Green Island Festival 2023: Manchester festival with community at its core

Manchester's highly anticipated Green Island Festival has announced its incredible line-up for 2023, promising a three-part series of day festivals and afterparties that showcase underground, underrepresented, and emerging artists from the UK and around the world. With a commitment to diversity and accessibility, the festival aims to create an enriching music and cultural experience for all ages.

Spanning from summer to early autumn, the festival will kick off with its first chapter on Saturday, June 17th, followed by part two on Saturday, July 29th, and concluding with the final chapter on Saturday, September 9th. Tickets for all events are now available for purchase on Skiddle and Resident Advisor.

The heart of the festival will be Hulme Community Garden Centre, where the flora paradise will be transformed into an arts mecca to accommodate the 500-capacity event. Festival-goers can expect three stages, including the main stage, forest stage, and a third stage hosting takeovers by BBC Introducing, Ruffy's Lab, and Northern Lights Home X The Garden.

The impressive line-up showcases a diverse range of talent, featuring live music, vocalists, DJs, and spoken word performers. Headlining the June chapter is BCUC, a seven-piece band from Soweto, South Africa, known for their captivating performances. Joining them will be Galivantes, an energetic eight-piece ska band, alt-rapper Charlie Boy Manson, rapper and vocalist Francs, the global beats ensemble The Goddess Collective, and ethereal singer-songwriter Caitlin LM.

On the decks, festival-goers can expect a mix of global rhythms, rare grooves, and celebratory LGBTQ+ parties curated by renowned artists such as Pete on the Corner, High Hoops, SHEWillProvide, Charms, and Dr Jive, who will blend genres like amapiano, UK funky, percussive Afro rhythms, disco, soul, and funk.

The July and September chapters will feature additional talent, including Mim Suleiman, Afrodisia, Sham Steele, Abnormal Sleepz, PRIDO, Meduulla, Adjua, Electric Jalaba, The Beautiful Sinners, Mix-Stress, Atiké of Me Gusta, and many others. Each day of the festival will also kick off with family-friendly activities from 10:30 am to 1 pm, curated by family rave pioneers The Playhouse Project, offering a unique experience for parents and kids to enjoy together.

Afterparties will take place at the iconic NIAMOS institution, located near the festival grounds, starting at 9:30 pm and running until 3 am. The June afterparty will be hosted by vinyl enthusiasts My Analog Journal, featuring Apricot Ballroom b2b Lena C, Zag b2b Miche, and a special guest headliner. September's afterparty, hosted by The Dub Smugglers, promises an elite audio experience with their custom-built sound system and a special guest headliner.

To keep festival-goers fueled throughout the day, Didsbury's renowned dumpling and kimchi masters, Midori, will provide Japanese-Hong Kong fusion cuisine. Additionally, the plant-powered street food delicacies from Boneless Brigade will be available. Quenching attendees' thirst will be the official festival sponsors, Seven Bro7hers Brewery, serving some of their finest pours on tap.

George McGirr, co-founder of Green Island, expressed the festival's commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and providing a platform for underrepresented artists in Manchester. McGirr emphasized the importance of showcasing the city's abundant talent and creating an accessible space that welcomes people from different walks of life.