Didsbury Arts Festival 2023

24 June – 2 July

Welcome to Didsbury Arts Festival, south Manchester’s biggest contemporary celebration of art and creativity!

Back with a new festival director, DAF 2023 is promising exciting, new experiences for audiences and artists during a packed programme showcasing local talent as well as artists from further afield. Join us for live music, visual arts, film, drama, comedy, family fun and much, much more… There’s something for everyone and it’s all right on your doorstep!

This year’s DAF theme is Your Festival, Your Voice, with festival director Rod Adams promising a ‘people’s festival’ to reflect the rich diversity of Greater Manchester. With 20 years’ experience delivering arts projects to communities across the region and beyond, Rod is committed to promoting cultural diversity and positive social change through the arts whilst engaging with harder to reach groups.

“The arts are powerful because they give people a voice!” says Rod. “We want to provide a platform for those voices that aren’t always heard. I want DAF 2023 to be a people’s arts festival with lots of opportunities to watch, to engage, to be seen and heard and to create. We can all become artists; we just need the opportunity.”

This year’s festival highlights include a live, global music event embracing diverse influences – from South Asian, African and Middle Eastern sounds to North-West indie and rock. On the urban music scene, the return of legendary northern club night Phenomena will bring back old-skool sounds of R&B, hip-hop and UK garage for nostalgic, 90s clubbers. More traditional festival fare, including classical music and jazz, will also be on offer, while music-making workshops will inspire festivalgoers of all ages.

A major community arts project Voices of Didsbury will provide an opportunity for members of the public to get creative and compete for the chance to exhibit their own work. Meanwhile, an immersive theatre experience will offer thrills and surprises! Street art, spoken word and author events, a mini film festival and theatre and poetry in schools will also feature during the nine-day festival programme.

There will be plenty of family-friendly fun on offer, including events in the parks, a family disco and the chance to create amazing images in light graffiti workshops hosted by Siemens. Didsbury Superstar, a major talent show for children and young people, taking place in Didsbury Park, will provide an entertaining and memorable finale to DAF 2023.

“We want people of all ages and backgrounds to find something inspiring and enjoyable and to experience as many magical ‘wow!’ moments as possible,” says Rod.

DAF 2023 is supported by patrons and friends, including Jeff Smith, MP, and a number of generous individuals and Didsbury businesses. This year’s festival sponsors, to whom we are immensely grateful, are Siemens, ABa Quality Monitoring, Julian Wadden, Sterling Partners, Stealth Marketing and Salehs Solicitors. Many thanks, also, to our media partners Glossy Magazine and Didsbury Post

DAF is a biennial, community-led arts festival, celebrating creative culture in Didsbury since 2009. DAF 2019 attracted more than 10,000 visitors. For the latest festival news and ticket sales (from May), visit www.didsburyartsfestival.org

Fancy getting involved?

If you would like to volunteer at DAF, please get in touch via the website. Local businesses and organisations willing to provide venues, please email info@didsburyartsfestival.org