Manchester Jazz Festival has announced it will be bringing three days of music right to Escape to Freight Island this summer.
With the government’s “irreversible” roadmap for lifting England’s current national lockdown now set out, the team behind the region’s longest-running music festival will bring the very best in contemporary jazz to three stages – ‘The Ticket Hall’, ‘The Round’ and ‘The Pavilion’ – at the highly-popular Depot Mayfield venue this June.
Taking place from Friday 11- Sunday 13 June 2021, general release bookings will be available from Thursday. If you're a mailing list subscriber check your inbox now for an exclusive booking link!
— manchester jazz festival (@ManJazzFest) April 6, 2021
On Friday 11th June, audiences can catch sets from soul artist and favourite from the Manchester scene, Yemi Bolatiwa, storming sets from Mr Wilson’s ‘Second Liners’, and one of the brightest and boldest jazz talents in the UK, Rebecca Nash.
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DJs Pablo Blanquito and Danielle Moore will also be providing some tunes.
Saturday 12th June will kick off with Ain’t Misbahavin’ – an interactive concert for 6-11 year olds and their families – followed by sets from fast-rising, global-infused Leeds band Yaatri, MOBO-nominated saxophonist Camilla George and nine-piece afro-beat collective Nubiyan Twist.
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Saturday audiences can also enjoy Manchester-based singer songwriter Marco Woolf, the synthesised soundscapes of Rafe’s Dilemma, pounding brass parades from Back Chat Brass and Young Pilgrims, and DJ sets from Debra Richards and Harkirit Boparai.
Sunday 13th June will see The Untold Orchestra ft special guest Mali Hayes, high-energy beats and traditional African vocals from Ubunye, the Binker Golding Band led by the multi-award-winning saxophonist and composer, and sessions from Jazz North’s northern line bands Nishla Smith Quintet and John Pope Quintet.
There’ll also be high-energy brass covers of pop gems from Twisted Tubes and Break Out Brass, along with a DJ set from Jenna G and her Freight Island favourite, From MCR with Love.
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A selection of street food and open-air bars will complete the festival vibe.
mjf @ Escape to Freight Island
Speaking ahead of the event, Steve Mead – Chief Executive and Artistic Director at Manchester Jazz Festival – said: “As it became apparent we couldn’t stage our usual festival across the city in May, we wanted to do something that still embodied the spirit of Manchester Jazz Festival, and our weekend at Escape to Freight Island will do just that in what will be one of the first live music events with an in-person audience this year – three days full of unmissable, surprising musical moments teamed with a relaxed festival vibe and the best food and drink.
“Whether you’re first in line to book a table to see a new band or you simply want to surround yourself with live music again, the weekend promises great music and a good time all from the comfort of your own seat.
“We’re so excited to work with the team at Freight Island and can’t wait to show audiences what’s on offer”.
mjf @ Escape to Freight Island
Fancy booking tickets?
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Audiences can book socially-distanced tables with their household bubble free of charge for up to 2.5 hours in the different areas of the venue in advance, and there’ll be no entry on the door during the festival without a table booking.
In line with COVID-19 restrictions, table service will be available for food and drink during the event.
Audiences must not roam around the venue.
You can book your tickets for mjf @ Escape to Freight Islandhere.
Featured Image – Escape to Freight Island
What's On
Horror film festival Grimmfest announces fear-filled return to Manchester next month
Emily Sergeant
Spooky season is just around the corner, and now a popular horror film has announced its return to Manchester next month.
Grimmfest, also known as Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, has confirmed its 2026 return dates, and has also announced its the full lineup – with four fear-filled days planned, showcasing the best in brand-new horror genre cinema.
You can expect some ferocious feature films, a savage selection of shorts, hair-raising horror classics back on the big screen, and more premieres than ever before.
Returning to Odeon Great Northern early next month, Grimmfest audiences will have an exclusive opportunity to see many of the films on the lineup long before their formal release – with both world, UK, and international premieres on the cards.
Some of the programme’s highlights this year include the UK premiere of Zachary Wigon’s darkly comedic period piece, Victorian Pyscho, shot in Ireland and starring big-name stars Maika Monroe, Jason Isaacs, Thomasin McKenzie, and Ruth Wilson.
Ángel Gómez Hernández’s Crawlers will also make its UK debut at the festival, and horror fans are also said to be eagerly awaiting Jason Lei Howden’s Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon – which is the highly anticipated follow-up to the beloved cult metal comedy-horror, Deathgasm.
There will also be an array of incredible short films screened throughout the festival, all in a huge range of styles, themes, and twisted sensibilities, proving that when it comes to Grimmfest, good things often come in small packages.
Grimmfest has announced its fear-filled return to Manchester next month / Credit: Grimmfest | Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)
It’s not just new releases you can expect either, as some absolute horror classics are also set to return to the big screen for their anniversaries.
Respected guests from all around the world are set to descend on Manchester for the festival, and that include the film makers and actors from many of the selected films.
And of course there will be plenty of film introductions, Q&As, and signings for fans.
Grimmfest 2026 returns to Oden Great Northern from from 8 – 11 October, and you can see the full lineup and get tickets here.
Featured Image – Grimmfest (Supplied)
What's On
Jersey Boys at Palace Theatre, Manchester – Oh, what a night
Amy Williams
20 years, 65 major awards (including Tonys, a Grammy, and an Olivier), and seen by over 27 million people worldwide – it could only be Jersey Boys, and now it’s back at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
This is one of those shows where you realise just how many songs you know and love by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, but may not know the story behind the band themselves. How they started, how big they became, how they fell apart, and how they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It follows the four boys from Jersey (who each narrate their parts of the story), how it started as just Tommy and Nick and a range of different guys along the way, until they found the one who has a voice like an angel, Frankie Valli, and this started to change the direction of their success.
But they were missing a key part, a good song writer – enter Bob Gaudio, and the creation of The Four Lovers, who then became The Four Seasons.
Mixed with issues of debt, loan sharks, prison time and more, it wasn’t the smoothest of sailing for them, and as they said themselves, they didn’t create a movement like the Beatles. But The Four Seasons were for the factory workers, the dads, the working class people who could relate to them.
One thing we need to talk about, is just how INCREDIBLE the vocal performances are in this tour of Jersey Boys, staring Luke Baker as Frankie Valli, Carlo Boumouglbay as Tommy Devito, Lewis Kennedy as Nick Massi, and Toby Miles as Bob Gaudio.
Jersey Boys is back in Manchester, for a run at the Palace Theatre
A special mention for Luke Baker, because as iconic as Frankie Valli’s voice is, he very perfectly matched it.
The musical features some of their biggest hits including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Beggin’, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Walk Like A Man, and of course, December 1963 (Oh, What A Night) which had everyone up on their feet dancing at the end.
This show is incredible from beginning to end, and would recommend everyone go to see this.
Jersey Boys is running at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 19 September, and you can grab your tickets HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
15th April 2021 
