We’re little over a week away from the debut outing of the Manchester Weekender, a collection of ‘the best of Manchester’s art and culture’. From 1-3 October, for 48 hours, the city showcases itself through an unmanageably large number of events. I thought, therefore, it might be helpful to pick some personal highlights direct from the programme:

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer at Manchester Art Gallery. A major new exhibition of interactive digital artworks by Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, including the world premiere of a large-scale installation People on People, a co-commission with AND festival. The Gallery hosts an evening of live electronica by Marconi Union alongside what’s being billed as ‘interactive activity’ from Lewis Sykes in its glass-roofed atrium.

Un-convention is one of the UK’s most eclectic independent music industry events containing much for those who just love (rather than work in) new music. Employing such unconventional spaces as a barge, Salford Lads’ Club and a church, featuring Bill Drummond, Jarvis Cocker, Jon McClure, Brian Travers and Kevin Cummins – all doing ‘interesting things in the most unexplored places in the city’ – with a travelling circus, music photography projected onto buildings, Colombian Hip Hop, Jah Wobble, the BBC Philharmonic and a brass band as well.

Contemporary Cartography //01 is a pocket map that provides an overview of what makes up the creative ecology of the city (via its contemporary galleries and underground art spaces) and, to celebrate its launch, there are a number of Contemporary Cartography Tours. The map coincides with the launch of Creative Tourist’s new iPhone app. – a guide to the art and culture of Manchester.

See Manchester by water where a family boat party connects the Manchester Ship Canal with the River Irwell and puts food by one of the Northwest’s top chefs, Robert Owen Brown, on the menu.

Hidden Manchester is a very special, secret tour to one of the city’s most spectacular, but rarely seen by the public, buildings created and led by the city’s most popular guide, the broadcaster and historian Jonathan Schofield, especially for the Manchester Weekender.

You can pick your own highlights, or read more about the above events, in Creative Tourist’s Weekender guide. There’s also a pdf guide to the Manchester Weekender.

It’s a busy weekend for Manchester, so here are a few highlights I’ve spotted:

The return of New Islington Festival on Saturday at Old Mill Street, near the soon-to-be-closed Ilva. The event, which was a bit of a wash-out last year, features live music from The Jesse Rose Trip, The Mouse Outfit, personal favourites Tim & Sam’s Tim And The Sam Band and others, plus bloggers Jon and James DJing to promote their new clubnight, Dig for Victory! Spectangular will present a programme of Manchester-based short film and photography, while The King’s Arms Knitting Club will be holding a knitting circle, plus various other activities. It’s free.

The Spotlights Bar at the Library Theatre will host a wine fair on Friday, 6pm-9pm. You’re invited to try 50 top wines from around the world (plus some malt whiskys) with live entertainment also provided. Tickets are a very reasonable £10 and are available in advance from Oddbins on Fountain Street – call 228 0849 for more information. Any profits go to mental health charity Mind.

This Sunday is ‘First Sunday’ for the loiterers resistance movement over at the Nowhere Fest blog. To celebrate (?), they’re organising a walk ‘focused around the CCTV cameras which guard the people’s republic of Mancunia’. ‘We may lead you delightfully astray but we promise it’s all perfectly legal,’ they say, adding that the walk will probably be followed by music and refreshments. Meet at Cafe Pop, in the basement of Pop Boutique on Oldham Street, between 1pm and 2pm if you’re interested in some Channel Four-less Big Brother viewing. More info via loiter@hepzombie.co.uk or on 07974929589.

Plus Beck’s Fusions, which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, at Castlefield Arena. Tickets for Friday and Saturday have been given away now but today, Thurday, is a free, non-ticketed event featuring interactive installations, DJs (Charlatan members, Dave Haslam and Simon’s Mobile Disco), short films, plus food and drink.

Have a good one!

Tonight vaguely drinkable beer brand San Miguel hosts its second ‘Hidden Depths’ night in Manchester. Belgian DJ duo the Glimmers will be playing, plus ‘a legendary hip hop pioneer’ of undisclosed identity. It kicks off at 7pm at Joshua Brooks, next to the BBC, and tickets are free if you register at sanmiguel.co.uk.

I was in the Yorkshire Dales last weekend, failing to complete the Three Peaks Challenge (excuses include hailstone, lightning and terrible, terrible chafing). If I’d known about it beforehand, I probably would have stayed in sunny ol’ Manchester and attempted one of the many walks detailed on the university’s Community Mapping Project, such as the Fallowfield Loop. Who needs hills anyway?

Manchester’s Mardi Gras in August will have something of a fringe event this year, in the form of a special Club Brenda night at the Ruby Lounge. It’ll feature various DJs and bands including personal favourites the Hidden Cameras, probably Canada’s most upbeat band.

Didsbury Beer Festival has now confirmed its venue for November: St Catherine’s Social Club on School Lane. I think I’ll probably be helping out, copy writing and liaising with the press etc, so expect more information as it’s confirmed.

And don’t forget: this weekend is the aforementioned Chorlton Beer Festival (Friday and Saturday) and Summer in the Park (Saturday and Sunday). I’d recommend going to the former on Friday, as most of the beer is gone by Saturday, while Sunday’s SitP musical lineup (including Magic Arm, the Travelling Band, the Earlies, the Bottomfeeders) looks marginally better than Saturday’s. (I also hear that friends of Red Deer Club can get a limited number of tickets on the cheap.)

Finally, hello to the seven people who have taken up Mancubist email subscriptions in the last week. If there’s something you think I should be writing about, get in touch.

Typical – I start blogging about all the wonderful things happening in Manchester, then make the mistake of checking the Manchizzle and discover that everything’s already been mentioned, namely:

Futuresonic festival (1-5 May), featuring In Search of the Social in Manchester and more social networking than even a 15-year-old webophile can handle.
Highlight (hopefully): a late-night gig at Charlies’s hosted by yours truly
Tip: A limited number of pay-what-you-can Day Passes will be available on each day of the conference

Sounds From The Other City (4 May) is a one-day, Bank Holiday Sunday celebration of musical Salford. Around 50 bands play in tiny churches and pubs along Chapel Street, with each stage organised by a different local promoter.
Highlight (again, hopefully): David Thomas Broughton’s set at my Salford Arms stage and Craig Wood’s Manchester bootleg archive, from 1973 to the present day
Tip: Most years sell out so book your £10 pass at Quaytickets.com now

Also, a few other bits and pieces:

Vice magazine is back in town this Thursday, 24 April. This time it’s at Sankeys and the lineup features live sets from Metronomy, Operator Please and Lovvers (who I hear are great live) plus DJ sets from Friendly Fires, c90s, Autokratz, Evil 9, The oldboy, Contort Yourself. Tickets are free when you register over at Viceland.

Someone or other at Arts Council England wants you to vote on the country’s most musical city. Mark Radcliffe makes a good case for Manchester – but I think we should all vote for Leicester, which has produced such greats as Mark Morrison, Showaddywaddy and Engelbert Humperdinck. You can’t argue with quality like that.

And finally, bad news for Manchester independents as Mai Bai, the sushi cafe, and Roadkill Records, the Oldham Street record shop, both shut their doors. I was telling someone just last week about Roadkill’s mixtape exchange…