Festival

The Manchester Festival To Sun 5 Oct

Expect subtle screwball clowning and heartstopping aerial dynamics under the Big Top tonight with Cirque Baroque.

Kicking off Manchester's yearly arts festival, Cirque Baroque are the latest band of French circus performers to combine New Age anarchy with ancient traditional circus techniques. While Archaos overdid the anarchy towards the end and Cirque du Soleil are perhaps a bit thin on spectacle, this new troupe seem to have defined the perfect mix.

But if the Big Top's not your thing, there'll be lots else to do this week in and around Manchester. If a touch of flamenco and Latin dancing is more your style, Paco Pena will be more than giving Joaqn Cortes a run for his money with his flamenco dance company from Andalucia. He keeps his shirt on (thankfully).

Comedy is well represented by the wide selection of excellent comics from the surreal clay pot throwing lounge lizard Johnny Vegas to the brilliantly sardonic stand-up Rhona Cameron. There will also be bands, including another outing for the much loved and once-thought-lost-forever Echo and the Bunnymen. Whatever you like seeing and doing, Manchester will be buzzing all week - lucky residents fall out on to the street and enjoy.

Call 0161-234 1943 for a free brochure of event details. Cirque Baroque opens tonight at Chorlton park (box office: 0161-236 7110)