WHY bother eh? Surely all the good ones have gone...
Over the course of the festival, Albert Square becomes Festival Square and the nucleus of MIF
Chin up. Manchester International Festival (2-19 July) may well be knocking itself together across the city, preparing for the arrival of 250,000 culture hounds, but it's still not too late to bag a ticket.
In fact, more than half of the shows at this year's MIF - which celebrates a decade as the world's only festival of new and original work - still have tickets available.
And we've just got our hands on the full list of performances with spaces, including Damon Albarn's new musical, wonder.land, Warehouse Project's 10x10, and the first ever European outing for FlexN dance troupe
There's a handful of free ones too...
WONDER.LAND | PALACE THEATRE | £19.25-£46.25 (Concs £12, £5 off)
Genre: Musical
Aly, 12, bullied at school and unhappy at home, escapes parents, teachers and herself in the extraordinary virtual world, wonder.land, a place where you can be exactly who you want to be. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic Alice in Wonderland, with music by Damon Albarn, book and lyrics by Moira Buffini and directed by the National Theatre’s incoming Director, Rufus Norris.
Available dates and times - book here
29 June 7:30pm; 30 June 7:30pm; 1 July 7:30pm; 2 July 7:30pm; 3 July 7:30pm; 4 July 7:30pm; 5 July 2:30pm; 7 July 7:30pm; 8 July 2:30pm; 8 July 7:30pm; 9 July 7:30pm; 10 July 7:30pm; 11 July 2:30pm; 11 July 7:30pm; 12 July 2:30pm
TREE OF CODES | OPERA HOUSE | £15.25 - £46.25 (Concs £12, £5 off)
Genre: Ballet
A contemporary ballet inspired by Jonathan Safran Foer's Tree of Codes. MIF's newly commissioned work will bring together choreographer Wayne McGregor, visual artist Olafur Eliasson and Mercury Prize-winning producer/composer Jamie xx.
Available dates and times - book here
2 July 8pm; 3 July 8pm; 4 July 8pm; 5 July 2:30pm; 8 July 8pm; 9 July 8pm; 10 July, 8pm
THE SKRIKER | ROYAL EXCHANGE | £15 - £45 (Concs £12, £5 0ff)
NOTE: The Skriker has sold out during the festival run, however, continues at the Royal Exchange until 1 August.
Genre: Theatre
'In a broken world two sisters meet an extraordinary creature. The Skriker is a shapeshifter. She can be an old woman, a child, a death portent. She is a faerie come from the Underworld to pursue and entrap them.'
Maxine Peake returns to MIF following her critically-acclaimed turn in Sarah Frankcom's adaption of Shelley's Peterloo memorial, The Masque of Anarchy. Now Peake will take on the lead role in this revival of Caryl Churchill's extraordinary 1994 play, The Skriker, an ancient fairy story and portrait of a fractured England.
Available dates and times - book here
27 July 7.30pm, 28 July 7.30pm, 29 July 7.30pm, 30 July 7.30pm.
NECK OF THE WOODS | HOME | £35 (Concs £12, £5 off)
Genre: Theatre
A portrait of the wolf brought to life in a startling collision of visual art, music and theatre; featuring Turner Prize-winning artist Douglas Gordon, celebrated pianist Hélène Grimaud, veteran actor Charlotte Rampling, playwright Veronica Gonzalez Peña and the Sacred Sounds Women's Choir.
Available dates and times - book by phone on 0161 200 1500
All performances 8pm and restricted view only: 10 July, 11 July, 15 July, 16 July, 17 July and 18 July
FLEXN MANCHESTER | OLD GRANADA STUDIOS | £12 (Concs £5 off)
Genre: Dance
MIF Creative has invited Brooklyn-based Flex dance pioneer Reggie ‘Regg Roc’ Gray and a specially assembled team of Flex dancers - including new Manchester recruits - to perform their first ever European performance at MIF. Virtuosic and visually arresting, Flexing features an extraordinary range of styles - pausing, gliding, hat tricks, connecting and the imponderable 'bone breaking'.
Available dates and times - book here
11 July 8pm; 12 July 3pm; 12 July 8pm; 14 July 8pm; 15 July 8pm; 17 July 8pm; 18 July 3pm
10x10 by WAREHOUSE PROJECT | MAYFIED DEPOT | £19.50 - £25 (Concs £12, £5 off)
Genre: Club
Both MIF and Manchester's cult club night, Warehouse Project, celebrate a decade in the city this year with two special events over two nights bringing you 22 acts within the bowels of Piccadilly's soon-to-be-levelled Mayfield Depot.
Available dates and times - book here
Four Tet + support: 17 July, 7pm-2am
Day and Night: 18 July, 2pm-2am
THE IMMORTAL | BRIDGEWATER HALL | £16 - £36 (Concs £12, £5 off)
Genre: Orchestral
Inspired by John Gray's book The Immortalization Commission - an investigation of attempts by early-twentieth century spiritualists, scientists and mediums to speak to the dead - this orchestral work by one of Britain's brightest young composers, Mark Simpson, is another world premiere for MIF. The work will be complemented by a performance of Mozarts'Requiem.
Available dates and times - book here
4 July, 7.30m.
INTERDEPENDENCE | OLD GRANADA STUDIOS | £5
Genre: Discussion and debate
Interdependence is a unique two-day event of discussion, debate and inspiring thinking, a chance to join some of the world’s leading artists, performers, scientists, writers and technologists in Manchester. Participants over the two days include: MIF director Alex Poots, Whitworth gallery director Maria Balshaw, HOME director Dave Moutrey and Nobel-Prize-winning graphene scientist, Sir Konstantin Novoselov.
Available dates and times - book here
4 July, 11am; 5 July, 11am
INVISIBLE DOT CABARET | PAVILION THEATRE | £15 (Concs £12, £5 off)
Genre: Comedy
MIF present's a wild and eccentric late night line-up from The Invisible Dot’s most celebrated jokers, including: James Acaster, Tom Basden, Natasia Demetriou & Ellie White, Mae Martin,Nick Mohammed, Sheeps and Liam Williams.
Available dates and times - book here
9 July, 10pm; 10 July, 10pm; 11 July, 10pm; 15 July, 10pm; 16 July, 10pm; 17 July, 10pm
THE CROCODILE | PAVILION THEATRE (ALBERT SQUARE) | £10-£20 (Concs £5 off)
Genre: Theatre
Another production by the Invisible Dot troupe, this theatrical new play is based on a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky; 'a true story of how a gentleman of a certain age and of respectable apearance was swallowed alive by the crocodile in the Arcade, and of the consequences that followed'. Written by Tom Basden and starring The Inbetweeners Simon Bird (Will) alongside Ciaran Owens, Marek Larman and Emma Sidi.
Available dates and times - book here
13 July, 7:30pm; 14 July, 7:30pm; 15 July, 7:30pm; 16 July, 7:30pm; 17 July, 7:30pm; 18 July, 7:30pm
THE TALE OF MR TUMBLE | OPERA HOUSE | £12 - £26.25 (Concs £5 off)
Genre: Musical
Starring CBeebies' megastar, Justin Fletcher (Mr Tumble), this new kids show will give Tumble's legion of tiny fans the chance to see their hero up close as he and his family - including Grandpa Tumble and Tootsie - share some of their fondest memories on stage. Also starring Ronni Ancona.
Available dates and times - book here
10 July, 1:30pm; 11 July, 10:30am; 11 July, 2pm; 12 July, 10:30am; 12 July, 2pm; 15 July, 10:30am; 16 July, 10:30am; 16 July, 2pm; 17 July, 10:30am; 17 July, 2pm; 18 July, 10:30am; 18 July, 2pm; 19 July, 10:30am; 19 July, 2pm
AND THE FREE ONES...
FKA TWIGS | OLD GRANADA STUDIOS | FREE (tickets required - but more may come available)
Genre: Live studio exhibition
FKA Twigs, current media-darling and 'one of the most exciting artists of the last ten years', will create seven new films during a seven day residency at Old Granada Studios. Small audiences will be invited into the studio during the process to observe Twigs and collaborators go about their business.
Dates and times: 9-15 July, 1pm-7.30pm
PERFORMANCE CAPTURE | MANCHESTER ART GALLERY | FREE (no ticket required)
Genre: Exhibition
Artist Ed Atkins will draw back the digital curtain with this exhibtion, studio and document of MIF 2015. Held within Manchester Art Gallery over the course of sixteen days, this exhibition will provide a unique insight into the production of a computer-generated moving image as Atkins captures, records, maps and renders the movements of MIF artists and performers.
Dates and times: 4-19 July, 10am-5pm.
RICHTER / PÄRT | THE WHITWORTH | FREE (no ticket required)
Genre: Exhibition
This extraordinary project, several years in the planning, brings together two of the world’s most influential cultural figures; German artist Gerhard Richter, 83, and Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, 79. The duo will present five new works by Richter soundtracked by a new composition by Pärt called Drei Hirtenkinder aus Fátima.
Dates and times: 9-19 July, 10am-5pm.
FESTIVAL SQUARE | ALBERT SQUARE | FREE
Over the course of the festival, Albert Square becomes Festival Square and the nucleus of MIF. No ticket required here, meaning you can drop in and catch a great many free live music and DJ performances including a set from the BBC's Mary Anne Hobbs - full line-up here. There'll also be food from various street food vendors and celebrated local chef Paul Heathcote, plus the ever-popular beer tent.
Dates and times: 2-19 July, all day and night.
SOLD OUT SHOWS: Bjork, Manchester Walking Tours, Adam Buxton, We Only Happen At Night, Arca & Jesse Kanda, High Tea in Wonderland, Age of Starlight, FKA Twigs, Ed Atkins & Hans Ulrich, Avro Part & Manchester Camerata, Yellow.
However, organisers say more tickets may well become available as events develop. So follow MIF on Twitter for updates.
