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FREE LIVE MUSIC STAGE, STREET-SPINNING DJS, MUSIC TRAILS AND POP-UP HOTEL PERFORMANCES
Trailblazing global conference and music festival Beyond The Music returns to Manchester this week (9-12 October) and shoppers and visitors are in for a treat with a series of free live music sessions across the city centre.
A creative collaboration between Beyond The Music and co-founding sponsors of the event, Manchester City Centre BID and Manchester Accommodation BID, will see some of Manchester’s most notable collectives, radio stations and artists perform in a genre-hopping live music showcase in locations across the city centre.
The line-up includes a two-day live music stage in Exchange Square, DJs dropping beats in some of the city’s main shopping streets and pop-up performances in hotel lobbies.
Curated by Manchester based creative producer Beau Azra Scott, with the ethos of Beyond The Music in mind, the free events are a celebration of the varying corners of Manchester’s musical landscape and will run alongside the wider festival’s programme of live music and conferences taking over a multitude of Northern Quarter venues and Aviva Studios.
Dawn Chorus and DJ Trucks – Thursday 10 October
Hotel visitors waking up at The Castlefield Hotel, Manchester Marriott Victoria & Albert Hotel, Hilton Manchester Deansgate, The Lowry Hotel, Maldron Hotel Manchester City Centre, INNSiDE by Meliá Hotel, Roomzzz Manchester Aparthotel at Corn Exchange and City Suites this Thursday (10 October) will be treated to a ‘Dawn Chorus’ – a series of intimate classical performances from students at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in the foyer of each hotel.
Performances will take place from 8am – 10am and and artists include Rumava String Trio, Aster Duo, Cantelina, Duo Aerius, J2Duo, Jess Hughes and Quartet Tesni.
Later in the day, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Square, Piccadilly Gardens and Market Street will host DJ trucks which will be parking up to soundtrack the city from 12pm – 8pm.
St Ann’s Square will feature an all-vinyl line-up presented by the incomparable Living Room Dance Club who will be spinning her eclectic collection alongside Manchester icon Mikey D.O.N and a whole host of LP legends Camilla Reghenzi, Ladybeige, Yadava & Good Afternoon. Expect everything from boogie to latin to jazz and post-punk.
The neo-soulful sounds of Sweet Vibrations Radio will be right at home on Exchange Square with DJ sets from the station’s founder Katbrownsugar who will be bringing along SVR mainstays Jude The Obscure, Kayja Vu and special guest Kusasa.
Manchester favourites Reform Radio will be taking to Piccadilly Gardens, bringing a mega crew of the station’s well-loved regulars including DJ Ayy Den, Zubz & Adele Tondu and more. The station will also be bringing some of their DJ course alumni to the decks with B2B sets from Sim Summers & Sun For Someone, Izzee Rascal and Senor Greesh.
CROP Radio have smashed onto the scene of late and have been the home of some incredible exciting mixes and collaborations streamed from their NQ studio. The burgeoning station will be pitching up on Market Street with sets from Spinelli, Shimrise, Allius, Larishka, Shadev and MBB plus the truck will be hosted by MC and vocalist Rosebud.
Live Music Stage in Exchange Square – Friday 11th and Saturday 12th October
In a packed two-day programme celebrating Manchester’s musical diversity, a Live Music Stage in Exchange Square, outside Selfridges, will showcase a host of musicians, and artists from 12-8pm on both days.
Friday features artists brought to the stage by Big People Music; a creative agency whose ethos is to use music for worldwide connection. Jali Nyonkoling Kuyateh kicks off the day with a masterful display of the African Harp, Silky Keys presents an instrumental piano performance inspired and iamkyami performs her trademark alternative J-Pop meets R&B originals before DJ MYDIR warms up the decks.
Songwriter and musician R’monah will then take to the stage with a live performance of her signature soulful melodies before one of Manchester’s most exciting rising stars Meduulla brings her incomparable energy to Exchange Square. Plus there’s performances from The Untold Orchestra , Yemi Bolatiwa, Renee Stormz, O’Sapien & Rosebud before DJ Atalaya closes the night.
Saturday features an all-day-takeover co-curated by Jenna G. The celebrated vocalist, songwriter and DnB icon has brought her hometown homage From Manchester With Love to the stage with radio style live lounge performances, interviews and DJs.
Kicking off the day’s live music is neo-soul artist Kiké Ade followed by Rumbi Tauro presenting a stripped back set ahead of her headline tour of the North this November.
The afternoon will see MC and Manchester figurehead Chunky talking through the tunes that soundtracked some of his notable moments plus local underground legends SHEwillprovide will take to the decks. The dynamic Roukaya B performs ahead of RuPaul’s Drag Race star and member of The Family Gorgeous Lill will be stopping by the stage to chat. DJ Meme Gold will bring things to a close after 5-piece ska fusion band Madame Claude.
EXCHANGE SQUARE LIVE MUSIC STAGE LINE-UP
FRIDAY
12-2:30pm / BPM Takeover featuring Jali Nyonkoling Kuyateh, Silky Keys and iamkyami
2:30-3pm / MYDIR
3-3:30pm / R’monah
3:30-4pm / MYDIR
4-4:30pm / Meduulla
4:30-5:30pm / Urbi
5:30-7pm / The Untold Orchestra featuring Yemi Bolatiwa, Renee Stormz, O’Sapien & Rosebud
7-8pm / atalaya
SATURDAY
Hosted all day by Jenna G with From Manchester with Love
12:45-1:15pm / Kiké Ade
1:45-2:30pm / Rumbi Tauro
2:45-3:30pm / An interview with Chunky
3:45-4:15pm / Roukaya B
4:15-5pm / An interview with Lill
5-6pm / SHEwillprovide
6:30-7:15pm / Madame Claude
7:15-8pm / Meme Gold
Manchester Music Trail
Visitors can also pick up a copy of the Manchester Music Trail, commissioned in 2023 to celebrate the city’s iconic gig venues and musical heritage. The map takes in well-known stories, tales that people might be not-so-familiar with and shines a light on current music scenes. Visitors and tourists can pick up a copy of the map at the Tourist Information Centre, at the live music stage on Exchange Square (Fri and Sat only) and city centre hotels.
For more information or to organise filming or photography of the performances please contact Anoushka or Kat at ECHO PR – anoushka@echo-pr.co.uk / kat@echo-pr.co.uk / 07732 846650.
Notes to Editors
Beyond the Music
Beyond the Music is a change-making global music conference and music festival supporting next generation talent. It brings together leading music and content industry leaders, activists, politicians and grassroots representatives.
As the music and content industry continues to shape and define global culture, it is also facing unprecedented and urgent challenges. In response, Beyond The Music aims to explore, define and tackle those issues to shape the future of the music and content industry and turn the challenges into opportunities to overhaul and advance to shine a light on exciting new talent and groundbreaking artists from across the world.
Taking place in Manchester – the beating heart of the UK’s cultural enterprise and a city historically known for social change – Beyond The Music will create a global forum and live music festival, defining the music and content industry’s place in the new cultural economy by bringing together tech, AV, gaming, brands, and more to build a creative alliance for the future.
Beyond The Music is a place to gather artists, entrepreneurs, creatives and music and content industry professionals with funders, businesses and organisations in order to maximise impact and take solutions to scale whilst putting the spotlight back on live and new music discovery alongside world class artists.
The global annual event seeks to not only solve the issues being faced today but to produce innovative models for the future. In order to do this with meaningful effect Beyond The Music is set up as a co-operative – the first festival and conference to have integrated decision-making structure to create actions, and exist as more than just a talking shop. By participating in Beyond The Music, everyone will have a stake and a say. beyondthemusic.co.uk
Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District
BIDs are defined geographical areas where businesses work together and invest in agreed services, initiatives, and special events, and are financed by a levy made based on rateable value. They operate in most cities and towns across the UK.
Manchester BID, which is managed by The City Centre Management Company, CityCo, was successful in securing a third, five-year term, in December 2022 and began the new term on 1st April 2023.
In its new term, the BID brings together 600 businesses including retail, hospitality, and offices, spanning Deansgate, King Street, Cross Street, St Ann’s Square, Market Street, New Cathedral Street, Manchester Arndale, Spring Gardens, Fountain Street and more.
In recent years, the BID has played an instrumental role in the city’s recovery post-Covid and brings businesses together with key authorities including Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, Transport for Greater Manchester, and Greater Manchester Police.
Work is delivered around four themes: Attracting Visitors, Environment, Community, and ESG. manchesterbid.com
Manchester Accommodation BID
Manchester Accommodation BID is a ground-breaking initiative led by the city’s hotel and serviced apartment providers to help create new events and additional activities that will attract more people to visit and stay in Manchester and Salford. It contributes to the enhancement of overall guest experience and helps to expand the city’s visitor economy by:
The above activities are funded by the City Visitor Charge; a supplementary £1 Charge per room/unit per night* for guests, added to the final accommodation bill. The statutory Charge is collected from all paid accommodation establishments that fall into the Manchester Accommodation BID zone and has been applicable to all bookings from 1 April 2023. manchesterabid.com