Manchester City Council confirmed the return of the iconic event – which spreads festive cheer right across the city centre, and draws in visitors from all across the globe each year – exclusively to Hits Radio Manchester this evening.
According to Hits Radio Manchester, the full plans are still being finalised, but it has been revealed that the markets will open to the public from Friday 12 November – Wednesday 22 December 2021.
Markets will be set up on nine different sites across the city.
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The ice rink will be back on Cathedral Gardens in late October, and a new Winter Wonderland is being created in Piccadilly Gardens too, with the being fountain covered over especially.
Manchester City Council confirmed the return of the iconic event this evening / Credit: Flickr (Barry Leach)
Speaking on the return of the markets this year, Councillor Pat Karney – Manchester City Council’s Christmas spokesperson – said: “I’m really really excited. It’s incredibly important that Manchester’s Christmas economy has this boost because tens of thousands of jobs are dependent on Manchester having a great Christmas.
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“People will just want to get together in a safe way. We’ll make sure that it’s safe – and just enjoy being human again and enjoying Christmas.
“It’s very important for all the young people in the city that they have a Christmas to remember.
“The pictures that we’ve had of Albert Square over the years where people have been standing on top of each other – that’s a million miles from what we’ll be doing this year.
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“Each site will have very very clear entry and exit arrangements so that we don’t take any public health issues with crowds.”
Manchester Christmas Markets will be set up on nine different sites across the city / Credit: Geograph (David Dixon)
Councillor Karney also teased what the plans are for the Christmas Lights Switch On.
He told Hits Radio Manchester that plans are still under review as council teams check with government advice on crowd numbers and COVID passes.
“The government keeps changing it’s mind on COVID passports and crowds, and we haven’t come to a separate decision on a big switch-on and a New Year celebration – but we’ll come back to that in a couple of weeks.”
Featured Image – Geograph (David Dixon)
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Police pursuing civil action after reports of women being filmed without consent on nights out in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Civil action is now being pursued after a police investigation into reports of women being filmed on nights out in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed in a statement that it is ‘exploring’ civil action in connection with ‘several’ reports of women being filmed without their consent on nights out in Manchester city centre, particularly around the Deansgate and Peter Street areas, following an investigation which began after social media videos of this nature were brought to its attention.
The police‘s subsequent public appeal lead to multiple women coming forward to report the impact finding themselves in these videos, and the commentary by the public, had on them.
GMP says it had to conclude its criminal investigation ‘due to limitations within the current legislation’, which is why it working with Manchester City Council to look at other routes of taking action.
“We took the reports from women who came forward, as well as the public feeling towards this behaviour, really seriously,” explained Superintendent Nicola Williams, from GMP’s City of Manchester district.
“The arrest of an individual in November 2024 was the first in the country and was our commitment to acting on all the information we have received.
“Throughout our investigation, we explored all lines of enquiry thoroughly, including digital forensic examination of various devices. The investigation was also reviewed by an experienced, senior detective to ensure no stone was left unturned.
Police are pursuing civil action after reports of women being filmed without their consent on nights out in Manchester / Credit: GMP
“Predatory behaviour is completely unacceptable, and tackling this has been a priority for our night time economy policing operation.”
GMP says it encourages anyone who experiences anything that ‘makes them feel unsettled or unsafe’ on a night out to report it, as all information received helps build a picture of the issues, allocate our resources effectively, and take action under our the dedicated nighttime policing operation, Op Safer Streets.
Reports can be made to GMP via 101, or on the website or Live Chat service, but you should always call 999 in an emergency.
Featured Image – GMP
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Entertainment union Equity makes £1 bid for Manchester Pride to protect workers from ‘further exploitation’
Emily Sergeant
Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity has made a £1 bid for Manchester Pride.
You may remember that, back in October last year, Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – entered into voluntary liquidation, and news emerged last week that the assets were being sold off to the highest bidder by liquidators.
By offering a ‘symbolic’ £1 for the assets – which include the Manchester Pride brand name and associated domain names – Equity says its bid has been made to give workers the opportunity to ‘decide the future’ of the event.
The bid is also said to have been made to prevent a repeat of 2025 – which apparently left Equity union members more than £70,000 out-of-pocket in unpaid fees.
Equity’s variety organiser, Nick Keegan, warned that selling the Manchester Pride brand to a commercial buyer risks ‘undermining the values’ of the event and the community that built it.
He worried it could also leave performers and workers ‘vulnerable to further exploitation’.
“Manchester Pride is not just a city-wide party,” Mr Keegan explained. “Its roots in protest are as important today as then.”
He added: “Manchester Pride was built by the LGBTQ+ workers of Canal St and beyond who provide a space and a community for LGBTQ+ people all year round. The event should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold off to the highest bidder.
“The cultural workforce are at the heart of Pride, without them, there is no festival.
“After what happened in 2025, with members left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket, we don’t want to see history repeat itself.”
Equity says that if its bid is successful, the workers will have control over who the ‘asset’ goes to.
“Our bid is about protecting Pride as a community asset, not a commercial one,” the union’s statement continued.
“Allowing the people whose labour was used to build this ‘asset’ to decide how the trademark of Manchester Pride is used in the future will help protect them from further exploitation, as well as preserve the values and the longevity of the event itself.”
The Manc -
16th September 2021 
