Femi Kuti at Band on the Wall

The Second King of Afrobeat returns to Manchester as part of We Face Forward, a festival that spreads over three months and multiple venues. Hosting a branch of the Kuti dynasty at this celebration of West African arts and culture makes a lot of sense: Femi Kuti is now as ingrained in the idea of Afrobeat as his father Fela was. And this Band On The Wall fundraiser, featuring one of the defining sounds of Nigeria in the 21st Century, could prove to be the highlight of the festival’s calendar. Held together by his band The Positive Force, the night should be a riotous and energetic call from West Africa – and with the show recently being moved to Band On The Wall, those lucky enough to get tickets will find themselves even closer to the raw energy of Kuti’s sax.

Wed 4 July, Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, Manchester, M4 5JZ. Tel: 0161 834 1786, 7.30pm, £20 (SOLD OUT), www.wefaceforward.org