The free and family-friendly outdoor festival sponsored by AO Arena returns for its fifth year
Great Northern Warehouse is kicking off the summer season with the return of its popular Deansgate Mews Festival, now in its fifth year.
The festival, which is this year sponsored by AO Arena, will take place between 23-25 May on Deansgate Mews, Manchester’s hidden pedestrianised street nestled above Deansgate. Those attending the weekend celebrations can expect a lively atmosphere of food and drink, entertainment and live music, and a pop-up market of talented local traders.
Celebrating the grassroots music venues housed at Great Northern Warehouse, the festival will host over 40 artists across four stages spanning Lion’s Den, Manchester One Media, Low Four and The Mews Bar, covering everything from Manchester’s finest up-and-coming bands to experimental sounds, acoustic performances and DJ sets.
Funding from the AO Arena ensures all acts are paid to play over the weekend. Artists performing will also be offered opportunities to sell their merchandise.
Along Deansgate Mews, local restaurants and bars will have outdoor seating for visitors to enjoy al fresco drinking and dining with a great selection of wines, cocktails and sharing plates from The Mews - book in with Another Hand, or dine out on impressive Thai dishes at Siam Smiles.
Providing fun for all the family, the Mini Mews Festival will be hosted in the atrium with Little Northerners, keeping the kids entertained throughout.
And in true Mancunian spirit, Great Northern Warehouse will be collecting donations for Forever Manchester; the charity supporting community groups across Greater Manchester.
Mark Schofield, Centre Director for Great Northern Warehouse, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting Deansgate Mews Festival for the fifth year. We are proud to have created a festival which celebrates Manchester’s grassroots music, providing a raft of opportunities for them to play and reach new audiences. Each of our venues is very different in terms of the line up s they have curated, meaning there really is something for everyone to check out.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors to enjoy a free weekend of music, alongside the best of outdoor dining, drinks and shopping that Great Northern Warehouse has to offer."
Ellice Eadie, Head of Marketing at AO Arena, added: "The talent pipeline starts with grassroots artists. If we're not protecting the spaces that allow them to play and grow, who will be headlining our iconic stage 20 years from now? We're committed to future-proofing our industry and that starts at home.
"This year is our 30th birthday and with that we're keen to support the festival, as we know how important it is to protect the pipeline of Manchester's growing and diverse music scene as we look forward to the next three decades in Manchester."
The Great Northern Team are still inviting local businesses to take a stall at the festival, so if you are an independent brand in Manchester and would like to showcase your products to festival goers across the three days, please do get in touch with emma.james@thegreatnorthern.com.
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