MANCTV

EUROPEAN MUSIC AWARDS TO EMBRACE CITY'S CULTURE

- ADAM MAIDMENT

THIS weekend, MTV has well and truly taken over the city centre whether it's in the form of huge billboards and tram voiceovers to big gigs and parties.

The broadcaster is bringing its famed European Music Awards (EMAS) to Manchester for the first time ever and will be hosted by music superstar Rita Ora at a lavish event tomorrow night at Co-op Live.

Aside from a bunch of surprises in store, the show will feature performances from Raye, Shawn Mendes and Pet Shop Boys - and we've got an exclusive look at what the stage will look like during the production.

Massive screens and a whopping stage set-up will see the arena transformed and ready for what is hailed as the second biggest show across Europe besides Eurovision.

Richard Godrey, executive producer for the 2024 MTV EMAs, says the decision to come to Manchester was pretty clear when he and the team took stock of the city's music history.

"The spirit and passion of Manchester are evident wherever you look in the city, whether it be football, its musical heritage or artistic history," Richard tells the Manchester Evening News.

"We really wanted to capture this essence in our set.

"Our amazing set designer Nathan Paul Taylor has created something very special for this year's show that draws on this great cultural history particularly the dance music culture of the 80s and 90s.

"Our set is reminiscent of venues such as the Hacienda and we also draw on some of the beautiful art and creative graphics skills of Manchester's Central Station who have designed the look and feel of this year's MTV EMAS.