Factory International unveils new season for 2026

Factory International has announced a spring 2026 programme at Aviva Studios.

Opera is represented by the UK premiere of Angel’s Bone, staged from 12 to 16 May. The Pulitzer Prize-winning work by composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek is presented by English National Opera and Factory International in collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Kantos Chamber Choir. The production is directed by Kip Williams (Dracula, The Picture of Dorian Gray), marking his UK opera debut.

Dance features prominently in the season, with the world premiere of The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O’Connor from 25 to 27 June. Created by choreographer and director Sonya Tayeh, the piece is set to O’Connor’s music and performed by a company of ten women. It is presented by Joyce Theater in collaboration with Factory International and explores themes of voice, protest and personal freedom.

The visual art programme is led by Ai Weiwei: Button Up!, which runs from 2 July to 6 September. It marks the artist’s first major exhibition in the north of England and centres on two new commissions created for Aviva Studios’ Warehouse space. The exhibition examines the past 200 years of global history, with a focus on trade, empire and globalisation, and includes a new version of History of Bombs, Ai Weiwei’s largest two-dimensional work to date, made from more than a million toy bricks.

Families are the focus of Return to the Forest, which runs from 7 to 10 May. The world premiere is created by Theatre-Rites and South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma and combines dance and puppetry in an immersive production. It is co-produced by Factory International and co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells East, following the artists’ previous collaborations at Manchester International Festival.

Alongside the premieres, Aviva Studios will host a series of music events throughout the spring, ranging from experimental and classical performances to headline concerts. Artists scheduled to appear include Lily Allen, Tricky, Pixies, Fatboy Slim, Halsey, Kesha, Thundercat and Basement Jaxx, as well as performances by Manchester Collective, The Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic.