THE inaugural Manchester Podcast Festival will be held at venues across the city next, with eight shows taking place from 4-7th October.
Performers include Richard Herring, Russell Kane, and James Richardson, each hosting a live recording of their respective shows
The festival is the brainchild of Michael Clapham and Emma Zillmann, both of whom come from live entertainment backgrounds, in comedy and music respectively.
The pair have worked together before, with Claphamproducing comedy at one of the music festivals Zillman was managing.
Both podcast aficionados, the festival came about after a casual chat ina pub after a comedy event spun out into the project.
Blending their complementary backgrounds in music and comedy, the festival is a natural combining of their respective skills, with the 2018 festival operating as a litmus test for future events.
“Initially we planned to do like, 15 shows? But after a while we decided to strip it back and test the concept first,” says Zillman.
“We wanted to do fewer shows, prove ourselves, and get it ready for next year, where people should already be kind of aware of it.”
“Next year we are looking to run workshops and have a more practical element to the festival,” adds Clapham.
Looking to this year though, the line-up includes “pretty much the best of British podcasts,” Clapham explains.
From The Guilty Feminist to The Two Shot Podcast, the eight shows on offer cover fields as varied as football, food, feminism, music, mental health, and everything in between.
It was a deliberate choice to not have solely comedy, as although “comedy podcasts work best live, it was important to have diversity here.”
Selecting their personal highlights for the festival, Zillman reveals that The Royle Family’s Ralf Little will be joining Craig Parkinson as a guest for the Two Shot Podcast on 5th October at the Union Theatre. “I’m also a massive fan of the Guilty Feminist, so I’m really looking forward to that too.”
Clapham is excited about local involvement in the festival, and getting podcast fans from the North West engaged in the festival.
“Meeting James Richardson will also be a highlight, as he is literally my hero,” he said.
While it is a small line-up this year, there is undoubtedly something for everyone, whether you choose to see an old favourite or try something new.
More information on the shows and to buy tickets click here.
