- WU LYF, Lex Amor, AFRODEUTSCHE, JD Twitch (Optimo) added to MIF25 as part of Surround Sounds, celebrating 20 years of Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC)
- Also part of this year’s music programme is Richard Russell’s ever-evolving collaborative music project, Everything is Recorded and a unique hybrid performance from Mary Anne Hobbs and Anna Phoebe, with further artists and acts to be announced.
- 8000 tickets available for £10 or less alongside free events across the Festival
- MIF25 runs Thursday 3 July to Sunday 20 July 2025 with a host of new work presented by Factory International from artists such as; Blackhaine, Eric Cantona, Edgar Davids, Juliet Ellis, FAFSWAG, Andy Field and Becky Darlington, John Grant, Shilpa Gupta, Germaine Kruip, Juan Mata, Ntombizodwa Nyoni, The Royal Ballet, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Rosabel Tan, Santiago Yahuarcani and more
Today Manchester International Festival (MIF) announces new additions to its music programme for 2025, with WU LYF, Lex Amor, AFRODEUTSCHE, JD Twitch (Optimo) joining the bill as part of Surround Sounds, a celebration of Salford’s independent festival of new music, Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC), brought together by From The Other. Further artists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Over the last Friday of MIF25, Surround Sounds will take over the vast South Warehouse and outdoor spaces of Aviva Studios, for a late-night, non-stop carousel of sounds and unexpected performances-in-the-round, from an array of artists that exemplify the kaleidoscope of styles, energies and characters that have graced SFTOC stages over the past two decades, From The Other’s flagship annual event.
WU LYF exploded onto the scene in the late noughties, performing some of their very first shows in DIY venues in Salford at SFTOC. What proceeded was a whirlwind career that blasted around the globe with headline festival appearances, prime-time TV slots and a thrilling debut album, ‘Go Tell Fire to the Mountain’. After a 13-year hiatus, the band are back with a run of live shows, European festival appearances, and their first new music since their 2012 breakup. Following three sold out shows at The Kings Arms, Salford, WU LYF will perform their biggest UK date in-the-round at Aviva Studios on 18 July.
Alongside festival alumni, Surround Sounds will also see artists with ground-breaking new releases, take to the stage to celebrate the vibrancy of the UK independent music scene. North London rapper Lex Amor will perform her long-awaited sophomore project ‘Forward Ever’, a profound meditation on resilience and the human condition and her most personal and sonically ambitious musical attempt to date.
Also on the lineup: Manchester based viola player Sophia Dignam, whose impressive roster of collaborators include Jorja Smith and Cleo Sol; rapper Che3kz; Manchester’s legendary drummer Adisa Allen; and the transcendent sounds of Gambian kora player Jali Kuyateh.
Closing the party, Optimo’s JD Twitch and AFRODEUTSCHE will keep everyone dancing into the early hours unleashing iconic local performers Ghetto Fabulous, The Fvck Pigs, Club Clam and drag royalty Banksie and Coco Cannell with what is set to be an iconic back-to-back set.
Lex Amor added: “Always good to be back in Manchester – there’s a real energy to the city. I’ve heard good things about MIF and the space it holds here, so it feels good to be involved this year. Nice to be sharing that space with a wide range of artists doing their thing.”
Rivca Burns, Head of Music at Factory International said: “As someone who has been born from the grassroots of Greater Manchester, the celebration of SFTOC and the people the festival has impacted over its 20 years, myself included, is essential. This line up is exceptional, full of incredible Manchester talent that have had international impact, including MIF Alumni Afrodeutsche and WU LYF, alongside brilliant national artists. It truly encapsulates what SFTOC does best in bringing artists from different genres together to create rounded and immersive experiences for its community. This truly is an experience not to miss.”
Mark Carlin, Director of From The Other said: “The secret to 20 years of success for Sounds From The Other City lies in the festival’s hunger for raw and exciting ideas and a genuine openness to collaborative creativity, every year transforming the ‘in between’ spaces of our Salford home into a May Day Bank Holiday bonanza. Working with Factory International to celebrate our 20th anniversary during Manchester International Festival, igniting some grassroots magic in the heart of this extraordinary cultural venue in the North, is beyond exciting, and a real testament to the power and potential of creative partnerships across our region.”
The Festival’s music line-up also consists of Richard Russell’s ever-evolving music project Everything is Recorded (16 July), with the multi-talented producer and founder of XL Recordings inviting you into his musical world for a night of innovation and collaboration. This performance marks a significant milestone, as Russell will be joined on stage by an expanded lineup of collaborators and special guests, performing live for the first time.
Also on the bill is a unique hybrid performance by Mary Anne Hobbs and Anna Phoebe (15 July), who bring together live DJing, sound design and voice, with violins, viola and live electronics. In the age of attention-obliteration, Hobbs + Phoebe will explore the question: WHAT DO YOU WANT?
The performance will feature elements drawn from raw Manchester sources and bespoke music written for the space.
Manchester International Festival 2025 takes place from Thursday 3 July to Sunday 20 July 2025. This is the first edition under new Creative Director Low Kee Hong, featuring new work from Blackhaine, Eric Cantona, Mary Anne Hobbs & Anna Phoebe, Richard Russell’s Everything is Recorded, Ruhaniyat (رُوحانیت) – An Orchestral Sufi Experience, Edgar Davids, Juliet Ellis, FAFSWAG, Andy Field and Becky Darlington, John Grant, Shilpa Gupta, Germaine Kruip, Juan Mata, Ntombizodwa Nyoni, The Royal Ballet, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Rosabel Tan, Santiago Yahuarcani and more
Working with partners across the city and the world to build on the MIF legacy, the wide-ranging, multi-artform programme of groundbreaking world premieres will inspire fresh perspectives, challenge conventional thought and invite audiences to ‘dream differently’ – envision new possibilities, brighter futures and utopian spaces. Presenting some of the most exciting creative minds of our generation, the programme champions indigenous artists and creators from the Global South, expanding the Festival’s renowned international impact as well as fostering deep connections with local artists and communities in the North West of England.
Surround Sounds takes place 18 July at Aviva Studios as part of Manchester International Festival. Tickets available from factoryinternational.org/whats-on/surround-sounds.