Universally Manchester Festival: Well-known line-up revealed in celebration of University's 200th anniversary

The University of Manchester has unveiled its lineup for the upcoming Universally Manchester Festival in celebration of the institution's 200th birthday.

With over 150 free events spanning four days (Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 June 2024) the festival promises a grand celebration with immersive events and featuring contributions from Professor Brian Cox, Professor David Olusoga, Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), international supergroup GRRRL directed by Laima Leyton and many more. The festival will welcome up to 60,000 people hosted at the university’s Oxford Road Campus.

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Among the luminaries headlining the festival includes intellectual heavyweights like Professor Michael Wood and Dr. Sarah Crowther (member of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team), immunologist Professor Sheena Cruikshank, exonerated postmaster Tom Hedges offering insights into culture, history, and scientific exploration.

The festival's opening night promises a mesmerising fusion of music and history, with a special collaboration between Universally Manchester and the Whitworth Art Gallery. This free event is open to all and includes everything from a world premiere of new music inspired by Manchester’s history of broadside ballads performed by members of the BBC Philharmonic, to an audio visual experience, celebrating the legacies of Manchester computing genius Alan Turing and music pioneer Delia Derbyshire.

Throughout the festival, attendees can engage in stimulating discussions on topics ranging from far-away galaxies, alien worlds and latest theories of origins of the universe with Professor Brian Cox to cultural narratives in media and the science behind the immune system.

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