Digital City Festival, the annual event series that unites the digital and tech sectors across the North and beyond, is returning to Manchester in May!
Powered by Prolific North, the festival is now in its sixth year and has fast become the leading event where ambition meets opportunity for anyone interested in growing or investing in the Northern digital and tech sectors.
For 2025, you can expect five key anchor events from 20-22 May as we bring together founders, business and education leaders, VCs and policymakers right across the ecosystem to connect and collaborate. Check out our round-up of everything that’s happening below.
Digital City Leaders Summit
The festival will kick off on Tuesday 20 May with the Digital City Leaders Summit event. This exclusive, invite-only event will bring together over 100 key industry leaders from across the North’s thriving digital and tech sectors, set to delve deep into the region’s bold ambition to be recognised as a world-leading digital city-region, while exploring the strategies, opportunities, and challenges that come with this vision.
Expect inspiring talks from some of the most influential voices in the industry, interactive sessions and panel discussions where leaders will collaborate, share insights and collaborate to shape the future of the North’s digital and tech sectors.
Spaces are limited so please register your interest here, and the team will be in touch.
Tech Companies to Watch
For the first time, Prolific North’s popular Tech Companies to Watch event will be hosted during the festival on the evening of Tuesday 20 May from 5.30pm.
Whether you’re looking to invest, collaborate, or simply be inspired, expect to hear about some of the most exciting and fast-growing early-stage companies, as Prolific North reveals its list of Tech Companies to Watch across the North of England and Scotland. Alongside the big reveal, the event will also feature fireside chats with leaders across the ecosystem, panel discussions and plenty of networking opportunities to connect with entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem builders.
Submissions are now open, so companies or their representatives can now submit their information to be considered for the list via our short form here.
GRAFT
Join us for GRAFT 2025 on Wednesday 21 May over at Radisson Edwardian in Manchester, in what’s set to be a jam-packed day designed to inspire, inform, and connect entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators. This is your chance to learn strategies to scaling tech businesses, tips on access to funding, and explore the technologies shaping the future.
Expect expert-led keynotes, insightful panel discussions, interactive workshops, and plenty of opportunities to network with the brightest minds in the industry.
Whether you’re a start-up founder or an investor seeking the next big thing, this is an opportunity to engage with the tech community, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and get the tools you need to take your business to the next level. Founders can attend for free by claiming a ticket here but if you’re not a founder, you can also buy tickets to the event.
Founders Summit
On the morning of Thursday 22 May, join us for Founders Summit. This exclusive event is specially curated for founders from across the North to come together, share ideas, and tackle the biggest challenges facing businesses today. Expect a series of interactive roundtable sessions, tech expert sessions with advice from leading innovators, and collaborative opportunities to share all the strategies, success and overcome any challenges.
Whether you’re an experienced founder or just starting out on your journey, the Founders Summit is your chance to connect with like-minded leaders and unlock fresh ideas to grow your business. Spaces are limited, so please register your interest in attending here.
STEM Marketing Awards 2025
We’ll be wrapping up the festival in style with a glitzy awards ceremony for the STEM Marketing Awards, taking place during the evening on 22 May. The first-ever STEM Marketing Awards celebrates the national achievements of marketers helping to propel the future of the science, tech, engineering, and maths industries.
There’s still plenty of time to get your entries in and be part of these awards, find out more about all of the categories up for grabs here.