Freight Island has just announced a huge line-up for its Spring/Summer season, with a free-to-attend festival series.
The huge urban street food and entertainment destination, located at Depot Mayfield just beyond Manchester Piccadilly, will be back open in full swing from Easter weekend.
The huge venue is promising its most electrifying season yet, announcing names including David Rodigan, Greg Wilson, Crazy P (DJ set), Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) and more.
Spring/Summer will run all the way through from April until September, inviting world-renowned DJs and Greater Manchester’s finest home-grown talent to the stage.
Also on the line-up will be Norman Jay, Luke Una and his special É Soul Cultura, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, and more.
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Support acts will include some of Manchester’s most celebrated DJs and collectives, including the likes of Sit N Bun, Supernature Disco, SK1 Records, Me Gusta Collective, Semi Skimmed Edits, Ghosts of Garage, to name a few.
On top of all the Spring/Summer programme, Freight Island will have regular events like the pop club night Cherrybomb, mass karaoke, and creative workshops.
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There’s a new food trader in the mix, too – Liverpool institution Pattersons, a chicken shop that brines its meat for more than 24 hours in a special herb and spice mix, is joining Freight Island.
Pattersons is joining existing traders like Voodoo Ray’s pizza, Lazy Tony’s Lasagnaria slab shack, Mega Gyros, Payal (Indian and Nepalese street food), Fuku (pan-Asian street food), open-fire cooking at Smoking Coal and cheesecakes on a stick from Oh My Cheesecake.
And on Sundays, there’s the return of the Seconds carvery, with unlimited access to all the trimmings.
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Freight Island will fully reopen from Friday 29 March. Its opening hours will be from 4pm until 11pm on Thursdays, 4pm until 12am on Fridays, 12pm until 12am on Saturdays, and 12pm until 10pm on Sundays.
You can book free tickets for Freight Island’s Spring/Summer programme here.
Freight Island’s Spring/Summer 2024 programme in full (A-Z)
Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) | Crazy P (DJ Set) | David Rodigan | É Soul Cultura | Greg Wilson | Huey Morgan | Luke Una | Maurice Fulton | Norman Jay | Optimo (Espacio) | Raw Silk DJs | Scarlett O’Malley | Sophie Lloyd | Todd Edwards | Abigail Ward | Andi Hanley (Body & Soul) | Andrea Trout | Atiké | Aveidt | Body Heat DJs | Ché Wilson | Contrast DJs | DJ Khanfu | DJ Rasp | Elen Beth Abdi | Freakout Collective | Ghosts Of Garage | Girls On Film | Groovement | Hannah O’Gorman | Hattie Pearson | Jack Farrington | Jamaste DJ | James Greenwood | Jamie Groovement | Jesterman | Jim Bane (Eastern Bloc Records) | Jimmy The Gent | Joey T | Joy Social | Keltoi | Lil’ Minx | Marco Giannini | Marley Reid | Massey | Matty F White | Me Gusta Collective | Metrodome | Mikey D.O.N | Mr Cryptic | Mr Wilson’s Second Liners | Muddy Feet | Neil Clarke (Clapdown Records) | No Boundaries |Nossa! | Obeka | Pablo Blanquito (Idle Moments) | Paul Hughes (Eclectic Circus) |Ralph Ninety | Rev. Austin | Rich Reason | Rick Donohue | Room 90 | Ruby Swallow |Semi Skimmed Edits | Sit N Bun | Sk1 Records | Stells Selections | Sticky Heat |Supernature Disco | Swindells | The Colonel | Tommy P-nuts | Yohan
A dedicated anime, movie and gaming concert with a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all self-proclaimed otakus, cinephiles and gamers: a huge concert experience will see dozens of musicians bring classic anime, film and gaming soundtracks and scores to life later this year, right here in Manchester.
The city is no stranger to events celebrating these beloved kinds of media, but you’ll struggle to find another bringing all of them together in one place.
Brought to us Mancs by KIN Music Entertainment, a locally founded arts, events and music label, this celebration of all things pop culture – and specifically, the music tied to it.
Entitled ‘The Kin & Fushigi Anime, Film & Videogame Orchestra’, this passionate collective serves as not only a platform for rising artists but also to hear some iconic sonic moments like never before.
KIN have created a large-scale live concert experience which will bring together a 25-piece pop orchestra made up of emerging professional performers and conservatoire graduates.
Aside from the impressive total of people behind this production to begin with, they also form an immersive hybrid orchestral and live band capable of bringing.
Speaking on the upcoming date, KIN Entertainment said in a statement: “We wanted to create the kind of live experience that many anime and videogame fans in Manchester have been waiting for — something cinematic, emotional and community-driven that brings these sound worlds to life with the energy of both an orchestra and a live band.”
Kin was founded by bassist, composer and ensemble performer Alejandro Urbina Diaz, who first brought his talents and wider interests over from Mexico to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) here in the city centre at the age of 23.
Citing Manchester’s multiculturalism and cosmopolitan cultural fabric as a big part of his inspiration, he and his team have ended up carving out this niche for themselves, and now they’ll be playing this beloved music to Mancs at none other than the O2 Ritz.
Credit: KIN Music Entertainment (supplied via Academy Music Group Digital)
With new arrangements inspired by anime, cinematic and videogame culture, not to mention orchestral and even rock crossover twists – including both vocalist and rhythm sections, by the way – it’s set to be a highly unique experience that most will have never come across before.
This event itself is suitable for audiences aged 14+, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, and it’s taking place at the Ritz on Sunday, 26 July.
We’re not going to spoil any more details about the show for you, so which particular pieces of pop culture they reference will just have to be a surprise…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AMG Digital)
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You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Daisy Jackson -
29th February 2024 
