Refract 24 at Waterside

With the arrival of the summer festival season, award-winning venue Waterside Arts bring us the 2024 edition of Refract Festival. Taking place over six days this July, Refract 24 is a unique and eclectic arts festival packed with a handpicked programme of experiential theatre, dance, live music and family activities.

The festival is based in Sale with all of the events taking place inside and outside of Trafford’s canalside creative hub, Waterside. Bringing together audiences of all ages, Refract 24 has been carefully curated by Waterside and aims to offer audiences innovative new ways to experience arts, music and performance.

Internationally acclaimed magician and illusionist, Ben Hart launches Refract 2024 with his spellbinding show, HeX on 23 and 24 July. This is a great opportunity to catch this fascinating performance before it heads further north to Edinburgh Fringe. Witty, dark and mystifying, expect to see a showcase of Hart’s most exciting material from the last decade alongside some brand-new ideas.

As usual, festival goers will be able to enjoy free ‘al fresco’ entertainment on the Waterside Plaza. The family-friendly outdoor performances launch on 25 July (and continue on 26 July) with Autin Dance’s Street Games. Expect live music and dance, with BSL performance and interpretation, alongside inclusive and accessible global games. We recommend catching Brimstone: The Dragon, a free storytelling experience featuring a fantastic six-metre-long dragon puppet; live music and dance by Raggle Taggle Arts in The Old Time Rags Travelling Show, and The Running Showers, a series of interactive walkabout performances by Teatro Pomodoro. Additionally, drawing on Afro-fusion and contemporary movement, Linden Dance present their explosive dance work – Unboxed – throughout the weekend too.

Refract 2024 has a top-notch live music programme too. Renowned Palestinian oud player and musician Reem Anbar, together with guest vocalist Nour Sima, joins the launch of the festival in the Chambers on 23 July. The Untold Orchestra also feature in the Refract line-up this year. Bringing a sensational show of soul classics, expect to see the Untold Orchestra perform with phenomenal guest vocalists, Nicole Battick Dija Bhlue. Further musical highlights across the festival include blues and soul singer-songwiter Kyla Brox and The Bandstand, new addition for 2024. Head to The Bandstand, outdoors on The Plaza, to see a series of musicians, including Manchester-based performer Zoe Kyoti, award-winning clarinettist Arun Ghosh and Stretford-based Psychederek (aka Lewis Olsen) play on Sunday 28 July.

Check out the full festival listings and do remember to book early.