One of the biggest and best weekends of the year has arrived in Manchester, as our city prepares for its Pride celebrations.
For the first time since 2019, the hugely popular parade will be back weaving its way through the city’s streets.
There’s been a shift away from the huge-scale live music efforts (which have previously included headliners like Years & Years and Ariana Grande) this year, following consultation with LGBTQ+ communities to refocus.
But that doesn’t mean the party won’t be pumping throughout the August Bank Holiday weekend, back in its spiritual home of the Gay Village.
Here’s what you need to know about Manchester Pride 2022.
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When is Manchester Pride 2022?
This year’s celebrations will kick off on Friday 26 August for four straight days of music, dancing and partying across the city.
The Gay Village party will run right through from Friday 26 to Monday 29 August, as will the Superbia Weekend, Manchester Pride’s alcohol-free, accessible programme of arts and culture.
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On Saturday, the Manchester Pride Parade will be back in town.
Saturday and Sunday will see both Youth Pride MCR and Family Pride MCR offering up events for younger attendees.
Everything will culminate in Sackville Gardens on Monday evening with the beautiful Candlelit Vigil, a moment of reflection and remembrance for those we have lost to HIV/AIDS.
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Music line-up for Manchester Pride 2022
Although the massive Manchester Pride Live event has been called off this year, there’s still going to be plenty of live entertainment in the Gay Village itself.
Headliners this year will include Mel C, Nadine Coyle, and Bimini, across stages including the Alan Turing Stage, the Mancunity Stage, and the Cabaret Stage.
Flick through the gallery below to see the full music line-up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Manchester Pride parade
Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies will gather on Saturday to march through Manchester, with thousands more turning out to watch the parade.
The theme for 2022’s Parade is March for Peace – a theme that was initially earmarked for 2020’s parade.
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The parade will start at midday and its route will start at the junction of Liverpool Road and Deansgate, then weave along Peter Street, Oxford Road, Portland Street, Princess Street and Whitworth Street, finishing on Fairfield Street.
Families are also invited to pop in to the Arndale before heading out for Pride makeovers – Morphe, Debenhams.com Beauty, and Supercuts will be on hand offering glitter face art, glitter beards, Pride-themed eye makeup, hair braiding and more, in return for a £2 donation towards the Manchester Pride charity.
That’s running opposite Morphe between 12pm and 7pm on 26 and 27 August.
Tickets
Credit: Supplied / GG Photography
Ticket prices for Manchester Pride 2022 are as follows:
£32.50 – Gay Village Party – Full weekend
£17.50 – Gay Village Party – Friday
£27.50 – Gay Village Party – Saturday
£27.50 – Gay Village Party – Sunday
£2.50 (donation only) – Gay Village Party – Monday
£49 – Family day pass – Saturday (4 tickets, up to 2 adults)
£40 – Family day pass – Sunday (4 tickets, up to 2 adults)
Good news for Manchester Pride-goers – there’s no rain in the forecast for the August bank holiday weekend.
Instead, we’re looking at four days of sunny spells and warm (ish) temperatures – perfect parade conditions.
Friday is forecast to be 21 degrees and cloudy, while Saturday and Sunday should both hit 22 degrees, according to the Met Office.
Featured image: Supplied
What's On
Major immersive experience narrated by Sir David Attenborough to open at Chester Zoo
Daisy Jackson
A major immersive experience narrated by Sir David Attenborough is heading north for the first time, with Our Story with David Attenborough set to open at Chester Zoo this autumn.
The acclaimed production will arrive at the zoo on 17 October 2026, making Chester Zoo the first venue outside London to host the full original experience following its hugely successful run at the Natural History Museum.
More than 245,000 people have already experienced Our Story during its London run, which originally opened in June 2025 before being extended following a string of sell-out performances.
Created in collaboration with Sir David Attenborough and award-winning Open Planet Studios, the 50-minute immersive experience takes audiences on a spectacular journey through the four-billion-year story of Earth, alongside the much more recent story of humankind.
Rather than simply watching a film or walking through an exhibition, visitors are surrounded by the story, with extraordinary natural history footage, scientifically accurate animation and 360-degree projections filling walls and floors around them.
The production explores the interconnected stories of people and planet, looking at humanity’s profound impact on Earth while also considering how we can work with nature rather than against it.
Narrated by Sir David, whose lifetime of exploring and documenting the natural world has helped shape the experience, Our Story ends on a message of hope, leaving audiences with the sense that they can play a part in deciding what comes next.
The full original-scale version of the experience will take over Chester Zoo’s former Ape House, marking the first time audiences outside London will be able to experience it in its entirety.
Bringing Our Story to Chester also closely aligns with the zoo’s mission to prevent extinction, as well as its work as a conservation and education charity.
Our Story with David Attenborough is coming to Chester Zoo. Credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum
Dom Strange, Chief Operating Officer, at Chester Zoo, said: “Our Story is about the biggest story there is – the story of our planet and our place within it.
“That makes Chester Zoo a natural home for this extraordinary experience. We’re hugely excited to bring it to Chester, and particularly proud that we’re the first place outside London where people can experience the full exhibition.
“We want people to leave feeling inspired by the incredible world we’re part of – but also empowered to play their own role in protecting it. That’s at the heart of everything we do at Chester Zoo.”
Open Planet Studios developed Our Story with David Attenborough to immerse audiences in what its creators describe as “the biggest story of all time” – the interconnected story of people and planet.
Our Story with David Attenborough is coming to Chester Zoo. Credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum
The original experience at the Natural History Museum featured 17 projectors and 50 speakers, combining natural history cinematography, animation, storytelling and an original score by Tony Award- and Olivier Award-nominated composer Nick Powell.
Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, said: “Our Story with David Attenborough has been one of the museum’s most successful experiences, immersing audiences in a wonderous exploration into our relationship with planet Earth.
“The museum’s mission is to create advocates for our planet and we and Open Planet Studios are keen to take the experience to as many people as possible. We are delighted that Chester Zoo is joining us on that journey to share this cinematic story with their visitors.”
Our Story with David Attenborough will open at Chester Zoo on 17 October 2026. Tickets are £15 but you’ll need to have a zoo ticket already too – you can find out more HERE.
Chester Zoo’s spectacular light trail returns this winter with a new route and new animals for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s popular winter light trail is set to return with a redesigned route and some magical new animals for 2026.
Produced by Chester Zoo in partnership with Sony Music and Culture Creative, Lanterns & Light has become a popular fixture in the region’s festive calendar over the years, and it’s back this winter – transforming the zoo after dark with thousands of festive lights, colour, and wildlife-themed displays.
The 2026 trail has been redesigned with some exciting new installations, including the dazzling Suspended Jellyfish underwater display, a mirrored disco tunnel, a glittering pea-lit canopy, and Floating Feathers.
New for this year too, visitors will also get to encounter parrots, dolphins, and a giant polar bear among an expanded cast of life-sized animal puppets, all brought to life by specialist performers.
More than 140,000 people visited the trail last year, but for the first time ever in 2026, the event will also host two adults-only evenings, one on 19 November and another 8 December – giving grown-ups the chance to enjoy the trail without children.
Alongside the new additions, plenty of much-loved features will return too, including the walk-through Cathedral of Light and atmospheric Fire Garden, as well as the chance to meet Father Christmas in a snowy setting.
Visitors can also enjoy marshmallow fire pits, festive food, and warming drinks, alongside a funfair at the entrance.
But Lanterns & Light isn’t just about Christmas, as every ticket purchased helps fund Chester Zoo’s vital conservation work, supporting projects protecting threatened wildlife and restoring habitats in more than 20 countries around the world.
“Lanterns & Light is a chance to have a brilliant night out, but it also helps us do something much bigger,” explained Gemma Wright, who is the Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo.
“Every ticket helps support Chester Zoo’s work to prevent extinction, from protecting threatened wildlife in the places where it lives to caring for and breeding endangered species here at the zoo.
“So, while our visitors are enjoying the lights, puppets and festive atmosphere, they’re helping to give wildlife a brighter future too.”
Daisy Jackson -
26th August 2022 
