Meet our new neighbours – Factory International

Factory International OMA

We’re so excited to welcome Factory International to our neighbourhood later this year. This is the organisation behind both Manchester International Festival (MIF), and the city’s landmark new cultural space, and is set to become a global destination for arts, music, and culture in the heart of Manchester.

Audiences can enjoy the broadest range of art forms, showcasing the world’s most exciting artists and homegrown talent, from major exhibitions and concerts to intimate performances and immersive experiences. There will also be outdoor pop-up performances, events and markets!

Free Your Mind: Factory International’s opening production

Free Your Mind Jeremy Coysten

The opening production, Free Your Mind, will be directed by the multi-Oscar-winning Mancunian filmmaker Danny Boyle, with a creative team that includes Boy Blue’s Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante MBE and Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy MBE and artist Es Devlin. The large-scale immersive performance is based on The Matrix films, using spectacular visual effects, dance, and music to recreate some of the film’s most iconic scenes.

“I’m delighted to be part of Factory International as a starting point for a kind of identity that this extraordinary new building is going to have. It’s a space that gives you an enormous amount of potential. It’s wildly ambitious in terms of its scale. In my lifetime, to see a new space like this open is hugely empowering, and I hope the new generation of artists feel that power.”
– Danny Boyle, Director

Tickets: Prices start at £10 and are available from Factory International.
Opening production dates: 18th October 2023- 5th November 2023
For more information: visit Factory International.

Manchester International Festival (MIF)

Yayoi Kusama and Dots Obsession

Before Factory International’s official opening, the new venue will be home to the 2023 edition of MIF.

MIF23’s major exhibition, You, Me and the Balloons, will celebrate three decades of Yayoi Kusama’s iconic inflatable sculptures. It will be the renowned Japanese contemporary artist’s largest immersive environment to date, featuring psychedelic inflatable sculptures over ten metres tall.

The wide-ranging programme of original new work will take place in multiple venues and spaces throughout the city. The famous MIF Festival Square will relocate to its new riverside destination this year, with live sets from over 100 live bands, artists and DJs and a wide variety of food and drink.

“I’m excited to see this year’s Manchester International Festival programme. Not only is the city welcoming back its internationally renowned festival but also presenting work for the first time in Factory International’s venue and new public spaces. This is a huge moment for both Manchester and the wider Northern cultural scene. I can’t wait to see the city buzzing with people experiencing world-class arts and culture by artists from here at home and from around the world. This is going to be one exciting summer for Manchester!”
– Sarah Maxfield, Area Director, North, Arts Council England

MIF23 dates: 29th June – 16th July
Explore the full line-up: visit MIF23
Location: Factory International’s new arts space is located in St John’s neighbourhood next to the River Irwell – just a 5-10 minute walk from The Ainscow Hotel.

When you book your stay at The Ainscow Hotel directly, we’ll make your experience extra special by treating you to a complimentary bottle of wine or bubbly upon your arrival. Book here.

deluxe-room-manchester Ainscow