DAY ONE:
MIF 2015 kicked off in style yesterday with the opening of Festival Square in Albert Square, the launch of Damon Albarn's wonder.land musical at the Palace Theatre and a star-studded opening night bash for 900 people lucky so-and-sos.
Aside from Confidential's Sleuth, who everybody wanted to talk to, Janet Street Porter was having a dandy time, Stuart Maconie was in full flow and Damon Albarn was chatting merrily. The festival tents looked lovely bedecked with Chinese lanterns, outside more Chinese lanterns hung still on a windless warm night and the Town Hall smiled down on proceedings. Albarn surprised everybody by performing three songs on the acoustic stage, the last being popular Blur hit ‘The Universal’. After his first ‘experimental’ song of the mini-set David Gale, Manc chef and sardonic wit, said: “Let’s chant a request for ‘Wonderwall?”
