NightGarden Festival

Johnny James, Managing Editor
NightGarden Festival
Joe Street

27 — 28 July 2024 Tickets from £15.00 — Book now

“You stumble down a garden path past city fringes and looming industrial structures. Are you lost? No! You’ve only just arrived”

Nestled in the green heart of an ex-garden centre in the hinterlands of Manchester, NightGarden is a DIY audiovisual festival, powered by collectivism and a spirit of inclusivity.

Dreamt up four years ago by co-producers Broaden and Kikimora, this grassroots festival has been gathering strength year on year, culminating in its most ambitious instalment yet, featuring everything from electro-disco to folk songwriting, synth-fuelled psychedelia to dance floor weirdness.

NightGarden Festival
Joe Street.

But where is it exactly? Well, that’s part of the charm. The secret location – a private residence in Trafford – will be revealed only when you book your tickets, but judging by the photographs from previous editions, it’s a stunning setting, with the stages hidden among a forested haven that’s at complete odds with industrial architecture surrounding the site.

NightGarden Festival
Joe Street.

Looking at the line-up, there’s a great selection of Manchester-based acts on show (Trees.R.Good, Lavender Rodriguez, Zolatec, leoleoleo) as well as familiar names from further afield (Stealing Sheep, Chewy She, Pocket Sun). Meanwhile, some renowned VJs (among them hellocatfood, ModulateSc and Cath e Ode) will be creating immersive visual landscapes to complement what you’re hearing.

NightGarden Festival
Sam Oates.

Running alongside all this, there are several installations to explore, from optical illusions to site-specific soundscapes via miniature libraries. And if that’s not enough there are sound-based workshops, a forest-themed storytelling session, and even a sewing workshop. Basically, it’s unlikely that you’ll go away not feeling inspired in some way.

Inclusivity is something that’s really important to co-producers Broaden and Kikimora. While other festivals of this kind often market themselves to a predominantly younger audience, this festival doesn’t; it prides itself on being inclusive to all, and its loyal, multi-generational audience is testament to this. The tickets are also priced incredibly reasonably, which is refreshing given the massive rise of festival prices more widely. Hats off.

An affordable and inclusive audiovisual adventure in the depths of nature and yet a stone’s throw from the city centre? Count us in…

27 — 28 July 2024 Tickets from £15.00 Book now

Where to go near NightGarden Festival

family 3
Museum
Blue Planet Aquarium

Blue Planet Aquarium is home to animals from all around the world, one of the UK’s largest collections of sharks and a 71-metre underwater tunnel to see them from!

hotel 1
Liverpool
International Inn

A pleasant and affordable place to stay in Liverpool, International Inn is hidden away in a quiet street but still close to everything you need.

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Liverpool
Hotel
Kabannas Liverpool

Kabannas Liverpool offers a choice of comfortable rooms, from private doubles to shared options to suit all needs and group sizes.

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City Centre
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The Liner Hotel

The Liner Hotel offers accommodation in style, with comfort, luxury and a seasonal menu in a central Liverpool location.

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City Centre
Restaurant
The Oracle

The Oracle is a mysteriously classy cocktail bar with magicians performing tricks at your table, right in the centre of Liverpool

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Cinema
Plaza Community Cinema

The Plaza Community Cinema is truly a unique community resource with big releases, special screenings and affordable tickets.

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