Factory International

Manchester International Festival 2025

A bold, artistic graphic with the words "DREAM Differently" in yellow text against a red and pink gradient background with a grainy texture. A bold, artistic graphic with the words "DREAM Differently" in yellow text against a red and pink gradient background with a grainy texture.
Date
3 - 20 Jul 2025
Venue
At Aviva Studios, across the city and beyond

Accessibility features available for this event: Captioning Audio Description Relaxed Performance Wheelchair Access BSL Interpreting

Dream Differently at Manchester International Festival this summer

MIF is back – inviting you to leap into the unknown with some of the most exciting creative minds of our generation.

Taking over Aviva Studios and spreading across the city and beyond, experience art that pushes boundaries, addresses the big questions of our time and creates hope for the future.

With lots of free events, take a chance and try something new. Gather your friends and family, find your joy – and Dream Differently

Aviva £10 Tickets are available across the festival. What will you discover?

What's on ↓ 

All events

Festival Square

A vibrant collage shows people enjoying outdoor events, eating, kids playing, a live singer and food trucks in front of Aviva Studios, with colourful, bright light effects blending the scenes.
Festival Square – the buzzing heart of MIF – returns with a free programme of live music and performances. Your home from home this summer.
Explore what's on →

MIF25 Artist Talks

Large group of people smiling and clapping in the Social.
Join artists from MIF25 and our wider programme for a series of talks on how their work both encourages us to – and insists on – dreaming differently.
Find out more →

Food and Drink

Summer on Festival Square starts with incredible food and drink. Madri serve up drinks, bringing the soul of Madrid to Manchester. Grab Thai food from Super Serve, Indian street food from Bundobust or the best wings in town from Trading Route. On weekends, Ginger’s Ice Cream Emporium serve up their stellar range of flavours. Plus Honest Crust team up with Shaun Moffat for a pizza popup in aid of EatWell MCR on Festival Square.

An ice cream from Ginger's Ice Cream being held up in front of their van
Meat sandwich from Trading Route wrapped in foil
Two people in a Bundobust food truck serving burgers, wearing brightly coloured Bundobust t-shirts
Three people pick small plates with Thai street food

Explore

Head behind the scenes of MIF25 with exclusive interviews, studio visits and more.

MIF Daily

Our curated guide to the festival. We’ll tell you what to read, watch, listen to and do!

International Residencies

Meet the international artists taking up residency in Manchester for MIF25. Get to know them here.

Plan Your Visit

MIF25 Venue Access Information

Visit Aviva Studios

Facilities at Aviva Studios

Visiting Manchester International Festival

Cycling to MIF

Starling Bank Bike
Get to MIF with Starling Bank Bikes and get 25% off minute bundles.

Download the Starling Bank Bikes app and purchase any minute bundle and get 25% off with code: GMIF25. Stands are located around Manchester city centre, making them a convenient way to get around. Offer available from 3 to 10 July*

*Offer ends at 11:59pm on 10 July 2025
Get started →

Access resources

Explore the programme – BSL interpreted flyer → Explore the programme – plain text flyer →

Good to know

To keep you safe when visiting Aviva Studios, security checks and bag checks by our Visitor Safety team will be in operation on entry. 

Please keep personal belongings to a minimum – bags above the size of an A4 sheet of paper will not be allowed.

Festival Square 

Festival Square is a barrier-free site. Security personnel will be positioned at all entry points to monitor the perimeter and ensure alcohol is not taken off site.

To keep you safe when visiting Festival Square, people carrying large bags (bigger than A4 size) will be escorted to a designated area by staff for a bag search. Once searched, bags will be tagged.

Any prohibited items will be removed. Visitors will have the option to take these items off site for storage or have them disposed of. Please note, there are no cloakroom or storage facilities available on site.

Official MIF25 programme

A person holding the MIF25 official programme.
Get inside MIF25 with the official festival programme. Discover exclusive insights into the line-up, hear from the artists behind the shows, and get a deeper insight into the thinking behind the festival. Pre-order your copy for just £5 by adding it to your ticket during booking, and collect it at Aviva Studios during the festival.

Become a Member

Experience extraordinary, all year round by becoming a Member. It’s just £45 for 12 months of benefits including priority booking, discounts, offers and much more. Are you in?

Join today →

With thanks

MIF sponsor strip with Manchester City Council, Arts Council England, The Guardian and Manchester Evening News logos

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