The multi-venue, Manchester-based new music event and conference is back for its third edition

Off The Record festival has announced its biggest-ever line-up for its forthcoming 2018 event.

Based in a number of venues in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, the live new music event and conference is back for its third annual staging following two sold-out editions in 2016 and 2017.

Off the Record has once again drawn on the wisdom of a number of trusted curators to put together the line-up for their festival, with organisers consulting the likes of Huw Stephens, Everything Everything and NME‘s own Thomas Smith on which artists to book.

The make-up of the 2018 edition of the festival has marked a departure from previous years, however, with organisers deciding this year to drop their policy of keeping their line-up a secret.

Everything Everything – who are curating their own stage at this year’s festival – said of the announcement: “Off The Record’s clever remit captures artists at a very special, vivid and all-too-brief point in their careers. It’s our pleasure to be involved, and to give a platform to a group of acts we’ve encountered that find themselves in this enviable position.”

The conference aspect of the festival will take place at Manchester’s Methodist Central Hall, and will include a special songwriting masterclass which will be led by the Manchester band Doves.

Off The Record Festival will be held on November 15-16, and tickets and more information on this year’s festival can be found here.

You can see the current list of confirmed artists who will play at the festival – and the curators who have chosen them – below.

WOOZE (John Kennedy)
The Old Pink House (The Tipping Point & When In Manchester)
Chappaqua Wrestling (Flying Vinyl)
Kinkajous (Low Four Studio)
Pearl City (Bestival)
LibraLibra (Sound City)
Lady Ice (BBC Introducing Manchester)
Mary Miller (Rebalance)
Seatbelts (The Orielles)
Peaness (Make Noise)
Happy Spendy (Goldflake Paint)
Olivia Nelson (Abbie McCarthy)
MELLT (Huw Stephens)
Medikul (Tom Ravenscroft)
Delights (When In Manchester)
The Ninth Wave (Distiller)
Djuno (Horus)
Vana Blue (Horus)
Ditz (Horus)
Team Picture (Low Four Studio)
Rascalton (Kendal Calling)
Thyla (MCR Live & Fickle Friends)
Babe Punch (Make Noise)
Paris Youth Foundation (Distiller)
Fizzy Blood (Distiller)
Cherry Shoes (Horus)
Debra Ohalete (Horus)
Self Esteem (London in Stereo)
Himalayas (Distiller)