Green Island Festival is back and bigger than ever, providing Manchester with three events taking place under one leafy pocket of Hulme.
The Manchester favourite will be returning to Hulme Community Garden Centre and NIAMOS on 6th June, 25th July and 5th September, sticking with its now-familiar three-chapter format. Gates open midday, music rolls through till 9.30 pm, and tickets start at £26.25. Kids 13 and under get in free.
Now six years deep, and fresh off a run of sold-out 2025 shows, Green Island has settled into its groove, spotlighting global sounds, grassroots energy, and a proper community focus all tucked inside the garden centre’s greenery and spilling out across Warwick Street. Attendees will be able to drift between plants, people and five different stages, each providing its own unique vibe.
The Street Stage leans hard into Manchester legacy this year with DJ Paulette kicking things off in June, 808 State landing in July, and A Guy Called Gerald closing in September.
Inside NIAMOS, the programming stretches wider. Blue Lab Beats arrive in June with their jazz-hip-hop-soul fusion that’s earned them a Grammy and a reputation for bending genre lines, while July brings South Africa’s BCUC back to Hulme. Last time they played, the place went wild, and you can expect the same again this year. September will see JayaHadADream, fresh from her DJ Mag Breakthrough Vocalist win, plus electronic experimentalists Raz and Alfa.
The Bandstand Stage stays loyal to Manchester selectors and collectives. Ruf Dug returns with his Ruf Kutz takeover in June, always one of the festival’s most loved corners. July links ROJAK MCR with Dance Policy for a queer club culture link-up rooted in music and commentary. September hands the reins to dub institution Freedom Masses Soundsystem, drawing on more than four decades in the scene.
Over at the Selector Stage, Léna C opens with a vinyl-led journey through Afrobeat, jazz, soul and psychedelia. Supernature Disco and Out Since Friday bring the July party energy. SIT & BUN vs Hit & Run close September with heavyweight bass pressure and forward-leaning sounds.
The Marquee Stage keeps its focus on emerging live acts. June features Welsh soul talent Moli, storyteller Zawedde and songwriter Anna Lynch. July welcomes The Thiara Collective’s new-wave jazz textures alongside the Brazilian sway of Bossa Dos Patos. September lands with groove-rich collective Midnight Matters and the wonderfully off-kilter funk-punk of Flat Moon.
And that's not all, as a second wave lineup is due in the coming months.
This year also introduces a dedicated family area. The Imaginarium, curated by Z-arts, brings daytime workshops, storytelling and nature-led play.
Behind it all sits the same founding ethos: community first. Founders George McGirr and Stephan Agbogbe draw on decades in booths and venues, booking artists through instinct, knowledge and genuine connection.
Buy tickets here.