Images have been revealed from a rehearsal run of Salford’s monumental living portrait which is happening tonight as part of the city’s centenary celebrations.
The official premiere for the spectacular new art commission celebrating people and places that make Salford unique is happening tonight (Friday October 9).
The monumental living portrait featuring more than 1,500 Salfordians has been created by award winning visual artist and filmmaker Matthew Rosier.
The portrait has been produced by the creative producers from The Other, Salford Everywhere and residents can expect to see over a thousand Salford residents projected onto some of the city’s most iconic buildings.
The weekend long event is part of Salford City’s Council’s year-long centenary celebrations.
General view of the Salford Everywhere projection on University of Salford’s Maxwell Building in Salford, ahead of the world premiere of the project Photo credit should read: James Speakman/PA Media Assignments
The free event is taking place tonight and tomorrow (October 9 and 10) and it will see Rosier’s 45-minute film projected onto the University of Salford’s Maxwell Building in Peel Park.
Artist, Matthew Rosier, said: “I’ve always loved working with the people of Salford. This city has such a strong social identity and history, from the first publicly funded park, Peel Park, where our project culminates, to the social clubs, where groups and teams from across the city participated in the film.
“Having spent a month editing the footage of over 1500 Salfordians, what comes through is the humour, togetherness and toughness of this place.”
The film will be accompanied by a local curated, live music score to celebrate the city’s rich musical heritage.
Salford Shopping Centre will be illuminated simultaneously each evening (7-10pm) by the 1553 local contributors who feature in the project, silently projected at monumental scale, creating a powerful tribute to the people who make up Salford’s story.
From pigeon fanciers, NHS workers and builders to supermarket teams, school children, chess players, dementia support groups and many more, Salford Everywhere captures the spirit of the city through the people who make it.
Supported by public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the cultural programme for Salford’s centenary has been exploring the past, celebrating the present and imagining the future of Salford through a series of art commissions and community events.
Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, Lead Member for Culture, Heritage, Sports and Leisure at Salford City Council said: “We’re so proud to be working with these brilliant creative organisations based here in Salford and delighted that we’re able to provide these events for free for our residents.”
The programme has been bringing communities together and celebrating civic pride since April this year, each commission has been designed to ensure world-class culture is accessible to all, with all events free to attend, cementing Salford as a cultural hub for the arts.
Mark Carlin, Co-Director, From The Other, added: “It’s a true culmination of the commission, seeing so many Salfordians projected 20m tall above the park (and 75m tall in Pendleton)!
“This is not just a public spectacle, it’s an important project about representation and collective identity in 2026. We had so much fun making this with people from all walks of life from across Salford. It was a vital reminder about just how much as humans, we have in common.”
Members of the Salford community is being invited to Peel Park this evening to kick off the start of the celebrations.
The city will come alive tonight from 6-10 pm and you can see it for completely free, so don’t miss out!
