Manchester is set to cement its status as a major centre for urban sports and culture when it launches the first ever MCR Drop next summer.
Showcasing the best of urban sports, including BMX, skateboarding and 3x3 basketball, alongside art, music and culture, MCR Drop will take place on 5-8 August 2027 at locations around the city centre.
Over four exciting days, this brand-new event for the city will bring together elite and rising sports stars, alongside a specially curated cultural programme that includes musicians and artists. The thrilling juxtaposition of skills and creativity presented against the backdrop of Manchester's dynamic urbanism will bring a whole new dimension to the city's world-renowned buzz.
A partnership between Manchester City Council and UK Sport, the event builds on Manchester's international reputation as one of the world's most vibrant cities for urban sports, arts, and culture.
Most events and activities will be free to attend and there will be plenty of opportunities for the public to participate in the sporting action, as part of the city's drive to get more people into sport and physical activity. As well as an exciting new event for local people and communities from across Manchester to enjoy, the event is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the city, further boosting Manchester's reputation as a leading destination for sport and culture.
Councillor Shazia Butt, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Libraries, Manchester City Council, said:
"Manchester is a city renowned for its creativity, culture and sporting excellence, and MCR Drop brings those strengths together in an exciting new way. This ambitious new festival will transform iconic city spaces into a stage for world-class urban sport, music, art and culture, while showcasing the incredible talent and energy that exists across our communities.
"MCR Drop is about more than delivering a spectacular event. It reflects our ambition to position Manchester as the UK's capital of urban sport and culture, creating opportunities for residents, inspiring the next generation, growing participation and showcasing our city on a global stage. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the country and beyond to what promises to be one of the highlights of summer 2027."
Esther Britten MBE, Head of Events and External Affairs at UK Sport, said:
"MCR Drop is exactly the kind of bold, innovative event we're passionate about creating in the UK. Bringing urban sport, music, art and culture together gives people new ways to connect with Olympic and Paralympic sport, while helping us reach younger and more diverse audiences that traditional formats don't always reach.
"We’re delighted to be supporting Manchester as it brings this ambitious vision to life in 2027, and we’re grateful to National Lottery players for helping make this investment possible."
The cultural programme that will sit alongside the sporting action at next summer's event will be overseen by Factory International who have worked with the city council over the last few months to help develop and shape the MCR Drop concept.
Low Kee Hong, Creative Director of Factory International, said:
"Manchester has one of the most significant cultural legacies of any city in the UK, and over the past two decades it has become a destination for some of the biggest global names in arts and culture to create and present one-of-a-kind experiences. We are thrilled to welcome this exciting new festival to the city. With its unique combination of street art, culture and urban sports, MCR Drop will perfectly complement all the other fantastic events taking place next summer in the city, including Manchester International Festival and many more."
Jess Winter, Manchester-based artist, graphic designer and skateboarder, said:
"I'm super stoked to see this kind of event come to Manchester, to give the skate community more opportunity to come together and celebrate what we love. Skateboarding is about bringing people together, the skaters who paved the way and the groms just starting out. To have that represented up North is gonna be sick - I can’t wait!"
MCR Drop is being delivered on behalf of Manchester City Council and UK Sports by global events specialists UKEL. Organisations and others wishing to find out more about how they can get involved in the event should contact the team via the MCR Drop website.
More details about MCR Drop will be released over the coming months. To sign up for updates, please visit http://www.mcrdrop.com.