We take a look at talented Wigan musicians who could shape up to be icons in the future
We take a look at four bands who have the gift and potential to cement their places in musical history
What is now the Wigan borough has been a rich source of musical talent for generations covering all kinds of genres.
Banjolele-playing actor and singer George Formby in the 1930s was the highest-paid entertainer on the planet; Leigh-born opera singer Tom Burke was known as "Puccini's favourite tenor," and Richard Ashcroft, with his 34 years in the limelight since his debut in the '90s with The Verve, remains a star, still touring to this day.
However, in more recent years we’ve witnessed the debut of a number of other Wigan borough-born or based bands, who come under the Indie umbrella, and have made their mark nationally.
1- The Lathums
All four members - Alex Moore, Scott Concepcion, Matty Murphy and Ryan Durrans - hail from the Wigan area. Since their beginnings in 2018, their debut album, How beautiful can life be? reached number one on the UK Albums Chart in 2021. Along with a performance at Glastonbury in June 2023, they all went on tour in 2025 and launched a third album, Matter Does Not Define. Currently, they are on tour and coming to Wigan on June 26th.
2- The Lottery Winners
This pop band's origins are in Leigh and has been established since 2008. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that they got their mainstream debut when they signed for Modern Sky UK. Since then they achieved two number one albums- Anxiety Replacement Therapy in 2021 and KOKO in 2025- along with selling out the O2 Apollo Manchester and acting as a support act for Robbie Williams on his recent Britpop tour.
3- The Lilacs
Since their debut single in January 2019, the Wigan-born band comprises Ollie Anglesea, Sam Birchall, Dave Gomersall and Matt Johnson. They have sold out a show at the Manchester Academy 1 and have played at variety of other amazing venues, like a variety of O2 arenas along with Manchester’s Albert Hall. However, more future events feature a variety of festivals such as On the Waterfront, Truck Festival, Latitude Festival and many more).
4- Stanleys
Stanleys was formed in 2017 when the four members, Tom Concannon, Harry Ivory and Rob Hilton, attended Winstanley College. Since then, they have released many singles, allowing them to build a fan base. Creating anticipation with a new single called, Pass the Time, for their debut album due out some time in October.