Springfest unveils huge lineup ahead of Victoria Baths celebration

Ahead of the one-day arts bash at the beautiful Grade-II* listed Victoria Baths on Sat 15 Apr, SpringFest has unveiled an enormous lineup of musicians, artists and food vendors to guarantee ‘the festival feeling with no tents needed’.

With live sets from 11am-4pm, SpringFest’s delightfully eclectic lineup of accomplished musicians rivals that of any mud-flecked outdoor weekender. Kicking off the programme, the Chorlton Ukelele Group delivers a boisterous set with music from their extensive songbook, before Afrobeats specialists Sens Sagna and the Kajamor Family play Manchester by way of Senegal, filling the cavernous baths with irresistibly catchy drum rhythms, while Irish singer-songwriter Seamus Og plays alongside a quartet comprising double bass, cello and harp, in a breathtaking blend of instruments that promise to sweep the audience into a ‘dream state’, lingering delicately on adventures taken and mapping those to come.

Playing the wedding music born of Eastern European Jewish communities – à la Fiddler on the Roof – Klezmorim of Manchester appear at SpringFest having performed at events across the city, from Channukah parties to dedicated evenings of live Klezmer music at Hallé St Peter’s. Shortly after, guitar-based instrumental project Tungusku headline the afternoon schedule with their ‘hypnotic world grooves’.

Visitors who stick around until the evening can enjoy Ríoghnach Connolly and Honeyfeet, a soul-stirring sextet who bring an expansive mix of genres in a unique brand of musical poetry, with influences including protest songs, big-band swing, Alabama Blues-tinged folk and dance rhythms. This performance is separate to the main SpringFest schedule, with tickets available here.

Alongside the dazzlingly broad array of live music on offer, SpringFest showcases a group of renowned artists whose works are on display throughout the day. Featuring profoundly innovative linear prints from Paulette Bansal, pieces from Pool Arts Studio’s Rachael Field and Nick Telfer, whose projects are inspired by the ‘tactile immediacy and interdisciplinary nature’ of Concrete Poetry, as well as bracingly personal noire-style life drawings by Lorna Bent and illustrations from I-Dott 2022 Masterpiece Prize Winner Sarah Thorley, the breadth of methods and styles on show at SpringFest provides breathtaking art to satisfy every taste.

Available throughout the event, SpringFest’s irresistible street food options include bao buns from Dim Sum Su, sourdough pizza from Urban Crust and a relaxed coffee-and-cake cafe, as well as a fabulously well-stocked bar serving beers, wines and soft drinks.

Tickets to SpringFest 2023 at Victoria Baths are £7. Click here to book.