Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, will host MAD//North for a third consecutive year when it returns in February 2027. The announcement, which went live at MAD//Fest earlier this month, follows another successful showing in Manchester, which saw the event welcome 4,000 delegates from the North’s creative, media and marketing community.
MAD//North has now established a reputation and profile in Manchester that has not only seen it enjoy year-on-year growth, but also attract internationally recognised brands, speakers and influencers. This year, MAD//North brought together brands including Unilever, Bupa, Primark, Manchester City FC, Stripe, ITV, TikTok and BBC, sat alongside agencies, creators, innovators and emerging talent from across the North and beyond.
At the heart of the event itself was a design-led, original and ‘unconference-style’ approach, built around the theme of ‘Northern Soul’. The event design encouraged movement, conversation and self-curated experiences, blending content, networking and live activations.
The return is a significant moment for both the event and the city. In Manchester, MAD//North has found a natural fit, using the campus environment of the surrounding St John’s area and the city’s wider creative district, while connecting the event with neighbouring spaces and local businesses. The collaboration between event, city and venue has created an experience that feels distinctly Northern in character and ambition.
Dan Brain, Co-founder of MAD//Fest, commented, “Coming back to Manchester and Aviva Studios was a very easy decision for us. The response to MAD//North was overwhelmingly positive, not just from our audience and partners, but from the wider creative and business community across the city.
“There’s a real openness and energy to Manchester that suits the spirit of the event, and Aviva Studios gave us the flexibility and scale to create something that felt collaborative, ambitious and connected to its surroundings. We’re excited to build on that again in 2027.”
Stephanie Williams, Head of Events at Factory International, the organisation that programmes and operates Aviva Studios, added: “MAD//North is exactly the kind of event we love to host at Aviva Studios. It’s an event brand that is bold, inventive and innovative, but not afraid to have bold conversations. It also embodies our own values, and that of our city, of creativity, culture and business-for-good in a way that feels authentic and meaningful.
“The team at MAD//North brought the venue and the surrounding area to life, attracted a contemporary crowd of influential and inspirational people and created some outstanding content. We can’t wait to work with them again in 2027.”
The 2027 edition is expected to build further on the campus-style model, with organisers already exploring expanded programming, deeper collaboration with local partners and new ways to connect audiences with Manchester’s wider cultural and creative ecosystem.
