Outdoor Location Filming & Photography

If you are looking for a striking location for your next shoot, Aviva Studios is the place to bring your vision to life.

The side of Aviva Studios on a sunny day, with the skyscrapers behind

Bring your vision to life

Download our brochure → Make an enquiry →

Looking for a striking Manchester location for your next shoot? Aviva Studios is the place.

Situated in the heart of St. John's and overlooking the River Irwell, our building's raw industrial architecture provides a compelling mix of urban and futuristic backdrops unlike anywhere else in the city. Sitting on the former Granada Studios site and a stone's throw from Versa Studios and MediaCityUK, Aviva Studios is at the centre of one of the UK's most exciting creative districts.

We offer outdoor location filming across three unique exterior spaces — River Square, the Undercroft and City Square — each with its own distinct character. Whether you're shooting a music video, film, TV show or brand campaign, our outdoor spaces offer a bold and versatile setting for creators who want something truly distinctive.

Download our brochure to find out more about filming and photography in the public realm.

It's a kind of space that gives you an enormous amount of potential... 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 and want to use it.

Danny Boyle, Director

Photos

Aviva Studios viewed from River Square, with a tower block in the background
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River Square, Aviva Studios, home of Factory International. Jody Hartley.

An adidas branded skate ramp in the Undercroft, with a view of the bridge over the River Irwell
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The Undercroft, Aviva Studios, home of Factory International.

Photo of Aviva Studios exterior
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Aviva Studios. Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of OMA and Factory International

The pillars in the Undercroft on purple flooring
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The Undercroft, Aviva Studios, home of Factory International. Jody Hartley.

The entrance to Aviva Studios at night with a ticker that reads 'Welcome to Aviva Studios, home of Factory International'
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Aviva Studios. Photo by Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of OMA and Factory International

The City Square entrance to Aviva Studios showing concrete floor, pillars and bollards
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City Square, Aviva Studios, home of Factory International. Jody Hartley.

We're a bit different

Aviva Studios seen from across the River Irwell on a sunny day

The place we call home

On Manchester’s former Granada Studios site and a stone’s throw from MediaCityUK

2nd most creative city in Europe, with a GVA of £1.4bn to the city from culture and creative industries

Photo of the audience watching Free Your Mind in the Hall

History in the making

Designed by world-leading architects Office for Metropolitan Architecture

Listed in TimeOut’s ‘23 Best Things to Do in the World in 2023’

We've got something special

Over 15 years’ experience producing the globally renowned Manchester International Festival

Diverse team of 16 in-house experts covering all aspects of production

Access to technical expertise in lighting, sound and more

We're shapeshifters

We have four unique, industrial yet modern spaces – the Warehouse, the Hall, the Public Realm and the Social – that flex to your needs.

The Warehouse

A retractable wall allows you to reconfigure the space into the North and South Warehouse

Acoustic separation and allowing multi- use across the venue at any one time

Direct articulated truck access

Anchor points in the wall to support any kind of mount or rigging

Universal technical grid across the ceiling

A retractable wall allows you to reconfigure the space into the North and South Warehouse

Acoustic separation and allowing multi- use across the venue at any one time

Direct articulated truck access

Anchor points in the wall to support any kind of mount or rigging

Universal technical grid across the ceiling

The public realm and the social

Supplementing Riverside Square, the Undercroft runs below Aviva Studios, creating a covered external space and enabling filming to take place year-round

External power supply

WiFi provision within the Undercroft

Connected to neighbouring St John’s business and leisure district

The Hall

AV, stage and lighting inclusions available

Varying stage depths

Flexible stall seating, or can be removed entirely

Tiered seating

Wheelchair access on all levels

Foyer bars, with impressive views across the city

Proscenium wall with option to connect to the Warehouse

Contact us

Contact our events team to find out more:

events@factoryinternational.org

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