Salford City Council and From The Other announce that Swinton Sounds, a free three-day festival of pop-up live music, performance, food, drink, and family fun is back for the third time and running from Friday 30 May – Sunday 1 June at some of Swinton’s favourite venues and well-known locations to celebrate the town and its vibrant community.
Throughout the weekend, local venues including Swinton Grand Palais, The Swinton Hop House, and The Wobbly Stool, as well as Swinton Square, and the beautiful Victoria Park will be full of the sounds of a line-up of Greater Manchester’s best musicians and DJs in a programme curated by From the Other (the team behind Sounds from the Other City) in collaboration with Salford City Council.
On Friday 30 May from 19:30-22:00 Swinton Sounds will launch at the historic Grand Palais, Swinton’s iconic ballroom dating back over a century, with a dancefloor filling set from Untold Orchestra; the much-loved Manchester collective will be bringing a bespoke five-piece set-up and bags of energy with unique takes on dance songs from all the best decades, so expect disco, funk, soul, and lots of shuffle inducing surprises.
Saturday 31 May will see performer, producer, and host for the day Judy Brush take to Swinton Square between 12:00 – 15:00 to welcome Soul artist Yemi Bolatiwa, Ghana born, Manchester raised contemporary guitarist and composer Rory A. Green, R&B, Gospel and Neo Soul fusing singer songwriter Kiké, and DJ collective known for pop-up parties that straddle day and night Good Afternoon, to the outdoor stage.
There will also be a visually striking performance piece for young people and all the family from the UK’s leading makers and creators of outdoor arts, theatre and spectacle in the public realm Walk the Plank; inspired by the nesting birds found around the waterways of Salford, come and meet the large Canadian Goose puppet and help the little goslings honk.
Craft-based family fun will be provided by Manchester’s Little Artists who will be running a child-led art workshop; it will be messy, creative and embrace the process, not just the end result, while Swinton’s own Arts Let Loose will be inviting kids to Glow Crazy where they can dance and create to music under UV lights, all they need is white or fluorescent clothing at this party.
From 18:00 – 21:00 on Saturday 31 May lush Indie Folk artist Evie Moran, bespectacled singer songwriter Mathew Kerry, and queer Mancunian R&B singer-songwriter Bennettiscoming will be wowing the crowds at local cask and keg ale spot The Swinton Hop House, while R&B and soul singer-songwriter and producer Amatiime, Sad Pop singer Alf Whitby, and R&B, Pop, and Soul blending artist Isaac Malibu showcase their immense talents at the ever-popular Wobbly Stool.
On Sunday 1 June the party will land at the very grand Victoria Park bandstand from 13:00 – 17:00 with a hefty line-up hosted by Manchester’s legendary DnB songstress DJ Jenna G to do it justice. Sens Sagna the inspirational dancer and singer from Senegal, brings his performance group Kajamor Family to Swinton to showcase World Music, Afro-beat, and West African dance, while Madame Claude, a 5-piece band from Saddleworth, mix Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, and Disco into the afternoon.
Dance and visual arts collective Ghetto Fabulous will be bringing glamour, glitz, and grace to the situation as only they can, with two sets; one all-out performance and one interactive family catwalk show, and DJ, vocalist, and visual artist Meme Gold will be getting behind the 1s and 2s and to deliver some big tune selection.
In addition there will be a very special parade around the park led by the marching band of Avant-Pop rebels Stealing Sheep, followed by the iconic Sounds ‘Round Town DJ bike, as well as clay and craft workshops for the family by Clay Life, and Salford Mad Pride will be in town to promote creativity, arts, nature, and community connection for wellbeing while celebrating the unique talents of those who struggle with mental health.
Fratellis will be providing the pizza and local bars, The Wobbly Stool and The Swinton Hop House will be running pop-up bars. Further refreshments will be served from The Hive community hub.
For updates on stage times and additions to the Swinton Sounds programme keep an eye on the Visit Salford website: https://www.visitsalford.info/
