Factory International has announced its 2027 season, marking 20 years since the launch of Manchester International Festival and celebrating two decades of commissioning and presenting ambitious new artistic work.
The anniversary programme spans theatre, dance, opera, visual art and immersive performance, featuring nine UK and world premieres alongside the return of Manchester International Festival from 1 to 18 July 2027.
Among the highlights is the European premiere of AN ARK, billed as the world’s first Mixed Reality play. Created by Todd Eckert, Simon Stephens and Sarah Frankcom, the production features performances from Ian McKellen, Golda Rosheuvel, Arinzé Kene and Rosie Sheehy, placing audiences at the centre of an exploration of life, love and loss.
Acclaimed Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger brings A Year Without Summer to Aviva Studios following her acclaimed Venice Biennale work. Inspired by the aftermath of the Mount Tambora eruption and the creation of Frankenstein, the production is performed by 24 women and non-binary performers and explores themes of ageing, identity, technology and the human body.
Other major premieres include Gregory Maqoma and Karthika Nair’s dance opera Genesis: The Beginning and End of Time, Bashar Murkus’ visually striking DEADLIFT – الحَمّالون, and Cinema Tehran, a new theatrical collaboration from Javaad Alipoor and Chris Thorpe examining revolution, belief and national identity.
The season also includes the world premiere dance adaptation of Russell T Davies’ It’s A Sin, created by Rambert and directed by Benoit Swan Pouffer, and a new festive production, Party In The Sky, conceived by Darren Pritchard and co-directed with Vicki Amedume.
A major new staging of Philip Glass’ Einstein on the Beach will see Factory International and English National Opera collaborate on an immersive adaptation directed by Phelim McDermott, filling the vast warehouse space of Aviva Studios.
Meanwhile, Hetain Patel’s Come As You Really Are will bring together contributions from more than 250 people across Greater Manchester in a large-scale interactive exhibition celebrating collecting, creativity and community.
Announcing the season, John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International, said: “Culture has always been a driving force in Manchester – shaping the city, challenging it to reinvent itself and helping to define its place on the world stage. Twenty years ago, Manchester International Festival put the city at the centre of the international cultural conversation, asking what the art of tomorrow could be. Over the past two decades, we have invited some of the world’s biggest artists to Manchester to create work that has shifted the artistic goalposts – work that could not have been created anywhere else. Equally importantly, the voices of our communities have rung out through our work, creating opportunities, jobs and joy with and for the people of the region. As we mark our 20th anniversary and unveil our 2027 season, we continue to build on this remarkable legacy: championing creative ambition, welcoming pioneering, fearless artists from near and far to our shapeshifting home, Aviva Studios, and making work that changes how people see the world and how the world sees our city, bringing people together, and, ultimately, changing lives.”
Since its launch in 2007, Factory International and Manchester International Festival have commissioned more than 200 new artworks, with productions reaching audiences in over 35 countries. The organisation’s home, Aviva Studios, opened in 2023 and has since established itself as one of the UK’s leading destinations for large-scale contemporary performance.
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