This new partnership between two of Manchester’s most cherished festivals – mjf and Manchester Folk Festival (MFF) – offers audiences from both events the chance to experience live music-making from artists who have their feet – and ears – in both the jazz and folk camps.
For the Folk Festival (Thursday 19th – Sunday 21st March), our Artistic Director, Steve Mead, has programmed a one-off pairing of duos whose music joyfully embraces and disassembles tradition, using subtle electronics, lyrical melodies and improvisation.
“It’s a delight to be partnering with the MFF team, and an obvious choice for two of Manchester’s flagship festivals to be sharing our favourite artists and offering live music experiences and artists new to each of our audiences. I can’t wait to hear the results!”– Steve Mead, Artistic Director, mjf
The performances will take place on Saturday 21st March 2026 (8pm)@ Hallé St Peter’s. To book tickets (£22 advance) visit the link HERE.
ATFK is the untethered brainchild of Amy Thatcher and Francesca Knowles: Accordion and drums like you’ve never heard before. This genre-blasting duo defy the preconceptions of what their instruments can do, breaking with tradition while tactfully adopting it as a playground for experimentation. ATFK’s sound is one of both raucous energy and sympathetic intensity, combining percussion, synths, keys and vocals for an unapologetic brew of colourful composition.
