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FIND OUT MOREFestival fever
From jazz to electronica and from drama queens to drag queens, there's something for every taste in this summer's festivals. Andrew Watson picks four of the best.
Manchester International Festival
What: The world's first international festival of new work.
When: July 2 - 19.
Who's in it: Highly acclaimed artists from the UK and abroad, including Rufus Wainwright, Marina Abramovic, Zaha Hadid, Elbow, Kraftwerk, Neil Bartlett, Lou Reed, Jeremy Deller and Carlos Acosta.
Where: Various venues in Manchester, including the Bridgewater Hall, Palace Theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery and The Lowry.
How much: Some events are free, including the Marina Abramovic show at the Whitworth Art Gallery. Prices for other events vary, with tickets for Rufus Wainwright's Prima Donna costing up to £47.50.
Why: It's a multi-million pound mega-festival and it's all happening here in Manchester. Don't miss the chance to be the first to see new work from some of the most important contemporary artists in the world.
Website: www.mif.co.uk
It's big, it's breathtaking and it's back. Manchester International Festival returns this summer, with a programme packed with world premieres.
Headline artists include singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, who presents his debut opera, Prima Donna, at the Palace Theatre (July 10 - 19); visual artist Marina Abramovic, who curates a group performance art show at the Whitworth Art Gallery (July 3 - 19); and architect Zaha Hadid, who creates a unique space for world-renowned musicians to perform Bach's solo works in Manchester Art Gallery (July 3 - 18).
Also unmissable is a collaboration between award-winning Manchester band Elbow and the city's world renowned Halle symphony orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall on July 8 and 9.
Another unique collaboration brings together German electronic wizards Kraftwerk and American composer Steve Reich, for a dynamic show at the Manchester Velodrome on July 2.
And Laurie Anderson teams up with Lou Reed for an intimate evening of music, stories, songs and poems at the Palace Theatre on July 18.
Meanwhile, over at the Royal Exchange, director Neil Bartlett turns the theatre into a bingo hall for the world premiere of his new play, Everybody Loves a Winner, (July 1 - Aug 1).
Other big names starring in the festival include Mali musical duo Amadou & Mariam, Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller and world-acclaimed ballet dancer Carlos Acosta.
24:7 Theatre Festival
What: An annual showcase of new theatre from the North West of England.
When: July 20 - 26.
Who's in it: Some famous faces, including Karl Lucas (Phoenix Nights), who stars in The Last Chair, and Bernard Wrigley, (Brassed Off, Dinner Ladies, Coronation Street), who stars in Dancing to the Sound of Crunching Snails, as well as some future stars whose names you wouldn't recognise yet.
Where: New Century House on Mayes Street and Pure at The Printworks.
How much: £8.
Why: The festival is a launch pad for new regional talent in a city that is alive with creative vibrancy. And it's got soul - for the people running this small-budget festival, David Slack and Amanda Hennessy, it's a labour of love and it shows.
Website: www.247theatrefestival.co.uk
The award-winning 24:7 brings radical new theatre to unconventional, non-theatre venues in the city centre.
Created to provide a showcase of new work by both new and established writers from every corner of the North West, the annual festival has quickly gained nationwide critical acclaim and a large following.
There are 21 original, one-hour shows to enjoy this year, from the hilariously absurd The Last Chair, by Ian Townsend, to the bittersweet family drama Dancing to the Sound of Crunching Snails, by Joe Graham, and Jenny Yates' dark story of revenge, The Person Without.
Feeling nostalgic? Jason Crouch's Remember Me is set in the Madchester era and features classic songs from Happy Mondays, New Order and The Stone Roses among others. Fancy a good laugh? Phys-Ed, by former stand up comic Simon Carter, about a rugby obsessed PE teacher should hit the spot.
In fact, 24:7 has a play to suit every mood, and you don't have to set foot inside a theatre for any of it. This year's venues are New Century House on Mayes Street and Pure at The Printworks. Here you can relax with a drink and see if you can spot the next big thing in theatre to come out of Manchester.
Manchester Jazz Festival
What:An annual festival of British and European contemporary jazz music.
When: July 24 - Aug 1.
Who's in it: The cream of Manchester's jazz scene, including Andy Schofield, Stuart McCallum, Jon Thorne and Olivia Moore, plus international jazz stars including Alata (France), Jorge Pardo (Spain) and Stanton Moore (USA).
Where: Various venues in Manchester, including the Midland Hotel, Matt & Phred's Jazz Club and the Festival Pavilion in Albert Square.
How much: Some events are free, including a series of lunchtime and commuter-time concerts in the Bridgewater Hall foyer and St Ann's Square. Prices for other events vary from £5 to £12.
Why: Jazz doesn't come any fresher than this. With a lot of the music created specially for the festival, you can discover some great contemporary jazz that you don't come across every day.
Website: www.manchesterjazz.com
Premieres and special commissions abound at the 14th Manchester Jazz Festival, which is on a mission to bring jazz to the young and the young at heart. The annual festival puts up-and-coming young artists centre-stage in a backlash against the dusty image of jazz.
Local talent, including Andy Schofield, Stuart McCallum, Jon Thorne, Olivia Moore and Matt Owens, join a host of international stars - from French young prodigies Alata to New Orleans drum superstar Stanton Moore - in a two-week celebration of all things jazz.
If you are just curious about the music, you can dip into a free jazz concert while enjoying your lunch in the Bridgewater Hall foyer or an afternoon coffee in St Ann's Square - there are a number of lunchtime and commuter-time concerts throughout the festival.
Jazz aficionados can indulge in some more formal gigs at venues including the Midland Hotel, Matt & Phred's Jazz Club and the Festival Pavilion in Albert Square.
New this year, the festival programme includes a mini-season of classic jazz film at the Cornerhouse and a celebratory Brazilian procession culminating in an open-air show in Albert Square on the closing day, Aug 1.
Manchester Pride
What: A ten-day party like no other, celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life in Manchester.
When: Aug 21 - 31.
Who's in it: Little Boots, Bananarama, The Whip, The Blow Wave and Booty Luv among other artists.
Where: Manchester Gay Village and venues across Manchester city centre.
How much: Tickets for the Big Weekend, the 78-hour party climax of Manchester Pride, cost £17.50. Many art and cultural events are free throughout the festival.
Why: It's great fun and it's for a great cause, so why not?
Website: www.manchesterjazz.com
The city's hugely popular annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender life returns for ten days of wild, unadulterated fun.
The packed events programme includes comedy, music, theatre, sport, film, heritage, debate, and, of course, some serious partying.
The festival culminates with its legendary Big Weekend (Aug 28 - 31), featuring dance pop princess Little Boots, Bananarama, The Whip, The Blow Wave and Booty Luv in a stellar music line-up. And let's not forget the famous Pride Parade (Aug 29), which is the largest, glitziest and most outrageous in the UK.
In addition to being a hell of an excuse to party, Manchester Pride has always been about recognising difference and celebrating Manchester's diverse and colourful culture. And it has always been a major fundraising event, helping to improve the lives of AIDS sufferers. Last year, it raised £105,000 for charity and it has recently been crowned 'Event of the Year' at the Manchester Tourism Awards.
The festival closes with the annual HIV Candlelit Vigil (Aug 31) - a truly moving event that brings people from all walks of life together in Sackville Park to remember friends, lovers and children who have died of AIDS, in the flickering candlelight.
