MIF Daily | Wednesday 9 July – Factory International

Manchester International Festival is back and so is MIF Daily – our curated guide to the festival! We’ll tell you what to read, watch, listen to and do to make the most of MIF25.

MIF Daily is filled with top tips, recommendations and free events to help you navigate the busy festival. Head behind the scenes with interviews, studio visits and editorials, taking you out into the city and far beyond.

Look out for MIF Daily on Factory+ from Tuesday to Sunday throughout the festival.

Come rain or shine, we’ll see you on Festival Square!

READ: Intro to Balmy Army

Balmy Army is Manchester’s movement for youth-led mental health – think art, activism and mutual care.
Tonight, they take over Contact for a messy, cabaret-style evening mixing poetry, protest and song.
Find out more about the project and artist the vacuum cleaner with our introduction.
Read now

Watch: In the Studio with Blackhaine

Step inside the conceptual world of And Now I Know What Love Is with Blackhaine ahead of opening night tonight.

We swapped our usual studio visit for a trip to rehearsals in the old factory at Diecast.

And Now I Know What Love Is runs until 19 July at Diecast. Find out more info here.

In the Studio with Blackhaine

SNAPS: Sounds of the East

A photo of The Hallé Orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall

A photo of the conductor of The Halle orchestra Kahchun Wong wearing black and smiling

LISTEN: Dream Space with Ryan Gander

We’re listening back to Dream Space – our podcast where Gemma Cairney invites some of the world’s most exciting artistic minds to dream.

In Ryan Gander’s episode, we spend time wandering without a destination or goal in the video game land of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

British conceptual artist Ryan Gander has collaborated with French footballer, actor and cultural icon Eric Cantona on three artworks for our exhibition Football City, Art United. Find out more about Privileges of Hindsight here.

DO: MIF25 does the EUROs

It’s England vs. Netherlands in the Women’s Euro tonight!

Join a free screening at Aviva Studios followed by Hot Matches – an unmissable afterparty with Tinder. Shout out to our Football City, Art United. footballers Ella Toone, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Vivianne Miedema!

Pop down early for a film screening of We’ll Go Down in History, which tells the story of trans football club TRUK United, and an artist talk on queering football. You can also join Girl Gang Manchester for a drop-in football anthem workshop.

Festival Square line-up →