There’s a brand new event launching that coincides with Manchester Pride and it’s coming to Depot Mayfield.
Manchester Pride is adding a completely new event as part of its summer showcase which gives us one more reason to look forward to those sunny skies and warmer months.
Titled ‘Mardi Gras’, anyone interested in attending the event can expect two days of high energy live performances and unity.
The name of this new event pays homage to the origins of Manchester Pride before the celebration adopted its official title.
‘Mardi Gras’ will be hosted between two neighbouring venues, both of which are popular for their ability to create outstanding shows, Freight Island and Depot Mayfield.
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Freight Island is renowned for its use of indoor and outdoor spaces, and this two day spectacular will utilise all areas of the venue meaning everyone gets a chance to party.
Then Depot Mayfield, best-known for hosting the enormous Warehouse Project season, will also be used for Mardi Gras.
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As well as this new concept, Manchester Pride will be running its usual joyous occasions in the Gay Village.
Once again, partygoers will live get the chance to see live entertainment across two stages, including the Alan Turing Stage and the Indoor Arena, both of which are set to be electric.
Gay Village will be adorned with various decorations this summer for Pride. Credit: The Manc GroupSome of the festivities you can expect for Pride. Credit: Carl SukonikThe huge main stage at Manchester Pride Festival as 2025 tickets go on sale. Credit: The Manc Group
Guests who are looking forward to Manchester Pride can expect a roster of independent food vendors, market stalls and funfair attractions helping to celebrate the festival in style at the Gay Village Party, keeping the city’s LGBTQ+ heart at the heart of the festival.
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While Mardi Gras is expected to be a big part of the festival, Manchester Pride will also see the return of much-loved events such as the Manchester Pride Parade, Gay Village Party, The Rally, Candlelit Vigil, Superbia, Family Pride MCR, and Youth Pride MCR.
The celebration will, as usual, close with the Candlelit Vigil in Sackville Gardens on Monday 25 August, in partnership with George House Trust.
David McGovern, Chair of the board of trustees at Manchester Pride, said: “Manchester Pride has always been about pushing boundaries, creating new opportunities for people to come together, and celebrating the incredible diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Mardi Gras represents the next step in this journey. Every year our audience has grown and with that, the demand for more ways to celebrate Pride has increased. Introducing this new dedicated venue at Depot Mayfield will mean we can invite new audiences and make Pride even more accessible for all to enjoy.”
Phil Burke, Chair of the Village Licensed Business Association, said: “The VLBA is thrilled to support this exciting new addition to Manchester Pride. It’s fantastic to see the celebrations expanding across the city while keeping the Gay Village at the heart of the festival.
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“Mardi Gras was originally organised by Village venues back in the 1990s, so it’s wonderful to see our community’s rich history celebrated with this revival.
“Our members are proud to host the street parties, showcasing the brilliant LGBTQ+ venues and talent Manchester has to offer. We look forward to welcoming thousands to the Gay Village Party this August and remind attendees to purchase a ‘Gay Village Party Supporter Band’ which will give them access to all the venues within the Village, and ensures the safe delivery of the celebrations.”
Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader, Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester Pride is one of the biggest and best Pride events in the country. It gives an opportunity for Manchester residents from all walks of life to celebrate LGBT+ culture and to continue the fight for equality and against injustice. It also sees huge numbers of people visit our city and shows us in our best, most inclusive light.
“As both Manchester and the event continue to grow, we look forward to seeing Pride celebrated across even more of the city this year whilst keeping the things we value most such as the Parade and the Vigil.”
The festival will kick off on Friday 15 August lasting 10 days until Monday 25 August, featuring the notable annual parade which still champions the fight for equality.
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To register for tickets and to be on the mailing list for updates about Manchester Pride you can sign up HERE.
Featured Image: Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
Gigs & Nightlife
Drink prices for Parklife 2026 revealed, with big new discount leading to £5.04 pints
Daisy Jackson
As tens of thousands of music fans flock up to Parklife for the 2026 edition of the hit Manchester festival, the question they’ll all be asking is – what are the drink prices looking like?
Well thanks to sneak preview inside the festival site this afternoon, we can exclusively let you know exactly how much beer, wine, spirits and more will be costing you in Heaton Park this weekend.
The bars will be the same for Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts on Friday 19 June too, who’ll be performing on the main The Valley stage before Parklife kicks off.
Brand-new for this year is a cheeky trick to get a 20% discount at the bars right across Heaton Park.
That means beers could cost as little as £5.04, pre-mixed cans like White Claw could be as cheap as £6.40, and wine could be £6.80.
The new discount scheme is thanks to Parklife partnering with PayPal, so if you’re a PayPal customer you might be able to nab 20% off drink prices throughout the weekend.
To claim your discount, you’ll to sign up for a PayPal account and set up a virtual card on your phone’s wallet – then whenever you pay with that card, the discount is automatically applied.
Without it, you’re looking at between £6.30 and £7 for beers and ciders, around £12 for a spirit and mixer, and between £8 and £9 for pre-mixed cans.
Parklife 2026 drink prices
Beer and cider
Budweiser Lager – £6.70 normal / £5.36 PayPal
Corona Extra – £6.30 normal / £5.04 PayPal
Kopparberg Crisp Apple – £7 normal / £5.60 PayPal
Spirit & Mixer
Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Gordon’s London Dry Gin – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Johnnie Walker Black Label – £12 normal / £9.60 PayPal
Casamigos Blanco Tequila – £15 normal / £12 PayPal
*Double measures, single measures priced £8/10 for normal, £6.40/8 PayPal
Premixed cans
Smirnoff Ice – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
Smirnoff Miami Peach – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Smirnoff Raspberry Crush – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Captain Morgan & Pepsi Max – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Party Punch
Beatbox Blue Razzberry – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Beatbox Fruit Punch – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Beatbox Juicy Mango – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Beatbox Orange Blast – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
White Claw
White Claw Strawberry – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
White Claw Mango – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
White Claw Black Cherry – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
White Claw Natural Lime – £8 normal / £6.40 PayPal
Wine
Rose/white wine – £8.50 normal / £6.80 PayPal
Soft Drinks
Pepsi Max / Pepsi Max Cherry / 7UP Free – £3.50 normal / £2.80 PayPal
Rockstar Original / Tropical Guava – £4.25 normal / £3.40 PayPal
Lipton Peach – £4 normal / £3.20 PayPal
Still Water – £2.50 normal / £2 PayPal
Alcohol-free
Captain Morgan 0.0 with mixer – £9 normal / £7.20 PayPal
Corona Cero – £5.50 normal / £4.40 PayPal
Koppaberg Strawberry & Lime Zero – £5.50 normal / £4.40 PayPal
Blossoms announce new album and HUGE Manchester arena gig on UK tour
Emily Sergeant
Blossoms are back with a new album and UK arena tour later this year.
Tom, Joe, Josh, Charlie, and Myles – also known as Stockport’s finest, Blossoms – have today announced their sixth studio album, Songs From The Wedding Cake, alongside an upcoming UK arena tour this autumn to celebrate.
The new album and tour comes fresh off-the-back of the success of their previous studio album, Gary, named after an eight-foot fiberglass gorilla.
Songs From The Wedding Cake takes its title from a Stockport nickname for the town’s iconic Victorian town hall, which is where Tom got married. It’s an apt frame for a record built around one guiding idea – taking the ordinary moments of life and putting them through an extraordinary lens.
The result is said to be Blossoms at their ‘most expansive’ and ‘most personal’, providing an irresistible cocktail of 80s-flecked funk, heart-on-your-sleeve anthems, and dance-floor indie bangers.
Blossoms have announced a new album and a huge Manchester arena gig on UK tour / Credit: Supplied
In their own words, as taken directly from their Instagram announcement this morning, Songs From The Wedding Cake is: “What an absolute joy this record was to make. Written and recorded over the last year, it’s a collection of songs about what might seem like ordinary moments, viewed through an extraordinary lens.
“Joking about divorce, hire cars, crying at the Kardashians, Wikipedia rabbit holes, trips to The Range, falling asleep in a taxi, your arm going numb because someone’s asleep on it, the 192, being an additional driver on your wife’s insurance and losing her 20 years’ no-claims bonus (ffs), dancing in the kitchen to Grease, crying at videos of dogs on Instagram, picking up parquet flooring, saying the wrong thing, growing older together… you get the idea.”
Alongside the album, the indie rockers have also announced an accompanying UK arena tour for the autumn, and of course they’ll be stopping off in Manchester.
The lads will be taking to the Co-op Live stage on Saturday 28 November.
They’ll also be playing in other major UK cities London, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Birmingham along the way, with tickets for the tour set to go on presale next Wednesday (24 June) at 9:30am, before general sale commences on Friday, also at 9:30am.
Thomas Melia -
4th March 2025 
