For a number of reasons, we know that Father’s Day can be a difficult time for some, especially as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to stick around and so many of us still may not be able to spend time the quality time with our loved ones that we so wish – but for those who are fortunate enough to have a father figure in their lives, this is a special day to celebrate a special person.
With just over a week to go before it’s finally here, plenty of independent businesses right across the region are pulling out all the stops, launching deals and stocking up on gifts galore ready for the big day.
Father’s Day gives us yet another chance to support local our local businesses as they continue to find their feet and navigate new ground.
If you’re looking for some gift inspiration, or a unique way to spend the day, here’s some of the best we’ve seen.
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Gifts
From hand-crafted sweet treats and a tapas tasting experience, to luxury themed hampers and so much more, there’s a lot to choose to from.
Hip Flask
Father’s Day Craft Beer Box
£20
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPamEYQFYoO/
The perfect gift for any Manc dad.
Independent drinks delivery company Hip Flask is inviting you to “give the gift of beer this Father’s Day” with a curated box filled with Manchester’s finest craft beers.
Featuring tasty beers from a selection of Manchester’s best breweries, this is a gift for the Dads out there that were wetting your head whilst you were being born, with each box containing six craft beers, as well as a specially-designed card and the option to add a free personalised message at checkout.
“Leave the socks – get them something they actually want this year”.
You can place your order in time for Father’s Day here.
Tillys Fudge
Father’s Day Belgian Box
£24.50
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPx6sDanuPx/
If there’s one thing that independent Manchester-based company Tillys Fudge knows, it’s that “dads love fudge”, so it’s put together a delicious ‘Belgian Box’ filled with a selection of fan-favourite flavours especially for Father’s Day.
Each box contains a mixture of Belgian chocolate shapes filled with, Malted Madness, vanilla, rum & raisin, mint, orange, Lotus Biscoff, and butterscotch – and you also get to select one full size bar which is stamped with a ‘Happy Father’s Day’ message, choosing from salted caramel or brandy.
There’s only a limited amount available, and you can place your order in time for Father’s Day here.
DrinkWell
Father’s Day IPA Bundle
£18.95
DrinkWell
Especially for the IPA lovers this Father’s Day, DrinkWell is offering an exclusive bundle of 10 DrinkWell Heracles IPA’s, alongside a DrinkWell bar blade, two DrinkWell Beer Glasses and a bottle cooler chucked in for free.
The brand new DrinkWell IPA has seen the brand take everything it’s learned about low carb beer over the past eight years to create its own, and with over 35% fewer calories than other IPAs, this is the first “reduced calorie and carb IPA” ever produced in the UK.
You can place your order in time for Father’s Day here.
Hotel Football
Football Lover’s Hamper
£100
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPDDFwEtWdB/
Is your old man a United fan?
Manchester’s iconic football-themed hotel has got you covered then, as you can give your dad “the ultimate football lover’s gift” of a Father’s Day hamper filled to the brim with all things Hotel Football, Cafe Football, and Class Of 92.
As well as whole host of exciting gifts and memorabilia, each hamper also comes with the extra special addition of a Stanley Chow caricature print of, and signed by, your dad’s favourite CO92 player.
You can even upgrade the hamper to include the Lunch & Tour or Tea & Tour vouchers – offering a great dining experience overlooking Old Trafford, followed by a tour of the iconic stadium and museum.
You can place your order in time for Father’s Day here.
Abeja Tapas
Abeja Board-in-a-Box
£22.50 – £38
Abeja Tapas
Abeja Tapas’ “indulgent tapas boxes” are perfect for showing your dad “how much you love him in style and making him feel really special” as they are made up of selected products from independent producers from Granada. Manchester’s smallest tapas bar has established direct relationships with many local artisans to bring only the tastiest and truly authentic produce of southern Spain.
All tapas hampers are beautifully-prepared by hand, and are wrapped up in eco-friendly or compostable packaging, and can be ordered for collection or UK-wide delivery.
You can place your order in time for Father’s Day here.
Decent Drop
Father’s Day Gift Boxes
£25 – £50
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPuvEabNlJF/
Here’s your chance to show your appreciation through wine, cheese and more.
Whether it’s your dad, someone else’s dad, or someone you wish was your dad, independent Manchester-based company Decent Drop has got a few great options lined up to make Father’s Day extra special.
Depending on your budget, you can chose from the Bearded Trio (£25) – with comes with x3 Trashumante wines, with handsome bearded chaps on the label – the Wine & Cheese Gift Box (£25) – which comes with one bottle of wine, 2 x 150g cheeses, and a miniature of whisky – or the Dad Box Special (£50) – which comes with x3 bottles of wine, 3 x 150g cheeses, a miniature of whisky and port and a cut glass whisky tumbler.
You can place your order in time for Father’s Day here.
Nibble NQ
Father’s Day Collection
£19.50 – £50
Nibble NQ
If your dad’s got a sweet tooth, then Nibble NQ’s got you covered this Father’s Day, with everything from treat boxes filled with a wide variety of cakes, to at-home afternoon teas (with a vegan option also available), brunch hampers, brownie boxes, and so much more, all made with love and available for UK-wide delivery.
You can place your order in time for Father’s Day here.
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Activities
If experiences and making memories are on the top of your agenda instead, we’ve picked out some of the best things to do and deals to take advantage in Manchester this Father’s Day.
Food Sorcery
Big & Little Cooks – Father’s Day
£120
Food Sorcery
Didsbury’s very own cookery school Food Sorcery is offering the chance to work with a dedicated chef and join them for an “inspiring afternoon” of parents and children cooking together on Father’s Day.
This class is about spending time together doing an activity which requires working as a team.
With a bunch of different options on the menu – featuring everything from homemade pasa carbonara, to plaited loaves and chicken cordon bleu – you will prepare a main course, a side dish and dessert, before it’s then time to enjoy your meal together.
All ingredients, refreshments and glass of wine or beer for the adults will be included in the ticket price – and you can book onto the Father’s Day class here.
Point Blank Shooting
Father’s Day Bottomless Brunch
£35pp
https://www.instagram.com/p/COFpG0TrJT5/
If you’re looking for a unique way to spend Father’s Day in the city centre, then Point Blank Manchester’s ‘Bottomless Brunch’ definitely fits the bill.
In an attempt to “make Sundays as cool as Saturdays”, the shooting simulator bar’s 90-minute bottomless brunch events take place every weekend and combine pizza, prosecco, beer and shooting all rolled into one – but especially for Father’s Day, all dads will be able to get a gun upgrade free of charge.
You can find more information and book onto the Father’s Day event here.
Nelson’s Distillery
Gin & Vodka School / Talk & Taste
£20 – £155
Nelson’s Distillery
Nelson’s Distillery at Clayton Hotel Manchester has a selection of events that are a perfect gift / experience for Father’s Day.
As part of the Gin & Vodka School experience – which runs from 1-5pm – attendees get to make one 70cl bottle of Gin/Vodka per still, taste three of Nelsons Gins with tonic each, enjoy an afternoon tea-style lunch provided by the hotel, as well as have a talk about the social history of gin.
The Talk & Taste sessions are a one-hour condensed version of this experience, which also include the chance to taste three of Nelsons Gins with tonic each.
You can book your tickets as a Father’s Day gift here.
Rendition
Father’s Day Selected Menu
Rendition MCR
One of the city centre’s newest independent eateries, Rendition – a premium restaurant and bar aiming to revolutionise the Manchester food and drink scene – opened it’s doors earlier this month, and is offering up a selected menu of some of its classic dishes especially for Father’s Day.
Inspired by the “desire to celebrate regional ingredients”, Rendition serves locally-sourced and inspired dishes that champion British produce.
Highlights of the modern British menu include locally-sourced oysters served with shallots, vinegar, tabasco and lemon, North Yorkshire potato croquettes and tomato jam – which are both designed for the table to share – and so much more.
The Father’s Day selected menu will be served up from 12 – 4pm, and then the restaurant’s full menu will be available from 4pm – late.
Father’s Day also happens to fall on the day where the group stage of European football’s flagship tournament Euro 2020 continues, so for any dad who’s a footie fan, there couldn’t be a better way to spend a day in the city centre.
While England may not be playing on Father’s Day itself, there’ll still be screenings of Sunday’s fixtures in a number of venues, as Manchester is a city that’s obsessed with football, so understandably, there’s plenty of places going all out for it this year.
If you’re looking for recommendations for some of the best places to catch a match with your dad this Father’s Day, we’ve knuckled down and done the leg work for you.
You can find 20 of the best spots to watch Euro 2020 in Manchester city centre here.
Sunday Roast
Manchester City Centre
The Refuge
What’s a Sunday without a roast dinner?
A roast is held dear to the hearts of many Mancunians, as this quintessentially British meal marks a time to gather your nearest and dearest around the table to tuck into one of the heartiest meals you’ll probably have all week – and there’s no better time to do that than on Father’s Day.
We’re absolutely spoiled for choice when it comes to independent eateries to enjoy a roast in across our region, but considering this day is all about the father figures in our life, why not let dad pick?
Are you after some roast recommendations? We’ve picked out eight of the best places in Manchester city centre to choose from here.
Featured Image – Hip Flask
Manchester
What we know about Oasis’ Heaton Park reunion shows based on their first comeback gig in Cardiff
Danny Jones
Ok, so there’s no more need to pinch ourselves or double-take every time we check our phone: Oasis aren’t just back together, they’ve now kicked off the reunion and following those incredible Cardiff scenes, we’re already thinking about what this means for their Heaton Park homecoming.
There simply isn’t a brick-and-mortar Manchester venue big enough to hold as many Manc fans as want, need and deserve to see them back on stage after waiting all this time, so it’s only fitting that barely a month on from Parklife, the massive outdoor space will welcome us all back to witness history.
Quite literally millions of people tuned into various livestreams on Friday evening to see Oasis return at the Principality Stadium, so lots of you will have already seen plenty from the colossal concert – including that bald bloke balancing a pint on his head – but there was, understandably, a lot to take in.
So, with that being said, here’s what we hope, we think, we know about Oasis’ highly anticipated Heaton Park shows based solely on the details we gleaned from Cardiff night one.
The timings (roughly)
For starters, one of the most important things fans will be hoping to know is when Oasis got back on stage, as well as the set times of the other ‘Live ’25‘ support acts.
Liam, as per usual, was the mouthier of the two Gallagher brothers and let the cat out of the bag early on X (Twitter), before being clearly told off by management and deleting the details shortly after; still, it was confirmed that the main event for Friday and Saturday night gets underway at 8:15pm.
However, these things are always subject to change, as both Richard Aschroft and Cast were slightly premature on night one in Cardiff, and who knows what other arenas will be like for the rest of the reunion tour?
Another big debate online that has raged ever since the Oasis reunion was confirmed is the subject of what they’re going to play from their extensive catalogue.
Obviously, most people could rattle off most of the all-time favourites and cobbble together a pretty decent ‘greatest hits’ of Oasis setlist, but people have been more concerned with what the opener, closing track, and encore will be.
Having watched all of these moments back multiple times already, we can confirm the first track was the classic intro ‘F***in’ in the Bushes’, as many fans suspected, followed by ‘Hello’ as the first full song, rather fittingly.
As for the last track in the main running order, the crowd got to bounce up and down to ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ before the legendary ‘Champagne Supernova’ beckoned the very end of the first night in Cardiff.
— The Rock Revival (@TheRockRevival_) July 4, 2025
They’ll still be reactive
That being said, this inaugural comeback show was somewhat of a pilot for the rest of the ‘Live ’25 world tour, which now totals more than 40 dates, and any good artist knows that tweaking the setlist from show to show can be key to not only to success, but keeping things fresh for you and the audience.
As a result, we wouldn’t be surprised if you see Oasis mix things up as the nights roll on, especially when playing multiple gigs in the same city as they’re doing pretty much everywhere for this reunion.
That flexibility isn’t just limited to song choice either: Liam did his famous twist on the ‘Wonderwall’ lyrics and told the crowd, “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t speak Welsh”, and in case you haven’t seen it already, they also took a moment to honour a late Liverpool star.
There were lots of little details on night one in Cardiff, but this was a very nice touch from Oasis.
A bigger focus on production than ever
The glimpse at the AV presentation seen above is just a small taster too. From the various clips we’ve seen on social media over the last 24 hours or so, Oasis aren’t just back playing music together, but they’ve levelled significantly in terms of production and stage design.
Now, if you’ve ever been to see either of the brothers’ solo shows, you’ll know that football and, more specifically, references to Man City, often feature at some point.
Noel, in particular, has maintained a strong City presence in his set, be it the blue colour palette, the MCFC badge, or even a tall cut-out of manager Pep Guardiola half during most High Flying Birds gigs.
Cardiff night one was no different as his LG instructed the crowd to turn around and do the familiar ‘Poznan’ celebration regularly seen up in the stands of the Etihad Stadium.
Gallagher brothers kick off Oasis world tour with Cardiff show, as Liam tells fans 'do the poznan'.
It was bits of comedy like this that’s been one of the biggest part we’ve missed about Oasis; both Liam and Noel have always been very humorous in their own ways over the years, but they were never funnier than in those old clips you see of them cracking each other up in their younger days.
Despite being estranged for more than a decade and a half and who knows how many years of bad blood overall, they look to have at least put it to one side and what was once a combative back and forth from a distance has circled back around to brotherly banter – or at least we hope it has.
We’re not going to pretend they absolutely adore all of a sudden, but they’re at least trying and recognising each other’s roles.
As you can see, those snaps of them smiling during the first reunion photo shoot back together don’t appear to be just for show.
Seeing the two of them walk out holding hands sent the internet into an absolute frenzy of emotion and had people joking that they were finally going to message their own troublesome relative and at least try to mend fences.
But that was just one small moment.
The duo have always admired and respected their respective talents, but for the first time in even longer than the 16-year hiatus itself, it seems like there’s some genuine love there again. See for yourself:
They’re still as massive as they ever were – if not more so
All this is to say that, in short, Oasis’ first comeback show in Cardiff isn’t just the start of the ‘Live ’25 reunion tour that will span the globe, it’s also confirmation of something people began to question in their lengthy absence…
They really are the biggest and, in so many people’s opinions (including our own), the greatest rock band of all time.
From what we can tell, it feels like one of those watershed music moments where you have be there in person to truly see and believe it – not to be part of some exclusive ‘I was there’ comeback, but because we can’t thing of any other reunion that has had this kind of impact.
Roll on the five nights at Heaton Park and strap in, folks, because you will never forget it.
I've never felt so excited about a gig I didn't even have a ticket for! I'm so glad you had a great time, the clips I've seen looked INCREDIBLE.
Featured Images — Oasis (via X)/Finnlay K (via Instagram)
Manchester
Grassroots music venue The Yard announces new outdoor festival – and it’s got a great name
Thomas Melia
City centre grassroots music venue The Yard has just announced its new outdoor festival, where you can expect lots of impressive local live music.
Independent and grassroots music venue, The Yard, is known for hosting some of the best gigs, creative events and live music in the city, and this festival is no different.
Titled ‘Stranger Ways’ – if you don’t get that reference, then we don’t know what to tell you – anyone attending can expect to hear music that champions Manchester’s indie spirit, with a lot of local talent represented in the lineup.
Alex Spencer is set to headline day one of Stranger Ways Festival.The Yard is a brilliant venue known for hosting a variety of live music events.Credit: Supplied
This talent has seen praise from the likes of Lady Gaga and The Coral, even getting his track ‘Nightmares’ featured in EA Sports FC25 (FIFA).
They’ve seen massive success this year playing at the Isle of Wight Festival earlier this summer and supporting ‘Every Breath You Take’ penman Sting in Cardiff.
Another of our picks for Manc artists of the month for June, Arkayla. Named after “a terrible Oasis demo” from 1991, the band will be stopping by to sing a couple of their hits, too.
The band are already making waves, quite literally, receiving plays from one of the biggest rock radio stations in the UK, Radio X.
Wigan band The Lilacs are set to headline day two of Stranger Ways Festival.Arkayla are one of the headliners for The Yard’s new outdoor festival.Credit: Supplied
And of course this festival falls during Oasis’ massive reunion tour, so it would be rude not to have a tribute act, or two, performing at this outdoor festival – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Carpets and The Oasis Experience.
Now, as far as tribute bands go, that’s up there with one of the best and quietly clever names we’ve heard since we came across, well… Stranger Ways.
Speaking of Oasis, every ticket purchased for The Yard’s outdoor festival, Stranger Ways, gets entered into a prize draw to win tickets for one of the Burnage boys’ Wembley gigs with an overnight stay.
Stranger Ways Festival is taking place at The Yard across 19 and 20 July – To access the full lineup and grab your tickets, you can find everything you need to know HERE.
Anyone who has managed to bag themselves those precious Oasis tickets is in luck too, as if you can show proof on arrival to The Yard, you can guarantee yourself free entry.
Emily Sergeant -
11th June 2021 
