Featured image: Georgina Hurdsfield
For the first time in five years, Jonatan Aron Leandoer Håstad (Yung Lean), makes a long-awaited return to Manchester. With the recent release of his mixtape Stardust (2022), and studio album Starz (2020), Yung Lean was way overdue a UK tour.
Yung Lean’s success only grows bigger, consistently rising in popularity over the years, recently, with the help of TikTok adding Ginseng Strip 2002 to its most viral songs nearly a decade after its release. Lean’s music is clearly timeless, bringing a sold-out crowd to Manchester Academy’s 2,600 capacity venue.
Walking into the venue, it’s a glimpse into Yung Lean’s world. The stage decorated like a mystical theme park. “Welcome to the magical mystery forest of Yung Lean” a theatrical voice boomed over the crowd as giant mushrooms lined the stage, a rollercoaster cart and a green light up sign reading ‘Lean Land’. The perfect and unique atmosphere for a Yung Lean gig with bigger production than ever before.
Opening with ‘My Agenda’ from Starz, Lean enters a cloud full of smoke and the excitement in the room sky rockets. The crowd is transported into a different world. Next came ‘Afghanistan’, the energy in the room as the green strobes flashed was unmatched. Playing songs old and new, everyone knew each track word for word. Lean didn’t shy away from talking to the crowd in-between songs. “The magic ship of Lean Land, welcome Manchester,” Lean told the crowd, seeming very grateful to be back. The atmosphere amongst the crowd was euphoric, reciprocating Lean’s emotional output for every song.
It was clear which songs were fan favourites as the energy throughout the crowd reached its peak for ‘Smirnoff Ice’, ‘Yoshi City’ and ‘Leanworld’. ‘Agony’ gave everyone a chance to take a breather for a slow, emotional sing-a-long to one of Yung Lean’s unforgettable, most vulnerable songs. Finishing the set with the ultimate sad boy soundtrack, ‘Yellowman’, the perfect song to say goodbye with. The only song sadly missed from the set that could’ve made the gig that little bit more special was ‘Boylife in EU’, a favourite from Starz.
We hope Yung Lean doesn’t leave it as long next time before returning back to Manchester, bringing his unique low-fi alternative emo hip-hop sound. Perhaps next time, it would be intriguing to see Yung Lean headline a night during The Warehouse Project season, with Depot Mayfield being the perfect venue for a Lean show.
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker Sunday may signal the final day of Truck Festival 2026, but there’s still plenty to celebrate before the gates close for another year. From rising indie stars Keyside to the long-awaited return of Rizzle Kicks, festival favourites Circa Waves and headliners The Wombats, these are the performances that define…
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker It’s Saturday at Truck Festival 2026 and, somehow, the sunshine is still holding out. The weekend’s biggest day is packed with indie heavyweights as The Vaccines, Kaiser Chiefs and Two Door Cinema Club deliver the soundtrack to a generation. In between the nostalgia, Adult DVD provide the perfect excuse…
Featured image: Lucy Elson-Whittaker After CMAT’s unforgettable set on Thursday, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Truck Festival 2026 had already peaked. But with the weekend only just getting into its stride, there’s still plenty more to come. Friday is packed with a lot of artists worth catching, from The Love Buzz and My First…
Featured image: Press The gates have finally opened for Truck Festival 2026, and for the third-year running, the weather could not be more perfect. Beneath clear blue skies at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire, the iconic Ferris wheel is spinning once again, the Truck Monster is roaming the fields, and thousands of festival-goers waste no time filling…
Leave a reply