Bluedot: A Weekend in Outer Space

Johnny James, Managing Editor
Bluedot
A Weekend in Outer Space

24 — 26 July 2020 Entrance is free — Visit now

Bluedot 2020, with its line-up of Björk, Metronomy and Groove Armada, has of course been postponed until next year, but the festival team aren’t leaving 2020 high and dry.

Whetting our appetites for next year’s festival, A Weekend In Outer Space will bring the Bluedot experience online with live music, science talks, culture and family shows, to be broadcast live from 24th – 26th July.

The three-day extravaganza will feature live performances from Orbital, Daniel Avery, Roni Size, BCUC, and Anna Matronic’s Deep Space Disco. There will also be two appearances from Bluedot favourites Henge, who are bookending the weekend with immersive ‘journey to outer space’ and ‘return to Earth’ shows.

Other musical offerings include a stream of Elbow’s 2012 headline set, and an afternoon of album listen-alongs with Tim Burgess, who’ll be joined live by the likes of New Order, Metronomy, and Ibibio Sound Machine.

There will also be live science talks, including Ann Druyan in conversation with Brian Cox and Robin Ince, Jim al-Khalili and Jill Tarter, and for the kids, a wealth of family-friendly shows including Clangers and Nordoff Robins.

The event is free, but there will be an option to donate to Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, the award-winning science centre at The Jodrell Bank Observatory. It generates over 85% of its income from admissions, educational visits, group bookings, and sales in the café and gift shop, all of which rely on doors being open – something which has not been possible in recent months.

Head to A Weekend in Outer Space’s dedicated website this weekend to tune in live.

24 — 26 July 2020 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near Bluedot: A Weekend in Outer Space

iStock
Leeds
Shop
Waterstones Leeds

Standing proudly on the busy shopping hub of Albion Street, Waterstones Leeds is a bookshop that also hosts a variety of events

Manchester Factory international Festival - People enjoying Festival Square in the city centre
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Factory Square

Factory Square is a huge beer garden, on the banks of the River Irwell, with top-quality drinks and street food selections.

Manchester
Restaurant
Fenix

Modern Greek Mediterranean cuisine from the team behind Tattu.

Flat Iron Leeds
Leeds
Restaurant
Flat Iron Leeds

Relaxed restaurant in Leeds serving impressively high-quality steaks at an affordable price point.

What's on: Music

Until
MusicManchester
Open Deck at Band on the Wall

Bring your records for a spin at our Open Deck session this Saturday! If you’ve bought some new vinyl from a local record shop this week, just show your receipt at the bar to get yourself a free 9” pizza!

Refract Festival 2024 at Waterside
Until
FestivalsSale
Refract 24 at Waterside

Back for 2024, Trafford’s flagship arts festival returns to Waterside for six days of experiential performance and cultural delight.

NightGarden Festival
Festivals
NightGarden Festival

“You stumble down a garden path past city fringes and looming industrial structures. Are you lost? No! You’ve only just arrived”.

from £15.00
the artist
MusicManchester
Waxahatchee at New Century

Mercurial singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield AKA Waxahatchee performs at New Century in support of her new album, Tigers Blood.

from £29
Festivo Winds
MusicManchester
Festivo Winds at Low Four

One of the UK’s most exciting young wind quintet’s brings an eclectic programme to Low Four studios.

from £5.00

Culture Guides

Rebecca Watson author photo
Literature Events in Manchester and the North

In between working out, then working through, your holiday reading pile this summer, find inspiration for your next bookish acquisitions from our selection of live events and exhibitions.