Manchester is once again the world’s stage, with Manchester International Festival taking over venues and spaces across the city and beyond, including Aviva Studios, home of Factory International.

MIF25 brings 18 extraordinary days of events, performances and happenings to Greater Manchester, where the world’s most exciting creative minds reach across art forms, smash boundaries, and speak to urgent contemporary issues.

Explore our top MIF25 highlights below, split into three dedicated guides: Visual Arts, Try Something New, and Free.

Curated by new Creative Director, Kee Hong Low, expect groundbreaking world premieres to ignite fresh perspectives and challenge conventional thought. The 2025 edition invites audiences to ‘dream differently’ and features some of the most inspiring creatives of our generation, championing international work and indigenous artists from the Global South alongside local artists and communities based in the North West.

This year’s festival ventures further than ever before too, spreading its wings into Rochdale and Wigan. The MIF25 line-up launches with The Herds, a spectacular travelling installation – by the creators of Little Amal – that will see a giant herd of life-size puppet animals storm the streets of Greater Manchester, raising awareness of the climate crisis.

Further festival highlights include MIF partnering with The Royal Ballet to bring Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man to the stage at Aviva Studios; the Royal Exchange Theatre will host the powerful world premiere of Liberation by Ntombizodwa Nyoni, inspired by real events in Black history; Football City, Art United, an interactive and ambitious exhibition, explores the cultural impact of art and football on everyday life. Meanwhile, A Symphony of Flesh and Bones, a dreamlike film installation by artist Juliet Ellis, transforms Aviva Studios’ South Warehouse. The festival also spotlights thought-provoking showcases by indigenous artists like Santiago Yahuarcani and the queer collective FAFSWAG, amplifying voices from the Global South.

Throughout MIF25, Festival Square features on the banks of the River Irwell at Aviva Studios with another super free programme of live music and performance. Expect something for all ages and interests, from late-night DJ sets and bands to family fun and spoken word.