The Factory
The Factory will be a world-class cultural destination and centre for artistic production in the heart of Manchester.
Its vast (13,300 sq m) and highly flexible structure will enable the world’s best artists to create work of immense scale and ambition and open up new creative opportunities for local artists and residents from across the city.
A landmark building like no other, it is designed to host everything from major concerts to intimate performances, immersive theatre, exhibitions and installations.
The Factory will attract up to 850,000 visitors a year from across Manchester, the rest of the UK and the world. Manchester International Festival will run the building and create the innovative artistic programme.
It will also reinforce the city’s status as a centre for culture and creativity – adding 1,500 full time jobs and up to £1.1 billion to Manchester’s economy over a decade, as well as opening up new training and skills development for people in Manchester and beyond.
The Factory will be open all year round with hundreds of events inside the building and public spaces outside, including two new public squares, one by the River Irwell.
Set within the St John’s creative, cultural and technological hub, it will make a major contribution to the ongoing regeneration of this part of the city centre.
Manchester City Council is leading the development phase of the Factory, which is designed by world-leading architects Office for Metropolitan Architecture. Construction is due to be completed late 2021. More details about the opening date will be announced in due course.