Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the city centre is set to become the “biggest ever playground” to celebrate.
Fancy putting your sporting talents to the test? Riding some vintage fairground rides? Watching some street theatre? Or being entertained by a flash mob? Well, now that schools are officially out across the region, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the massively-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this weekend, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre.
Gearing up to be a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian”, the theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’.
It’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
This time next week, Manchester Day comes to town 😍
Expect swooping performances and have-a-go games from the likes of:
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 20, 2024
The day will be packed full of free events and activities for all the family to get involved with.
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But what exactly can you expect from 2024’s Manchester Day? Where is all the action happening? What show-stopping entertainment is on the cards? What activities can you hope to get stuck into? And how about food and drink?
Here’s everything you need to know.
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When is Manchester Day 2024?
If you’re ready to start your summer off in style, then this year’s Manchester Day is happening on Saturday 27 July.
As it has done in previous years, Manchester City Council is working with outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank on a jam-packed programme that promises something for everyone, and the city’s streets and squares will be filled with music, dancing, and interactive activities designed to “bring out the inner athlete” in visitors, both young and old.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Where is Manchester Day taking place this year?
Following the resounding success of last year’s ‘promenade-style’ event that saw activities take place in a number of different locations, the Council has revealed that this year’s Manchester Day will also take over the whole city centre.
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With a wide range of festivities set to kick-off from midday and run right through until 6pm, attractions will be dotted in main social hubs such as Deansgate, Piccadilly Gardens, St Peter’s Square, Market Street, and more.
Exchange Square, St Ann’s Square, Cathedral Gardens, and New Cathedral Street are a handful of other places where plenty of action will pop up.
The one-day festival will take over the whole city centre this Saturday / Credit: Manchester City Council
What’s on this year’s entertainment lineup? What FREE activities are there to take part in?
Visitors can expect to see jaw-dropping acrobatics, pop-up performances of wrestling, breakdancing, opera, drag, and more in “the most unlikely of places”, and a daring dance-circus production, all while getting stuck into various games such as darts, hook-a-duck, or even the ‘actual reality’ arcade filled with larger-than-life consoles.
The streets will also be filled with big screens showing sports, flash mobs, a vintage fairground with loads of retro rides, street theatre performances, and even a Capri-style beach club.
The Council has also partnered with some of the UK’s leading sports bodies to offer loads of fitness taster sessions and activities throughout the day too.
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There’s loads of FREE interactive events and activities to get involved with / Credit: Manchester City Council
Football, cricket, netball, and taekwondo being just a few of the sports you can try out.
Gold medals will be awarded in a special ‘Winners’ Enclosure’ throughout the day, and the honours will be up for grabs in all kinds of categories, including things like cheekiest grin, best Dad dancer, and more.
What is the Council saying?
Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Chair of Manchester Day, said this year’s event is pretty “sensational” in terms of what’s lined up.
“We’ve pulled out all the stops to make Manchester’s favourite day of the year a medal-winning Manchester Day to remember,” Cllr Karney added. “We’re all-in, going for gold with a fantastic programme jam-packed full of free things to see and to do, and enough different have-a-go activities to bring out the inner athlete in everyone.
All the free things you can get with a Great Manchester Run finisher’s medal this year
Danny Jones
What’s the best part about doing the Great Manchester Run, we hear you ask? All the freebies, of course. You’ll be glad to hear there are more free things than ever for finishers this year.
More than 35,000 runners are set to take on the challenge, be it the half marathon or the 10k, and we firmly believe every single one of these legends should be entitled to as much free stuff as possible.
If it were up to us, they wouldn’t pay for anything all day, but hey, we make don’t make the rules.
So yeah, without further ado, here are all the freebies you can get for taking part in the Great Manchester 2025.
Free stuff and offers for Great Manchester Runners to cop in 2025
Without further ado, here are a tonne of freebies, discounts and deals you can grab by simply flashing your finisher’s medals:
Credit: The Manc/Supplied
Dishoom –Complimentary 330ml Kingfisher/Kingfisher Zero (0.0%) for anyone with anyone dining with a finisher’s medal.
Blacklock –Free glass of fizz on us with your medal.
Maray – Free glass of fizz/pint (or non-alcoholic beer/soft) for anyone with a medal who is dining on Sunday
Electric Shuffle – Free house wine, prosecco or pint for anyone with a 2025 medal.
Salon Madre – 2-4-1 margaritas all day Sunday for anyone with a race medal.
Suki Suki – Free bao bun for anyone with a medal.
Refuge/Kimpton Clocktower Hotel – 100 free pints of Manchester Union Beer (first come, first served)
Hello Oriental – Discounted soft serve ice cream, plus a free beer or soft drink with any meal for all finishers
The Shack – Flash your medal to claim a free glass of Prosecco or beer, plus parties with medals get 20% off their food bill.
Dough Religion (House of Social) – half price slice at Manchester Jazz Festival on Sunday
Tate McRae at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for ‘Miss Possessive’ tour
Thomas Melia
Canadian performer Tate McRae is bringing her viral bangers to Co-op Live, Manchester for a night of sass, synths and of course dance breaks.
The time has come to let all your ‘exes’ know, put your ‘Sports car’ in drive and get ready to ‘run for the hills’ because it’s finally time for Tate McRae to take to the Co-op Live stage in Manchester.
Now the Calgary-born talent, four albums deep and only 21 years old, is ready to perform to 23,500 Manchester fans at our city’s largest indoor entertainment venue.
Tate McRae gig guide
Tate McRae is visiting Manchester twice, 24 May and 25 June, playing Co-op Live.
Sun 22 June – Nottingham, UK – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Tue 24 June – London, UK – The O2 Arena
Thu 25 June – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tate McRae tickets for Co-op Live gig
‘What would you do?’ if I told you that there were tickets left for Tate McRae’s Co-op Live shows in Manchester, because there just might be.
Any fans of this Canadian pop star will have to act fast because there are only a select number of precious tickets left for both of her Manchester dates.
Tickets for both Tate McRae’s shows on Saturday, 24 May and Thursday, 25 June, are selling fast and are in high demand.
What are the stage times for Tate McRae in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm meaning the Canadian performer might have her set wrapped up before the clock hits ’10:35′.
Anyone attending can expect the doors to open at 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 8pm and support from New Zealand star BENEE, best known for soundtracking lockdown with her huge hit, ‘Supalonely’, collaborating with the likes of Gus Dapperton, Spacey Jane and more.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know 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 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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.
Getting there by car and parking
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 bike 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.
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Expect nothing but hits from 21 year old superstar Tate McRae when she performs at Co-op Live, Manchester.
Emily Sergeant -
24th July 2024 
