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MIF23
Damien Frost
Manchester International Festival returns, this year with many of the biggest comissions found at cultural spaces around Oxford Road. Here’s what’s happening here on the Corridor.
One of the leading worldwide incubators for new, cutting-edge art. Though the festival has an international outlook and reputation, it also showcases Manchester stories and talent.
New York Times
Factory International has announced the 2023 edition of Manchester International Festival, which takes place 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 will take place in venues and spaces throughout the city, with many taking place across the Oxford Road Corridor and at Factory International’s much-anticipated new home, which opens its doors for the first time for the Festival, in advance of its official opening in October.
From a collaboration exploring art and the beautiful game by curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and footballer Juan Mata, featuring new work by Tino Sehgal, to a mixed reality concert by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, from a live photographic performance by Benji Reid to a musical adaptation of a cult queer classic by Philip Venables and Ted Huffman, the expansive programme of new work premiering at the Festival will see art forms merge, breaking new creative ground and challenging perceptions.
Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Factory International & Manchester International Festival John McGrath says: “From the radical and agenda setting to the purest of celebrations, MIF23’s programme covers a huge range of art forms and styles – from a ritual on the banks of a newly uncovered river, to mixed reality from one of Japan’s greatest composers, from a hunt for artworks across the city to a residency from one of American music’s most vibrant superstars. A genuine melting pot of creativity where artists share their ideas with each other and the public, the Festival will once again take the temperature of our times, and imagine possibilities for the future.
You can see the entire MIF23 lineup here. Below are some of the best events which you can see here on the Corridor.
What’s On
More Culture On The Corridor
While MIF dominates the cultural landscape this July, there’s still plenty of other cultural events and places to visit in between
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More things to do
The Pankhurst Centre | 29 August 2021 – 31 August 2025
The transformation of the Pankhurst Centre exhibition space is incredible thanks to its new permanent exhibition, At Home with the Pankhurst Family.
The Whitworth | 26 January – 26 November 2023
(Un)Defining Queer delves into the Whitworth’s collection to examine how we can use a queer lens to define what the term ‘queer’ means.
The Manchester Museum | 18 February – 31 December 2023
Golden Mummies of Egypt is Manchester Museum’s re-opening exhibition. This one-of-a-kind cultural experience opens in February 2023.
The Manchester Museum | 18 February – 31 July 2023
Dab Hands is an exhibition that celebrates the extraordinary relationship that we have with our hands and the value of the skills that can be acquired
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House | 2 April 2023
A new exhibition exploring how Elizabeth Gaskell presented Manchester and its people through her novels and short stories, and the impact she had through her writing.
The Whitworth | 18 June – 15 July 2023
Tino Sehgal presents a playful exchange between different masters of their craft. Premieres at the National Football Museum and the Whitworth.
HOME | 28 June – 2 July 2023
The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions at HOME brings together theatre, dance and song for the ultimate anarchic bedtime story.
The Whitworth | 30 June – 22 October 2023
Economics the Blockbuster is a research and exhibition project, developed in collaboration with Alliance Manchester Business School and MIF.
The Whitworth | 30 June 2023 – 10 March 2024
Albrecht Dürer’s Material World is the first major exhibition of the Whitworth’s outstanding Dürer collection in over half a century.
The Manchester Museum | 1 July 2023
SEEN Magazine and Manchester Museum shine a spotlight on the sounds of the South Asian diaspora for Manchester International Festival.
Palace Theatre | 4 – 23 July 2023
The smash-hit musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory based on Roald Dahl’s classic story.
HOME | 6 – 8 July 2023
Weaving personal tragedy with catastrophe at large, All right. Good night. is a meditation on loss and how to deal with uncertainty.
The Bridgewater Hall | 7 July 2023
Lose yourself in the world premiere of Sonic Geography by John Luther Adams, played by pianist Ralph Van Raat.
Manchester Academy | 12 – 16 July 2023
Known for 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.
Contact | 14 July 2023
Celebrate International Non-Binary People’s Day with 50 Hours of Freedom, a creative lock-in at Contact for MIF23
Food & Drink
There’s always plenty of good places to eat and drink on Oxford Road Corridor, many places will allow walk-ins, but again, check before making a special visit.
WOOD Manchester offers one of the city’s best fine dining experiences, from the locally-loved winner of 2015 MasterChef winner Simon Wood.
The Refuge, at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, is a luxurious, modern restaurant, housed in a magnificent, Alfred Waterhouse designed, Victorian brick and terracotta building offers 10,000 sq ft of drinking and dining for everyone and anyone with the instruction “Come As You Are”.
Big Hands at the South end of Oxford Road may be small, but it comes with added rock n’ roll swagger, a great atmosphere and a lovely roof garden.
Zouk Tea Bar and Grill is a modern, exciting restaurant, serving up some of the very best Indian-Pakistani cuisine in Manchester.
Bunny Jackson’s is a late-night music venue, dive bar and American diner on First Street. Expect cocktails, cold beer and chicken wings.
Charming and homely, the Indian Tiffin Room brings this classic Indian dish to First Street.
An iconic pub with an impressive whiskey list running into the hundreds. A welcoming atmosphere and a sprawling beer garden.
The Font Manchester is a cracking bar found just off Oxford Road on New Wakefield St where it’s been for over 20 years.
Green Spaces
The summer months are the best time to enjoy the green spaces on Oxford Road Corridor
All Saints Park is a beautiful green space in the heart of the Oxford Road Corridor. Perfect for a quick moment of calm on a busy day.
This 18-acre park opposite the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is an eye-catching green space and home to the Whitworth Art Gallery.
Enjoy views of some of the best architecture in Manchester in this green space which was opened in 2018 by The University of Manchester.