ‘Begging For Change’ for the star-studded Help(2) charity album for War Child, as well as a digital EP featuring new songs ‘Marrying For Love’ and ‘Cold Call On The Hotline’.
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