The time has finally come for the return of the much-loved Manchester Pride Festival 2023, with the city ready to welcome a huge parade, a line-up of massive music, and loads of celebrations across the Gay Village.
The charity’s annual LGBTQ+ celebration is one of the highlights of Manchester’s events calendar, drawing thousands into the city.
This year, there’ll be the Gay Village Party, the parade, and loads of smaller events like Superbia Weekend, Family Pride, and more.
If you’re heading down to Manchester Pride Festival 2023, here’s everything you need to know, from travel to tickets and more.
Manchester Pride 2023 Parade
This is arguably the most popular and well-attended part of the entire Manchester Pride Festival weekend – the parade.
ADVERTISEMENT
Thousands will take part in the march through the city centre, with tens of thousands usually coming to watch.
This year’s theme is Queerly Beloved, marking 10 years since gay marriage was legalised in England and Wales.
ADVERTISEMENT
The parade will set off at 12pm from Liverpool Road, navigating its path through the city centre via Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Road, Portland Street, Princess Street, Whitworth Street.
It’s expected to wrap up on Fairfield Street around 3pm.
Manchester Pride Festival tickets and wristband exchange
Manchester Pride Festival will run from Friday 25 August until Monday 28 August, with all events apart for the Gay Village Party free to attend.
ADVERTISEMENT
Weekend and day tickets are still on sale with Ticketmaster, though VIP and low income tickets have sold out.
Manchester Pride ticket prices are as follows:
Saturday day tickets – £33.85
Sunday day tickets – £33.85
Monday day tickets – £2.50
Weekend tickets – £41
You’ll need to swap your ticket for a Pledge Band at the Pledge Ban Exchange Point before heading into the Gay Village Party. You can find the exchange point at the Aytoun Street Car Park, with the opening times below.
Friday 25 August: 12pm – midnight
Saturday 26 August: 12pm – midnight
Sunday 27 August: 12pm – midnight
Monday 28 August: 12pm – 6pm
Manchester Pride Festival line-up
This year’s line-up is Manchester Pride’s most diverse to date, with 96% queer performers; 54% women, 51% people of colour and over 42% from trans and non-binary communities.
The music will take place across three stage; The Village Stage, MancUnity, and the Alan Turing Stage.
ADVERTISEMENT
Headliners include drag sensation Pabllo Vittar, singer-songwriter and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, and electronic music icon Alison Goldfrapp.
The full stage splits and set times are on the Manchester Pride website, but there’s a tidy summary below too.
Friday
The Village Stage: Trans Filth & Joy, hosted by Milk Presents and Trans Creative. Featuring BIMINI, Tito Bone, Cyro, The BollyWitch, and more. 18:30-23:00.
MancUnity: Celebrate Fat Pride, in partnership with Gaydio, with artists including The Niallist, Ivy Profemme, The Fat Britney, and Miss Lei-Lei. 18:30-00:00.
The Alan Turing Stage: Hosted by Donna Trump, and includes the Human Rights Forum, La Discothèque Orchestra, Queeriosity Cabaret, and more. 17:00-23:00.
Saturday
The Village Stage: Notable appearances by Alison Goldfrapp, Pabllo Vitar, Jodie Harsh, and more. The stage will open from 12:00 with a Parade screening, with main acts from 16:30-23:00.
MancUnity: Black Pride MCR / Swagga, headlined by Raven Mandella. 13:30-00:00.
The Alan Turing Stage: Queer Asian Takeover, hosted by Lucky Roy Singh, featuring Gok Wan, Gracie T, and more. 12:00-23:00.
Sunday
The Village Stage: Join Danny Beard and Friends, Jake Shears, Natasha Bedingfield, Lisa Scott-Lee, and more. 12:00-23:00.
MancUnity: Queer Women’s Takeover, with Monki, Blasha and Allatt, Mix-Stress and Friends, and more. 13:00-00:00.
The Alan Turing Stage: Cutie-poc Cabaret, hosted by Rikki Beadle-Blair, with Oneda, Angie Brown, and more. 12:00-23:00.
Monday
The Village Stage: Revel in community collaboration and enjoy performances from George the Dragon Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret and Cuppa T. 12:00-18:00.
MancUnity: The Runway by Manchester’s own 7ft drag artist Banksie, 14:00-17:00.
The Alan Turing Stage: Enjoy the melodies of the Disney Orchestra. 12:00-16:30.
Family Pride
Family Pride 2023.
Family Pride is the part of Manchester Pride Festival that aims to provide an exciting, inspiring and celebratory day for LGBTQ+ families, parents/carers, and children alike.
The completely free event will be held at the Great Northern Warehouse on Saturday 26 August, between midday and 6pm.
The programme includes music, crafting, party games and sing-a-longs, as well as a rainbow disco, showcasing performances and artists that champion love, self-expression and individuality.
There’s a rail strike on this weekend… yep, again. Oh, and there’s a First Bus strike on too.
So if you’re planning to get public transport in to town, you’ll need to plan carefully, especially as the Manchester Pride Festival is on at the same time as a Manchester United game and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ gig at Wythenshawe Park.
Mancs are being urged to leave their cars at home due to the road closures and diversions around the city centre.
As per the weather forecast for the entire summer so far, it’s not looking like a heatwave is imminent.
According to the Met Office, Friday will have highs of 17 degrees and lows of 12 degrees, and will be cloudy but dry.
On Saturday, there’s a 60% chance of a thunderstorm at 12pm (right at the time the parade starts, which is nice), then it will be cloudy with sunny spells after that.
Temperatures will reach 18 degrees, with lows of 11 degrees on Saturday.
On Sunday, there’s again highs of 17 degrees and lows of 12 degrees, with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon.
ADVERTISEMENT
And for the Candlelit Vigil on Monday, it’s cloudy and 18 degrees all day.
Featured image: Manchester Pride
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 20 – 26 May 2024
Emily Sergeant
We’re into our final full week of May now, and we just can’t believe how fast the month has gone.
Throughout the month of May so far, the Greater Manchester social calendar has featured the likes of foodie festivals, cultural celebrations, wholesome spring-themed events, and so much more… and thankfully, there’s loads more where that came from this week – especially as we’ve got another bank holiday weekend.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? We’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
___
Brilliant Bodies Month
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 20 – Friday 31 May
Brilliant Bodies Month / Credit: Science Museum Group
Fancy diving into the “gloriously gross” world of our brilliant bodies?
With schools across Greater Manchester breaking up for half term at the end of this month, and parents and carers gearing up to entertain the little ones, the Science and Industry Museum has a wide range of events and activities planned eespecially for the holidays.
The city’s most-visited museum is promising visitors a May half term “full of family fun” inspired by its world-first exhibition Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You.
Find out more about what’s on at the Science and Industry Museum this half term, and the rest of the month here.
___
Manchester Jazz Festival 2024
Manchester City Centre
Monday 20 – Monday 26 May
Manchester Jazz Festival 2024 / Credit: mjf
mjf2024 is currently underway at venues and sites all across across Manchester city centre.
After kicking off with a spectacular opening weekender at its vibrant First Street urban neighbourhood this past weekend, you can now make the most of a jam-packed programme full of events happening all throughout this week.
There’s nightly gigs at Matt & Phreds, events at RNCM, Stoller Hall, Forsyth Music Shop, St Ann’s Church, and The Carlton Club, and so much more, all before the festival closes out with an extended weekend-long party at Band on the Wall.
Manchester Green Spaces Trail / Credit: Carl Sukonik | Annapurna Mellor
Workers and visitors are being invited to discover some stunning outdoor spaces across Manchester city centre and beyond this summer.
Keen to get out and about on foot? Manchester has launched Manchester Green Spaces Trail – a brand-new walking trail celebrating the best green, blue, and outdoor areas the cities of Manchester and Salford have to offer.
Created in collaboration with Manchester tour guide, Jonathan Schofield, the walking trail is free to do and accessible via a downloadable map, and it features 16 garden and water spaces.
The Manchester College ‘Greater Mancunians’ Exhibition
Manchester Central Library
Monday 20 May – onwards
The Manchester College ‘Greater Mancunians’ Exhibition / Credit: Supplied
Photography students from The Manchester College are now showcasing their ‘Greater Mancunians’ project as part of a landmark exhibition at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall.
150 students have participated in the groundbreaking photography project, and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.
More than 100 contributors are featured in the project, including musicians Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr, athletes Diane Modahl and Ricky Hatton, local politicians Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, and Bev Craig, actors Maxine Peake and Bill Roache, artists Stan Chow and AKSE P-19, and other local figures like Jonathan Warburton, Simon Martin, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE.
NEW OPENING – Malibu Beach Club / Credit: Malibu Drinks
Malibu Drinks has just opened a pop-up outdoor lounge with a relaxed beach bar theme, bright decor, and an extensive summer cocktail list in Manchester.
The only official Malibu bar outside of London, and aptly-named ‘Malibu Beach Club’, the colourful pop-up has opened right in the heart of Manchester city centre on Great Northern Square, and you can expect cute and colourful aesthetics, an unbeatable beachy charm, quirky lanterns, and palm trees.
There’s also plenty of seating both in the beaming sunshine (… or when it arrives) or undercover and heated for when it inevitably rains.
Did you see that Chester Zoo has been named the best zoo in the UK for 2024?
Everyone in and around Greater Manchester and the North West is already familiar with just how brilliant the UK’s biggest charity zoo is and all the work it contributes towards conservation and protecting endangered species all across the world.
But now, it’s got itself a respectable new title to prove it, and it’s all thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews.
The world’s biggest travel guidance platform has named Chester Zoo as the best-rated zoo to visit in the UK this year, with more than 11,000 ‘Excellent’ ratings.
A brand-new art exhibition curated by visual artist Emma Evans in partnership with six other creators is now open in Manchester, and it’s completely free to visit.
Tales of Manchester 2.0 down at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is a collection of multi-platform art celebrating our brilliant city, and it’s showcasing six spoken word pieces by established Manchester based poets – Griot Gabriel, Ilaria Passeri, Lisa O’Hare, Mark Jackson aka Keith’s Brother, Matt Concannon aka The Thirsty Poet, and Sarah Attwell.
The spoken word is paired with visual pieces painted by self-taught artist Emma Evans, where the words have served as inspiration for the art.
Disney’s smash-hit musical Aladdin is currently touring the UK for the first time ever, and the magic carpet will be landing here in Manchester for the summer from this week.
ADVERTISEMENT
Based on the beloved 1992 animated film of the same name, and following several critically-acclaimed and sold-out runs on both Broadway and in London’s West End since it first debuted back in 2011, the Tony and Olivier Award-nominated production will be taking to the stage down at Manchester’s iconic Palace Theatre.
The musical features all the timeless songs we know and love from the film, and it’s set to be a seriously magical show.
Diecast is set to launch its huge outdoor beer garden for the summer this week.
‘Summer Town’ will be the biggest summer garden party space in Manchester once it throws open its doors this Thursday, with space for 800 revellers to make the most of the sunshine over the next few months.
Diecast’s famous daiquiris will dominate at Leno Ex Machina’s central bar, with up 49 flavour combinations pouring from their gigantic Bacardi Frozen Daiquiri machines, while at the centre of the garden is the brand-new ‘Barbecue Kitchen’, where you can took into burgers, chargrilled hanger steaks, hot dogs, kebabs, and chef’s specials while the sun shines.
Great Northern Warehouse is getting ready to kick-starting the summer season with the return of the annual Deansgate Mews Festival.
Now in its fourth year, and known for taking over Manchester’s hidden pedestrianised street that’s nestled above Deansgate, the popular festival is taking place this late May bank holiday weekend from Friday 24 – Sunday 26 May, and it’s FREE to attend with no tickets needed.
There’s set to be something for everyone of all ages across the three-day event, and festivalgoers are being promised a “lively outdoor celebration”, with lots of live music and entertainment, shopping from a variety of stalls offering products from talented traders and local artisans, and some seriously-good food & drink to tuck into.
Manchester Flower Festival 2024 / Credit: The Manc Group
Manchester will become one of the most picturesque places in the UK this bank holiday weekend.
That’s because the city is getting all dressed up in celebration of the annual Flower Festival, which is back by popular demand for its seventh year, and this means that plants and flowers will be seen covering landmark buildings, shop windows, doorways, balconies, statues, fountains, and more for as far as the eye can see.
There’s also a ‘Manchester Icons’ floral trail, and visitors are being told they can expect to see 10 glorious displays inspired by Manchester-born figures, music icons, and even legendary buildings created by local artists, gardeners, and flower enthusiasts.
Find out more about everything happening at this year’s Manchester Flower Festival here.
___
Vintage 1940s Weekend
East Lancashire Railway
Saturday 25 – Monday 27 May
Vintage 1940s Weekend / Credit: ELR
Fancy stepping back in time? The Greater Manchester public is being invited to “dig out your gladrags” and head on down to East Lancashire Railway (ELR) this late May bank holiday weekend, as an ‘immersive’ 1940s-themed weekend is back by popular demand.
The Vintage 1940s Weekend been an absolute hit in previous years, and has always been one of the heritage railway’s most popular events.
You can expect an exciting programme of live music all throughout the three-day weekend, as well as food, fashion, and memorabilia of the 1940s being brought to life.
Freight Island’s Spring & Summer Festival Season 2024
Depot Mayfield
Saturday 25 May – onwards
Freight Island’s Spring & Summer Festival Season 2024 / Credit: Freight Island
In case you missed it, Freight Island has announced a huge lineup for its Spring/Summer season, with a free-to-attend festival series.
The huge urban street food and entertainment destination, located at Depot Mayfield just beyond Manchester Piccadilly, is now back open in full swing, and is promising its most electrifying season yet throughout this spring and summer.
David Rodigan, Greg Wilson, Crazy P (DJ set), and Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) are just some of the names on the lineup over the next few months.
Flashes Festival of Nature 2024 / Credit: Wigan Council (via Facebook)
Flashes Festival of Nature is one of Wigan’s best-loved and most wholesome events, and it’s returning for 2024 this weekend to coincide with the National Nature Reserve Week.
Taking over the popular nature reserve, Pennington Flash, on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 May from 11am through to 3pm, the free two-day festival is all about helping Wigan residents reconnect with nature through a wide range of fun and interactive activities – including workshops, wildlife themed art stalls, eco crafts, and more.
Find out more about everything happening at the festival this year here.
___
Great Manchester Run 2024
Manchester
Sunday 26 May
Great Manchester Run 2024 / Credit: Great Run Company
The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run is the city’s original and best-loved running event, and it’s back for another year this weekend.
Taking over the city centre this Sunday 26 May and set to be “an experience like no other”, thousands of runners will be hitting the streets in an attempt to complete either the world-famous 10K or half marathon routes… and not only that, but in true Mancunian style, it’s also set to be a party from start to finish.
There’ll be a high-energy soundtrack, live music, and entertainment zones at every turn, plus some of the loudest and most enthusiastic local support seen anywhere in the UK.
You can find everything you need to know about the Great Manchester Run 2024 here.
___
Featured Image – Science Museum Group | The Manc Group | Great Run Company
What's On
The Black Keys at Co-op Live – tickets, support act, stage times, setlist and more
Danny Jones
With the Co-op Live finally open (we can hardly believe it either), it feels like the action-packed live season in Manchester this summer is starting to ramp up and with blues rock heavyweights The Black Keys set to follow Manc music royalty as the brand-new arena’s second night, we can’t wait.
The Manc Audio had the pleasure of reviewing their incredible show at the AO Arena last year and it only served as a reminder of just how polished these guys are when it comes to bringing the last 23 years of studio material to life on stage, so it was little surprise when they were confirmed for the Co-op.
Ok, yes, they might have been on the unfortunate end of the venue’s early setbacks, but the fans haven’t gone anywhere and, fortunately, their rescheduled show is now set to go off without a hitch this Wednesday, 15 May.
That being said, unless you happened to be at Elbow last night as well, this will be your first time at Co-op Live so, as always, we thought we’d put together a useful gig guide with all the important information you need to know ahead of The Black Keys’ highly-anticipated headline slot.
They put on quite the show, we’ll tell you that for nothing. Read our full review from last time out.
Are there tickets left for The Black Keys at Co-op Live?
If you’re hoping to swindle a last-minute ticket for Co-op Live’s sophomore show, you’re in luck. Given the rescheduled date, there are quite a few tickets left for The Black Keys‘ Manchester gig – it just depends on how much you’re willing to pay.
With standing and resale tickets on the floor starting from £42.50 (before fees), there are also plenty of seats available all around the arena’s lower bowl; all of these spots are nice and close to the stage too, with tier-one seating ranging anywhere from £75.95 to £88.06 depending on your view.
You can grab yours HERE and, of course, we strongly urge you to avoid illegal ticket touts. No gig is worth the risk of being stung over.
Who’s supporting The Black Keys in Manchester?
Arguably one of the most exciting parts about The Black Keys’ return to Manchester is who they’ve picked as the support act for this UK tour, as they’ve kept things fittingly North West because, you know, all the best music is from ’round here, isn’t it?
They might not be Mancs but Liverpool-based Circa Waves have become favourites amongst the indie scene over the past decade or so, not only playing huge festival slots but selling out their own headline tours all over the UK for years now.
We’d pay good money to see Circa on their own – in fact, we have and will continue to – so folding them in as part of Wednesday’s night performance makes this an insanely good value-for-money show as far as we’re concerned.
As for when you’ll get to see both of these incredible acts, doors Co-op Live open from 6:30pm and, according to the website, Circa Waves are due to start the gig at 7:30pm.
There will be an interval between sets and we can estimate that The Black Keys themselves won’t take the stage until 9pm, meaning that you’re in for a roughly two-hour action-packed headline show before the curfew at 11pm.
As always with gigs, these times are always subject to change, so make sure to keep an eye on the artists and the venue’s socials for all the latest information.
Setlist
The Ohio rockers kicked off the UK leg of their massive European tour with three nights at London’s Brixton Academy – where they also brought out Manc music legend and recent collaborator, Noel Gallagher – before nipping for a couple of shows in Paris before flying back here to Manchester.
Going entirely off the songs they played across those shows, we think we have a pretty good idea of the setlist, and there are plenty of tunes off the new album too. Here’s what you can expect (we think):
I Got Mine
Gold on the Ceiling
Your Touch
Tighten Up
Have Love Will Travel (Richard Berry & The Pharaohs cover)
Everlasting Light
Next Girl
Lo/Hi
This Is Nowhere
Heavy Soul
Weight of Love
Howlin’ for You
Beautiful People (Stay High)
Only Love Matters
Fever
On the Game
Wild Child
I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight and The Pips cover)
Is The Black Keys’ ‘record hang’ party still happening in Manchester?
Now, The Black Keys tours have become famous for their ‘record hang’ parties at local venues all over the globe, with their last visit to Manchester ending in the YES. I know, imagine bumping into Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney in Pink Room (we literally did).
Obviously, their April show had to be ultimately rescheduled the venue they did have earmarked for after their Co-op Live gig was cult favourite nightclub, Hidden, over in Cheetham Hill.
Although there has been no update from the band as to whether or not their afterparty is still happening, we thought it only right to give you a heads-up in case they decide to follow through with their original plan and go play a semi-secret DJ set – and again, keep an eye out for any announcements.
Travel info – how to get there, parking etc.
Tram
Now, as for how you’ll get to shows at Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
If you want to take another new and improved arm of Manchester’s public transport system, not only is there a whole host of routes that drop you off close to the venue but there’ll also be a free shuttle bus from the city centre to and from events between 20 April-30 June 2024.
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the boke all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
That should be just about everything you need to know if you’re heading to see The Black Keys at the Co-op Live in Manchester tonight and we sincerely hope you have a belter.
Better still, we hope the venue lives up to your expectations and we must admit, now we’ve seen inside and it truly is Live, it is pretty darn impressive.