Tabletop fans, get ready for the biggest board game bonanza and gaming festival of the year as it returns to Manchester this month.
Yes, Manchester Board Game Festival (MBGF) is back for 2025, and we know you hear this a lot, but it really is bigger and better than ever – just wait until you find out where it’s being held this year…
Hosted by beloved local organisation Dungeons and Flagons, who are responsible for regular D&D and tabletop nights all over Greater Manchester every week, you can expect an expertly organised day of gaming, trading, talks and tonnes more.
Spanning a full weekend starting from Friday, 25 April and lasting until Sunday, the real challenge is seeing how many games you can squeeze in.
What to expect from Manchester Board Game Festival 2025
So, what exactly is on the table – pun very much intended – for MBGF 2025? Well, all of this, for starters:
500+ games in the Dungeons and Flagons (D&F) games library with friendly hosts to help you find the perfect pick.
RPG sessions, seminars and bookable games like Blood on the Clocktower across the weekend.
A bustling ‘bring and buy’ sale and the popular PTW (play-to-win) shelf.
Speed gaming and party game zones for easy drop-in play.
The return of the infamous Board Game Pub Quiz & Bingo, raising money for charity
Local board game fans may have come across their D&F’s Tabletop Weekender back in February 2024, or maybe seen one of their events at a random Manc pub even in the past week, but this is their most ambitious date of the year.
Better still, there’s a whole separate event within the festival taking place across the Saturday and Sunday, specifically, which should draw big crowds in its own right.
The MCR Geek Fayre
As unapologetically nerdy as it sounds, ‘The MCR Geek Fayre’ promises a vibrant marketplace of 37 indie traders from around the area and beyond.
Credit: Hannah Reeves (supplied)
Showcasing everything from art, board games, TTRPGs (tabletop roleplaying), accessories and lots more, the fair will run from the 26-27 and, just like the festival itself, its merely the first one the year – you can expect plenty more fun through the remainder of 2025.
With all that festivity, it only seems fitting that this year’s activities take place in a venue steeped in its own rich lore, as MBGF ’25 is set to be held in the legendary Sachas Hotel.
Speaking ahead of this year’s Manchester Board Game Festival, founder James Oxley said: “We’re so excited to be back with an even bigger event. MBGF is all about creating a space where people can connect, play, and discover new games and friends.”
With the first two days running all the way until midnight and still from 10am-8pm on Sunday, it’s a full-on, all-action weekend purpose-built for anyone who considers themselves an avid tabletop fan.
You can find out more information and grab your tickets from just £12.50 HERE. Happy gaming!
Popular noodle bar Chopstix to host ALL-NEW live music event in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Much-loved noodle box eatery Chopstix are hosting an all-new series of live music events, with the first kicking off at one of Manchester’s most popular venues.
Chopstix has become a foodie’s favourite in the city centre with its combo boxes and now they’re about to win over the musiclovers thanks to these brand-new live-performances.
The Asian restaurant chain is launching ‘Red Box Live’,a first-of-its-kind music event series taking place in some of the UK’s best independent music venues,, and it kicks off at one of the city’s most beloved music venues,YES.
These events will see a rising star headline slot, DJ’s, free drinks and of course, food, because it couldn’t be a Chopstix party without some of its iconic flavour-packed boxes.
Chopstix is known for serving up flavoursome feasts in their combo boxes.The Asian restaurant chain has chosen YES as the first spot for their ‘Red Box Live’ event.Credit: Supplied
Indie-pop artist Liang Lawrence is claiming the first headline spot and she’s definitely no stranger at frequenting some of the most famed stages in the country, having recently performed at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sefton Park on the BBC Introducing stage, following in the footsteps of Manc rap-talent Aitch.
The ‘Red Box Live’ music events build from the eatery’s previous music-focused series ‘Red Box Sessions’ which saw acts like Flames Collective and Grace Davies (X-Factor) in intimate studio sessions.
Rob Burns, Marketing Director for Chopstix, said: The launch of our brand new Red Box Live event series is incredibly exciting.”We’re bringing big, bold flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our flavour craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
“We’re bringing BIG, BOLD flavour and raw music talent together – serving up an unbeatable combo for our Flavour Craving crowd right here in Manchester.”
Liang Lawrence will be performing at ‘Red Box Live’ organised by Chopstix.There will be free food and live music at this exclusive event.Credit: Supplied
The first ‘Red Box Live’ is taking place on 16 July with a headline performance from Liang Lawrence at YES in Manchester. Doors open from 7pm with a DJ set, and tickets are available to win for free on Chopstix’s website.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
What's On
New FREE Oasis exhibition showing never-before-seen photos opens in Manchester next week
Emily Sergeant
A new free photography exhibition showing never-before-seen pictures of Oasis fans from the 90s opens in Manchester next week.
With a sensational summer of sound now firmly in our sights, and right as Manchester gears up to welcome Oasis back home once again, the city’s iconic Kimpton Clocktower Hotel has announced a new free exhibition that’s set to take music fans a trip down memory lane.
Opening next Wednesday, Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 will showcase a series of exclusive photographs by renowned photographer, Jon Shard, to the public for the first time ever, opening the door to a world before online sales, dynamic ticket pricing, and frantically refreshing a website to get the hottest ticket in town.
Renowned for his visually distinctive work across a number of fields, this was Shard’s first assignment for iconic music magazine NME.
The collection of photographs – which has been co-curated by the British Culture Archive – shows scenes of fans excitedly queuing up in the cold winter of 1996, hoping to get their hands on tickets for the band’s sold-out shows at Manchester City’s Maine Road stadium.
“Queuing in person had its charm,” admitted Jon Shard.
“I felt privileged to capture the dedication of fans willing to stay out all night and brave the cold. Getting the ticket was an event itself, almost a rite of passage for fans.”
Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 opens in Manchester for free next week / Credit: Kimpton Clocktower Hotel (Supplied)
Giving visitors a deeper insight into the world of sold-out shows, as well as the magic of Oasis and their music over the years, the new exhibition will also feature a ‘Fan Wonderwall’ with archive images from 1994-97 of fans attending gigs, spanning from pre-smart phone gig-videos, through to their latest performances.
“It’s a privilege to play a part in the city welcoming the Gallagher brothers home,” commented David Lockhart, who is the General Manager of Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, ahead of the exhibition opening next week.
“The photographs by Jon Shard offer a glimpse into a defining moment in Manchester’s music history, and we’re proud to share this with our guests and the city.”
Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 is open to the public from 7pm on Wednesday 2 July on the walls of Refuge at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
At to make it even more worth the trip, the first 50 visitors to the exhibition will also receive a free limited edition zine, so they can take a piece of Oasis history home with them.
Featured Image – Jon Shard (Supplied via Kimpton Clocktower Hotel & British Culture Archive)
Danny Jones -
23rd April 2025 
