February is LGBTQ+ History Month, marking a 28-day movement to celebrate LGBTQ+ people, their history, lives and experiences.
Although any usual events are unable to go ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Manchester is still embracing the celebrations in full force.
If you want to get involved in LGBTQ+ History Month during the rest of February, here’s a list of everything the city has to offer.
1. #LGBTHistoryRide with Pride Out UK
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKqysFbFWXX/
While their usual fundraising cycle events can’t take place this year, Pride Out is instead encouraging people to grab their bikes and take part on their own – documenting their journey virtually.
Simply snap a photo on a ride while in a place of historic LGBTQ+ interest – it’s a perfect excuse to get out the house and fundraise while considering these important past events.
On Friday 19 February at 7pm, National Football Museum is hosting a panel about LGBT identity in women’s football and our responsibility to tell the stories of those players.
The talk, titled ‘Create the Space: LGBT+ Identity in Women’s Football’, will be hosted by Sky Sports presenter Jess Creighton.
Queer Lit, a Manchester-based bookstore, has selected its top choice of books focusing on the LGBT community.
With their comprehensive reading list of eye-opening literature, they’re encouraging people to consider the past of LGBTQ+ people in the community and how to become a better ally for them.
These will cover a variety of important discussions including HIV, ageing in the LGBT community and queer, black masculinities.
The short films will be available to view online from February 19, and a Q&A session with the filmmakers will take place on Thursday 25 February at 7pm.
This cute, creative brand launched their ‘Pride Patches’ at the end of January to show you’re part of the community.
With the tagline of ‘made for queer people, by queer people’, Splodge Store has also created stickers, t-shirts and graphics to raise awareness for the difficulties LGBTQ+ youths endure.
The latest instalment of the Manchester Museum podcast series has created an LGBTQ+ History Month special.
The episode, which focuses on ‘How can museums tell LGBTQ+ stories?’, is addressing the importance of museums telling LGBTQ+ narratives that have been previously absent from displays.
As a culmination of the month’s events and activities, this festival will return to Stockport Libraries (albeit virtually) to conclude LGBTQ+ History Month.
They have a diverse lineup of speakers, including a talk by Trudy Howson, the current LGBT+ Poet Laureate.
One of Affleck’s most creative brands, Luna MCR, have created an LGBTQ+ charity set to celebrate the month in a funky way.
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£5 of each purchase will be donated to AKT, a local charity that supports LGBTQ+ young people who are experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.
It’s never too early to encourage your children to familiarise your children with inclusive gender pronouns, which Manchester Libraries are instilling through this sing-song session.
This upbeat story session will take place on Tuesday 23 February at 11am, following the book ‘They, She, He easy as ABC’ by Maya and Matthew.
The event will be hosted on their Facebook page for young children and their parents/carers to participate in.
What's On
Enter Shikari announce SUPER intimate show in Manchester
Danny Jones
Much-loved British alternative band Enter Shikari have just announced a very, VERY intimate gig in Manchester city centre, and it’s happening rather soon.
It doesn’t matter how die-hard or casual a fan you are, you are simply not ready for this one…
Almost a full 20 years from what they still covet as a watershed breakout gig here in Greater Manchester, Enter Shikari are set to play none other than grassroots rock bar and nightclub, Satan’s Hollow, right in the heart of the city centre.
Pretty much the life and soul of the heavier music scene here in 0161 for decades now, it remains not only a treasured small-cap venue but arguably still among thego-to post-gig spots after any hard gig; you could say Enter Shikari are simply cutting out the middle man.
It’s fair to say that a group of their size very rarely get to play rooms as tiny as this one these days, so it’s sure to be quite a rowdy one for the electronically influenced post-hardcore outfit.
Formed way back in 1999 (if you can believe that), they’re more used to selling out arena tours all over the world, including their upcoming Co-op Live gig this winter.
It’s also worth mentioning that this will be their single biggest domestic headline show to date.
But not before they go back to where it all started for them in this city, booking a certain-to-sell-out Shikari show at Satan’s Hollow – a Manchester venue they first played in 2006.
In fact, they’ve actually shared footage from that fateful night, and yes, the quality is as bad as you’d expect, but it gives you an idea of what the atmosphere was like then, let alone now their fan base has grown so much over the years.
Here’s us, almost 20 years ago, playing ‘OK Time For Plan B’ at our first ever Manchester show in @satanshollow on April 10th 2006.
Funny to think that in November, Manchester will host our biggest ever UK headline show at the @TheCoopLive. Both shows with the same promoter. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uHKVOwZbM2
Speaking on this milestone moment, the band wrote in a statement: “Manchester’s a city that means a lot to us. The Satan’s Hollow show back in April ’06 was the first sense we got that ‘something’ was ‘happening’. A queue around the block and total chaos inside.
We’ve had a lot of memorable shows in Manchester since then (and in November we’ll play our biggest ever UK headline show there!), but for some reason that night at Satan’s Hollow kept coming up in conversation, so the anniversary show was just too tempting.”
Tickets for this unmissable show will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for those who register HERE up until 9:30am tomorrow, Wednesday, 25 March.
The gig itself is happening on 9 April, with support from Liverpool’s very own East Exchange as support. Best of luck to all those trying to cop tickets, and hopefully we’ll see you at Satan’s.
Featured Images — Kate Hook (supplied via Chuff Media)
What's On
Gladiators Live Tour to make ‘triumphant’ return to Manchester on UK arena tour
Emily Sergeant
The Gladiators Live Tour will make a triumphant return in 2026.
Following its explosive debut in 2025 and overwhelming fan demand, the Gladiators Live Tour is set to head out on a UK tour later this year, bringing the iconic phenomenon back to arenas nationwide for an electrifying new run of shows, and making a stop off in Manchester, of course.
Audiences will, once again, have the chance to experience the action-packed spectacle featuring the stars of the hit BBC reboot series on an epic scale.
The 2025 live tour thrilled audiences nationwide, selling over 200,000 tickets and proving the arena spectacular is ‘bigger, bolder, and more electrifying’ than ever, and that energy is only set to continue this year when the show returns to Manchester’s popular AO Arena.
GLADIATORS, READY!
Following its epic debut in 2025 the triumphant live show brings the energy to Manchester on 14 & 15 Nov!
This adrenaline-fuelled event sees the legendary Gladiators storm back into the arena to face fearless contenders in a heart-pounding live adaptation of the smash-hit television phenomenon.
Expect iconic fan-favourite events, breathtaking stunts, epic head-to-head battles and the unforgettable Eliminator finale.
Featuring stars from the hit BBC series, audiences are being told to expect a truly immersive, high-octane experience, as arenas are transformed into modern gladiatorial battlegrounds complete with purpose-built sets, spectacular lighting, and cinematic staging.
The Gladiators Live Tour 2026 kicks off in Aberdeen on 10 October, before heading to other major cities like Glasgow, London, and Birmingham, as well as northern locations like Leeds and Newcastle, and of course, Manchester’s AO Arena for two nights on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November.
Tickets officially go on sale this Friday 27 March, with two shows per day available, and you can grab them when they go live here.
Daisy Bradbury -
19th February 2021 
