It’s been a long wait but Fat Out Fest is officially back next month and what better date for a festival that prides itself on the weird, obscure and legendary than Halloween?

The festival will bring a weekend of “noise, queer energy and mayhem” to Salford over Halloween weekend (October 29-31) bringing an eclectic underground mix of over 60 artists performing across five venues in Regents Trading Estate as well as The White Hotel and The Old Pint Pot.

Since its early DIY punk days the promotors have centred their approach on curatorial collaboration working with artist collectives, record labels, audiovisual artists and festivals

This year’s festival will be co-curated by the likes of Manchester queer club night royalty Body Horror and Bollox; Newcastle underground music champions Box Records and Brave Exhibitions Festival; Glasgow experimental music festival Counterflows; Manchester queer cabaret turned art collective Creatures of Catharsis; and London indie label Upset the Rhythm.

The festival will also feature an online programme co-curated by festival partners highlighting new digital art from the likes of AJA x Bora, Bertie Marshall, Handle, Marilyn Misandry and more. The online version will be free and available to view by all.

Manchester Drag Artist Banksie Who Will Be Performing At Fat Out Fest In Salford — **Manchester drag queen Banksie will be on this year's Fat Out bill**

The best of the local and international underground

Kicking off proceedings on Friday 29 October will be Gross Indecency at Salford’s stripped-back The White Hotel for an unhinged mix of drag, DJs, live bands and performance art. Writer, performer and acclaimed memoirist Bertie Marshall of the iconic “Bromley Contingent” (whose members included Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, and Billy Idol) will also feature alongside Bristol-based producer and vocalist Grove.

The latter will bring a mixture of punk-infused dancehall, jungle, bass and pop to the festival whilst Manchester’s hottest doom punk band Witch Fever are also on the bill.

Manchester Hardcore Punk Band Incisions Who Will Be Playing Salford Diy Underground Festival Fat Out Fest — **Manchester hardcore punk band Incisions will be part of the eclectic line-up**

Saturday 30 October sees a rare live show from experimental Manchester producer CROWW, whose debut album was made entirely of Slipknot samples. There will also be an audiovisual show from post-apocalyptic frequency mashers UKAEA, a DJ set from label boss, lecturer and writer Ifeoluwa and the return of the festival’s legendary Karaoke Dungeon.

Sunday 31 October will host a string of Regents Trading Estate performances including a good old sonic and visual pounding courtesy of AJA, “crushing, cataclysmic protest music” from Salford rock band Gnod and Manchester faves and serial collaborators The Untold Orchestra, who will be performing the songs of Nina Simone.

On the same evening, The White Hotel will host the official Halloween Fat Out Fest after party curated by Creatures of Catharsis featuring Manchester hedonistic dance genre transcenders High Hoops as well as majestic vogue collective House of Ghetto featuring Banksie, Jungle Julia and more.

Genre Fluid 5 Piece Dorcha Who Play Experimental Psychedelia Will Be Playing Salfords Fat Out Fest — **Genre fluid 5 piece Dorcha will also be playing the festival**

Back to Fat Out’s Salford roots

Founded in Salford in 2008 by Emma Thompson and co-directed with Verity Gardner from 2009-2017, Fat Out has been a passionate champion of underground music, performing arts and associated weirdness, dedicated to discovering the best in new music and performance both locally and around the world.

Since its early DIY punk days, the promotors have centred their approach on curatorial collaboration working with artist collectives, record labels, audiovisual artists and festivals from around the world. The shows have come a long way from the early days of putting on mates’ bands and 2011 saw their first festival with two back-to-back days of performance at Islington Mill.

A Singer Doing The Splits At A Previous Years Fat Out Fest Being Held Again This Year In Salford — **The sound of the underground that Girls Aloud didn't tell you about** Robin Hill

Fat Out has promoted shows for artists as diverse as Swans, The Bug, Saul Williams, Gnod, Oneohtrix Point Never and Peaches producing consistently unique events with this year set to be no different.

Fat Fest will take place at various Salford venues from 29-31 October. Weekend and day tickets are now available to buy online.

Header photo credit: Robin Hill