SYNTHS, SWEAT & SHEFFIELD SOUL, THE HUMAN LEAGUE AND ABC IGNITE WARRINGTON’S 80s FEVER DREAM
- Ben Whitehurst
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Victoria Park, Warrington – 22nd May 2026
WORDS / IMAGES BEN WHITEHURST
The May bank holiday weekend got off to a blistering start in more sense than one at Victoria Park on Friday night as ABC and The Human League turned Warrington’s packed big top into an 80s synth-pop paradise. With the opening day of
Neighbourhood Weekender waiting just around the corner, this felt like the perfect warm-up, hot, loud and overflowing with nostalgia.
ABC set the tone brilliantly. Martin Fry oozed charisma from the moment he stepped on stage, leading the crowd through a slick run of hits including Poison Arrow, When Smokey Sings and the timeless The Look of Love. Backed by his shimmering band, brass and polished production, ABC proved why they remain one of the defining bands of the New Romantic era. Fry’s voice still carried the same sophistication and swagger that made the band icons in the first place, and the Warrington crowd loved every minute of it.
But the biggest reaction of the night belonged to the evening's headliners, The Human League. Opening with The Sound of the Crowd, Philip Oakey and co instantly had the tent bouncing. Mirror Man, Open Your Heart and Heart Like a Wheel sounded as fresh as ever, while Louise brought one of the evening’s biggest singalong moments from a crowd packed shoulder to shoulder in the sweltering heat.
Of course, the evening wouldn’t have been complete without classics like Don’t You Want Me, Human and (Keep Feeling) Fascination, each one greeted like an anthem by fans who sang every word back to the stage.
Oakey remains a magnetic frontman, while Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley added the harmonies and style that have defined The Human League for over four decades.
Under the Big Top, generations of music fans danced together beneath flashing lights and pounding synths, making Victoria Park feel more like a giant 80s nightclub than a festival site. By the end of the night, with voices hoarse, punters merry and temperatures still soaring, Warrington had witnessed the perfect start to a huge weekend of live music.
For one night at least, Warrington belonged to Sheffield.
SETLIST
The Sound of the Crowd
Mirror Man
Heart Like a Wheel
Open Your Heart
Louise
Soundtrack to a Generation
Seconds
The Lebanon
One Man in My Heart
Human
Love Action (I Believe in Love)
Tell Me When
(Keep Feeling) Fascination
Don't You Want Me
ENCORE
Being Boiled
Together in Electric Dreams
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