Festival Square at Aviva Studios (Factory International; Photo – Mark Waugh)

Festival Square at MIF23 (May 2022 – August 2023)

Festival Square is the hub of the biennial Manchester International Festival – a free, open and accessible site which provides a space for audiences to eat, drink and take in the Festival buzz whilst enjoying free live music, nightly DJs and a range of other curated artist-led activity.

The 2023 edition of Manchester International Festival (MIF) ran from 29 June to 16 July. Working with partners regionally and across the globe, the wide-ranging programme of original new work by artists from around the world took place in venues and spaces throughout the city and at Factory International’s much-anticipated new home – Aviva Studios – which opened its doors for the first time for the Festival, in advance of its official opening in October.

Festival Square relocated to its new home for MIF23, introducing visitors to Aviva Studio’s outdoor spaces – a new riverside destination for Manchester – with live sets from over 100 bands, artists and DJs and a wide variety of food and drink. The Square attracted over 84,000 visitors across 16 days, featured performances from 683 artists, and hosted 16 hospitality and corporate events attended by 720 VIPs and guests.

I produced Festival Square on behalf of Factory International, holding overall responsibility for the successful delivery of the project.

• Communities
• Cross Artform
• Festivals
• Music
• Outdoor & Site Specific