He’s a big fan of Parklife
Aitch made a surprise appearance at Parklife 2026 in Heaton Park(Image: Luke Taylor Photography)
Aitch has made a special unannounced appearance on the first day of Parklife as fans couldn’t contain their excitement.
The rapper, from Moston, was not expected to perform at the Heaton Park festival this year despite having previously headlined and made surprise appearances in the past alongside acts like Anne-Marie and BOU.
Keeping up with the tradition of appearing alongside his friends, the star, who recently appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, made another impromptu appearance during BOU’s set on the Magic Sky stage.
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Amongst huge cheers, the fellow Manchester producer and remixer brought out Aitch for a rendition of their 2025 hit Raving In The Studio, which samples Gorillaz’s Feel Good Inc.
Following the number, Aitch then performed his latest single Ring My Bell for the first time ever at a festival. The song, which samples the 1979 Anita Ward hit of the same name, was released earlier this month with a special treasure hunt across Manchester helping promote the release.
Aitch joined Manchester artist BOU on the Magic Sky stage at Parklife(Image: Luke Taylor Photography)
After the performance, Aitch thanked fans for the reaction and added “0161 every time” before leaving the stage, making reference to the Manchester area code.
BOU added: “Make some ****ing noise for Aitch right now. That’s legendary **** right there!”
As he left the stage area, Aitch, real name Harrison Armstrong, gave a wave to fans backstage as he gave the thumbs up to awaiting photographers. He made a name for himself in 2018 with the track Straight Rhymez. His latest album, Four, reached the top ten last year.
Aitch performed Raving In The Studio and Ring My Bell with BOU(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
The first day of Parklife has featured sets from the likes of Josh Baker, Prospa, 4am Kru, and Wilkinson, with Nia Archives, Morgan Seatree, Skepta and Sammy Virji performing later this evening.
Parklife is considered to be one of the biggest metropolitan festivals in the UK, regularly attracting over 82,000 fans across the weekend each year.
It’s set to be a busy weekend for Manchester with a host of large-scale events taking place, including shows from Lily Allen at the AO Arena and Take That at the Etihad Stadium. Travel warnings were put in place ahead of Saturday with public transport expected to be busier than usual across the two days.