ECHO Salford
Take a tour into musical history
ECHO Salford is an interactive trail that celebrates the incredible legacy of the city’s music and cultural footprint, with cameos included from some regional royalty. It takes visitors across the places and spaces of Salford’s iconic musical and cultural history, from MediaCity to Salford Lad’s Club, Islington Mill and the infamous Kings Arms.
Meet the legends from 'the other city'
Salford is often referred to by locals - with tongue firmly in cheek - as 'the other city', a reference to the shadow cast by neighbouring Manchester, and ECHO Salford is a free cultural engagement experience designed to celebrate the city’s often underestimated contributions to national and international culture.
Its focus is on the rich musical heritage that has flourished in this corner of north west England, and offers an entirely new way to explore the city, signposting the way to eight iconic locations selected for the stories they gave rise to and the impact they have had on the cultural landscape.
At each spot, visitors get to ‘meet’ a local legend and interact with an augmented reality installation that brings to life the stories that took place there. Take a photo with The Smiths in front of the legendary Salford Lad’s Club, create your own poetry with Dr John Cooper Clarke at The Lowry, mix a track with Mark Radcliffe at MediaCity, learn about the impact of the Working Class Movement Library with Maxine Peake, catch a ticket to a gig at Maxwell Hall with Peter Hook, get up to some musical shenanigans with Bez at the Kings Arms, and so much more.
The spaces between the hotspot locations are just as important, with visitors able to listen to recordings and a curated radio playlist as they travel through Salford from one place to the next.
Download for free today
ECHO Salford is a free app on iOS and Android, and was produced in partnership with Dig Media and Toasted Productions with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
ARCADE’s creative and technological excellence made them the perfect partner for this brilliant, bonkers project. We’ve loved bringing the stories of this culturally important city to life, and are very proud of what we’ve achieved together.
This wonderful immersive trail shows off Salford’s vibrant cultural and musical past, present and future - bringing buildings and people to life in front of our eyes. I would encourage residents and visitors interested in music, culture or local history to download the app – it really is a fun way to explore Salford at your own pace.
