What's On North 26 Jan-2 Feb: Stay Fresh Fest

By simply scrolling down you'll be able to see how psyched we are for the return of Stay Fresh Fest at The Deaf Institute – but also Chinese New Year events, the Fiesta Bombarda Carnival, Grub's ExtraVEGANza (geddit!?) and more. Go play!

Feature by Jess Hardiman | 26 Jan 2017

Each week The Skinny team hand-pick a selection of the best events from the North's cultural calendar to provide you with this 'ere 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.

Stay Fresh 

Choose fresh bedsheets. Choose a fresh new start. Choose fresh fruit. Choose fresh air. Choose fresh blood. Wait, no, don't do that. Choose Fresh Prince re-runs. Choose freshly squeezed orange juice. Choose a fresh coat of paint. Choose a fresh page. Choose fresh from the oven. Choose automatic, supersonic, hypnotic, funky fresh.

CHOOSE STAY FRESH FEST!

Following the inaugural two-floor party back in September, Stay Fresh Fest is back baby! Returning to The Deaf Institute on Sat 28 Jan for another celebration of some of the most vital new music in the North, needless to say we're hyped as hell to party it up with new Heavenly Records signees The Orielles, Luxury Death (the new project from Ben Thompson and Meg Williams), cosmic explorers Henge, scuzzed-out garage rockers Heavy on the Magic, Sheffield’s lo-fi noise poppers Seize the Chair, riff-heavy sludge monsters Mums, polyrhythmic electronic outfit Strobes and party-smart punks Patty Hearst. Come join us – and if you get there early, there may be a free tote bag in it for you!

Chinese New Year | 28 Jan

[Photo: Carl Sukonik]

And so commences the Year of the Rooster! Liverpool, boasting the oldest Chinese community in Europe, will be firing up the markets, parades and firecracker displays once more, while in Manchester plans are afoot for the city's largest Chinese New Year festival to date. Over in Leeds the Town Hall will be hosting its own Chinese New Year Festival from 10.30am on Sun 29 Jan.

Also this week:

Pilot Light Saturday Morning Kids TV Special
Central Library, Manchester. Sat 28 Jan, 10am

Relive the days when weekend mornings weren't spent sleeping off a wine headache but sat watching TV in your jammies with a bowl of Coco Pops, courtesy of this Saturday Morning Kids TV Special from Pilot Light TV festival. Sure, we should probably be facing up to the responsibilities of adulthood by now, but meh. See what's on the agenda in our preview here.

Fiesta Bombarda Carnival
Liverpool Cathedral. Fri 27 & Sat 28 Jan, 7pm

The reliable folk of Northern party powerhouse Fiesta Bombarda are upping the ante once more, this time with a two-day Cathedral Carnival. Across the extended weekend stint, they'll be pulling in the likes of Romare (pictured), Ibibio Sound Machine and Kog (27 Jan) and Beardyman ft. Rob Lewis, Renegade Brass Band, Jeramiah Ferrari and Dr Hyde (28 Jan). Photo: Chris J Rhodes

Advertisement | An Italian in Madrid
The Lowry, Salford Quays. Mon 13-Tue 14 Feb

One of the most celebrated contemporary dance companies in the UK, Richard Alston Dance Company return to The Lowry with a triple bill of new work. Inspired by Scarlatti’s sonatas, An Italian in Madrid explores the fusion of different cultures and styles with the company being joined by BBC Young Dancer finalist Vidya Patel. Chacony is inspired by Purcell and Britten chaconnes, and Tangent by Martin Lawrence evokes the controlled but volatile energy of modern tango. Photo: Oihana Vesga Bujan, Elly Braund, Monique Jonas and Nancy Nerantzi by Chris Nash

Skint Fair January Sale
The Brunswick, Leeds. Sat 28 Jan, 11am

Showcasing work from Leeds and the wider North, the latest Skint Fair takes on a 'January sale twist', where prints – from the likes of Or8 Designs, No-Nonsense and many more – could cost as little as £2. Endless City Collective and Permahigh Records then take over the venue for a night of live performances, DJ sets and live visuals.

Grub ExtraVEGANza
Alphabet Brewing Co., Manchester. Sat 28 Jan, 12pm

GRUB Food Fair returns after some brief festive hibernating, marking the end of #veganuary with a meat- and dairy-free special! Stepping up to the plate are Manjit's Kitchen, Oh Mei Dumpling, The Ottö-Men, Yakumama, Fritto, Blawd, In Truffle We Trust and take-home stalls from The Pasta Factory and Los Antijitos.

Nik Colk Void & Klara Lewis
Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room. Wed 1 Feb, 8pm

FACT and Deep Hedonia present two of the most exciting producers in electronic music today, with a live performance from Factory Floor's Nik Colk Void and experimental Swedish composer Klara Lewis. Incorporating experimentation, field recordings, electronics and an eclectic mix of influences, expect a compellingly artistic approach to sound sculpting.