Little Mancs can try their hand at becoming a pilot this half term, as the popular Flight Academy returns to Manchester Airport.
After proving to be massively popular with families during plenty of school holidays in recent years, the Flight Academy programme is back at Runway Visitor Park next week, just in time for February half term across Greater Manchester.
During 90-minute sessions, curious kids will get the chance to learn all about the different job roles that help keep Manchester‘s airport in action throughout the year.
The first part of the session takes place aboard a retired DC10 airliner, so kids can sit in the cockpit and find out about everything from the cabin crew’s role, to what the the ground operators get up to, and so much more.
Manchester’s popular Flight Academy for kids is returning over half term / Credit: Runway Visitor Park
They’ll even get to dress the part, and “take control” of the flight deck too by sitting up front in the captain’s coveted seat.
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And if all of that wan’t fun enough as it is, they’ll then get to head outside to have a look at Manchester Airport‘s runways, watch the planes taking off and landing, and get to see some of the various jobs they’ve just learnt about in action.
After the session, families will then be free to make the most of all the rest of the impressive facilities on offer at Runway Visitor Park.
With stunning views over the nearby airfield, some of the unique activities on offer at the popular Greater Manchester-based tourist attraction include watching aircraft, such as the giant A380, coming and going at close quarters, taking in a tour of the Park’s retired airliners – including the iconic Concorde – and stopping off at the giant play area and on-site café.
Flight Academy at Runway Visitor Park will be running on selected weekday and weekend dates from Wednesday 19 – Saturday 22 February, with sessions split into two age groups – one for children aged four-seven years, and another for those aged eight-12.
Tickets cost just £14 for one child with an accompanying adult, and you can find out more and book your place here.
Featured Image – Manchester Airport
What's On
Everything you need to know about St. Patrick’s Day at Mulligans, Manchester’s biggest Irish party
Danny Jones
With Manchester’s deep-rooted connections to Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day in the city centre is one of the biggest parties of the year, so it only makes sense that thousands spend it at the ultimate Irish bar: Mulligans.
And no, we’re not exaggerating; hordes of punters pass through this pub over the full Paddy’s Day weekend, which this year lands on a Monday, but you’ll still see countless people filing in and out of the place from Friday onwards.
Considered by many as Deansgate’s crowning glory, this legendary venue is a pure gold-grade bar serving the best Guinness outside of Ireland. It’s a reputation we don’t need to bang on about too much, they built it up themselves over so many years that you’ll all have heard it by now.
While Manchester has some of the best Irish pubs around beyond those you’ll find in the Emerald Isle (yes, we firmly believe that), you won’t find anywhere in town putting on quite as big a St. Patrick’s Day celebration as Mulligans. Here’s what they’ve got on offer:
Paddy’s Day at Mulligans of Deansgate
Well, the obvious place to start is with what’s behind the bar, i.e. lots of whiskeys, lager, spirits and, of course, they’ve got the best Guinness in Manchester – scratch that, the ‘best outside of Ireland.’
Mulligans averages 13,000 pints of ‘The Black Stuff’ every week and they’re expecting to pour well over 4,000 pints of the stuff from their total 24 taps on Paddy’s Day alone, each as perfect as the last.
So, what time is the party getting underway? The answer is obviously all weekend as many people may not have booked Monday, 17 March off itself but, for those who have, they’ll be opening from 11am.
However, we hope we don’t need to tell you that there’ll be queuing from the crack of dawn, so the earlier you get there the better. It’ll cost you £20 to get in, by the way, so have your card/cash ready.
For context, we got there 10:30 a couple of years back and still weren’t guaranteed to get in, we just waited patiently and prayed to St. Patrick himself.
As for what time they’ll be closing on Monday, Mulligans is staying open until 1:30am as more than 1,200 guests are expected to visit the pub throughout the course of the day.
Entertainment
One thing that Mulligans is famous besides the obvious rivers of black gold and good craic is virtually non-stop live music throughout the week and Paddy’s Day is no different.
Instead, they try and cram as much of it into 24 hours as possible.
Now featuring two floors for the first time on Ireland’s national holiday, there is set to be an incredible lineup of eight different live bands performing throughout the day, playing everything from classic Irish reels and covers to get you up and dancing, as well as plenty Manc anthems to play to the home crowd.
2025 also marks the first St. Patrick’s Day at Mulligans to make us of the recently renovated first floor, which has seen the pub more than double in size, and the capacity along with it.
The expanded space, complete with timber-beamed vaulted ceilings, a mezzanine-level performance area and two brand-new bars, sets the stage for an unforgettable day and night of high-energy live indie bands, while Irish folk tunes will fill the downstairs.
Between the beloved exposed brick walls, cosy snugs, Guinness memorabilia galore as well as room to dance a proper auld jig upstairs and down, it won’t just be Mulligans at its very best but akin to being in the heart of Dublin itself for the big day.
Plus, since it’s a bunch bigger now, you stand an extra chance of getting in – or at least less time spent in the queue with all the other die-hards.
We often get people asking why all the faff surrounding Mulligans and all we can say is if you haven’t been before, you’ll only really know once you’ve been.
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Pádraig Brady, owner of Mulligans, said: “St. Patrick’s Day is always special at Mulligans, but this year will be extra special with the new space upstairs.
“We have gone above and beyond to provide an extensive live music schedule that will guarantee an unbeatable atmosphere all weekend. And – as always – we’ll have measures in place to make sure every single pint of Guinness served is nothing short of exceptional.”
There’s no booking and no advance ticket purchase available either; everyone lines up the same and is guaranteed the same unbelievable night. Trust us, it’s worth the wait. But don’t worry if you’d rather skip the queueing and try somewhere else, there’s still plenty of good Guinness to be found in the city centre.
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 17 – 23 March 2025
Emily Sergeant
We’re already nearing the end of March, but there’s still plenty happening.
It’s hard to believe that another month is nearing an end, but just as the temperatures have risen and the sun has been showing its face a little in recent weeks, there’s absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester this week – both free things, and those that’ll set you back a few pennies too.
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, so here’s some of our recommendations.
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St Patrick’s Day & Manchester Irish Festival
Manchester City Centre
Monday 17 March
Manchester Irish Festival 2025 / Credit: Colin Home (via Supplied)
Manchester’s massive Irish Festival is drawing to a close this Monday to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
The biggest of its kind in the whole of Europe, over the last two weeks, Manchester Irish Festival has been putting on 10 whole days of Irish revelry in the heart of the city centre – with something for everyone of all ages to get involved with across the jam-packed lineup of more than 100 events spanning the whole city.
You can find out more about this year’s Irish Festival here.
Looking for somewhere to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Manchester?
It may be Ireland’s national holiday, but St Patrick’s Day is now marked all over the world, and Manchester is no different, so this Monday you can expect plenty of places pouring perfect pints of Guinness in our city.
See everything happening in the ciy’s new ‘Irish Village’ here.
Check out our round-up of the best Irish pubs Manchester has to offer here.
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Manchester Film Festival 2025
ODEON Great Northern
Monday 17 – Sunday 23 March
Manchester Film Festival 2025 / Credit: MFF
Manchester Film Festival is back for 2025.
Taking over ODEON at the Great Northern Warehouse for an annual celebration of storytelling through cinema, the city’s biggest celebration of the best new and independent film brings film lovers and filmmakers together for 10 days of screenings, Q&As, red-carpet glamour, and so much more.
Tickets and passes available now, and you can find out more about the stellar lineup of films on show this year here.
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An Edible Family in a Mobile Home
Whitworth Art Gallery
Monday 17 March – 20 April
An Edible Family in a Mobile Home / Credit: The Manc Group
An exciting new exhibition where all the sculptures inside are made of cakes, biscuits, and icing has now opened in Manchester – and yes, you are encouraged to tuck in.
You’ll be whizzed back in time to the 1970s at An Edible Family in a Mobile Home, down to the retro comedy playing on the telly, and over the coming weeks, members of the public will gradually eat the sculptures until there’s nothing left.
Even the walls at this new genius collaborative creation of artist Bobby Baker and Manchester’s-own Long Boi Bakes are decorated in icing, and it’s open down at Whitworth Art Gallery until 20 April.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
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Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Did you see that Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025?
Taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024. it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale, and the year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
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More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
Read more about why it’s been chosen and what this means here.
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Or that one of Greater Manchester’s popular museums has been named the best free museum in the UK?
With the Easter holidays not far off, plenty of parents, carers, and guardians across Greater Manchester will likely be looking for a ways to keep the kids entertained and educated while schools are out, and without having to break the bank too.
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Luckily enough, Bolton Museum has taken the top spot in a list of the best free museums and galleries to visit in the whole of the UK.
Bolton Museum has been crowned the best free museum to visit in the UK / Credit: Bolton Council
The museum – which is on the Grade II-listed Le Mans Crescent in the town centre, and dates back to 1852 – has been a part of the leisure and education of Boltonians for over 120 years, and is home to one of the largest regional Egyptology collections in the UK, made up of over 10,000 archaeological objects.
There’s also an extensive local history section, with 38,000 objects from the 17th to 20th century relating to Bolton.
How about going to see a brand-new film for free next week? Now’s your chance.
That’s right, thousands of tickets to watch the new heartwarming drama-comedy The Penguin Lessons, starring Middleton’s-own Steve Coogan, are being given away for free all across the UK this month.
It’s all part of Escapes – a project supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) and National Lottery funding giving everyone the opportunity to “enjoy the big screen experience” and “discover independent cinema”.
The Penguin Lessons / Credit: Sony Pictures Classics | Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)
You can watch the film this Monday (17 March) before it gets its wider release to the general public later on this year.
How cute is this? We’ve discovered a little workshop over in Chorlton where you can ice, pipe, garnish, and decorate a miniature bento cake just the way you want it, with the help of the experts at Vanilla Ice Cakes.
You can whip up your dream colour buttercream, personalise your fillings, and learn brand-new skills before heading home with this adorable little celebration cake of your own.
At Vanilla Ice Cakes in Chorlton, you’ll sit under the expert eye of owner Fiza, a master baker who’s been in the game for more than a decade, and she’ll guide you (and sometimes step in to help you) as you fumble your way through decorating your own cake.
Manchester Folk Festival is back for its second year in the vibrant Northern Quarter.
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Taking place from this Thursday to Sunday, the urban multi-venue festival brings together a diverse range of artists who represent the broad definition of contemporary folk music, so you’ll get to discover the best traditional folk, roots, and acoustic music across a variety of the city’s iconic music venues.
From intimate spaces to festival stages, there’s something for everyone happening across the three days, and there’s also loads of other free events alongside the regular programme.
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is currently hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the year, East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Red Rose Diners’ are described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, as they start with a glass of fizz and stretch over an almost three-hour steam train journey through the Irwell Valley.
The experience includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
Man City Women vs Chelsea Women WSL / Credit: Man City
Manchester City and Chelsea’s women’s teams seem to be very well-acquainted this month, coming up against each other on several occasions over the next couple of weeks, but one of the biggest showdowns has to be the Barclay’s WSL match this Sunday.
Sponsored by Revolut, and taking place down at the Etihad Stadium, the two talented teams will face off to see who can claim those all-important three points in the league.
So Retro Vintage Fair is back in the beautiful Bury town of Ramsbottom this Sunday with a fabulous array of vintage traders selling an eclectic mix of unique items from days gone by.
Visitors can discover fashion items, collectibles, and home decor from the 1920s-1990s, alongside some retro-inspired handmade crafts, and a fabulous selection of vinyl records, while DJs Tommy and Paul spin classic tunes from their vintage van outside the hall.
Brew Box will be serving up delicious hot drinks and sweet treats to enjoy while you listen to the music.
Entry costs £2 each, while under 14s go for free, and you can find out more here.
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Featured Image – So Retro | The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
Emily Sergeant -
12th February 2025 
