"Matt Goss's Performance Causes Festival Goers to Leave"

Freelance Journalist Alison Jones 31st May 2026 

At the Irlam Live festival in Manchester yesterday, expectations for singer Matt Goss weren't high, but his performance left much to be desired. Taking the stage at 9:30 PM, Goss struggled to connect with an audience that had already been energized by previous acts like Let Loose and A1, who captivated the crowd and left them clamoring for more. In stark contrast, Goss drew a mere 90 festival-goers to his music set, prompting many others to leave early and vacate Prince Park.

Clad in double denim, Goss took the stage, but the reaction from the audience was lukewarm at best. His set, a lackluster showcase of reimagined Bros songs and overdone covers, failed to spark any enthusiasm among those who remained. Frustration was palpable among the few attendees who endured the performance. One festival-goer said, "I bought a three-day wristband, but this year's festival has been disappointing. Aside from A1, the acts today have not impressed me. When it came time for Matt Goss, people just started heading home. I watched 20 minutes of his set, and he was just dull. His music doesn’t reflect the vibe of the festival at all." Another attendee added, "I don’t understand why Irlam Live booked this cabaret act. Matt Goss was by far the worst performer of the day, and to be fair, the

other acts weren’t all that great either." Yet, amidst the criticism, a few dedicated fans of Bros expressed their unwavering support. They stated, “We love these festivals and love Matt Goss, but why does he perform swing versions of Bros classics at a pop festival?  It’s embarrassing for him to sing to such a small crowd. He really needs to rethink his approach to festival music.” Adding to the challenges surrounding Goss’s performance is the ongoing investigation into his alleged fraudulent streaming practices, which saw over 200,000 fake monthly listeners removed from his Spotify account. Despite his long career, Goss has struggled significantly as a solo artist, with fewer than 30,000 albums sold worldwide over 35 years, and his latest single moving a mere 50 copies since its release in April.

We reached out to Irlam Live for a comment but have yet to receive any response.