Salford’s We Invented the Weekend festival announces return for 2024 with Manchester legend performing

Salford’s We Invented the Weekend festival has confirmed its return for 2024, announcing dates and a set by Manchester legend DJ Paulette. The free festival, held at MediaCity, will take place on 15 and 16 June.

The festival was launched only last year to huge success, welcoming 6,000 visitors and generating an impressive £3.2million for the local economy. Organisers say that the 2023 festival also saw the highest footfall ever for the growing Salford Quays neighbourhood over the course of the weekend. 

We Invented the Weekend is named in honour of the group of local workers’ rights activists, which includes Sir Ian McKellan’s great-great grandfather, who campaigned for the two-day weekend in the mid-nineteenth century. 

Manchester’s very own DJ Paulette is the first of the 200 acts and events confirmed for 2024. She will be playing a set on the Sunday afternoon of the festival. 

She said: “I am so excited to play at We Invented The Weekend - one of the ‘all are welcome’ high points in the Greater Manchester outdoor events diary. The ethos of this weekend is universally understood, it’s beautiful and it feels very special to know that it came from a Greater Manchester campaigning action. I can’t wait to come together with the community in June and celebrate all the amazing things people can get up to at the weekend!”

More acts and activities will be announced over the coming months. The festival is curated with people from all walks of life in mind. Last year, there were contributions from BBC, RHS, The Lowry and the Science and Industry Museum, plus a host of local creatives and community-run organisations. 

Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of We Invented the Weekend, said: “The concept of We Invented the Weekend is like none-other and based off the tens of thousands of people who visited on that wonderfully sunny, uplifting weekend last year, it is clear people are understanding the ethos and meaning of the festival.

"It is incredibly impactful to be able to put on We Invented the Weekend as a free large-scale event in the place where the weekend was created in 1843. The event doesn’t just celebrate what we all get up to at the weekend, but is a moment to also recognise the culture, heritage and legacy of Salford and Greater Manchester.”

The festival is completely free to attend. More information can be found on the We Invented the Weekend website.