July 2009

Screenfields
Every Thursday evening from 9pm, you’ll be able to plonk yourself into a deckchair at Spinningfields and catch one of the films on offer, absolutely free. There will be blankets, popcorn and a bar so all you have to do is keep your fingers crossed for good weather. Films on show will include Withnail and I, The Graduate, A Quantum of Solace, Breakfast at Tiffanys, the Incredibles, ET, the Boy with the Striped Pyjamas, the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. www.spinningfieldsonline.net

Got the Elbow?
If you failed to get tickets for Elbow and the Halle Orchestra — which, judging by the extortionate amount the tickets are going for on eBay, most people did — you could try hedging your bets on one of 5,000 free tickets to watch them at an open air screening of the event in Castlefield, filmed at one of the gigs at the Bridgewater Hall. More information was due to go online on June 30 so keep checking www.mif.co.uk for more details.

Wonderful willows
If you are unlucky with the Elbow tickets, there are still plenty of free things to do that are part of the Manchester International Festival. It kicks off on Thursday July 2 and the free events start on the Friday. They include a Flailing Trees exhibit at Manchester Peace Garden, by the Town Hall that will comprise 22 inverted willows and flourishing branches replaced by dying roots – the description probably doesn’t do it justice – or you could celebrate the launch weekend by lining the Deansgate mile and watching the procession. To download a calendar of events got to www.mif.co.uk or visit www.manchesterprocession.com for more procession information.

The right tracks
July 4 will see something quite unusual at Manchester’s Piccadilly Station. Two hundred musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music are set to 'capture and recreate the vibrancy of the station' as they come and go throughout the day, and then they will come together for a performance at 9pm. Composer Peter Wiegold was commissioned to create and direct The End of the Line (A Brief Encounter) to fill the public spaces of the station at the end of the day. It sounds like something worth catching, even if you’re not passing through the station.

It’s not over until…
The fat lady sings. That’s pretty much all I know of opera but if you’re more of a buff, then the BP Summer Big Screen is offering the Barber of Seville on July 15 at Exchange Square. This free live relay from the Royal Opera House will this time be Rossini's energetic and instantly recognisable opera. You may know the names of Joyce DiDonato, Simon Keenlyside and Juan Diego Flórez to name three of the cast. They’re apparently very good indeed. The pre-performance events start at 7pm and the live screening begins at 7.30pm. www.roh.org.uk/bpbigscreens

Caribbean flavour
At the Caribbean Carnival of Manchester on July 18-19 enjoy the infectious rhythms of song and dance as the carnival procession winds its way through the crowds with steel bands, floats with DJs, dance troupes with carnival queens and princesses, elaborate costumes and folklore characters. www.caribbeancarnivalofmanchester.co.uk

Jazz it up
From July 24 to August 1 saxophones and groovy bands will grace the streets of the city all in the name of the 14th Manchester Jazz Festival. They’ll even be the opportunity to see the rehearsals before the week gets underway. On July 25 at St Ann’s Square there will be free events starting from 12pm including a ska band and a mixture of jazz, blues and soul. There are other free events dotted about during the week too. For more information go to www.manchesterjazz.com.

Spicy performances
If your weekend isn’t complete without some good old Indian wrestling and stone lifting, head to Platt Fields Park in Fallowfields on July 25-26. The park is playing host to the Manchester Summer Mega Mela 2009, a celebration of south Asian arts and culture with music and all styles of performance from Bollywood to Bhangra. The line-up is said to include locally and internationally renowned artists, sports such as Kabaddi, fashion shows, arts and crafts stalls, funfair, street theatre, food stalls and much more. www.manchestermela.co.uk

Mass exodus
On August 2 (I know that isn’t July but you’re getting plenty of notice!) there will be a mass celebration of arts and culture from Greater Manchester’s diverse refugee communities. This event, at the Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, will feature sounds and dance from places from Angola to Zimbabwe, as well as food and craft stalls and children’s workshops. From 12pm-6pm. www.can.uk.com/exodus.