Motion North, Manchester

Motion North is a creative community based in the heart of sunny Manchester, made up of motion designers, animators, filmmakers and VFX artists from across northern England who share our love of making things move.

Founded in 2009, the event has steadily grown into the place to learn from the best, attracting industry speakers from across the world.

Having held events in basement bars across Manchester, they now have a home in the iconic Band on the Wall. In February 2026, Motion North will host its largest event yet — the two-day Big’Un — at Freight Island, a venue offering three stages and additional space for attendees.

Maxon is proud to be a headline sponsor of Motion North 2026. Maxon will have multiple artists presenting their workflows at the event and leading a special workshop by artists as well as Senior Trainer Elly Wade. 

Featured artists include: 

Christa Jarrold | Timea Balo | Filipe Carvalho | Buck | Snask | Golden Wolf | Art&Graft | FormPlay | and many more

Tickets available at motionnorth.uk. Standard tickets on sale till the end of January, with Full Price available throughout February. Day and Two Day tickets are also available, as well as a limited number of Student Discounts.