Mad Ferret Festival at Platt Fields Park 12th – 13th June

The homegrown festival is back for a second year with a lineup you won’t believe…

Mad Ferret is exactly the kind of festival we like. Back in 2007, a group of students got together and decided to put on a festival in Platt Fields Park to celebrate their graduation. Before long, what started out as a bit of a laugh had turned into an entirely mental round-the-clock scramble as they fought to get both local heroes and big names signed up. But somehow, against all odds, they managed to pull it off and over the last couple of years, Mad Ferret has turned into one of the biggest dates in the Manchester music scene calendar.

For 2009’s offering the team have stepped it up another gear. This year’s lineup includes Roots Manuva (complete with a 10-piece live band), The Streets, Finley Quaye, Pendulum, DJ Hype, The Freestylers, Riz MC and Franz Ferdinand (DJ set), alongside up and coming acts like The Travelling Band and Gideon Conn.

There’s also a healthy offering of other stuff to keep you excited, from an appearance by punk poet Jon Cooper Clarke artists to crazy visual art spectacles and bizarre goings on from Liverpool legends The Kazimer. Plus, with representatives from almost every hot Manchester club night on board and plenty of stages showcasing local talent, there’s never been a better way to forget the Hacienda and find out what the Manchester music scene is really all about.

If Mad Ferret continues pulling it out of the bag like this, there’s every chance it will be ranking alongside big name festivals within the next few years. With weekend tickets for under £60, you’d be crazy to miss out.