New Outwards Festival in Manchester
A new festival, Outwards, will launch this summer in Manchester, spotlighting the past, present, and future of electronic music. The lineup includes heavyweights like Orbital, Moodymann b2b Carl Craig, and Midland, ensuring a diverse and cutting-edge musical showcase.
The inaugural Outwards festival will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the Progress Centre in Ardwick. The event is set to be a day-into-night affair, running from 12pm to 5am and accommodating 5,000 attendees across five open-air spaces. This new addition joins Manchester's already vibrant festival scene, which includes established events like Parklife and Manchester Psych Fest. The festival is directed by Olli Ryder, son of Happy Mondays' Shaun Ryder, who aims to create a space where the past, present, and future of electronic music can coexist. Beyond the music, Outwards will feature artist talks, workshops, independent record fairs, and a hi-fi listening bar, positioning itself as a "temporary cultural campus" rather than just a conventional festival. The lineup deliberately fosters an "intergenerational dialogue." Headliners Orbital are an English electronic duo whose name is a nod to London's M25 orbital motorway, a key route for the early acid house rave scene. Their 1994 Glastonbury performance is considered a landmark moment that brought electronic music to a massive audience. A rare back-to-back set from Detroit legends Moodymann and Carl Craig is a significant draw. Moodymann, an enigmatic and influential house producer, released his debut LP "Silentintroduction" on Carl Craig's Planet E label. Craig is a key figure in the second wave of Detroit techno and founded Planet E Communications in 1991 to release his own music and that of other Detroit artists. The lineup also includes a mix of influential and contemporary artists. Acid house originator DJ Pierre and ambient pioneers The Orb are featured alongside respected selectors like Midland, whose 2016 track 'Final Credits' was named Mixmag's 'Song Of the Year'. Manchester's own musical heritage is represented by post-punk and rave-influenced bands A Certain Ratio and Black Grape. The choice of Manchester as the host city is significant, given its deep roots in electronic music history. The city was central to the acid house movement in the late 1980s, with the iconic Haçienda nightclub at its heart. This history, from Factory Records to The Warehouse Project, has established Manchester as a key destination for electronic music culture.
