A new festival dedicated to the past, present and future of electronic music culture is set to launch in Manchester this summer, as Outwards takes over Ardwick for a city-centre, open-air gathering.
Taking place on Saturday 2 May 2026, Outwards will transform and connect five outdoor spaces in Ardwick into a 5,000-capacity day-into-night event. The festival brings together pioneering live acts, foundational DJs and contemporary artists.
The inaugural live programme spans generations of electronic music. Performances will come from electronic legends Orbital, Detroit techno dons Octave One, acid house duo Paranoid London, ambient pioneers The Orb, and Manchester acts A Certain Ratio and Black Grape, connecting post-punk, rave and contemporary club culture.
Across the DJ programme, the festival will host a rare Detroit pairing between dual icons Moodymann and Carl Craig, alongside acid house originator DJ Pierre. They will be joined by selectors including Midland, Josey Rebelle, Pearson Sound, OK Williams and Suze Ijó, alongside further names spanning current and emerging voices in the global underground.
Speaking about the festival, Outwards director Olli Ryder said: “Electronic music has always been about more than nightlife. It’s about the music, the communities, the places and the people who carry culture forward. Outwards is an attempt to create a space where the past, present and future of that culture can exist together, in Manchester, where so much of this story began, and where there is still so much to be written. We hope it becomes a moment of reflection, inspiration and connection that celebrates the full breadth of electronic music – open, inclusive and shaped by many voices, while opening the door to what is still to come.”
Beyond the stages, Outwards will extend into artist talks, cultural discussions and workshops, alongside exhibitions exploring electronic music history and independent record fairs. A dedicated hi-fi listening bar and curated local food and drink will form part of the site, while after parties across multiple city venues will continue the programme into the night. Organisers describe the concept as a ‘temporary cultural campus’ over a conventional one-day event.
Organisers say the event arrives at a time when electronic music audiences are placing greater emphasis on heritage, lineage and shared experience.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday 26 February at 10am via the festival website. Further stage details, talks programming and after-hours events will be announced in the coming months.
You can sign up for tickets here…
