Festival of Manchester comes to Platt Fields Park

The brand new Festival of Manchester is set to launch this weekend in Platt Fields Park.

The event, taking place on 1^stSeptember, will see Platt Fields host a variety of family-friendly activities, performances, and street-food. The programme of events will start at midday and carry on until 10pm.

Many of the performances will come from in excess of sixty Manchester community groups, each of them gearing up to celebrate their culture through traditional dance, music, and more.

One such group is the Manchester Malayalee Association, a community organisation made up of people from Kerala in India. The association plans to bring a traditional Keralan drum ensemble, the Chenda Melam, to the festival.

The event promises to end spectacularly, with a show on the lake in the middle of the park. ‘Swan Song’ will feature live music, fire, a giant illuminated swan and a peacock.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure, at Manchester City Council, said: “The festival is going to be fantastic… it’s an unmissable chance to celebrate all the many different cultures and traditions that make up our city and make it so amazing.”

The event is free to all to attend and runs from 12pm to 10pm on Saturday 1st September at Platt Fields. For more information go to www.festivalofmanchester.uk.