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BEYOND THE MUSIC, WOMEX 24 AND MTV MUSIC WEEK COME TO MANCHESTER'S AVIVA STUDIO

Writer's picture: STEVE COOKE AATASTEVE COOKE AATA


WOMEX

Preview by Steve Cooke

 

Aviva Studios, home of Factory International is to host Beyond the Music, Womex 24 and MTV Music Week in October and November. Beyond the Music and WOMEX 24 will bring hundreds of bands, artists and keynote speakers to Aviva Studios and venues across Manchester, including Manchester’s own Brit-winning, multi-platinum selling artist Aitch.

 

Beyond The Music will dedicate 25% of the line up to local Northwest-based artists, alongside stages curated by a host of labels, radio stations, media partners and publications, including BBC Introducing, Clash, Melodic, SXSW, Manchester Pride among others.

 

The festival also showcases alumni from Factory Sounds, Factory International’s annual development program for those in Manchester’s Music scene, at venues across the city, including experimental reggae artist J Chambers, singer songwriter Saint Harmony, queer South Asian producer, finger drummer and vocalist Danny H, DJ Lavender Rodriguez whose music celebrates the intersectionality of queerness via afro-futurism and afrobeat dancefloor cuts by Prido.

 

Designed to support and raise the profile of musicians and the music industry in Greater Manchester, successful Factory Sounds applicants are offered financial support towards the creation of a new project, peer-to-peer support, a series of regular masterclasses in artist management, promotion and fundraising demystifying the industry – plus access to Factory International’s talent development programmes and networking opportunities.

 

Debuting in Manchester for the first time and across five of the city’s most iconic venues, the 24th edition of the prestigious music industry event WOMEX 24, gives music fans a unique opportunity to discover over 50 live acts from across the world representing a mix of musical genres and styles, including folk, afrobeat, roots, jazz, reggae, and electronica.

 

Amongst the international artists performing across the festival are Orchestra Baobab, known for their smooth blend of Cuban rhythms and traditional West African sounds; Japanese neo-folk fusion band Mitsune; Parisian group Sarāb, who mix Arabic music, jazz and psychedelic rock; Jamaican artist Kabaka Pyramid who fuses traditional reggae with modern hip-hop; Somali singer and cultural activist Sahra Halgan and Les Mamans du Congo x Rrobin who will present an electrifying fusion of Congolese rhythms and modern electronic beats. 


The string of events culminates with MTV EMA: 30 Years Exhibition at Aviva Studios. One part of their week-long takeover by MTV before the EMA’s arrive in the city, this free event will showcase imagery from Getty Image’s archive, celebrating artists, performances, and iconic pop culture moments.

 

Rivca Burns, Head of Music at Factory International adds “This Autumn is a really exciting time for Music lovers in this City and from afar and we at Aviva Studios are psyched to be playing such a crucial part in this. From WOMEX to Beyond the Music to shows like Ben Howard and Arooj Aftab not to mention MTV Music Week. There are opportunities for audiences to see artists from around the globe as well as some of the exciting talent coming through our Factory Sounds programme and so much more. These many performances will be a testament to the venue’s flexibility and the ever-growing strength of Manchester’s reputation as a music city.”

 

Aviva Studios officially opened in October 2023 as a major addition to the city’s thriving music scene. Ultra-flexible in design, the 13,350 square metre building includes a 21-metre-high warehouse, which can be divided by a movable, full-height acoustic wall, and the Hall, a more traditional auditorium which provides flexible seated and standing options and features the largest permanently installed D&B Soundscape system in the North.

 

Over the months since opening, Aviva Studios has played host to the likes of Johnny Marr, who presented two nights of music with an orchestra made up of northern musicians; Underworld, which saw the electronic pioneers close up  their European tour with two nights in Manchester; and Children of Zeus - all in the warehouse. Gigs in the Hall have included Angélique Kidjo's first show in the city for a decade; a three-show residency from Kelly Jones of Stereophonics; a three-day residency from pop superstar Janelle Monae, and a brand-new audio-visual experience ‘Apophenia’ from Gogo Penguin and TENENTNET.


Upcoming highlights include Grammy-winning vocalist and experimental jazz musician Arooj Afrab (12 Oct), award-winning indie folk artist Ben Howard celebrates ten years of his landmark album I Forgot Where We Were (21 October); Romy brings their celebratory dancefloor show; Club Mid Air to the Hall, Fontaines D.C. play a sold out three-night run in support of their fourth album Romance (29, 30 November, 1 December); and punk rock legends Bowling for Soup tour A Hangover You Don’t Deserve twenty years on (8 February 2025).

 

LISTINGS

October 9 -12: Beyond The Music 

October 24 - 26: Womex 24 

November 6 - 8: MTV EMA 30 Years Exhibition

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