Bank on fun at festivals

BEATS: LOOKING for something exciting to do over the bank holiday weekend?

Manchester’s Northern Quarter will play host to the Hungry Pigeon Festival from Friday to Sunday.

Reverend Soundsystem, Liam Frost, The Longcut, Karima Francis, Lowline, Misty’s Big Adventure and Clint Boon form just part of the amazing line-up for the annual event which attracted 15,000 music lovers last year.

Hungry Pigeon was also nominated in the UK Festival Awards for Best Metropolitan Festival alongside the likes of Camden Crawl and Liverpool Sound City.

Featured venues include the Roadhouse, Night and Day, Moho Live, Dry Bar and Band on the Wall. The highlight of the weekend will be the Hungry Pigeon on the main stage in Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday.

Mercury Prize-nominated indie rockers Athlete, who have sold more than a million CDs since they formed in 2005. as well as topping the charts and winning an Ivor Novello Award, will headline

The free party — which is supported by Manchester City Council — is hosted by Oldhamer and former Inspiral Carpet Clint Boon.

As well as live music, visitors can also enjoy photographic exhibitions, clothes fairs, films, art and a treasure trail.

Tickets are £25 from www.seetickets.com or www.wegottickets.com. And if you’ve not had enough by Monday, Dot to Dot Festival is taking over a host of city centre venues including The Factory, Manchester Academy 1, 2 and 3, Club Academy and Deaf Institute.

Revellers can look forward to performances from the likes of Oldhamers Twisted Wheel, Los Campesinos and Mystery Jets (left) as well as a DJ stint from Radio One deck spinner Zane Lowe.

The long-running festival started life in Bristol and Nottingham and has finally added Manchester to its line up.

Tickets are £25 from www.dottodotfestival.co.uk