As we’re all aware, there’ a pretty huge summer of music coming our way in Manchester. With the city’s favourites sons Oasis reuniting, plenty of festivals and some incredible Wythenshawe Park gigs on the horizon, it doesn’t really get bigger than this. MCR Live ’25 is a festival getting in on the action, celebrating the musical prowess of Manchester this summer, and as part of it, the city is set to welcome Music for the Senses, a unique music-inspired art trail for everyone to enjoy.
Music for the Senses, a city-wide art trail by global art producer Wild in Art, takes over the streets of Manchester this summer from July 7 – August 31, 2025, as the city welcomes 1.3m music fans to one of the biggest summers the city has ever seen.
Music for the Senses art trail
Raising money and awareness for grassroots music venues and projects, the trail will feature over 80 artworks, murals, mosaics and installations that celebrate the people, places, moments and instruments of Manchester’s music scene.
Celebrated musicians including Busted, Doves, Elbow, Mani, New Order, Oasis, PINS and Pixies have donated precious instruments to display in windows across the city including Aviva Studios, Piccadilly Records, Koffee Pot, Band on the Wall, New Century, and Selfridges, plus many more.
Guitar Street
As part of Music for the Senses, Manchester artist Liam Hopkins, known as Lazerian (Celebration of Polar Bears, Weave) will create an interactive installation for the duration of the trail on King Street called ‘Guitar Street‘ that lovingly repurposes donated guitars. Lazerian will also be stencilling the faces of some of Manchester’s grassroots music artists onto the back of the forty guitars that will hang in an exhibition along Guitar Street.
Cathedral of Sound
Lazerian will be creating another show-stopping installation in St. Peter’s Square called Cathedral of Sound, from July 7 to July 20 before moving to Mayfield Park from July 25 to August 31. This is a large-scale, immersive public art sculpture made from hundreds of reclaimed acoustic guitars—once cherished, now reimagined into a living, breathing sanctuary of sound. This architectural pavilion acts as a tribute to Manchester’s rich musical heritage while embracing its evolving sonic future.
Meanwhile more guitars donated by the public have been painted or adorned by professional artists such as Hammo, Danielle Rhoda, Jim Medway, Tim Sutcliffe, Becky Smith, Thomas Wolski, Sally Adams, and Jenny Leonard, turning them into individual artworks, and displayed in shop windows and venues including Fred Aldous, The Treehouse Hotel, Co-op Live, AO Arena, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Forsyth Music Shop, Royal Exchange Theatre, People’s History Museum, NOMA, Represent (New Cathedral Street), Hallé St Peters, and Royal Northern College of Music, plus many more.
There will also be four brand new murals by internationally renowned street artists Lei-Mai LeMaow (Etihad Campus tram stop), Nomad Clan (Oxford Road Train Station) and .EPOD and AKSE (Great Northern).
Manchester Music Mooch
Along the way, trail goers can take in Manchester Music Mooch – an interactive journey through the locations of Manchester’s grassroots music community with exciting interactive AR experiences at five locations around the city. At the end of the trail the decorated guitars will be auctioned to raise money to support grassroots music projects and venues throughout Greater Manchester via a special fund put together by charity partner Forever Manchester charity in collaboration with Manchester Music City.
Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder, Wild in Art said: “We’re delighted to be back in Manchester, Wild in Art’s home city. Music for the Senses is a slight departure from our traditional sculpture trails and we have loved working with our partners at Manchester City Council on our mission to showcase artists and support grassroots venues in the city.
“Huge thanks must go to everyone who has supported us; our sponsors, artists, musicians and, of course, all those who have donated guitars to be part of the project.”
Music for the Senses trail map
Trail goers can download the Music for the Senses app (available from 7th July) from the App Store and Google Play, and a free trail map including all the artwork locations will also be available.
