A radical retelling of Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man, a genre-defying performance by Blackhaine, and a hypnotic journey through light, sculpture and sound with Germaine Kruip – Manchester International Festival 2025 is set to deliver another summer of bold, unforgettable experiences.

Running from 3 to 20 July, MIF25 brings a fresh wave of world premieres and one-of-a-kind collaborations to the city’s theatres, warehouses and newly reimagined public spaces. With its signature mix of art, performance, film and sound, this year’s festival places Greater Manchester at the centre of the global cultural conversation.

At the heart of the programme is Liberation at the Royal Exchange Theatre – a powerful political drama rooted in the city’s own radical past – while Juliet Ellis’s dreamlike film-installation Symphony of Flesh and Bones transforms Aviva Studios into a meditative exploration of identity and impermanence. Over at the Royal Northern College of Music, Kruip’s A Possibility offers a strikingly original encounter with perception and abstraction.

From live performance to evocative installations, these are works that challenge, spark new ideas and reimagine the possibilities of contemporary art. Read on for our top picks of MIF25 – and prepare to see the city differently this summer.