What's On North 18-25 Aug: North Leeds Food Fest

Red Bull Music Academy has announced its UK tour later this year, and in the meantime you can enjoy the North Leeds Food Festival at Roundhay Park, Kosmonaut's Summer Party, Rochdale Feel Good Festival and much more.

Feature by Jess Hardiman | 18 Aug 2016

Each week The Skinny team hand-pick a selection of the best events from the North's cultural calendar to provide you with this here top ten guide to the most exciting goings-on for the week ahead. From gigs, plays and exhibitions to spoken word, pop-up foodie events and one-off film screenings, we give you the insider's guide to things to do in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds every Thursday morning. 

Taking music by the horns

Red Bull Music Academy has just announced its upcoming UK tour, which, in a very exciting turn of events, will be passing through Liverpool and Leeds for the very first time!

From club nights and studio sessions to art installations and live lectures, highlights to look out for this October include Mercury Prize nominee Jamie Woon (pictured), grime legend Kano, London hip-hop duo Krept & Konan, Berghain resident Marcell Dettman, cult disco don DJ Harvey and Detroit icon Moodymann. Read all about it here.

Of course, if that all seems too far away, have a wee scroll below and see what we suggest you get up to this week, where there are lots of summery happenings to get involved in.

The North Leeds Food Festival
Roundhay Park, Leeds. Fri 19-Sun 21 Aug, 10am

Roundhay Park becomes a field full of food this weekend, welcoming the likes of Mac Daddies, Meltworks, Little Somboon Kitchen, The Gravy Train and much more for The North Leeds Food Festival, which also features a programme of over 50 live music acts, independent bars, crafts and birds of prey. Photo: Tim Green

Krunk Apocolympics
Kazimier Garden, Liverpool. Sat 20 Aug, 8pm

The world's getting more and more effed up: better train yourself up at the Kaz Garden this weekend with an evening of catastrophic-themed sports (tsunami slalom or recession relay, anyone?) and live music and DJs to lift the apocalyptic mood.

Kosmonaut Summer Party
Kosmonaut, Manchester. Sat 20 Aug, 12pm

You'll find summer vibes aplenty this weekend at Kosmonaut as they throw open (all) their doors for a seasonal shindig, with food care of a Holy Crab pop-up, a special G&T menu from Aviation Gin, DJs and the chance to blag free drinks on the hour, every hour.

Advertisement | John Moores Painting Prize
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. 9 Jul-27 Nov, open daily from 10am to 5pm, free

The John Moores Painting Prize is the UK's best known and longest running painting competition and has been pivotal to the careers of leading artists including Sir Peter Blake, David Hockney and Peter Doig.

The 2016 exhibition showcases 54 artworks during Liverpool Biennial, which were selected and judged anonymously from more than 2,500 entries. From George Orwell’s Animal Farm to a statue of an assassinated politician, the sources of inspiration behind the paintings are wide-ranging. As are the materials utilised by some of this year’s artists, from plasticine on a book cover to acrylic on industrial aluminium foil.

For the latest events visit: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk


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Julian Marley
District, Liverpool. Sat 20 Aug, 8pm

Whatever the temperamental English weather has in store, you can rest assured that sunny times are ahead via the avenue of reggae – from Bob Marley's son, no less, known in his own right as the Grammy-nominated, roots musician, singer-songwriter and producer Julian 'JuJu' Marley.

Rochdale Feel Good Festival
Rochdale Town Centre. Fri 19-Sat 20 Aug, 11am

Just a 20 minute tram journey from Manchester, it's worth hopping to Rochdale this weekend for the Rochdale Feel Good Festival, which sees the town playing host to two stages of live music (with headliners The Fratellis, pictured), cookering demos, family entertainment and food and drink stalls. Photo: Sheep Purple

Vintage Weekend
Lotherton Hall, Leeds. Sat 20-Sun 21 Aug, 11am

You'd think 25 stalls of vintage fashion, collectables and homeware would be enough to give you a dose of nostalgia, but Lotherton Hall's Vintage Weekend is going the whole hog, with live music and dancing, classic cars games and a chance to check out the Our Cousin Florence exhibition in the Fashion Galleries. Photo: Leslie Duss

Julianna Barwick
The Deaf Institute, Manchester. Tue 23 Aug, 7pm

Louisiana-born, Brooklyn-based melody maker Julianna Barwick heads to Manchester this weekend in support of latest album Will, released earlier this year. Expect looped, layered, minimalistic music; expect good things. Photo: Shawn Brackbill

Looking ahead: A Carefully Planned Festival #6

We spoke to Matthew Boycott-Garnett, the founder of DIY music event A Carefully Planned Festival. Find out who to catch this year, along with who he's enjoyed in previous years here. Photo: Jessica Flavell

The best gin joints in the North and beyond

The (slightly) warmer climes of late are practically screaming out for a refreshing G&T. Where to go? We asked The Gin Journey's Leon Dalloway for his favourite joints across the UK, including the best of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds.


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