Inside Manchester’s landmark new arts and culture space as Aviva Studios opens its doors

Manchester’s landmark new cultural venue, Aviva Studios - home of Factory International - officially opened today (October 18).

Aviva Studios is a global destination for arts, music and culture located right in the heart of Manchester. Its large multi-functional warehouse and hall will enable artists to create ambitious works not seen anywhere else in the world. The 21-metre high warehouse - taller than four double decker buses stacked on top of each other - is a flexible performance space with capacity for up to 5,000 people standing.

The development has been led by Manchester City Council, with almost £100 million from the government and £7 million National Lottery Funding from Arts Council England.

The space has officially opened and its first performance will be taking place on the evening of October 18 with the world premiere of Free Your Mind, a large-scale immersive performance based on The Matrix.

We were invited down for the opening event and to take a tour of the new venue for our video report.