Over 80 bands, DJs and musicians are lined up for an exciting Festival Square music programme during MIF19 this July.
International DJ The Black Madonna, hip-hop master DJ Yoda, reggae legend Horace Andy and award-winning producer and composer Nitin Sawhney – performing a stripped back version of his groundbreaking album Beyond Skin, celebrating 20 years since its release – lead a wide-ranging Festival Square programme at MIF19, which runs from Friday 5 to Sunday 21 July and includes live music, cabaret, DJs, special events and family entertainment – all for free – alongside delicious food, drink and more.
They will be appearing onstage in a new look Festival Square – which takes over Albert Square in front of Manchester’s historic town hall – alongside some of the city and the North’s finest musical talent, including a Children of Zeus friends and family line-up of Manchester neo soul, Halifax heroes The Orielles, new wave power pop from Working Men’s Club and post-punk from LIINES.
Returning to the Festival following packed-out shows at MIF17 are Stealing Sheep and the House Gospel Choir. DJ and writer Dave Haslam has once again carefully curated an array of DJs from the city’s best club nights, including Swing Ting, Girls on Film and Kiss Me Again, to keep people dancing until the early hours – as well as some surprise appearance sets from MIF artists past and present. Other DJ sets include Jez Kerr from A Certain Ratio, Andrea Trout and Deptford Northern Soul Club.
Festival Square’s opening day on Friday 5 July will see the spirit of carnival celebrated by Manchester School of Samba, plus House of Ghetto bringing a two-hour dance party with vogue dancers from across the North West, celebrating the diversity, verve and flamboyance of the Manchester clubbing scene, and uplifting house party hip hop, rare grooves and blistering funk from the pioneering DJ Paulette.
Other Festival Square artists include folk-pop from Chloe Foy and Songs for Walter, plus world music from leading sitar player Baluji Shrivastav OBE, Henry Fung playing the erhu (Chinese violin) and jazz quartet The Tebu Project.
MIF19 celebrates Manchester’s home-grown talent, following an open call for local performers and artists, including street-dance from Aim Sky High; Indian infused rock from Wingspread; the horn-heavy soul from the 7:45s; NoSpace – a six-piece crew of hip hop, grime, neo soul and dancehall artists; tropical-kraut rockers Bethlehem Casuals. There will be pop-up performances from the Chorus of Others, plus rising talent presented by Reform Radio and Thirty Pound Gentleman’s Soundcamp project.
BBC Music Introducing’s Michelle Hussey and Natalie-Eve Williams will present the best new music from Greater Manchester including Mouse Outfit, OneDa, Argh Kid, with further guests to be announced.
Listings
Fri 5 July
3pm – 4.30pm: Baluji Shrivastav OBE
5.30pm – 7pm: Manchester School of Samba
8pm – 10pm: House of Ghetto
10pm – late: DJ Paulette
Sat 6 July
10am – 2pm: Mr Bloom
5.30pm – 6.30pm: Rise Like Lions
8pm – 10pm: Nitin Sawhney
10pm – late: Andrea Trout
Sun 7 July
12pm – late: Festival in My House takeover
Mon 8 July
12pm – 2pm: NTS Presents: Golden Ratio Frequencies Live
5.30pm – 7pm: Reform Radio & Thirty Pound Gentleman present: Soundcamp
10pm – late: Mary Ellen McTague & Craig Potter (Elbow)
Tues 9 July
12pm – 2pm: Chloe Foy
5.30pm – 7pm: Bethlehem Casuals
10pm – late: DJ Yoda
Wed 10 July
12pm – 2pm: Lingua Franca World Music Agency present Henry Fung
5.30pm – 7pm: Together We Move
8pm – 10pm: BBC Introducing with Mouse Outfit, OneDa, Argh Kid and more
10pm – late: Across the Tracks with Justine Alderman & Martin Glynn
Thurs 11 July
5.30pm – 7pm: Electronic Empires
8pm – 10pm: House Gospel Choir
10pm – late: Hattie Pearson
Fri 12 July
5.30pm – 7pm: Wingspread
8pm – 10pm: Fabaret! Presented by A Queer Revue!, Trans Creative & Superbia
10pm – late: The Black Madonna & Dave Haslam
Sat 13 July
12pm – 4pm: YES present YESFAM
7pm – 8pm: Stealing Sheep
8pm – 10pm: Deptford Northern Soul Club
10pm – late: Dave Haslam DJ
Sun 14 July
12pm – 2pm: BeeLive presents NotTwins
3pm – 4.30pm: Young Identity present One Mic Stand
8pm – late: Soundsystem PA with Horace Andy & Blood & Fire
Mon 15 July
12pm – 2pm: Kara
5.30pm – 7pm: Chorus of Others
8pm – 10pm: The Orielles plus Working Men’s Club
10pm – late: Psychedelic DiscoTech
Tues 16 July
5.30pm – 7pm: The 7:45s
8pm – 10pm: The Blinders plus Witch Fever, The Pagans SOH
10pm – late: Shellzenner
Wed 17 July
12pm – 2pm: Lingua Franca World Music Agency present The Tebu Project
5.30pm – 7pm: NoSpace
8pm – 10pm: LIINES plus Sink Ya Teeth
10pm – late: Jez Kerr (A Certain Ratio)
Thurs 18 July
12pm – 2pm: One Little Atlas
2pm – 4.30pm: DJ Tacostan
5.30pm – 7pm: Aim Sky High
8pm – 10pm: Children of Zeus present Manchester Neo Soul
10pm – late: Swing Ting
Fri 19 July
12pm – 10pm: Distractions
10pm – late: Rebecca Never Becky & Kiss Me Again present Many 4 Manny
Sat 20 July
8pm – 10pm: Skittles presents ‘Poor on Purpose’ Live with 8 Gold Rings & The Untold Orchestra
10pm – late: Lost in Music with Natasha Kitty Katt
Sun 21 July
12pm – 12.40pm: The Sunday Boys
2pm – 3pm: Songs for Walter
4pm – 5pm: Jubacana
5pm: Festival Square closes
Festival Square
Albert Square
Manchester
M2 5DB
mif.co.uk / +44 (0) 333 320 2890
