MIF23: Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae, 30 June–2 July 2023, from £10 - Book now

Music looks to be playing a bigger part in Manchester International Festival than ever before. From legendary composers like Ryuichi Sakamoto all the way to the jazz rave trio The Comet Is Coming, the music line-up for MIF23 is pretty huge.

And it kicks off with a big old bang. Following a euphoric live performance at MIF19, the shapeshifting, multi-talented superstar Janelle Monae returns to the Festival for a three-night residency.

Something of a renaissance woman, Monae has won eight Grammy-nominations for her visionary sound as an artist and producer while starring on the big screen in films like Moonlight, Hidden Figures and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Her critically acclaimed back catalogue gives her plenty to cherry pick from across the three nights: from 2010’s sci-fi concept album The Archandroid and 2013’s The Electric Lady, which featured collaborations with Prince, Solange and Erykah Badu, right through to 2018’s Dirty Computer – home to certified-Gold earworms like ‘Make Me Feel’ and ‘I Like That’.

Janelle’s latest single ‘Float’, featuring Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, is already a contender for song of the summer, and no doubt her three Manchester shows will be up there with the music highlights of the Festival.