Submerge splashes its way into the north this March. Are you ready to take the plunge?

Taking place from the 8th to 27th, Submerge Festival is a meeting point for innovative performance, music and digital culture. We’ll unleash a tidal wave of international artists throughout the streets, clubs, and emblematic venues of the city, turning every corner into a playground for wild ideas.

You’ll see established artists from across the globe presented alongside the next generation of exciting newcomers, throughout a raft of events presented over two weekends. Submerge audiences are adventurous, open-minded and ready for anything! Read on for more info on what you can see at this year’s festival.

PROGRAMME

Submerge 2022 launches on 8th March with All Things Equal, a large-scale, audiovisual installation by Urban Projections (Rebecca Smith) and “genre-splicing genius of British electronic music” Loraine James. The festival continues between 17th to 27th March, with headliners Saeborg and Zubin Kanga.

Saeborg is a Japanese artist who is undertaking her UK premiere of Pigpen, a radical and groundbreaking performance which tackles ideas of sexuality and female bodily autonomy through latex inflatables and a shocking birthing procedure you won’t want to miss.

Zubin Kanga and company brings Manchester a groundbreaking concert of creative technologists disrupting classical music. Cyborg Soloists: The Body Electric is a series of solos merging the latest technology with live piano, using a range of sensors, synthesisers and cutting-edge digital instruments.

As well as the above, you’ll also experience experimental theatre from Dan Daw and Jamal Gerald; a wild contemporary dance double bill from Italy’s Alessandro Sciarroni and durational liveart from Jade Blackstock and Shrek666.

In our music and nightlife programme, you’ll witness club sets and audiovisual shows from Brooklyn’s Cakes Da Killa, Vienna’s 2 Pigs Under 1 Umbrella and Belgium’s GÆRALD. On the streets you can see Sara Leghissa, and in a unique and intimate one-to-one you’ll meet Samuli Laine.

There are also loads of opportunities to get involved in this year’s festival with projects, artist talks and workshops such as Hot Bodies Choir, Live Art & Club Performance, and Queer Theory for Queer Artists.

THEME

Submerge Festival 2022 is themed around resistance; the practice of revealing and refusing oppressive ideas, rules and structures. Through collective acts of resistance, we can change, influence, and improve the world we live in.

The festival programme foregrounds artists whose voices have historically been pushed to the margins, and whose intersectional artistic practices challenge the way we think about the world.

Through their work, these artists dare us to imagine a more inclusive and equitable future, redressing and refusing heteronormativity, patriarchy, racism, colonialism, capitalism and environmental injustice.

TICKETS

Submerge Festival takes place across a number of venues throughout the city. Events are individually ticketed and available by following the link in each event. Many of our events are free to attend or priced at a minimal cost.

SOCIAL MEDIA

We invite you to document your journey on social media and tag your posts using #SubmergeMe

ACCESS

Submerge Festival aims to be as accessible as possible, and we have chosen our venues based on them having the widest possible access. You’ll find individual descriptions on access on each of our event and venue pages.

CREDITS

Submerge has been made possible with the support of Arts Council England and a large number of local partners and funders, for whom we want to extend a huge thank you. The list of partners is available at the bottom of all festival pages.