Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and WIRE headline Futuresonic Live

Futuresonic Live or to give the event its full title the Urban Festival of Art, Music and Ideas held over the May Bank Holiday from Thursday 1st to Monday 5th May in Manchester has announced both headliners for the 5 days and nights of live music, exhibitions, club nights and events. The festival features a programme of over 300 artists at 100 events in 30 venues and spaces across the city-centre.

RZA the guy behind Wu-Tang Clan and producer of soundtracks for Kill Bill and Ghost Dog will headline as Bobby Digital in a showcase of leftfield hip-hop, celebrating the creative spirit in the genre. Seminal art-punk pioneers Wire have also been announced as one of the headliners.

Other music and club highlights announced for this year include Venetian Snares, Flying Lotus, Chrome Hoof, Luke Vibert, Rustie, Felix Kubin, Sequence, Dirty Projectors, Rolo Tomassi, Claro Intelecto, The Chap, MIT, Allez-Allez, Zombie Zombie, Gay Against You, Agaskodo Teliverek , Bogdan Raczynski, Tim Exile, Chris Corsano, Computer Controlled, Mike Paradinas, N>E>D, and Skeletons and The Kings of All Cities.

The festival (now in its twelfth year) presents exhibitions, performances and events, including many world firsts, with a focus on participatory artworks which re-imagine the city.

New artworks from Thomson & Craighead, Grennan and Sperandio, plan b, Simon Yuill. Conference keynotes by Gerd Leonhard and Richard Stallman. Plus many more live music events in 30 venues city-wide, including one-off performances and unique artist commissions involving emerging technologies, plus EVNTS, the festival's groundbreaking fringe. Extending the focus in recent years on presenting artworks in unexpected city spaces, and on social art and social technologies, the 2008 theme is The Social.

Festival tickets are on sale priced at £8-£30 for individual events or £45 for a Weekender Wristband and can be purchased from here.

Latest Updates