BBC Radio 6 Music Festival to make permanent Manchester move

The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival is to permanently move to Greater Manchester, the broadcaster has revealed.

The BBC said the area, which hosted the debut festival in 2014, would be its "permanent home" in the future.

Samantha Moy, head of BBC Radio 6 Music, said the station would "be rooted in Salford over time".

The 2023 event will be held across three days in March and see headline sets from Arlo Parks, Christine and the Queens, Loyle Carner.

The festival debuted in Manchester in 2014 and has since been held in Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The 2023 event will take place between 24 and 26 March at Victoria Warehouse in Trafford and Manchester's Band on the Wall.

It will see global premieres from Arlo Parks and Christine and the Queens and a collaboration between Loyle Carner and Manchester's AMC Gospel Choir, as well as live sets from Wu-Lu, Lava La Rue and The Big Moon.

There will also be DJ sets from Afrodeutsche, Erol Alkan, Don Letts, Good Future, Hot Chip, Steve Lamacq, Tim Burgess and Yard Act.

Parks said it would be "the first time I'll be introducing my new album in a live setting and I'm so excited".

"To be surrounded by such innovative, singular artists is a real joy and I genuinely can't wait for this," she added.

Ms Moy said the station "will be rooted in Salford over time, so we're bringing the festival back home to Greater Manchester, where it all began, with some incredible performances".

"You may have seen Arlo Parks, Christine and the Queens and Loyle Carner before, but you won't have seen them like this before," she said.

"It promises to be a very special weekend indeed."

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the region was the "perfect fit" for the event.

"There is a rich musical heritage in Greater Manchester, and a real pride in the independent music scene, and as BBC Radio 6 Music has always supported new and alternative artists, it's a perfect fit for the festival to have its permanent home in the city for the years to come," he said.

Tickets for the festival will be available from 10:00 on Thursday via the dedicated festival website, where there are also full details of the gigs.

Highlights from the festival will be broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Manchester, as well as on BBC Sounds, BBC Four, BBC iPlayer and BBC Music's YouTube channel.