MAD//North will return to Aviva Studios in Manchester for a third consecutive year, taking place in February 2027.
The announcement was made at MAD//Fest earlier this month, following a successful 2026 edition that welcomed 4,000 delegates from the North’s creative, media and marketing community. Brands attending this year included Unilever, Bupa, Primark, Manchester City FC, Stripe, ITV, TikTok and BBC, alongside agencies, creators and emerging talent from across the North and beyond.
The event is built around a design-led, “unconference-style” approach, with this year’s edition themed around “Northern Soul”, encouraging movement, conversation and self-curated experiences across Manchester’s St John’s area and wider creative district.
Dan Brain, co-founder of MAD//Fest, said: “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.”
Stephanie Williams, head of events at Factory International, which programmes and operates Aviva Studios, added: “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.”
Organisers say the 2027 edition will build on the campus-style model, with expanded programming and deeper collaboration with local partners under consideration.
