Warning - flashing images in the video above.
Back for yet another year of awe-striking installations and progressive productions, Manchester International Festival (MIF) is returning to the streets of Manchester, and inviting people from far and wide to join in with the celebration of all things culture and art.
Brimming with affordable shows, with lots of free-entry events as well as £10 tickets available across all shows, MIF23 is the perfect place to pique your curiosity and try something new without breaking the bank.
Running from June 29 until July 16, 2023, the festival's 18-day takeover will be jam-packed with unmissable gigs, shows, art, exhibitions, talks and more. Welcoming huge names from all corners of the globe, the festival is proudly showcasing premiering shows, making visitors among the first to witness the magic.
Local talent is set to be taking over Festival Square with an incredible programme of live music and performances, and there will be magnificent shows popping up all over the city - so keep your eyes peeled.
Expect collaborations from some of the most exciting creative minds of our generation – blurring art forms, pushing boundaries and addressing the big questions of our time. And more than that, creating hope for the future.
With lots of free events and £10 tickets available across all MIF23 shows, take a chance and try something new. Gather your friends and family, and find your joy. Your summer starts here.
Programme highlights
Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons
Three decades of Yayoi Kusama’s inflatable artworks are brought together for the first time in this major exhibition conceived especially for the soaring spaces of MIF's new home - including giant dolls, spectacular tendrilled landscapes, and a vast constellation of polka-dot spheres.
Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons has a longer run - from June 29 to August 28.
Kagami
A ground-breaking mixed-reality concert created by legendary composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto in collaboration with Tin Drum. Fusing moving photography with the real world to create a never-before-experienced show - this is not to be missed!
AFODEUTSCHE with Manchester Camerata conducted by Robert Ames
Merging contemporary classical, techno, house and electro, Manchester’s very own AFRODEUTSCHE is no stranger to pushing boundaries. Teaming up with Manchester Camerata and composer Robert Ames, this progressive new live experience will be a surefire night of cutting-edge music.
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions
Fantasy meets liberation in this queer retelling of world history. Based on the 1977 cult book by Larry Mitchell, The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions brings together theatre, dance and song for the ultimate anarchic bedtime story.
Untitled F*ck M*ss S**gon Play
With breathless hilarity, Kimber Lee’s untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play jumps through time – wriggling inside of and then exploding lifetimes of repeating Asian stereotypes, wrestling history for the right to control your own narrative in a world that thinks it can tell you who you are.
Janelle Monáe
After dazzling at MIF's 2019 festival, it’s only right that Janelle Monáe should be the first musician to perform at MIF23. One of the most celebrated acts of our generation, Janelle fuses a blend of genres – soul, funk, hip hop and new wave–with big concepts and slick pop productions.
Sanam Marvi
Sanam Marvi is a titan of Sufi music, revered throughout Pakistan and beyond. Singing in Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi and Saraiki, she offers a uniquely beautiful interpretation of Sufi poetry supported by an unbelievable vocal range. Sanam has toured the globe uniting millions of people in their love of Sufi music but this will be her MIF debut.
Angelique Kidjo
With four Grammy Awards under her belt, Angelique is known for her eclectic sound and endless creative spirit combining Beninese and West African music with Afrobeat, Afro-pop, dancehall, hip-hop and alt-R&B.
This is her first MIF show in 10 years and she’ll be inviting some of the best emerging talent from the city to join her. Always forward-thinking but with a nod to tradition, Angélique Kidjo’s sound is made to be experienced live.
Find Your Eyes
Known for award-winning Afro-futurist images that seem to defy gravity, Benji Reid invites us to watch him at play as he creates live photography in this genre-bending show. Find Your Eyes is a show that exposes the making of this work – a behind-the-scenes look at Benji’s life and practice where the stage becomes a studio.
Free events
There are also loads of free events, including a city-wide hunt for Ryan Gander’s collectible coins, a ritual on the banks of the River Medlock by Risham Syed and Angie Bual, youth-led performances, and exhibitions surrounding mental health as part of Balmy Army and a futuristic journey through Manchester by Blast Theory and Manchester Street Poem, plus loads more.
To find out more and view the full programme for MIF 2023, visit the website.
