What's On Northwest 26 May-2 Jun: Dot to Dot

What's that we smell? Why, it's ANOTHER bank holiday! This one brings Dot to Dot, Liverpool Sound City, The Garden Party in Leeds and more, with plenty more highlights for the rest of that four-day working week.

Feature by Jess Hardiman | 26 May 2016

Each week The Skinny team hand pick a selection of the best events from the Northwest 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 beyond every Thursday morning.


Check out our guide to the May bank holiday weekend here.


Dot to Dot

Various venues, Manchester. Fri 27 May, 2pm

The UK's roaming multi-venue music festival returns to Manchester this week, ahead of later stints in Bristol and Nottingham. Headliners include Mystery Jets, The Temper Trap and Augustines (pictured), but in keeping with the spirit of the festival, which gives a platform to up-and-coming talent, we suggest you check out the many local acts like The Bear Around Your Neck, Pines, Blooms and more, before committing to some sort of vague plan before the beers kick in.

Liverpool Sound City
Various venues, Liverpool. Sat 28-Sun 29 May, 12pm

Liverpool's musical festival limelight is hogged this weekend by Liverpool Sound City, which this year welcomes headliners The Coral and Catfish and The Bottlemen. Elsewhere on the line-up we're looking forward to catching local hero Bill Ryder-Jones and Glaswegian post-punk quartet Holy Esque, plus DJ sets from Hot Chip and Floating Points (pictured). Be sure to check out the non-musical programme, too, which features Paddy Considine and Alexei Sayle, among others.

Photo: Nick Bojdo

The Garden Party
Canal Mills, Leeds. Sun 29 May, 12pm

A Leeds institution that's now entering its 11th year, The Garden Party is a day-to-night shindig of street food, cocktails, craft beer, art and DJs, which earlier this month kicked off the first instalment with The Garden Party: Part 1 at The Faversham. For Part 2, this time it makes its debut at Canal Mills, pulling Ame, Bicep, Mind Against and others behind the decks, along with food and drink from the likes of Longhorn BBQ, Sela Pizza, 808 Whisky Bar and the good folk of The Hedonist Project.

George Egg: Anarchist Cook
Unity Theatre, Liverpool. Tue 31 May, 8pm

Stand-up comedy meets sheer ingenuity, as comedian and keen cook George Egg shows us how to survive life on the road, where the extortion of miserable room service often rules the waves. In this show he'll demonstrate, live, the various ways in which you can make yourself a three-course meal using just what you'd find in a hotel room – get ready to see kettles, irons and trouser presses in a whole new light...

Supernova Film Festival
Odeon Printworks, Manchester. Sat 28-Sun 29 May, times vary

The inaugural Supernova Film Festival touches ground this weekend, which, along with classics like Aliens (pictured) and 2001: A Space Odyssey, will feature a whole bunch of UK premieres to showcase the best in science fiction and fantasy cinema, past, present and future. There's also a sci-fi shorts showcase, featuring the Manchester-made pre-apocalyptic short Last Man on Earth, which stars none other than Doctor Who, Colin Baker.

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Leeds Feast
Various venues, Leeds. Sat 28-Sun 29 May, 11am

Leeds Indie Food closes with two days of street food and fun as Leeds Feast returns, taking to Belgrave Music Hall, Headrow House (yep, including its roof terrace) and newcomer North Brewing Co. with an army of the region's favourite including Chaat Cart, Honest Crust, Bangers and Bacon, Mei Mei's Street Cart, Holy Crab, Banh Mi Booth, Mac Shac, Croque Tease and more. Check out what else you can catch at the festival here.

Group Therapy: Edinburgh Before
The Deaf Institute, Manchester. Thu 2 Jun-Thu 28 Jul, 7pm

Manchester's comedy kingpins Group Therapy will be gearing everyone up for the Fringe with a season of high-calibre Edinburgh previews, taking place each Thursday throughout June and July. In that time you'll be able to catch the likes of Josie Long, Nish Kumar, Sarah Kendall, Carl Donnelly, Glenn Wool, Gary Delaney, Brendon Burns, and, to launch the series on 2 Jun, the brilliant Paul Foot (pictured).

Space Jam
FACT Picturehouse, Liverpool. Sat 28-Sun 29 May, 11am and 11.30am, respectively

Ah, Space Jam. The stuff of any good 90s childhood, along with Pop-Tarts, Super Soakers and Tamagotchis. A world before rent, tax and David Cameron. You know the score: Michael Jordan teams up with Bugs Bunny to blow everybody's B-balling minds against an team of alien monsters, while R Kelly inspires with this heartfelt number. Go revel in those nostalgic, cartoon-filled days of yore.

Percolate: 10 Years of Hypercolour
Antwerp Mansion, Manchester. Fri 27 May, 2pm

Percolate celebrate 10 years of underground house and techno label Hypercolour with an impressive day and night do at the Mansion, featuring Hypercolour regulars both old and new including techno chameleon Roman Flügel and one of Cornwall's most impressive outputs to the UK rave scene, Luke Vibert.

Waterloo Beer Festival
Old Christchurch, Liverpool. Thu 26-Sun 29 May, times vary

Piss-ups in a church tap into that so-wrong-it's-right mentality that we all know and love, especially great when they feature over 150 real ales and ciders and a dedicated gin bar. Team this with local food stalls and live music from acts including Laura Boundy, Splintered Ukes, Western Valley Hot Club, Peter Deaves and Ormskirk Ukulele Band, and you're set for one brilliant, boozy bank holiday.

Illustration: Sarah Bissell


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