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.
Dispute over Manichester now ‘resolved’, say Mounfield family
Danny Jones
The family of the late, great Manchester musician, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, have said that the drama surrounding the highly-anticipated tribute festival in his name, Manichester, has now thankfully been settled.
Now the focus can once again return to remembering him as best as possible.
Following plenty of talk about the project following his passing late last year, a live music festival honouring Mani was finally confirmed in March, and the reaction following the event’s announcement has been unsurprisingly phenomenal.
Well, at least for the most part, as there was also some confusion over whether or not Manichester was still a charitable effort as advertised, with son Gene Mounfield disputing claims online. Fortunately, it all seems to have been put to bed now.
On behalf of the boys, and as their legal guardian, I want to thank everyone for the kind messages and concern for their wellbeing. There was a misunderstanding regarding the upcoming Manichester tribute concert, but we’re pleased to share that everything has now been resolved. pic.twitter.com/j8jEMrFzsD
Being organised by Madchester.com and locally-founded fashion label, GIOGOI, the debut edition was said to have the total blessing of Mani’s family, including his brother, Greg Mounfield.
It was also said that the funds raised by the show would be going to the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassists’ twins, George and Gene, but the latter recently argued that “nothing” was going to either him or his brother and that the news was “dropped” the plans just a fortnight prior.
Gene also said that “if it was a charity gig it would be at Co-op [Live] or Heaton Park, and it would be done by SJM [Concerts]”: a Manchester-based promoters and events company.
All of this was also wrapped up in ever more paper talk and sensationalism, as some were reporting that Noel and Liam Gallagher, as well as other members of Oasis, would be surprising fans as the still yet to be revealed ‘major headliner’.
These rumours have since been quashed, as has whatever miscommunication caused the misunderstanding between the parties concerned, and we are now back to simply looking forward to seeing an already stacked lineup here in the city centre this May.
Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene (a fellow bassist who also tours with Richard Ashcroft) is helping organise and will also be performing on the night itself. As for the surviving Mounfields, they went on to add in an accompanying Instagram post: “We would also like to express our gratitude to PH.
“It means a great deal to all of us that so many people loved Mani enough to give their time and energy to honour his memory in this way. We are genuinely touched by the support.
“It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the boys and for our whole family. We hope this event will bring some much‑needed joy and create new, positive memories for everyone who cared about him.
“With love and thanks – The Family”
It goes without saying that we can’t wait for this city and Greater Manchester as a whole to honour a Manc icon and are looking forward to another year celebrating the thing that never fails to bring us all together: music.
Featured Images — livepict.com (via Wikimedia Commons)/Publicity pictures (supplied)
Manchester
The Speak In Code team ‘Double Down’ on their cocktail making craft with new basement bar
Danny Jones
Just over on Jackson’s Row, an often overlooked side street in Manchester city centre, cult favourite late-night drinking spot and cocktail connoisseurs, Speak In Code, have just launched a new basement bar called Double Down, and it’s already living up to its title.
Taking that moniker seriously, not just in name but by nature, Double Down is an entirely new concept that is centred around just a few core but simple pillars: really good drinks, great service, and strictly “no gimmicks”; they save all that for behind the curtain.
Oh, and hip-hop – they love great, old school hip-hop, and it really does add to the overall levels of chill.
There’s a lot of focus and decades of expertise that go into this place, but fortunately, they’ve done all the work for you, and far ahead of time, meaning you don’t have to think; you can just drink.
If you’ve been to SiC, it’ll feel familiar, but they’re taking things a step further (Credit: The Manc Group)
In here, cocktails aren’t just treated like part of the menu or even ‘an art’, as so many places claim these days: this is pure science and craftsmanship approached with the utmost calm and precision, and it shows in the whole experience.
From freezing and carefully cutting their own ice with a rather large state-of-the-art machine and batching their own mixes served on tap – you heard us right – to perfecting aromatics and distillates with chemistry set-ups that Heisenberg would be proud of, we were blown away by the attention to detail.
They’re even training up an ex-alum from another award-winning bar in Manchester to specifically become their ice expert, with each different type of cube, ball, oblong, crush, etc. adding its own effect.
Seriously, it’s the real deal in here…
For instance, all of their various and equally delicious mixes are kept at different pressures and temperatures on separate taps. It takes 28 hours in the full cycle, but just six seconds to pour, saving everyone time so they can crack on with the good times.
We’ve seen the ‘pornstar martini on draught’-type approach before, but nothing quite like this.
There’s a whole workshop with chemistry flasks and beakers behind creating these. (Credit: The Manc)
As well as monitoring the gauges on a regular cycle like clockwork and preparing literal gallons’ worth of the stuff in advance, they’ve also got single lines for everything (yes, even the Guinness), so not a drop is anything less than perfection.
They still, of course, have very gifted bartenders making things in front of you for those who love watching magicians at work, but these batched drinks are designed not only to maximise flavour but also the amount of time you spend with your people, sipping your bevs and enjoying the truly charming room.
It’s also more than capable of turning the party levels up when called upon; the hope is that the capacity will soon jump up above 140, plus they’re already gearing up to replace some of the tables and chairs with extra comfy booths, bank seating and other 1970s-influenced flourishes.
Best of all, although this is a super stylish and laid-back, mid-century modern space, with low-lit vibes – not to mention the utmost lo-fi soundtrack you’ll find in town – you’re invited to take as much interest in the full process as you like.
They don’t just love this stuff; they live for it, and to repeat a phrase that the team themselves have taken to using, your job is simple: “Don’t think, just drink.”
You’ll have to visit for yourself and walk over ‘The Well’. (Credit: The Manc)
Georgina Pellant -
3rd March 2023 
