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AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021 The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 2 – 8 March 2026
Emily Sergeant
A new month is here, and we’re starting to see the first signs of spring popping up.
March is here, and as the days get lighter and the temperatures a little warmer, we’re really not short of exciting events and activities to be getting up to right across Greater Manchester this week – with everything from world-class theatre shows, family science festivals, and so much more happening this week.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? No worries. We’ve chosen a few of the highlights for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
Both free things and those that’ll set you back a few pennies are featured.
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Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 2 March – onwards
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Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos has made its world premiere at the Science and Industry Museum, and is inviting visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System.
Fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition encouraging visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition propels families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
Find out more and book your tickets here.
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Museum of Illusions
Market Street
Monday 2 March – onwards
Looking to escape the elements and have your mind boggled this spring? Sounds like a trip to Museum of Illusions is on the cards then.
It’s time to let your competitive side out – get ready to experience the city’s most unique attraction like never before. Race through the vortex, create the best mirror image, and complete the brain gym the fastest to win the dazzling trophy at the end.
Whether you’re team building with your work lot, or taking your mates for a bit of healthy competition, it’s a great one to have a go at.
Check out our recent visit👇
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Mean Girls The Musical
Manchester Opera House
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Monday 2 – Saturday 7 March
Mean Girls The Musical has arrived in Manchester, kicking off its UK tour in our city and landing on the legendary Manchester Opera House stage last week.
Just like the film, the musical follows Regina, Gretchen, and Karen, otherwise known as ‘The Plastics’ of North Shore High, as they meet homeschooled new girl, Cady Heron, as finds out that high school is a whole new level of savage.
When Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a queen bee without getting stung.
Expect iconic characters, razor-sharp wit, and killer songs.
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Find out more and get tickets here.
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LOWRY 360
The Lowry
Monday 2 March – onwards
L.S. Lowry’s iconic masterpiece ‘Going to the Match’ is being brought to life right before your eyes in this brand-new exhibition now open at The Lowry.
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LOWRY 360 is an immersive experience forming part of the legendary The Lowry theatre’s 25th anniversary programme, and it means that, for the first time ever, you can see one of Manchester’s most famous paintings by, arguably, the city’s most famous artist come to life through sight and sound.
Better yet, after you’ve immersed yourself in this incredible experience, then you can then see the actual painting in the full gallery – Modern Life: The LS Lowry Exhibition.
Find out more here.
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Ever fancied learning to ski as an adult?
Ski season is officially here, the Winter Olympics have well and truly entertained us, and people are jetting off to the slopes left, right, and centre. But if you’ve never been skiing before, and you’re heading on your first ski holiday, luckily you can learn the ropes here at Manchester’s very-own Snow Centre first.
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Over a two-hour beginner lesson here, you can learn everything from how to get your skis on, to snow ploughing… and even getting back up again after falling over.
Our Amy’s currently on her first-ever ski holiday this week, so we took her for her initial lesson👇
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NEW OPENING – Le Coq Boutique
Northern Quarter
Le Coq Boutique has just landed in the Northern Quarter, and it’s doing one thing and one thing properly.
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And that ‘thing’ is 24-hour brined, butter-basted roast chicken, cooked to perfection and finished with your choice of sauce.
Our personal favourite was the Buffalo, but there’s everything from chicken jus, to herby butter, and so much more to pick from. And then for sides, think crispy, fluffy hash browns topped with pecorino foam, labneh carrots. Divine.
And yes… you can wash it all down with chicken wine, because they’ve got bottles of the stuff. If you’re bored of basic roasts and dry chicken, then this is your upgrade.
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NEW OPENING – Jayde Spa
Manchester City Centre
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A huge jacuzzi pool, sauna, steam room, cold plunge, and lounge pods – and all a five-minute walk from Manchester Victoria? Jayde Spa has just opened to the public for the first time, so you can quite literally float away from your daily grind.
There aren’t a whole lot of spa spaces in Manchester city centre, but this one is a real escape from the madness of town.
If you’re ready to relax, get yourself booked in here.
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Bubble Planet Experience
Depot Mayfield
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Monday 2 March – onwards
Manchester has welcomed a ‘dreamlike world’ filled with giant colourful bubbles, as Bubble Planet Experience is now open.
Bubble Planet Experience has already been visited by more than four million people in cities across the globe, but now it’s time for its first trip to Manchester, where it has now popped up inside Depot Mayfield, so visitors can explore 10 themed rooms, each one offering a different surreal landscape that will ‘blur the boundaries between dream and reality’.
Expect giant ball pits, giant balloons, floating soap bubbles, and an infinity room in this brand-new-for-us immersive experience.
Find out more and book your tickets here.
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Mamma Mia! The Musical
Manchester Palace Theatre
Tuesday 3 – Saturday 21 March
Here we go again… one of the most iconic stage musicals of all time, Mamma Mia!, is coming back to Manchester this week, and it’s taking to the Manchester Palace Theatre stage for an extended stay throughout the month.
There’s absolutely no denying that Mamma Mia! has millions of fans right across the globe, after all, when you take all of ABBA’s greatest hits and put them into one all-singing all-dancing show, it’s no wonder it’s so popular.
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Going from the West End to becoming a global phenomenon, this irresistibly funny show has been thrilling audiences all around the world for more than two decades.
Find out more and get your last-minute tickets here.
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FunLab
Trafford Centre
Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 March
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Families are invited to enjoy a free fun-filled weekend full of different interactive and hands-on science activities, as FunLab takes over the Trafford Centre this weekend to mark the launch of British Science Week.
The weekend-long celebration is hosted by the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester.
You can expect robots, dinosaurs, experiments, and interactive activities to be brought to life for visitors of all ages, and for completely free of charge.
Find out more here.
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Featured Image – Mamma Mia! | The Manc Group | LUMINESCENCE
A beautifully chaotic Thursday night – Rossi. at YES Pink Room for BRITs Week 2026 for War Child | Review
Harry Quick
There’s something beautifully chaotic about watching Rossi. take over a room the size of YES’s Pink Room on a midweek night in Manchester.
No towering LED walls. No Ibiza sunset backdrop. Just low ceilings, flashing pink strobes, and a crowd packed in tight enough to feel every kick drum in your ribcage.
For a DJ who has commanded renowned venues across the globe like Space Miami, Hï Ibiza, and Manchester’s very own Warehouse Project, it felt almost mischievous seeing him in a space this intimate on a Thursday night.
If you were lucky enough to grab a ticket to this instalment of the BRITs Week 2026 for War Child fringe events, you could tell early doors that whoever had one was more than ready to turn up for him. When Rossi. stepped behind the decks, taking over from the talented Olive F, who set the tone for the evening, and once the headphones were firmly sat on his curly locks, he eased us in with a rolling, groovy opener – not so subtly dripping in snippets of his biggest and best tracks. We’d have to wait for those.
His sound sits in that sweet spot between underground grit and polished punch. Tech-house, but with his own East End character. The drums feel tight and deliberate. The basslines don’t just thud, they glide.
To start us out, we were hit with a few dancey vocals filled with his hometown of London’s Grime influence, all the way to Frank Ocean’s ‘Lost’ at 125 bpm. Within minutes, the pink room was in full swing.
From there, the set unfolded like a guided tour through the different shades of Rossi.’s catalogue. Underground favourites like ‘U WONT SEE ME’ slipped into the mix with a knowing reaction from the very keen lads at the front. ‘FREAK IN THE SHEETS’ followed later, cheeky and rhythmic, drawing that half-grin from dancers absolutely going for it at the front right.
It’s easy to forget how far he’s come. A decade ago, he was carving out space in the underground. Now he’s headlining globally recognised parties like Circoloco, Music On, Paradise, and Fuse, and launching a world tour that’s been tearing through the UK, Ireland, Europe, and the US. Yet here, there was no arena ego. Just a cheeky lad going back to his roots like he’s on his CDJs in the bedroom.
Mid-set, he began to lift the energy. Brighter synths edged in with the odd jangly finger floater for good measure (that’s what I’m calling that dance move anyway!). The percussion grew punchier. The room, already warm, never quite tipped into sweatbox territory. Strangers were dancing together. Drinks were abandoned on ledges. I had realised I’d bagged the perfect vantage spot overlooking things on the ledge, in prime view of a truly fortuitous occasion.
Then came one of the night’s real eruptions. ‘High On Me’ – his breakout collaboration with Jazzy – landed like a spark in dry grass. The track, which stormed into the UK Top 20 and racked up over 20 million streams in a matter of weeks, felt enormous in a room this size.
Arms shot up. Lyrics were shouted back. For a few minutes, YES felt like the epicentre of British dance music or maybe a flashback to a ruthless TikTok doom scroll session.
But what impressed me most was the pacing. Rossi. didn’t sprint through bangers. He let grooves breathe. He allowed tension to stretch before unleashing the drop on almost every occasion. Teasing in a little snippet of an upcoming track, a few minutes before we could revel in it in full. It’s the confidence of someone who’s sold out 2,500-capacity headline shows – even breaking ticketing systems with demand – yet still understands that the magic is in the build.
As the final stretch approached, he nudged the tempo upward… and he was about to drop some serious crowd pleasers.
LEDs dampened. Darkness fell. The murmurings of ‘Lady – Hear Me Tonight’ rose in unison with the crowd’s curiosity. It didn’t take long until the entire gaff was going mental. Just pure, euphoric house music.
And to finish, with his headphones resting against the decks and mixing all said and done, he pressed play on the swan song. As ‘These Sounds Fall Into My Mind’ echoed around the room, the speakers hardly needed to be playing anymore. When he finally eased out, it felt less like an ending and more like an enticing warning shot for the summer ahead… hello, is that Ibiza calling?
Read more:
- Olivia Dean proves she deserves all her flowers with a captivating performance for BRITs Week 26 for War Child | Review
- Huge artists announce intimate charity gigs for BRITs Week 26 for War Child
- All the artists announced to perform at the BRIT Awards 2026 in Manchester
Rossi. at YES wasn’t just a warm-up for this Saturday’s big BRIT Awards, it was proof that no matter how big the stages get, he thrives in the arm-flaring closeness of a proper club room.
Global headline DJ. Underground heart.
Featured Image – Holly Pimlott (Supplied)
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