Everybody loves the festival season, but not everybody loves camping in a muddy field for four days surrounded by discarded cans of dry shampoo and other alternatives to having a wash. If you’re one of the variety who prefers to stay clean whilst listening to live music and DJs, listen up. The 2013 Canal Festival mini outdoor festival hits Piccadilly Basin on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September, with two days of live bands, DJs, film screenings and family activities set against the urban, industrial backdrop of Brownsfield Mill.
Canal Festival is a free, un-ticketed event (well, we're sold already), and will be showcasing Manchester’s finest unsigned bands and locally celebrated DJs alongside pop up food stalls and exciting street art events.
DJs including Xfm's Clint Boon and Gareth Brooks, Pasta Paul, Leggit, Dance Lady Dance and Good For The Soul will be hitting the decks across the weekend, while live music will come courtesy of a hand-picked selection of exciting local bands such as Thugs on Wolves, Black Lights, Songs for Walter, Horses on the Move and Literature Thieves. The party will continue late into the night on the Saturday, with Dance Lady Dance and Disco Mums going head to head at a free entry after party at NQ basement venue 2022NQ from 10pm – 3am.
Providing some much needed dancing fuel will be pop-up food stalls from Kosmonaut, Ning, Las Paellaras, Stretza and Takk, serving up a tempting choice of gourmet hot dogs, burgers, paella, noodles, woodfired pizzas, cakes and coffee. A licensed bar with indoor seating will be hosted by 2022NQ.
As if all this wasn't enough, the festival will also feature a pop-up waterside cinema with nightly film screenings, as well as a host of activities for the kids. And if you fancy taking a break from the music you could take a look at the twelve local illustrators and street artists that will be designing one-off pieces of art that will be auctioned off to raise money for the Forever Manchester charity.
It all takes place from 12pm – 10pm on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September, giving you the perfect excuse to do ONLY THIS all weekend. So, in short, leave the wellies at home (but you can wear them if you like- you won’t get turned away) and come and see some home-grown music talent right on your doorstep.
The 2013 Canal Festival, 7th-8th September, Brownsfield Mill (near Urban Exchange shopping centre)
