Manchester International Festival has today announced its Festival Square line-up, the series of free events that makes up the main hub of the huge arts event.
MIF will return to the city between 29 June and 16 July this year, with events in its new home at Factory International.
And there’ll be a new home for Festival Square too, which has previously taken over spaces like Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens.
This year’s free programme of music, family entertainment and street food will be centred around a new riverside location, with an open-air stage welcoming more than 190 artists over the course of the festival.
The majority of those performing will hail from Greater Manchester too, celebrating the sounds of the region.
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Highlights of the Festival Square programme will include post-punk band A Certain Ratio as they mark 45 years, avant-pop-trio The Orielles, electo art rock quartet Dutch Uncles, and trans-non-binary singer-songwriter Planningtorock.
Throughout MIF23, Festival Square will also host takeovers from some of the city’s biggest promoters, club nights, collectives, venues and radio stations including Band on the Wall, Brighter Sound, Dave Haslam, Feel Good Club, Piano in the City, Reform Radio, Trans Creative and YES.
MIF hosted an open call-out earlier this year, with more than 290 applications from artists and community groups across the region. 26 have been selected, including alt-pop singer-songwriter Nxdia, Afrobeat and Reggae collective Sens Sagna and the Kajamor Family, Latin band Guacamaya, and Brazilian percussion from youth-group Jubacana.
Showcasing Factory International’s music development programme, Factory Sounds, solo artist and multi-instrumentalist James Holt, afrobeat influenced rapper Prido, and shoegaze indie pop band Foxglove will also perform.
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On the food and drink side of things, there’ll be an offering from Super Serve (which was recently announced as Factory International’s food and beverage partner), plus Caribbean delights from ARMR, fish and chips from Hip Hop Chip Shop, Indian food from Zouk, and ice creams from Ginger’s Comfort Emporium.
Ginger’s Comfort Emporium. Credit: SuppliedARMR. Credit: SuppliedHip Hop Chip Shop. Credit: The Manc GroupFood and drink at Festival Square
An array of family entertainment will include song and dance workshops, interactive music-making and storytelling, from Babyrocksampler, Born To Be Wild Child, Playhouse Project and more.
Rivca Burns, Festival Square programmer for Factory International says: “We’re super excited to share the 2023 edition of Festival Square, featuring more voices than ever before from across Greater Manchester.
“It is an honour to curate the programme for the hub of Manchester International Festival, the talent in this city is huge and bringing over 190 acts to this international stage. The programme will excite, inspire and fill you with joy daily, get down to Festival Square to enjoy your new favourite artist!”
Sarah Maxfield, Area Director, North, Arts Council England, said: “It is fantastic to have Manchester International Festival back across the city after the limitations of the pandemic. Festival Square offers the local community and visitors a chance to enjoy a huge variety of free live music and family activities and it’s great to see so many artists from Greater Manchester performing in this year’s programme.”
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For those outside the city centre, Sounds From the Square will be broadcasting live to the world from factoryinternational.org and the Factory International YouTube channel with interviews, performances and behind the scenes access to the productions at MIF23.
More details on the MIF23 programme, including Festival Square, can be found at factoryinternational.org.
Featured image: Paul Husband
Manchester
Manchester Town Hall is FINALLY taking wedding and events bookings for the first time since 2018
Emily Sergeant
A new era is on the horizon, as Manchester Town Hall has announced that it’ll be finally taking bookings for weddings and events once again.
That’s right… for the first time since it closed its doors to the public for what is the UK’s biggest restoration project to date back in 2018, one of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks is soon set to welcome its first weddings and events in a decade – with bookings for the city’s most romantic address now open once again.
Manchester Town Hall has stood at the centre of civic life in the city since 1877, and for generations, couples have exchanged their vows within its walls.
Now, as it enters the home stretch of its restoration, the Grade I-listed building is gearing up to kickstart weddings and corporate events from January 2028.
Set reopen to the public next year, first up will be a series of celebratory reopening events – which are yet to be announced – before a phased approach will then allow the building and teams to be fully prepared to host commercial events again from 2028.
Manchester Town Hall has announced that it’s finally taking wedding and events bookings for the first time since 2018 / Credit: Supplied
From its grand architecture and soaring stained glass windows, to sweeping staircases that offer the perfect ‘just married’ photo opportunities, this one-of-a-kind venue gives couples the opportunity to combine the romance and grandeur of a historic setting with the energy of a city centre celebration.
Inside the restored building, you’ll find The Great Hall, which is a magnificent setting with striking architectural character, as well as The Conference Hall, The Banqueting Hall, and The Reception Room, all of which offer equally characterful spaces that are perfect for private dinners, ceremonies, or corporate events.
The Lord Mayor’s Parlour is one of many settings overlooking the newly reopened Albert Square, while various elegant reception areas provide the perfect location for drinks and arrival moments.
“Our Town Hall is a real Victorian masterpiece and we’re looking forward to sharing it with the public once again,” explained Cllr Garry Bridges, who is Leader of Manchester City Council, as bookings finally open up this week.
“It’s a special building which belongs to the people and it’s great that they will be able to celebrate important landmarks in their lives, such as marriage, in its spectacular setting.
“The Town Hall is full of history. Here’s to many more stories being written within its walls.”
Want to be one of the first people who gets married or hosts an event at Manchester Town Hall once it reopens in 2028? You can enquire about booking here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Manchester
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Daisy Jackson -
18th May 2023 
