The city is gearing up for a summer of music, sports and entertainment, and First Street and Home are ready with their own line up. The giant TV screen will return to First Street, complete with deckchairs and showing sporting events all throughout the summer.
However, this year promises to be a little different. Following the success of Homeground in 2021, the scrapyard style music, food and drink festival, HOME will deliver the inaugural First Street Festival, complete with a main stage. The festival will take place across five weekends in Tony Wilson Place from June 2.
Meanwhile, James Grigor Square will be a haven for sports and culture. Guests can come and enjoy garden games, deckchairs, pop-up food and beverage stalls. The much loved giant TV will be back from June 1 hosting a whole range of events, showing Wimbledon, Glastonbury and the Commonwealth Games.
All events at First Street Festival will be free and open to all. The public can enjoy live music, family events, drag performances, yoga, DJs and more.
HOME and their partners, Brighter Sound, SM Music MGMT, All Hands on Deck, and The Untold Orchestra, will curate the festival across the five weekends. HOME is up first to programme and deliver the Queen’s Jubilee weekend.
A statement on First Street’s website from Dave Moutrey, director and CEO of HOME said: “We are delighted to be working with these exceptional partners to bring a free, outdoor stage of entertainment to First Street this Summer. We look forward to sharing these five weekends of exceptional Manchester talent with you, right outside HOME’s front door.”
Jamie Hills at ASK Real Estate, a partner of the festival, commented: “We are delighted to be bringing Manchester a summer of sporting and cultural events following a long break due to COVID-19.
“We like the First Street neighbourhood to be as inclusive a space as possible, and we love putting on such an exciting schedule of events each year as we feel it works for families, our occupiers, local residents and crowds of all ages – it’s always a great atmosphere and caters to everyone.
“We are committed to expanding the First Street neighbourhood and creating a special place in the city and are really looking forward to revealing our next stage of development in due course."
The weekends will be curated by HOME’s partners:
2 – 5 June (HOME Opening Weekend)
10 – 12 June – Programmed by Brighter Sound
17 – 19 June – Programmed by SM Music MGMT
24 – 26 June – Programmed by All Hands on Deck
1-3 July June – Programmed by The Untold Orchestra
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