Cheddar Gorgeous
MIF17 Creative50

As the stars of Manchester begin to flock to the runway, take a look at one performer's attire: the absolutely divine Cheddar Gorgeous, external.

Serving sensational demon realness, we can't wait to watch her strut her stuff down the main stage in just half an hour from now...

Ms Gorgeous is also one of our #Creative50 - local artists creating beautiful artistic responses to the festival programme, so you can look forward to seeing a lot more from her...

Jeremy Deller - Turner award winning artist and originator of What Is The City But The People? - is known for his amazingly innovative ideas.

Our favourite? Well, it's hard to choose, but this chameleon slide is pretty hard to beat...

Tonight's opening performance is all about highlighting the good, the great and the utterly unique of Manchester.

And we are in excellent company: did you know legendary suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst was born and bred here?

We're proud to showcase the tenacity, humour and spirit of our city.

Under 2 hours to go, see you back here at 6:20pm for the What Is The City But The People livestream!

@mifestival

#whatisthecity

Just in time for their opening show tonight...

So, we know for a fact that tonight’s runway for our opening show What Is The City But The People?, external is 100 metres long.

But what does that translate to, exactly?

We’ve hunted down some other things that are 100 metres in length, to give you some idea of the scale of the operation…

Big Ben (about 96 metres)

A football pitch (105 metres)

The Statue Of Liberty (92 metres)

St Paul’s Cathedral (111 metres)

Usain Bolt can run 100 metres in 9.58 seconds. We think the people walking our runway might take a little longer than that - but hey, we live in hope.

To see this city-wide event in action, join us back here at 6:20pm - we’ll be livestreaming the whole thing.

BBC Arts

Are you getting involved in MIF's opening spectacular, What Is the City but the People?, external Are you going to one of the dozens of other events, external taking place across the city from 29 June to 16 July? Or do you simply have a brilliant photo in your collection that sums up the spirit of Manchester?

Just use our easy uploader tool to add them to our gallery and share with the world. We'll post some of the best ones here.

Image source, MIF

BBC Entertainment and Arts

Image source, AFP

Drivers who gave free rides after the Manchester attack will take part in Jeremy Deller's What Is The City But The People?, helping to create a "self-portrait" of the city. We love MCR.

John McGrath
Artistic Director, Manchester International Festival

Learn more about our fantastic opening performance, as described by our Artistic Director John McGrath.

Ahead of tonight's opening show - What Is The City But The People - listen to Music Director Graham Massey talk inspirations, stars and show us a snippet of music to expect...

We’re mere hours away from our opening, and as we speak a 100 metre runway is being constructed in the very centre of the city – Piccadilly Gardens.

Manchester residents, do make sure you get down there for the 6:30pm start, and tweet shots, feelings and reactions to @MIFestival #whatisthecity

We'll be posting our favourites, so be sure to show off our beloved city to the world...

Who are the stars of tonight's opening spectacular? We've got the inside scoop...

Image source, MIF

Manchester music sensation Levelz take to Gorilla tonight - for those who can’t wait to learn more, or for those who aren’t sure what to expect, we’ve provided a handy cheat-sheet.

Name: Levelz

Special Skill: Cross-pollinating grime, hip hop, house, jazz, r&b, the list goes on…

Born: They’ve been active as a collective since 2013, but a lot of them have been pushing the boundaries of the Manchester music scene for a long old time

What should I know?

Levelz are a gloriously sprawling beast, 14 members across a wide range of ages (from teens to 40s), who specialise in… well… everything.

They’re known for their exhilarating live shows, huge personalities, and perfectly meshing a whole heap of genres and styles, from big dubstep beats and electro-swing to riot jazz and house. All their music is released for free or onstage, they’re not so much a breath of fresh air as they are a glorious furnace of irreverent creativity.

What to say at a dinner party

“Well of course, their devil-may-care execution combined with technical mastery perfectly encapsulates the pride of the Manchester grime scene.”

I know things now! What do I do next?

Listen to their stuff, of course - turn off the lights, grab a can of something delicious and let the Levelz team transport you:

Intrigued by what you heard from Kojey Radical on 6 Music? Take a look at our exclusive video to find out more about this poet, musician, and visual artist.

Learn more about his Dark Matter gig, external

Mary Anne Hobbs is chatting Dark Matter right now on BBC 6 Music - here’s the rundown of the gigs for those desperate to know more (which should, of course, be all of you)

Image source, MIF

A 14 strong crew of DJs, MCs, and producers will storm Gorilla, serving up a incendiary cocktail of grime, hip hop and plenty more.

Learn more about Levelz: Takeover, external

Image source, MIF

Holly Herndon

Restlessly inventive and endlessly ambitious, Holly Herndon is one of the most exciting electronic musicians working today - and she’ll be showcasing new work right here at MIF17.

Learn more about Holly Herndon, external

Image source, MIF

Paleman

Manchester lad Calum Lee - aka Paleman - is a cult figure in electronic music - winning acclaim for his quietly thrilling, minimal music. He’ll also be showcasing his dazzling jazz-drumming live as part of his set, get involved.

Learn more about Paleman, external

Image source, MIF

The Haxan Cloak

Co-producing Bjork’s Vulnicura, soundtracking True Detective - the Yorkshire native is usually based in Los Angeles, but is returning to Manchester to premiere a wealth of brand new material…

Learn more about The Haxan Cloak, external

Image source, MIF

Clark

His dark, dystopian and inventive electronica has seen him rise through the ranks over the past decade, now he returns to Manchester for a one-off exclusive gig. It will also feature 2 dancers and choreography from Melanie Lane - definitely not to be missed.

Learn more about Clark, external

Image source, MIF

Kojey Radical

Equal parts poem, musician, film-maker and visual artist, this gig marks Hackney’s Kojey Radical’s first major Manchester gig. He’s a huge star on the rise, and is known for amazingly explosive, political and intimate singles.

Learn more about Kojey Radical , external

Image source, MIF

Colin Stetson

Colin Stetson blends wild creativity with jaw-dropping technique - combining post-rock, jazz, minimalism and electronica. Featuring Dark Matter curator Mary Anne Hobbs playing a DJ set in support, you’d better believe you need a ticket.

Find out more about Colin Stetson, external

Image source, MIF

SUNN O)))

“The heaviest band on the planet” return to Manchester - famous and notorious for their immense live shows. All you can really do is come along and immerse yourself in their amazing sound...

Find out more about SUNN O))), external

BBC 6 Music

New Order will play five gigs across this year's festival, alongside visual artist Liam Gillick.

The gigs will "deconstruct, rethink and rebuild the band's expansive catalogues for 1,200 lucky souls".

They'll be performing with a 12-strong synthesizer ensemble from the Royal Northern College of Music, creating a fully immersive experience - listen now to find out more...

Image source, MIF

Our joyful opening spectacular, What Is The City But The People?, takes over Manchester city centre at 6:30pm tonight, and we’ll be livestreaming it right here.

But what exactly are we in for? Though we can’t give too much away, we can certainly meet the team behind it:

Jeremy Deller

Responsible for the idea of What Is The City But The People?, Jeremy Deller is a multi-award winning conceptual, video and installation artist known for dealing strongly with political issues.

He won the Turner Prize in 2004 for his mixed-media installation Memory Bucket, external, and has a tab on his website simply called ‘Bats’, external, which is excellent in anyone’s book.

Graham Massey - Musical Director

Manchester-born musician Graham Massey is a pioneer of experimental music, creating everything from experimental jazz rock to acid house (plus, he’s composed for Bjork).

He’ll be creating the musical score for What Is The City But The People? live, and is known for being in bands with truly fantastic names: Biting Tongues, 808 State, Danny and the Dress Makers as well as a Sun Ra tribute band entitled Part Time Heliocentric Cosmo Drama After School Club. We dare you to find a better one.

Richard Gregory - Director

Richard Gregory is Co-Artistic Director of Quarantine, a company known for their boundary-pushing theatrical spectacles. They often showcase people not traditionally thought of as ‘performers’, drawing out stories on both epic and intimate scales.

You can watch Richard talk about What Is The City But The People here:

In a few minutes time, Mary Anne Hobbs and Mark Radcliffe will be chatting about her amazing series of gigs, external at this year's festival.

We'll be streaming it right here, so grab a cup of tea, stay tuned and ready yourself for some fantastic lunch-time listening...

“Storm clouds are gathering, as the world teeters on the edge.”

Wish you knew how to skin a rabbit, make a fire and pick a lock, at the same time as mixing the perfect cocktail?

Party Skills For The End Of The World, external (previewing tonight) promises a interactive experience like no other, from theatrical masters Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari of Shunt Collective. Take a look at our exclusive video, and get ready to party:

In anticipation of their gig at Gorilla tonight, external, take a look as grime-hip-hop-jazz-house (to name but a few) masters Levelz bust the doors off a concorde especially for us. Prepare for lift-off...

We'll be providing a playlist later tonight - so no matter where you are, you can enjoy their amazing sound.

Levelz Takeover is part of 8 Dark Matter gigs, external, curated by Mary Anne Hobbes of BBC Radio 6