Music for a Busy City wants to bring music to the commuters, the shoppers, the wanderers, the schoolchildren and everyone else who passes through or lives in Manchester.

Huang Ruo chose our Town Hall as the location for his composition, and was captivated by the bee-themed mosaic he found hidden amongst the majesty.

Take a look at our exclusive video, capturing the essence of his inspiration, as well as sounds from the installation itself:

Played every hour, you can go to the Town Hall now to listen for yourself.

Huang Ruo spoke on 6 Music today about Music For A Busy City, external - hopefully you'll be inspired to seek out the series of music hidden in our very special city.

So happy to look at these joyful shots from last night's opening What Is The City But The People?

See anyone you recognise?

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Our next big livestream is tomorrow: Interdependence: We Need To Talk About Power, external, right here at 10:30am. We can't wait.

So New Order use an amazing combination of organic and electronic sounds to create their work, but did you know that the very first electronic instrument was called the Telharmonium, and it was built back in 1897?

Finalised in Massachusetts in 1906, it was essentially a very early electric organ, constructed from acoustic horns and telephone receivers. Rock on.

Weighing in at 200 tonnes and 60 feet in length, it wasn’t exactly perfect for tour life. But then, seeing as you’d need around $200,000 to buy one, that wasn’t the main issue.

Amazingly, it was actually transported across the country, to New York - and it took 30 railroad carriages to do it!

Its 34-note-per-octave keyboard was way ahead of its time, but it wasn’t particularly loved by musicians, as it required so much practice. So we probably shouldn't be expecting to see one at the remaining 4 New Order gigs, external then...

We've kicked off, we've had one night of revelry, we have thoroughly celebrated the people of Manchester - now, what's next?

Well, you can take a look at what's coming up by watching our official opening video. Look out for a sneak peek of New Order, Mary Anne Hobbs and our Artistic Director John McGrath... then, it's up to you to go to town on the programme... , external

Tara Collette
MIF17 Creative 50

See Tara's entire, marvellous GIF MIF series , externalas it builds over the festival...

Image source, MIF

Tonight, experimental sound artist Holly Herndon takes to the Gorilla stage as part of our painfully cool Dark Matter gig series. Just off the back of a tour with Radiohead, you’d be a fool not to find out more about her.

So, what exactly are we in for tonight? We’ve provided you with the need to know…

Name: Holly Herndon

Special Skill: Making the electronic noises of our day-to-day life (think Skype pings, email notifications and so much more) into amazing new music

Born: In Tennessee, now living in San Francisco - on the same music label as Bon Iver and The National, to name but a few

What do I need to know?

An artist who very much believes that electronic sound can hold deeply personal experiences, Holly Herndon’s created a storm with her ethereal, pioneering “techno-utopian” sound. She’s from a new generation of artists - who have grown up experiencing core experiences and emotions in tandem with being online, living in a digital way.

She says it best herself (stolen from a recent Guardian interview):

“How do we express the emotions we’re feeling today? I find it odd to use a violin swell from another era to discuss the feeling I have after a Skype breakup.”

Studying for a PhD as a composer at Stanford University, she is undoubtedly a star on the rise - she’s lauded for her ability to bring a wide-range of unusual reference points into fantastic live gigs.

What to say at a dinner party

“Well quite, what we’re really talking about here is approaching ‘the singularity’, Holly Herndon is part of a new wave of artists helping us connect using the very machines that can often divide us”

I know things! What do I do now?

Well go and listen of course!

LaSharVu just rocked 6 Music, you can see them live tonight at Festival Square, 7:30pm.

Food, drink, festival atmosphere and (probably, fingers crossed) no rain. We'll see you there.

With her amazing new exhibition opening at The Lowry tomorrow, external, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy spoke to the BBC this morning about the migration in Pakistan in 1947 - the displacement, the heartbreak and the search for a new home.

Loving listening to LaSharVu on 6 Music with Mark Radcliffe? They're playing in Festival Square tonight, 7:30pm, as part of our Pavilion Theatre series, external.

And if you just can't wait till then, here's the fantastic ladies storming a cover of Beyonce's Party, (appropriate, seeing as we're a festival that really does like to party...)

See all the Pavilion Theatre gigs this festival, external

We just heard Music For A Busy City, external composer Huang Ruo on 6 Music with Mark Radcliffe, and with his glorious bee-inspired sound-scape you have no excuse for not learning more.

Born in China, he studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and has written for film, theatre and opera all around the world.

His piece, Inscribed, can be heard at Manchester Town Hall, Manchester M2 5DB at :50 past each hour, 8am-8pm daily.

Interestingly, it offers listeners two sonic pathways to choose from, and people will have different experiences of the music depending which way they walk.

There's only one way to find out which one you'd choose...

Find out more about the True Faith exhibition - opening today. , external

As we hear from Jon Savage and Matthew Higgs with Mark Radcliffe on 6 Music about the spectacular new True Faith exhibition, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of the work itself.

Art inspired by the on-going legacy of Joy Division and New Order, music-fans, get yourself down to Manchester Art Gallery quick-smart...

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

This utterly unique exhibition opens today until the 16th July, and is free entry.

Learn more about True Faith, external

Sure, there’s a whole heap of theatre, comedy and dance exploding onto your streets - but we’re also opening amazing exhibitions throughout the city. We know, we spoil you.

They are all absolutely free and totally unique - what are you waiting for?

Image source, MIF

True Faith

Manchester Art Gallery

Music-lovers, this one’s for you. True Faith is a celebration of the work of Joy Division and New Order, looking at the sensational visual art the bands inspired.

Cementing their on-going legacy, as well as showcasing seminal cover designs, live performance films, music and posters from a wealth of amazing musicians, there really won’t be anything else like it in the city.

Learn more about True Faith, external

Image source, MIF

ToGather

The Whitworth

Taking over the amazing Whitworth Gallery (which you should go take a look at anyway, the surrounding park is truly gorgeous), Susan Hefuna’s ToGather centres on beautiful stories of migration, separation and togetherness.

Simultaneously life-affirming, heartbreaking and genuinely innovative, it’s a rich selection of drawings, personal items, journeys and stories of those who have travelled to find home.

Learn more about ToGather, external

Image source, MIF

Music For A Busy City

Throughout Manchester

Feel like a treasure hunt? This one’s for the adventurers among us.

Music For A Busy City takes composers out of the music hall and onto the streets, making music inspired by spaces we pass by every day. Recorded original pieces that become part of the location that inspired them, they’ll play every hour in a variety of places - take a journey to find them all, or just stumble over them, the choice is yours.

Learn more about Music For A Busy City, external

Image source, MIF

No End To Enderby

The Whitworth

Film-fans, here’s looking at you. No End To Enderby is an utterly unique film and sound homage to Anthony Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange.

Centred on two films inspired by his work, No End To Enderby dives into the films’ key themes: time-travel, parallel universes, Shakespeare, dead poets and everything in between.

Expect visual art, film drama, original sets and a whole lot of surreal.

Learn more about No End To Enderby, external

Listening to Huang Ruo on Radio 6 Music? You can find out more about his composition for Music For A Busy City on the official website, external

And learn more about our city-wide music treasure hunt below - you can take a look at fellow composer Matthew Herbert's commission:

6 Music is currently live from Festival Square! Listen by hitting the button at the top of the page.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Manchester over the next 3 weeks, head down to Albert Square every day, from noon til late to experience Festival Square.

Throughout the whirlwind of the next few weeks, you can come to Festival Square for great food and drink, free live music, nightly DJs, the Festival Box Office and free copies of The Guardian’s MIF17 Guide.

An amazing atmosphere, delicious treats and freebies to boot - what more is there to say?

Image source, MIF

Last night New Order absolutely blew the roof off Old Granada Studios, in a show that included a 12 piece synthesizer ensemble from the Royal Northern College Of Music, and a stage set that reacted dynamically to the music.

If you weren't there, we feel for you. But at least we can share photos.

Will they make you feel better, or worse?

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Image source, MIF

Tara Collette
MIF17 Creative 50

Visual artist Tara Collette is one of our brilliant #creative50 artists, making work in response to this year's festival

She's creating a new GIF every day, external, and you can take a look at her beautiful What Is The City But The People? inspired piece now:

Bookmark that page, and watch it become filled with beautiful, delicate responses to each and every day of this year's festival.

Last night we opened this year's festival with a 100 metre runway dedicated to the people of Manchester.

And initially, everyone was really happy about it.

People loved seeing their local heroes, seeing people they knew... and of course, Bez.

And then, as beautiful stories of bravery and resilience unfolded... the inevitable weeping began.

And kept coming.

And it was lovely to see people watching from far away, and even from the other side of the world.

Perhaps this is the story of any city...

Or just this one.

Either way, we couldn't be prouder. #loveMCR, #MIFestival #whatisthecity.

Missed the livestream? Just hit play at the top of the page, and you can watch it in all its glory.

In case a festival full of brand new work wasn’t enough, we’ve also commissioned 50 brilliant local artists to create digital artwork in response to this year’s programme.

We’ll be showcasing cutting-edge work across a whole roster of digital arts - from soundscapes and video to data visualisation, projection mapping and even (rumour has it) a phone-line - as a work of art. Anything’s possible.

Keep your eye on the #creative50 hashtag on Twitter, and watch the Turner Prize winners of tomorrow begin to emerge right here, hosted on the BBC.