Salaam Festival returns to Manchester this weekend to stage a vibrant and thought-provoking exhibition of Islamic arts and culture at Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, with tickets selling fast.
Bringing together an exceptional lineup of local, national and international artists, Salaam offers guests of all tastes a unique opportunity to experience the richness of Muslim creativity across music, film, workshops and enlightening discussion. Each event is designed with artistry, accessibility and community in mind, creating a welcoming environment where everyone can engage, reflect and participate.
From inspirational performances to hands-on workshops and arresting film screenings, this popular weekend festival celebrates tradition, innovation and connection in a growing community of visual creativity and shared inspiration.
The festival’s first unmissable headline event invites art-lovers to experience Dhīkr, a standout showcase of global artistry that celebrates remembrance and shared spiritual energy through rhythm, movement and melody. International talents Hāmza Bouzhār and Maryām Al-Säeīd join the mesmerising Turkish Sufi duo Muhammed Recai Çiftci and Mehmet Zahit Şerefoğlu for a powerful, captivating ritual of sound that glows with devotion and artistry.
To conclude the show, the internationally renowned Istanbul-based pianist and composer Büşra Kayıkçı makes her highly anticipated debut in Manchester, performing a selection of pieces that vividly capture the artist’s singular blend of balletic fluidity and architectural rigour. This exclusive UK/Manchester performance for Salaam Festival reveals the pianist and composer’s rare blend of architectural clarity and balletic fluidity. Kayıkçı’s music unfolds as a space being built in real time, where elegance, structure and emotional release come together in breathtaking harmony.
Book tickets HERE.
The final festival headline, Düa, offers a profoundly moving conclusion to Salaam Festival with an illustrious cohort of artists whose work is rooted in history and transformation. Palestinian oud virtuoso Reem Anbar opens the evening with an entrancing blend of oud, tabla and lyrical composition that channels resilience, heritage and the pursuit of freedom, before Pakistani vocalist Hamid Ali-Naqeebi and band deliver a stirring tribute to the legendary Qawwali forebear, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Weaving ancient poetry with striking emotion, Khan guides audiences on a tempestuous musical journey of migration and longing to complete a mesmerising night of transcendence and hope.
Book below and be part of Salaam Festival’s grand finale from just £25.
Throughout the weekend, Salaam Festival hosts a programme of relaxed, fascinating hands-on workshops guided byartist Rayhaan(a) Ouadi, with each session providing a warm, delightful space for craft enthusiasts of all abilities to create something personal to take home.
On Sat 1 Nov, guests can dive into a Screen Printing Workshop that encourages bold ideas and joyful experimentation, and offers the perfect chance to refresh a tote bag, upcycle a favourite t-shirt with a personalised design or simply rediscover your creative spark. Ink and printing materials are provided, and tote bags are available while supplies last.
On Sunday, the Mosaic Coffee Coaster Workshop explores colour, texture and Arabic text to help you produce a piece of art for your morning mug or office desk. Coaster bases and mosaic materials are included.
Places are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment – grab your Screen Printing Workshop place HERE and reserve the Mosaic Coffee Coaster Workshop below.
Alongside the eclectic bill of workshops, live shows and conversations, the festival stages a spellbinding cinema programme in which the silver screen becomes a meeting place for history, spirituality and storytelling, with audiences invited to settle in, slow down and immerse themselves in remarkable filmmaking grounded in devotion and cultural memory.
On Sat 1 Nov, Songs of the Sufi traces a musical inheritance that stretches across more than 800 years, illuminating the power of Qawwali as a devotional practice that still resonates across the world. Live performance intertwines with rare archival footage and absorbing commentary from musicologist Dr. Katherine Schofield, charting the evolution of a practice that began with Sufi seminaries, and grew into a genre that unites people across faiths through its message of divine love. The screening concludes with a Q&A led by the film’s director, Kamran Anwar.
On Sun 2 Nov, award-winning director Abrar Hussain brings takes Manchester into the heart of Jerusalem with One Night in Al-Aqsa, an intimate and evocative rendering of the site on Laylatul Qadr, the holiest night in the Islamic calendar. Told through first-hand stories from those who live and work inside the revered mosque compound and sweeping aerial views, Hussain’s moving portrait honours the resilience, faith and collective celebration of the sacred occasion as hundreds of thousands gather in reverence.
Book tickets to Songs of the Sufi HERE, and grab your seat for One Night in Al-Aqsa below.
Sat 1 Nov - Sun 2 Nov, Contact Theatre, Oxford Rd, Manchester M15 6JA
www.salaamfestival.co.uk
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Fri 24 Oct 2025
Hosted by celebrated Birmingham-based spoken word artist Amerah Saleh, alongside a decorated cohort of artists including public historian Shabnam Nasimi, poet and cultural producer Muneera Pilgrim and Manchester’s very own poet and director Elmi Ali, Boiling Point invites audiences on both days to unite within a welcoming living room-esque environment for a unique discussion that explores the politics, fissures and optimistic possibilities of our world.
Designed as a cosy space for everyone to see, hear and share their truths freely, this unique talk will span tender reflections, impassioned debate and beyond in a homely atmosphere, allowing everyone present to be both audience and participant.
Reserve your seat for the event for just £5 on Sun 2 Nov HERE, and book your spot for the event on Sat 1 Nov below.