/THE BEST OF MANCHESTER DON’T MISS THE HEART OF THE FESTIVAL
MANCHESTER International Festival (MIF) returns with its best ever line-up of arts, music theatre and more, but at the heart of the action is the Festival Square.
Based in Albert Square with its trademark giant tipi and eyecatching glass bar, the free to enter Festival Square comes alive with music, food, and drink every day of the festival.
Open from Friday, June 30 to Sunday, July 16 from 12pm till late, there’s plenty going on throughout MIF at the city centre venue, but here’s our pick of the best events to visit this year.
From free gigs to mouthwatering street food - here’s the best of what’s on in Festival Square for MIF 2017. Substance: In remembrance of Tony Wilson Marking 10 years since the passing of Tony Wilson, MIF is throwing a special evening celebrating the legacy of Wilson and Factory Records, exploring the role that arts and culture play in defining the identity of a city. Following a discussion panel, there’ll be a live performance of a new commission by composer Joe Duddell, who’s collaborating with New Order at MIF17, and then a DJ set to finish. All proceeds from the evening go to The Christie.
Monday, July 10 / tickets £15 John Robb Presents John Robb takes over the Pavilion Theatre to talk about life, music and the cosmos with three special guests: bass legend Jah Wobble, once of PiL and now leading his own Invaders of the Heart; musician and performance artist Cosey Fanni Tutti of Throbbing Gristle; and Youth, founding member of Killing Joke and collaborator with everyone from The Verve to Paul McCartney. Youth will then be taking to the decks for anythinggoes DJ set covering everything from dark dub to dirty disco. Tuesday, July 11 / tickets £8 Portico Quartet There’s a whole host of great acts playing in the Festival Square - our pick of the bunch is Mercury Prizenominated Portico Quartet who create echoes of jazz, electronica, ambient music and minimalism. The group have created their own singular, cinematic sound over the course of five albums, from 2007 debut Knee-Deep in the North Sea to the recent, brilliant Living Fields. Now rebooted as a foursome after a brief spell as a three-piece, the group will be performing new material and back-catalogue gems at this one-off Pavilion Theatre show. For a full line up of the bands playing visit mif.co.uk. Thursday, July 13 / tickets £12 MIF17 Discussions Fancy getting involved in the discussion or just listening to some of the arts scene’s leading figures? MIF artists are inviting audiences to join them as they talk about their work in the Pavilion Theatre; admission is free, but capacity is limited – book your place at the Festival Box Office or mif.co.uk Talk: Music for a Busy City Composers from this unique MIF17 project talk about how Manchester has inspired their music.
Sun 2 July, 12.30pm, free Talk: Brave and Bold Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari (Party Skills for the End of the World), Sue Buckmaster and Liz O’Neill (The Welcoming Party), and Jane Davidson and Phelim McDermott (BambinO) discuss making theatre for younger audiences.
Friday, July 7, 1pm, free Free live music There’s truly something for everyone at Festival Square, which has an incredible line up of gigs and DJs completely free of charge. Visitors can head down any day during the festival for some brilliant live entertainment, but our picks from the festival include the latino and gypsy jazz duo Los Firuletes on Saturday July 1, 12pm; Manchester soul singer Mica Miller on Saturday July 8 at 6pm; and the incredibly talented LayFullStop & Friends, who take over the square with their award-winning soul and hip hop from 6pm on Saturday July 15. Food and Drink Four bars, four resident kitchens, four Supper Clubs and an ice cream wagon: you won’t go hungry or thirsty in Festival Square. Try a wood-fired pizza from the legendary Honest Crust, some Indian street food from Manjit’s Kitchen, or cool off with an ice cream from Ginger’s Comfort Emporium - the Willy Wonkas of the ice cream world. The square also sees a special appearance from Didsbury’s Hispi - as the awardwinning bistro serves up its unique take on fast-food. BBC live broadcasts The BBC will be broadcasting live to the nation in Festival Square for the first 10 days of MIF17. There’s a full schedule on mif.co.uk, but highlights include Radcliffe & Maconie broadcasting live on BBC Radio 6 Music (1pm to 4pm on June 29-30, and July 3-7) Jarvis Cocker (4pm to 6pm, Sunday, July 2) and Guy Garvey (2pm to 4pm, Sunday, July 9) live on BBC Radio 6 Music.