October has arrived, and people right across the UK are coming together to celebrate Black History Month.
First celebrated in the UK in 1987, Black History Month is an event intended to recognise the contribution and achievements of those with African or Caribbean heritage, and is also an opportunity for people to learn more about the effects of racism and how to challenge negative stereotypes.
A worthy light is shone on Black British history and key black figures from the UK during the annual event.
Being such a multi-cultural region, Greater Manchester is known for being a place that champions everything Black History Month is about, with a wide range of events happening throughout the month and beyond.
Here’s just some of the things you could be getting up to.
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1. Black History Matters – Made in Manchester
1 – 31 October
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Written by 15-year-old anti racist activist Tamera following the death of George Floyd, Black History Matters – Made in Manchester is the first volume of an online pamphlet shining a light on black people from Manchester who shaped events and impacted the lives of ordinary people.
“Manchester has a rich history of Black people in struggle that is rarely acknowledged [and] this book is a great contribution to remembering this past and the agency of key individuals – through developing our knowledge we will strengthen our anti racist movement today.” – Dr Shirin Hirsch, historian at Manchester Metropolitan University.
You can find more information, and grab your copy online here.
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2. Black History Month at HOME
1 – 31 October
HOME Manchester
With everything from online theatre and post-show discussions, to a curated film offering, drop-in workshops, music sessions and more, HOME MCR is celebrating Black artistic brilliance and groundbreaking Black artists and talent across film, theatre, art, music and comedy in the North West this month with a programme of exciting events designed to bring people together to uplift, inspire and entertain.
You can find HOME’S Black History Month programme of events in full here.
3. Knock Out Blow!
Tuesday 5 October
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Piccadilly Gardens
‘Knock Out Blow!’ is a community-led play that explores the life of Manchester boxing legend Len Johnson.
It’s concerned with challenging racial discrimination and celebrating our collective history, and forms part of The People’s Assembly’s broader campaign aimed at addressing systemic racial inequalities by providing more realistic and positive Black history and role models for Manchester.
HOME MCR is celebrating Black artistic brilliance and groundbreaking Black artists and talent throughout this month / Credit: HOME Manchester‘Knock Out Blow!’ is a community-led play that explores the life of Manchester boxing legend Len Johnson / Credit: The People’s Assembly
4. In Conversation with Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu
Wednesday 6 October
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Professor Dame Anionwu will be in discussion with the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society’s president Ian Cameron as part of an online event this Wednesday to discuss Mary Seacole and her own long and illustrious career in nursing.
The discussion will cover the lives, struggles and achievements of both women, who grew up over a century apart, but as mixed-race girls, both had to overcome the obstacles and frustrations of white, male-dominated society.
Tickets are priced at £5.98, and more information can be found here.
5. Black History is World History
Wednesday 6, 13, 20, & 27 October
Manchester Central Library
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A series of ‘Black History is World History’ educational sessions and free workshops aimed at adults and designed to take you on a whirlwind exploration of black history through the ages are happening at Manchester Central Library every Wednesday evening in October from 5.30pm -7.30pm.
You can find more about what’s happening each week here.
6. Judas and the Black Messiah
Sunday 10 October
Prestwich Community Cinema
In this gripping true-life 2021 drama film, Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya stars as Fred Hampton – a young, charismatic activist who becomes Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, putting him directly in the crosshairs of the government, the FBI, and the Chicago Police.
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But to destroy the revolution, the authorities are going to need a man on the inside – FBI mole Bill O’Neal, played by fellow Oscar nominee LaKeith Stanfield.
The film will be screened at The Carlton Club in Prestwich, and you can grab tickets here.
Academy Award-winner Daniel Kaluuya stars in the 2021 gripping true-life drama film Judas and the Black Messiah / Credit: YouTubeBooker Prize-winning novelist Bernadine Evaristo will discuss her ground-breaking work with fellow writer and MLF Patron Jackie Kay / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
7. An Evening with Bernadine Evaristo
Monday 11 October
HOME Manchester
To celebrate Black History Month and as part of Manchester Literature Festival 2021 at HOME Manchester, Anglo-Nigerian novelist, poet and theatre writer Bernardine Evaristo – who was the first Black woman and the first Black British author to win the Booker Prize for her stunning novel Girl, Woman, Other – will discuss her ground-breaking work with fellow writer and MLF Patron Jackie Kay.
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Tickets start at £16, and you can grab yours here.
8. Can I Live?
Monday 11 October
HOME Manchester
Offered by HOME Manchester on a ‘Pay What You Decide’ basis, this filmed performance of Can I Live? invites audiences to join Fehinti Balogun on a journey into the world of environmental activism, as he tells the story of how, as a young Black British man, his path has been forever changed by what he’s learnt about our planet.
Can I Live? uses original hip-hop and spoken word, and is described as a call-to-arms to anyone curious about what we can do to help.
For a one-off night exploring the life and music of one America’s most prolific and influential composers, Untold Orchestra will cover the breadth of Nina Simone’s career alongside acclaimed vocalist Yemi Bolatiwa – who takes centre stage at Blues Kitchen Manchester to recite Simone’s powerful lyrics.
From ‘Feeling Good’ to ‘Sinnerman’, Nina Simone’s most iconic melodies set a standard for a generation of jazz and soul artists.
This 2016 film based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly stars Taraji P. Henson, and Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe and tells the little-known story of three black female mathematicians who played a vital part in NASA’s space race.
Despite their outstanding work, they have often been overlooked by the history books.
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The film will be screened by Small Cinema at Oldham Library & Lifelong Learning Centre, with tickets from just £3 here.
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Featured Image – HOME Manchester
What's On
Two nights of Noah Kahan at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, and more for 2026 tour
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Noah Kahan isn’t just gracing Mancunians with his presence once this autumn, we’re lucky enough to host him for two nights of his world tour.
The two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter is heading back to the UK for his biggest tour to date, two years after his last appearance in our city when he played to a packed-out Co-op Live.
Noah Kahan has taken the world by storm in recent years following the release of his acclaimed third album in 2022, Stick Season, which sat in the UK album chart for three years. He has almost 15 billion global streams, sold nearly 12 million albums, and earned 22 Platinum and Gold certifications to date – he’s not doing half bad, is he?
This tour is in support of his fourth studio album, The Great Divide, which is said to build on Kahan’s signature storytelling, encapsulating his thoughts on grappling with success, identity, family, distance, and unspoken truths.
Not only does Kahan provide us with the best music to cry it all out to, he also founded a mental health non-profit, The Busyhead Project, which has raised over $13 million in support of its mission to increase awareness around the importance of mental health.
Without further ado, here’s everything you need to know.
Noah Kahan will be playing at AO Arena next week / Credit: Publicity Picture
Noah Kahan at AO Arena, Manchester
Noah Kahan – The Great Divide UK & Ireland Tour Dates
Thursday 5 Nov – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Friday 6 Nov – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Monday 9 Nov – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Tuesday 10 Nov – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Friday 13 Nov – London, UK – The O2 Arena
Saturday 14 Nov – London, UK – The O2 Arena
Thursday 19 Nov – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Saturday 21 Nov – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Sunday 22 Nov – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Are there any tickets left?
Sadly, both Manchester dates are now fully sold out, but keep your eyes peeled on any resale sites, as you could still be in with a chance to secure some last-minute tickets.
Click HERE to access these tickets via the Ticketmaster general sale or verified resale.
What are the stage times for Noah Kahan in Manchester?
Doors are set to open at 6pm. However timings for both support act Bella Kay and then Noah Kahan are yet to be announced, though Kahan should be on stage around 8-9:15pm, judging from previous gigs.
Be sure to keep your eyes on their Instagram accounts, as well as the AO Arena website, for further information, as stage times are typically announced on the day of the show.
One thing we know for certain is that the show will finish before 11pm, due to AO Arena‘s curfew.
Who is supporting Noah Kahan at the AO Arena?
For both Manchester dates, Noah Kahan will be supported by Bella Kay.
Bella Kay is a 20 year-old Texas-born singer-songwriter. These dates will be some of the largest performances of her career to date, following the release of her debut album, My Reckless Abandon, back in July.
Similarly to Kahan, her album is an exceptionally honest account of her journey through self-acceptance.
Noah Kahan on stage / Credit: Raph PH (via Flickr)
Expected setlist for The Great Divide Tour 2026
As always, we cannot confirm the exact setlist as everything can depend on the city or differing tracks for multi-night venue runs, but this is an expected The Great Divide Tour setlist:
American Cars
Doors
All My Love
Deny Deny Deny
Staying Still
Haircut
Downfall
She Calls Me Back
Dashboard
Dial Drunk
Willing and Able
Porch Light
Orbiter (Extended)
Pain Is Cold Water
Maine
Paid Time Off
The View Between Villages (Extended)
Northern Attitude
The Great Divide
Orange Juice
New Perspective
End of August
Homesick
Stick Season
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 – prices for beer, mulled wine, bratwurst, and more
Emily Sergeant
It’s timeeeeee… Manchester Christmas Markets are officially open for 2026.
Now in their 27th year, Manchester Christmas Markets are known and loved for bringing thousands of people into the city centre each year to fill up on the fantastic festive treats and soak up all the Christmas atmosphere.
This year sees an even bigger return of Albert Square, and there’s also some new locations too for 2026. Lincoln Square has joined in on the action, and there’s also some big changes to St Ann’s Square – with what is being described as a ‘brand new layout’, bringing in a bigger number of market stalls.
There’s a total of 210 stalls spread out across the city centre, but we know there’s one question on everyone’s lips… ‘what’s it gonna cost me?’.
We’ve been running around the markets this morning checking out all the prices on things like beer, mulled wine, bratwurst, and more, so without further ado, here’s everything you need to know.
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Average food and drink prices at Manchester Christmas Markets 2026
Mulled wine – £6.50
Beer – £7
Prosecco – £7
Hot chocolate – £5
Bratwurst – £8
Albert Square
Bratwurst King on Albert SquareThe North Pole pub at Albert Square
Emily Sergeant -
5th October 2021 
