Every year, International Women’s Day (IWD) marks an opportunity to come together and reflect on the many incredible achievements of women, as well as question ways to offer further support to marginalised groups and fight for real equality.
Here in Manchester, the proud home of the Suffragette movement that was key in winning votes for women, we have a long history of pushing the envelope on civil rights issues – so it only makes sense that we celebrate IWD in style.
We’ve picked out some of our favourite events going on in the city to mark the day. Keep reading to discover where to go in Manchester on International Women’s Day 2023.
International Women’s Day Beer Showcase at Port Street Beer House
Credit: John Clarke
What is it: A celebration of all things women and all things beer, with a beer and food pairing.
Port Street Beer House will host an International Women’s Day Beer Showcase this week, where female-brewed beers will be poured and served alongside a food pairing from Nell’s Pizza.
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One of those beers on the menu will be Boudica’s Chariot, a special beer created at Salford’s Strange Times Brewing Co by members of Manchester Crafty Beer Girls, women from across the city’s hospitality sector, and others from further afield.
What is it: Free pop-up performances around Manchester from string quartet group Vulva Voce.
The genre-defying string quartet group Vulva Voce will be springing up around the city centre for a series of free performances, each one made up of music composed by women, spanning from the Renaissance period to the present day.
They’ll choose culturally significant sites around the city, including the Whitworth Art Gallery (12.30pm and 1.30pm), Manchester Art Gallery (3pm), the Emmeline Pankhurst Statue (4pm), the Pankhurst Centre (5.45pm) and Whiskey Jar (9pm).
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All of the events are free and open to the public, apart for the performance at the Pankhurst Centre, which is part of their International Women’s Day programming.
What is it: Hundreds of women and supporters of women from all over will demonstrate their support for International Women’s Day as they proudly walk through the city centre.
Manchester’s Walk for Women will return to the city centre on Saturday 4 March to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023.
The walk will begin outside Manchester Cathedral on Victoria Street, meeting at 12noon for a 12:30pm start. It will go through the city centre, ending up outside Central Library in St Peters Square. Large groups, businesses and organisations are encouraged to get involved and register for an official place in the Walk for Women.
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The length of the walk is approximately 1.11km, with rest stops along the way and dropped kerbs for wheelchair access.
In previous years, the city has seen thousands of women and supporters of women flood to Manchester city centre to share their passion for equality.
The story of Lydia Becker at the Pankhurst Centre
What is it: An evening full of music, talk, good company and lots of inspiration at the birthplace of the suffragette movement.
On Wednesday 8 March (6pm to 8pm), The Pankhurst Centre is celebrating the legacy of one of the leaders of the suffrage movement with a talk about Lydia Becker (1827-1890) to mark International Women’s Day 2023.
Guests will be welcomed by music from all-female string quartet Vulva Voce before hearing a reading from author Joanna M Williams, who will be bringing her book The Great Miss Lydia Becker: Suffragist, Scientist and Trailblazer from the page to the Pankhurst parlour.
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The founding of the Manchester Women’s Suffrage Committee was one of many firsts by Lydia, whose influence was such that by the time of her death in 1890 the enfranchisement of women was seen as a distinct possibility.
What is it: A week long festival at street food hub GRUB from the 8-12 of March.
The Fest will showcase great local street food, drinks, music, art, shopping, comedy, spoken word, film and more from feminist and female-owned businesses.
Find food from the likes of Bee Kind Bakery, Desert Island Dumplings, Hoi Polloi Street Kitchen, Nina’s Taco Truck, Seitan’s Kebab and Tiny Beast Bakes.
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Plus dumpling rolling masterclasses, open mic storytelling, girl power disco bingo, a feminist pop-up market and more.
What is it: An all-female line-up of DJs, performers and songwriters taking over Brickhouse Social until 2am.
Beth Donovan has curated a free evening packed with the city’s best DJs, artists and songwriters, ready to take over Brickhouse Social for a night.
And while tickets are free, all the money raised on the evening (including the £2.50 pizza slices served all night) will be donated to The Pankhurst Trust.
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You can expect two floors of gorgeous entertainment, from a giant party in the main bar from 9.30pm to DJs keeping the dance floor busy all the way to 2am.
What is it: An inclusive event of live spoken storytelling taking place on International Women’s Day to give a platform to captivating true stories on the lived experiences of women.
Taking place at Feel Good Club on Wednesday 8 March at 6.30pm, guests can enjoy a curated line up of storytellers as well as a couple of open-mic spaces for newbies.
From the isolation of a debilitating illness, the seriousness of clown school and a lifechanging pilgrimage to Mecca, the storytellers will share personal and candid journeys on the lived experience of being a woman, with the importance of connection at their core.
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Tickets are a donation to The Pankhurst Trust and can be reserved here.
MediaCity launches brand new state-of-the-art creative content space
Danny Jones
Exciting times for Greater Manchester and young talent as a brand-new state-of-the-art content creation space has just launched over in Salford.
Over the past decade, MediaCity has become a highly celebrated creative and cultural hub, home to the likes of the BBC, ITV, Lowry and more.
It’s become more than just an outpost accessible via a short tram ride but a true heavyweight of the media and creative industries here in the UK, always looking to expand and push the boundaries.
Now, following the completion of its latest project, MediaCity looking to provide a space for future generations of content creators and aspiring media makers.
Credit: MediaCity (supplied)
This brand new £600,000 state-of-the-art content creation space marks a huge milestone in MediaCity’s continuing journey as not just a Northern hub for digital and creative innovation, but a go-to national destination for future media.
Designed to cater to the growing climate of cutting-edge content creation and offer a professional workspace at an accessible rate, Content Studio provides a range of versatile creative spaces, including light, dark and podcast studios – perfect for video and stills production, castings, photoshoots and more.
Curated by University of Salford alumni Ashley Salmon the studio has been designed to meet the needs of modern content creators, influencers, social media stars, brands and businesses of all kinds.
Promising to offer both a dynamic and inspiring space where people can produce high-quality and innovative content while fostering a supportive creative community, this place aims to live up to Greater Manchester’s media reputation: industry-leading.
The Content Studio will also be made accessible to students and creatives spending time over at the MediaCity campus, with a good chunk of the core production team including recent graduates from the University, giving them a valuable platform to showcase their skills and kickstart their careers.
Credit: Supplied
For the first time, creators will have access to a range of industry-quality facilities at an affordable rate, with spaces starting from just £10 per hour – a super reasonable price point, especially these days.
To further enhance the creative process, MediaCity has partnered with experienced on-site production companies to ensure every booking is fully equipped with all the facilities for seamless content creation.
Boasting everything from infinity walls and green screens to cameras, audio gear, props and pretty much everything you’d ever need.
To make things even sweeter, hiring the content creation space also comes with the option of one-on-one consultations, so creators can focus on creating rather than coordinating.
Even those who require significantly more space and tech requirements will be able to make use of the neighbouring dock10 studios.
Through a partnership with local creative community group Heads, creators will also have plenty of access to exclusive workshops and upskilling opportunities, ensuring they stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Credit: Supplied
The MediaCity Content Studio isn’t just another content creation/production space – Greater Manchester has tonnes of those – it’s also an exciting new outlet for new talent, collaboration, innovation and inspiration, not to mention an investment in the future.
Anyone working out of the space will have the tools to carve their own path and help shape the future of entertainment and digital media in the North and beyond.
To mark the launch of the new content creation space, MediaCity is even introducing a new podcast, This is MediaCity in partnership with University of Salford and produced by Stephen Chapman, Founder and Creative Director of 39 Pictures.
The podcast is set to spotlight the people and stories that make this particular corner of 0161 the creative powerhouse we know, love and remain immensely proud of.
Director of Marketing and Place at MediaCity, Caroline Aikman, said of the exciting project: “Content Studio represents our commitment to nurturing the next generation of digital creators and innovators.
“By providing the tools, spaces, and inspiration, we’re not just supporting the future of content—we’re empowering it. This marks an exciting chapter in MediaCity’s journey, cementing our reputation as the go-to destination for digital creativity.”
Trains halted after car crashes onto Manchester to Liverpool line in Salford
Danny Jones
There is set to be some significant travel chaos for the remainder of the day after a car crashed onto a section of the train tracks in Salford, resulting in major rail delays.
At present, all trains running along the line between Manchester city centre and Liverpool have been cancelled while the vehicle is removed from the tracks.
The incident is said to have occurred in the early hours of Friday morning (7 February) and while the exact details surrounding the crash are still scarce, the car landed on its roof and the driver has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.
These were the scenes late last night/this morning:
#ARREST | We responded to a collision on Regents Road in #Salford this morning at around 2am, following reports of a road traffic collision involving one car on the railway line near Regents Road roundabout.
According to reports, the 30-year-old is said to have been rushed to the hospital for further assessment, though their injuries are not thought to be serious.
Fortunately, there were no other drivers involved in the accident which took place at around 2am on the roundabout at Regent Road in Salford.
Nevertheless, the Greater Manchester rail network and beyond will still be impacted well after the car has been removed from the tracks.
Transpennine Express has stated that travellers can expect disruption until around 1pm at the earliest but with the knock-on effect cancellation and delays will have on local lines, not to mention the congestion that will follow on further North West lines and other public transport, the situation is less than ideal.
You can see more footage from the scene this morning down below:
‼️There’s major disruption to the trains between Manchester and Liverpool this morning – after a car smashed into train tracks in #Salford.
Providing the latest updates to passengers online, Northern Assist has stated that those “Liverpool Lime Street who require Manchester Victoria/Piccadilly/Oxford Rd can travel via Warrington Bank Quay. Passengers at Manchester stations who require Lime Street can travel via Warrington Bank Quay.
“Passengers at Chester who require Manchester Victoria can travel via Stockport or alternatively travel on Transport for Wales services between Chester and Newton Le Willows where a bus service will operate towards Manchester Victoria…
“Passengers at Manchester Piccadilly who require Chester can travel via Stockport or alternatively, travel to Manchester Victoria, where a replacement bus service is operating to Newton le Willows and travel on the next available Transport for Wales service to Chester. Ticket acceptance is in place with Transport For Wales, via any reasonable route.”
Fingers crossed that the car is removed from the track promptly, the debris is cleared up as quickly as possible and the situation in Salford is resolved soon – keep your eyes peeled on social media for information on services.
⚠️If you are travelling between #liverpool and #Manchester today please be aware of disruption due to a police incident