Milton Keynes International Festival Kicks off tomorrow!

The amazing MKIF 10-day festival begins tomorrow, and is set to be bigger and better than last year on a number of levels! With events taking place across Milton Keynes, including two new locations at the Cathedral of Trees and Willen Lake, the themes of sounds and music will be ever present throughout the events. The events are varied and unique as ever, all interpreting the themes in different ways and presenting different nationalities through these works of art. Tomorrow kicks off with a number of events including:

• Architects of Air: Pentalum. A huge inflatable sculpture with domes, labyrinthine tunnels and a variety of colours, Pentalum is a celebration of the beauty of geometry and is inspired by Islamic architecture, Gothic cathedrals, modern architecture and nature. Walk through this luminarium and experience it for yourself! Find it in Middleton hall, centre:mk from Friday 18th- Sunday 27th July, 11am-6pm each day. There will also be a number of concerts taking place over the 10 days within Pentalum, don't miss out on this unusul experience! Adults £4, children £3.

• Rosemary Lee: Under the Vaulted Sky. Award-winning choreographer Rosemary Lee has collected an assembly of over 100 dancers and musicians who will lead the audience on a journey around the Cathedral of Trees in a promenade performance. This will draw on history, nature and stories inspired by this unique and magical location. Including live music from composer Terry Mann, this will be an unusual performance in an unusual setting. The performance will run on Friday 18th- Sunday 20th at 2pm, 4pm and 7pm. Adults £7, children £5.

• Casus: Knee Deep. A show of extreme aerial feats and acrobatics, this is a breathtaking show of unbelievable strength, skill and beauty, testing the limits of the human body. Casus is a contemporary circus company from Australia which is made up of four highly talented international performers. They are particularly famous four walking on (raw) eggs and not cracking a single one... this is definitely worth a visit, and is presented in the round, inside the Spiegeltent, South Willen Lake Park. Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Monday 21st July at 7.15pm and Sunday 20th at 2.30pm. Adults £20, children £18.50. 

• Ilotopie: Fous de Bassin (Water Fools). Fous de Bassin is created by French company isotope, presenting a grand performance using fire and pyrotechnics floating on the water of Willen Lake. The performance tells the story of a small floating community waking up and going about its daily business, driving bicycles, caravans and cars across the water. It should be an amazing spectacle, tickets are £5 for adults and £3 for children. Friday 18th and Saturday 19th, starts 10pm.

• Kaffe Matthews: The lock shift songs. This runs from Friday 18th-Sunday 27th, 10am-7pm. Award-winning artist Kaffe Matthews has collected sounds from a walk along the Grand Union Canal, and using stories from people who use, live and work on the waterways to inspire songs.  The resulting compositions will be played through large 'sonic beds', where you can lie down and immerse yourself in the sensory sound experience. Find this opposite door 10 of centre:mk, near the open market. 

This is just a snippet of events happening on the FIRST night of the festival, with 10 whole days just think how many more things there are going on (a lot, the answer is!) Make sure you check some of these out, you can go to the official website to find out more and to see what's on across the whole 10 days of the event.