Famous Manchester duo, The Unabombers, will be taking over The Refuge by Volta from 26th May for a three day music, food and drinks extravaganza, in collaboration with the iconic New York City DJ – Francois K, legendary Ibizan Hotel, Pikes and Croatian festival, Love International.
The Electric Weekender’ is a specially curated free event (FK is ticketed) and a celebration of all the things the illustrious pair hold dear from their 25-year journey (namely food, drink, music and parties. It will see the 10,000sq foot Refuge space and outside street evolve over the weekend to include a New York loft style party in a basement, a proper old pub knees-up with local craft beer heavyweights, and an all-day Sunday Balearic soiree reminiscent of the original spirit of the White Isle, all taking place in the dining room, the public bar and The Winter Garden.
Unlike other festivals, the Electric Weekender has a decidedly fancy slant on food.
Creating the flavour of the Spanish Island will be award-winning tapas restaurant Laventer, whose Ramsbottom eatery saw them voted in the top 100 UK restaurants with huge love also coming from food critic, Jay Rayner.
Another addition to the weekend session, will be pop up food hero’s’ including Robert Owen Brown, formerly Head Chef at the legendary Mark Addy. As one of Manchester’s most respected and loved chefs he will be cooking up a storm with a pop-up grill situated in the outside street space, Waterhouse Way.
Kicking off the music for this weekender will be Electric Chair hero and New York demi-god Francois K, who will be returning to Manchester on Friday 26th April, exactly 20 years after playing at the now defunct Music Box just 300 ft. away. FK will be spinning tunes all night long in the Refuge basement, a recently unveiled space in the underbelly of The Principal Hotel, in an iconic homage to New York City between 1975-1985. From the Loft, through to Paradise Garage, FK’s set will provide a rich musical journey through soul, funk, house and disco, playing the tunes that made the era so revered and inspired what happened in clubs and music for the next 40 years.
On the Saturday, the subterranean basement space will transform into an old-school Manchester pub set-up, fittingly named The Refuge Arms. With sawdust adorning the floors and piano players tinkling away at the punter’s favourite songs, this old school, boozy beer takeover will provide a day of good old fashioned pub debauchery complete with pickled eggs and a tap takeover by ShinDigger Brewery Co.
Saturday night will see the hotel’s outside space taken over for a ‘summer of love’ street party hosted by Love International, whose Croatian festival has won the hearts of thousands of people from all over the globe. Alexander Barck, part of the Jazzanova crew of DJs and producers from Germany, will be playing a set fusing many styles, including, acid jazz, soul and broken beat in the stunning Refuge Street.
The Sunday will be a collaboration with Ibiza’s infamous Pikes Hotel and this is the first time this illustrious hotel has partnered with anyone in Manchester. Programming the tunes for the street will be legendary Ibizan DJs, Alfredo and Leo Mas who single-handedly started the whole Balearic revolution at Amnesia.
This is the beginning of a beautiful partnership that will see The Unabombers travel to Ibiza to return the favour later in the summer.
The weekender kicks off at 4pm on Friday 26th and will finish late Sunday night with a closing party down in the basement.
Further information can be found here.
