As Manchester prepares to welcome over 1.3m music fans to the city, and the first of the Oasis homecoming shows come to Heaton Park this Friday, Music for the Senses, a city wide art trail featuring 80 artworks, murals, mosaics and installations celebrating Manchester’s music scene has taken over the city to raise money and awareness for grassroots music venues and projects.
Over 300 guitars have been donated by members of the public and well known musicians to create the artworks.
Oasis themselves have joined the cause and donated a guitar, an Epiphone Riviera, signed by Liam and Noel Gallagher, which is on display in Selfridges until it is auctioned off in September along with instruments from Busted, Doves, Elbow, Mani, New Order, Oasis, PINS and Pixies, plus many more.
A spokesperson for Oasis said: “We’re delighted to donate this guitar signed by Liam and Noel to help support Manchester’s grassroots music projects and kickstart the series of celebrations.”
In addition to the famous guitars on display there are also an interactiveinstallations Guitar Street & Cathedral of Sound by Lazerian as well as Guitars donated by the public painted or adorned by professional artists
Manchester artist Liam Hopkins, known as Lazerian has created an interactive installation for the duration of the trail on King Street called ‘Guitar Street’ that lovingly repurposes donated guitars.
Lazerian will also be stencilling the faces of some of Manchester’s grassroots music artists onto the back of the forty guitars that will hang in an exhibition along Guitar Street.
Lazerian has created another show-stopping installation on St. Peter’s Square called Cathedral of Sound, from 7-20 July before moving to Mayfield Park from 25 July – 31 August.
This is a large-scale, immersive public art sculpture made from hundreds of reclaimed acoustic guitars—once cherished, now reimagined into a living, breathing sanctuary of sound.
This architectural pavilion acts as a tribute to Manchester’s rich musical heritage while embracing its evolving sonic future.
Meanwhile more guitars donated by the public have been painted or adorned by professional artists such as Hammo, Danielle Rhoda, Jim Medway, Tim Sutcliffe, Becky Smith, Thomas Wolski, Sally Adams, and Jenny Leonard, turning them into individual artworks, and displayed in shop windows and venues including Fred Aldous, The Treehouse Hotel, Co-op Live, AO Arena, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Forsyth Music Shop, Royal Exchange Theatre, People’s History Museum, NOMA, Represent (New Cathedral Street), Hallé St Peters, and Royal Northern College of Music, plus many more.
There are Brand-new murals by internationally renowned street artists Lei-Mai LeMaow, Nomad Clan, ASKE and you can take part in the Manchester Music Mooch – an interactive journey through the locations of Manchester’s grassroots music community
At the end of the trail the decorated guitars will be auctioned to raise money to support grassroots music projects and venues throughout Greater Manchester via a special fund put together by charity partner Forever Manchester charity in collaboration with Manchester Music City.
