Tim Burgess announces 2025 Merch Market in Manchester: “No commission – 100 per cent for the bands”

nme.com:

Tim Burgess has announced a new event in Manchester called Merch Market – where bands can sell their merchandise for free and keep 100 per cent of the income.

Find all the details below.The soloist and Charlatans frontman is also set to deliver a live headline set at the multi-venue market, which builds on the success of his Vinyl Adventures record fair in the city back in 2021.Burgess will have his own stall during the day, selling merch and rarities that he’s collected over the years.

He’ll have five Charlatans ‘Sproston Green’ sports bags on sale too, before they are available to order.“The Merch Market is a chance for bands and solo artists to check what’s stashed in their rehearsal room, languishing in storage or hiding under the bed – and it’s also the opportunity to make some limited run items, only available at The Merch Market,” he said.“Stalls are free, no commission taken, 100 per cent of the income can be kept by the bands.”Burgess added: “We’ve been working with the folks at Print Manchester on some cutting-edge merch printing on the spot – can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been up to.”The market is scheduled to take place on Sunday May 25 and entry is free.

It’ll run from 11am until late that night, but times are expected to vary across each venue.Participating venues the O2 Ritz, Gorilla and Dog Bowl – which are all within a one-minute walk of each other – will feature stalls, live performances, DJ sets, on-stage interviews and panels.Additionally, organisers have promised “a whole host of big names and surprises” for the inaugural Merch Market.