MIF25: Surround Sounds at Aviva Studios

Johnny James, Managing Editor

Book now

Surround Sounds

Aviva Studios, Manchester
18 July 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Image courtesy of From The Other.
Image courtesy of From The Other.
Book now

What happens when the DIY underground collides with one of Manchester’s biggest, shiniest arts spaces?

Surround Sounds is the answer – a late-night blowout celebrating 20 years of Sounds From the Other City, landing at Aviva Studios with the same unruly spirit that’s defined two decades of the festival.

For one night only, the South Warehouse becomes an in-the-round stage, hosting a non-stop carousel of sounds and unexpected performances from artists who embody the kaleidoscope of styles, energies and characters that have graced SFTOC stages over the years.

The line-up? Stacked. Leading the charge: local cult band WU LYF – back from the dead after more than a decade underground. Joining them is North London rapper, producer and all-round force Lex Amor, whose laid-back flow and lyrical depth have marked her as one of the UK’s most vital new voices. And then there’s AFRODEUTSCHE going back-to-back with JD Twitch of Optimo – a dream team for anyone who likes their club music warped, unpredictable and built for heads-down hedonism.

Also on the bill: rising DJ Reisner, bringing tightly wound rhythms and unexpected turns; Adisa Allen, a drummer whose genre-blurring live set folds jazz, soul and electronics into something gloriously off-centre; and Sophia Dignam, a classically-trained violinist carving her own space in the city’s experimental underground.

Add to that Che3kz, Jali Nyonkoling Kuyateh, and walkabout energy from collectives like Ghetto Fabulous, Club Clam, The Fvck Pigs, Banksie and Coco Cannell, and you’ve got a night that pulls you through a dozen different scenes.

That’s what Sounds From the Other City has always been about – making space for the offbeat and the outsider, and breaking form in favour of something stranger, wilder and more alive. Only this time, it’s doing it in a venue built for ideas that need serious kit and room to move. The edges stay rough, the spirit stays restless – but now it plays out louder and in the round, pulling the audience into orbit.

What's on at Aviva Studios

FLIGHT at Aviva Studios
TheatreCity Centre
FLIGHT at Aviva Studios

Happening in absolute darkness inside a 40ft shipping container, FLIGHT invites you to board a commercial airliner – and take two possible journeys.

From £10.00

Where to go near MIF25: Surround Sounds at Aviva Studios

Castlefield
Event venue
Old Granada Studios

Manchester’s old Granada Studios is an iconic piece of the city’s history and home to Sidney Bernstein’s television empire.

Manchester Opera House by Phil Tragen
City Centre
Theatre
Manchester Opera House

A commercial touring theatre, the Manchester Opera House is reopening in August 2021, all set to host the city’s finest mainstream theatrical productions, music gigs, opera and ballet.

City Centre
Music venue
Low Four Studio

Old Granada Studios has announced Low Four: a new studio and music project that will stream and archive live music performance as part of a new generation of music TV programming. The inclusion of a viewing balcony also means that these recordings, along with special events and concerts, will be made open to a few […]

Manchester
Restaurant
20 Stories

High-end restaurant and cocktail bar, with stunning views of the Manchester skyline.

Manchester
Gallery
Smolensky Gallery

This appointment-only gallery is a hidden gem in Manchester. Art lovers and collectors can browse many high quality pieces.

What's on: Festivals

FestivalsCity Centre
Manchester Day 2025

Enjoy a dusk-til-dawn celebration of the community and exuberance of Manchester.

Free entry
Creatures Comedy Festival
Until
ComedyManchester
Creatures Comedy Festival

Smart, sharp and seriously funny, Creatures Comedy Festival brings stand-up stars, rising talent and Edinburgh previews to Manchester this July.

From £6.00
Until
CinemaManchester
YANK at Cultplex

Thirteen movies to get to know the United States of America. Cultplex presents a season of film exploring America through its own lens.

From £7.50
Until
FestivalsSale
Refract 25 at Waterside

Back for 2025, Trafford’s flagship arts festival returns to Waterside for six days of experiential performance and cultural delight.

NightGarden Festival
Festivals
NightGarden Festival

Somewhere in Trafford, behind an unmarked gate, a former garden centre hosts one of Greater Manchester’s most original festivals.

From £20

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

From outdoor shows to drama in the dark, our theatre guide celebrates genre-pushing work, new writing and contemporary performance.

Author portrait
Literature Events in the North

From tongue-twisters to twisty page-turners, we have all kinds of spoken word surprises in the latest literature round-up.

Two women stand next to an orange car.
Cinema in the North

August brings a huge LGBTQ+ film festival, plus a reggae classic and a spotlight on Japanese animation.

Blondshell by Hannah Bon.
Music in the North

From Lyra Pramuk’s sacred synths to the sugar rush of YAANG, our latest music picks bring ritual, rebellion and ridiculous levels of fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Monumental sculptures, charcoal confessions and a show of two paintings only - all this and more in this month's exhibition picks.