Join us at a birthday celebration like no other as we mark our bicentenary with 150+ events!
We’re excited to share the first, major line-up announcement for Universally Manchester Festival, celebrating 200 years of The University of Manchester. This free festival promises four incredible days of imaginative and immersive events taking place across campus, and online, from Thursday 6 – Sunday, 9 June 2024.
Join us as we delve into two centuries of our remarkable history, from our inspirational people to life-changing discoveries and world firsts. Discover entertaining talks, powerful performances, inspiring exhibitions, behind-the-scenes tours and loads of opportunities to give it a go. For those that can’t make it onto campus, join us online – with at least two virtual events happening each day.
Just some of the contributors joining Professor Brian Cox and Professor David Olusoga on the line up include: Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), legendary Hacienda DJ Hewan Clarke, Grammy award winning Carlos Maldonado, electro group GRRRL and many many more that you can check out on the Universally Manchester website.
The launch
The festival opens with Universally Manchester x The Whitworth, a very special Thursday late, with a showcase of music marking 200 years of The University of Manchester in collaboration with Manchester Histories Festival. The evening includes world premieres of new music by composer and alumnus Tom Coult, performed by members of the BBC Philharmonic [bbc.co.uk],
Intriguing discussions and ideas
Join conversation and discussions on a wide range of topics, including thesecond live instalment of the Talk 200 lecture and podcast series (available to livestream) which will be tackling inequalities in access to justice, with contributions from the University’s Chancellor, Nazir Afzal, exonerated postmaster Tom Hedges; barrister and advocate Thalia Maragh (UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Grenfell Inquiry); and Suzanne Gower, PhD researcher, and former managing director of the legal charity APPEAL.
Creativity and performance
Join Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien to talk through two decades of creative activism with In Place of War (IPoW), an international charity that grew out of a research project at the University 20 years ago. Watch the charity’s work be brought to life at a performance from GRRRL, a music collaboration between revolutionary women from across the globe.
Let loose at The Whitworth’s The Carnival, on Sunday 9, with a celebration of art, culture and Manchester’s dynamic community through live performances, interactive workshops, delicious street food and live music.
Engaging activities for all
There will be a whole host of family-friendly events including our annual Community Fair. This is your chance to drive a Lego Mars Rover, peek inside our brains, or enter a world of virtual reality. Creative and crafty activities include screen printing tote bags, clay making and face painting, and sporting challenges including circus skills from The Circus House, a climbing wall and helter-skelter.
On Thursday and Friday, we’ll be celebrating our staff, providing an exclusive series of activities and events including a series of wellness activities and talks, comedy performances and open lab tours. Details of these events will be shared in early May.
Get involved
Access to the festival is free, however some of our most popular events will be ticketed due to their popularity. As a student you’ll be given exclusive access to book the free ticketed events ahead of everyone else. We’ll share this information via Student News and your weekly newsletters soon. We can’t wait for you to join us.
Visit the Universally Manchester website.