Footpaths weave their way towards it, signs point at it, water cascades from it – but it’s not quite Niagara Falls… it’s the Levenshulme Waterfall.
This natural wonder in south Manchester has been described as ‘our very own slice of paradise’ and a ‘summer holiday destination’.
In fact, not too long ago, new wooden signs appeared in Highfield County Park to point people in the right direction to find the landmark.
That’s in addition to the existing Google Maps pin pointing visitors in the right direction, which has amassed more than 100 five-star reviews.
Looking at a lot of the photos of Levenshulme Waterfall without anything for scale, you might believe you’re looking up at a waterfall cascading down from towering cliffs.
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But no. The Levenshulme Waterfall is about the height of your knees.
New signsThe Levenshulme Waterfall
And while she is certainly small, the love for her in Levenshulme is mighty – and absolutely everyone is in on the joke.
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In fact, the not-very-impressive waterfall even has its own social media society, the Levenshulme Waterfall Society, which is ‘dedicated to preserving one of the UK’s most beautiful natural wonders’.
Some of its tongue-in-cheek posts have included fun facts such as: “Fun fact: the City of Manchester was originally founded over 60,000 years ago to provide housing to all the pilgrims visiting Levenshulme Waterfall. The more you know!”
In another post, they played a game of spot the difference between our little waterfall and the Falls of Rauros, a fictional waterfall from The Lord of the Rings.
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And once, they wrote: “Fun fact: along with Angel Falls and Victoria Falls, the Levenshulme Waterfall is one of the waterfalls of all time.”
Now with the official wooden signs directing visitors to the Levenshulme Waterfall, it’s become one of our city’s top attractions… and best in-jokes.
Manchester Village Pride – ticket prices, lineup, parade, and more
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Village Pride is coming home. After years of celebrations that have stretched across the city, Pride is returning to the heart of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community for four days of music, drag, culture, community and, of course, one very big party in the Gay Village.
Taking place over the August bank holiday weekend, from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August, Manchester Village Pride 2026 promises a celebration that focuses firmly on community, with a packed programme bringing together LGBTQ+ icons, local talent, drag queens, DJs, performers and artists across the Village and beyond.
The Pride Parade will once again take over Manchester’s streets on Saturday 29 August, with thousands expected to line the route as it makes its way from Liverpool Street into the city centre and towards the Gay Village.
There’s also a brand-new Pride Fringe programme, bringing LGBTQ+ film, comedy, club nights, exhibitions, walking tours, family events and more to venues across Manchester.
So whether you’re heading straight for the outdoor stages, getting involved with the parade, exploring the Fringe or simply soaking up the atmosphere around Canal Street, there’s something happening throughout the city.
Here’s everything you need to know about Manchester Village Pride 2026, including the dates and times, parade route, lineup, ticket prices, entry rules and the best of this year’s Pride Fringe.
When is Manchester Village Pride 2026?
Manchester Village Pride will take place on August bank holiday weekendThe parade will also return
As always, the Manchester Village Pride celebrations will take place over the August bank holiday weekend, filling the Gay Village for four whole days.
This year, Manchester Village Pride will take place on Friday 28, Saturday 29, Sunday 30, and Monday 31 August.
Event gates will open at 6pm on the Friday, 12pm on both Saturday and Sunday, and 10am on Monday for the Family Fun Day.
The main outdoor stages will wrap up earlier, but the party in venues around the Gay Village will continue into the early hours – naturally.
Manchester Village Pride Parade info
The Manchester Village Pride Parade will return in 2026, weaving its way all throughout the city streets on Saturday 29 August.
This year’s theme is ‘No Place Like Home’, an apt choice as the celebrations return to their spiritual home in the Gay Village.
The route will begin on Liverpool Street at around midday, before travelling down Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Street, Portland Street and Whitworth Street, finishing in The Village at around 4pm.
Road closures will be in place, which you can see HERE.
Manchester Village Pride lineup
In stark contrast to the previous Manchester Pride bosses, this year’s organisers have put most of the time, effort, and money into curating a real community, back-to-its roots Pride celebration.
So rather than a big flashy headliner, they’ve curated one of the best lineups we’ve seen in years, of LGBTQ+ icons and allies plus loads of homegrown talent (and they’ve spent £20k less on the entire bill than was spent on one single headliner last year).
Performing at Manchester Village Pride 2026 will be the likes of Nadine Coyle, Danny Beard, Gareth Gates, Kate Nash, Cascada, and Rowetta.
Friday will be headlined by Nadine Coyle and Danny Beard; Saturday will see top slots for Gareth Gates and Meek; on Sunday, it’ll be Cascada and Kate Nash; then Rowetta will be the main act on Sunday.
They’re joined by a lineup of fantastic local talent, including artists, DJs, and drag queens, taking our city’s Pride celebrations back to their roots, and keeping things firmly in the Gay Village.
It’s going to be epic.
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Manchester Village Pride ticket prices
The music will all take place in the Gay Village for Manchester Village Pride
Also in stark contrast to 2025 will be the ticket prices for Manchester Village Pride, which are as follows:
Weekend tickets – £44.80 including booking fee
Friday, Saturday, Sunday day tickets – £28 including booking fee
Organisers have stressed that you will need a wristband to enter the Gay Village – this is because the Village legally becomes a ‘Live Event Space’, and its license requires a secure perimeter.
Without that, there can be no outdoor stages or bar.
Pride Fringe events
Manchester is launching its first-ever Pride Fringe this year, bringing LGBTQ+ arts, culture, entertainment and community events to venues across the city.
The programme includes the SCENE film and TV festival, comedy, club nights, exhibitions, Pride-themed walking tours, shopping events and family activities.
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Manchester Arndale will also hold a pre-Pride celebration on 22 and 23 August, with makeup stations, a selfie spot, and live drag performances.
Many events will raise funds for local LGBTQ+ charities, while hotels are offering Pride-themed packages, parties, gifts and discounts.
Iconic Manchester United pub reopens after major £400k refurb
Daisy Jackson
An Old Trafford pub that’s long been a favourite with Manchester United fans has reopened its doors after a major refurbishment.
The Tollgate has had a £400,000 investment to become a ‘Grandstand’ sports pub, with gigantic HD screens throughout, tiered seating so you always have a great view of the action, and a menu of classic pub bites to pair with your pint.
There’ll be a big event atmosphere with all key sporting fixtures shown throughout the week, including football, rugby, cricket, tennis, F1, darts, horse racing – you name it, The Tollgate will show it.
The enormous outdoor area has also been refurbished, with new outdoor TV screens and Marston’s ‘Order & Pay’ app letting you order a round from your seat without missing a goal.
You’ll even find screens outside the loos…
Soon, local artist Pic One will be painting a mural onto the side of the pub, making it even more of a landmark boozer for Old Trafford.
The huge new main HD screenInside The Tollgate after its refurbThe Tollgate’s installed a TV box outside
Back inside, you’ll find a regulation dart board and a pool table, with new competition leagues and ‘free to play’ recreational sessions taking place throughout the week.
As well as a smart new interior packed with local sporting memorabilia, The Tollgate has installed market-leading technology, including one particularly gigantic HD screen, along with multiple other HD screens in every area, and a state-of-the-art sound system.
As you pass by, you might spot a huge TV box outside the pub, which has been installed to reflect how big the screen inside is.
The Tollgate is offering fans and customers a chance to shape its future – they’re calling out for locals to provide more photographs and merchandise to decorate the space, including mementos to celebrate the achievements of local sports stars and teams.
United memorabilia on the wallsInside the new-look The TollgateA cosy corner of The Tollgate
On the menus, you’ll find a new menu of perfect pub bites, including sharing combo boxes, chicken wings, nachos, and burgers.
There’ll be bottomless fries on offer for local sports teams who manage to get their hands on a ‘Black Card’, with even more rewards if they win their game.
And all draught beer (and there’s a lot of it) is now available in two-pint cups.
To celebrate its launch, the pub invited a fellow Manchester United icon Ying-Hoi Soo (affectionately known to Reds as ‘Mr Miyagi’) to pull the first pint and officially mark the pub’s opening.
Ying is recognised for his selfless charity work, and The Tollgate plans to work closely with Ying in the future to support this.
The new Grandstand pub concept has been introduced after research revealed that 86% of sports fans prefer to watch games at sports pubs, thanks to their livelier atmosphere, better screens, and community feel.
A huge two-pint beerThere’s a pool tableAnd dart board insideThe food offering
Marston’s picked Tollgate as one of the pubs to receive the Grandstand makeover due to its involvement with local sports teams, community groups and charities.
Pub Partner, Michael McLoughlin, said: “We’ve loved welcoming the community back with open arms!
“The response has been fantastic to our food and drink offers, as well as the new technology to watch all kinds of sports – we’re thankful that our pub is always full of good vibes, and real community spirit.”
Daisy Jackson -
6th February 2026 
