There's no doubt that Manchester has come a long way in the last 50 years. From post industrial run-of-the mill northern city, to a hugely influential, creative melting pot. Everyone knows about the city's impressive musical heritage but more recently, events like the Manchester International Festival are helping to contribute to its growing sophistication. A particularly interesting event is Futuresonic which bills itself as"5 days and nights of live music, art premieres, exhibitions, club nights and events". Mixing digital culture with art and music, if you're over that way we reckon it's worth a look.