A MAJOR two-day music festival featuring more than 30 performances across three stages has been announced for Manchester next month.

The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival will see Blur frontman Damon Albarn showcasing music from his new solo album, Everyday Robots, Jake Bugg and The National returning to the UK and DJ sets from the likes of Groove Armada and Tim Burgess.

The first Radio 6 Music Festival will be held at the Victoria Warehouse, close to Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground, on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1.

The event brings together a line-up of bands and artists which shares the alternative spirit of the network and 6 Music will be broadcasting from the festival. The Friday night line-up sees Damon Albarn headlining plus Midlake, Kelis, Haim, Horrors and Metronomy and on the Saturday The National, Franz Ferdinand, Jake Bugg and Bombay Bicycle Club are among those playing live.

The event will also feature Cornershop, a record fair bringing together independent shops from the North West, a photographic exhibition, interviews with artists appearing at the festival and a full fringe festival.

On both nights there will be a silent disco featuring sets from Tim Burgess, New Order’s Peter Hook and various 6 Music presenters.

Peter Salmon, director of BBC North, said: “The North West music scene is vibrant and eclectic with Manchester and 6 Music at its heart. We are thrilled the network’s inaugural festival with its imaginative programme is based here.”

Tickets for the festival, priced £25 per day, go on sale at midday tomorrow. See www.bbc.co.uk /6music for details.

Tickets for the fringe festival are free and available via an audience ballot. Registration will open on Wednesday on the website.