England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 matches are to be shown on big screens for free in Manchester this summer.
As England women’s national football team look to retain their title and continue to build on their ever-growing success as one of the best national football teams in the world, Manchester‘s National Football Museum is set to host a series of family-friendly watch parties after hours for the UEFA Women’s Euros this summer.
Visitors of all ages are welcome to support and celebrate England as they kick-off their campaign against France in the group stages on 5 July, followed by matches against the Netherlands on 9 July, and Wales on 13 July.
As Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses head to Switzerland with the hopes of being crowned European champions, you can head to the National Football Museum for some safe and inclusive fun.
Not only will the matches be shown in all their glory for free on a big screen, but you can also expect an on-site bar, and even the option to pre-order pizza ahead of time to feast on while you’re watching the action.
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Watch parties will be taking place at the National Football Museum on the following dates:
France v England – 5 July at 8pm
England v Netherlands – 9 July at 5pm
England v Wales – 13 July at 8pm
To mark the beginning of the tournament, the museum will also be hosting a vibrant weekend of events on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July, so get ready to strike a pose in Lionesses’ kits, create your own dazzling banner, and drum-up support with your very own chant.
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Manchester’s National Football Museum is screening England’s Euro 2025 matches for free this summer / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“This promises to be an exciting summer for football,” said Tim Desmond, who is the CEO of the National Football Museum.
“We want to bring the powerful sense of community that tournament football delivers to our museum, helping both new and returning visitors understand why football matters, and witness the impact our pioneering Lionesses can have in inspiring generations of budding young footballers.
“That’s why we are so delighted to be able to offer watch parties for this year’s tournament, providing a safe, inclusive, and exciting place for all fans to cheer on England.”
Featured Image – Molly Darlington / The FA (via England on Facebook)
Manchester
A 5k charity event where runners dress up as Pitbull is coming to Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
Yep, you read it right the first time – a regular 5k charity run returns to Manchester this month, only this time, those taking part will be dressed up as Pitbull for some reason…
Don’t ask us, we just thought it was funny and it’s for a good cause, so why the hell not?
For a little context, this is the latest idea from Run The Streets MCR: a charitable running event that takes place every few weeks (typically the last Friday of every month), and they’re no strangers to the odd-themed jog in fancy dress.
We know ‘Mr Worldwide’ himself has been and gone, having played a couple of nights in Manchester earlier this year, but Run The Streets have decided two nights of yelling ‘Timberrrr’ still wasn’t quite enough and asking those joining the October fundraising 5k to dress up like the one and only Pitbull.
In case you missed it when ‘Dale’ fever took over the city streets this past summer, bald caps, sunglasses, black felt goatees and drawn-on moustaches descended upon central Manchester as they have been all over the UK and beyond for his live shows.
Was it utterly daft? Yes. Was it still one of THE best gig crowds we’ve seen in yonks? Absolutely.
The 44-year-old Floridian rapper and resurgent pop star played multiple nights at the Co-op Live, and they were brilliant, but we’re not going to pretend that the best wasn’t seeing the sea of shiny bald heads and shades in suits and ties.
It’s rare that you see such a shared moment of abandoning inhibitions and embracing the silliness; it was genuinely so great to see, and it’s that similar kind of phenomenon that Run The Streets tries to tap into.
Put simply, it’s about letting go and dancing like no one’s watching.
Having done everything from the regular fancy dress Halloween runs to Oasis, Sabrina Carpenter, ABBA-themed runs, and many more, you’d be surprised how much you don’t care about what people think when you’re running around and dancing to tunes – especially when it’s for charity.
Once again, the Pitbull edition of the Run Streets MCR 5k charity run takes place this month on Wednesday, 22 October from 6:30pm.
These fundraising runners will be meeting outside The Tap House on Circle Square, just off the Oxford Road Corridor, before setting off at a laid-back social pace.
Speaking of fancy dress, if you haven’t seen the group of four mates who made history at the 2025 Manchester Half, stop what you’re doing and read this:
These legends set an incredibly fun, wholesome and amusing world record at this year's @ManchesterHalf – all whilst raising money for @andysmanclubuk. 👏
Major plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens for good have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
Grand plans to turn Piccadilly Gardens back into actual gardens have been revealed this morning, and this much-maligned corner of the city centre looks completely unrecognisable.
Manchester City Council has shared a detailed plan and new CGIs of how Piccadilly Gardens could look, which includes new flower beds, a new playground, and a new space for family-friendly events.
The plans also include removing the fountains (which are often broken) for good, ripping out the concrete wall, and giving safety some serious consideration.
The safety improvements will include enhanced CCTV, improved lighting, and an increased police presence with a multi-agency ‘base’ in Piccadilly Gardens itself.
It’s hoped that the key corner of the city centre will once again become a safe, green space with no more anti-social behaviour.
This is the first step in a two-part journey to transform the area, with the immediate plan to declutter and revamp the public realm around the gardens.
The new CGIs show a more colourful, green space with more flowers and a larger grassy area, with scope for organised entertainment and family-friendly activities like picnics.
Then in the future, the plans include a multi-million-pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester for a new, modern transport interchange at Piccadilly Gardens.
In the immediate future we should see the area become more like an actual gardens again, with more trees, planting and floral displays.
Mancs should also expect to see a strengthened police presence, and a Community Partnership van with agencies on hand to deal with issues which arise.
With the removal of the unreliable fountains and ‘unsightly’ concrete wall, there’ll be a new, better-functioning space created to hold events and activities.
Plans to turn Piccadilly Gardens back into actual gardens
The children’s play area will be refreshed, inspired by the new play areas like the ones at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green.
A year-round programme of events, inspired by this year’s MCR Live 25 celebration and the Manchester Christmas Markets, will also be planned.
The work which doesn’t require planning permission will begin as soon as possible after the Christmas Markets finish.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We want Piccadilly Gardens to be a space Mancunians are proud of once again – and that’s what we are determined to do.
“Manchester City Centre has grown and changed, and there are lots of exciting things happening in our city. We need Piccadilly Gardens to up its game and play its part in welcoming millions of people into our city every year.
“People tell us they want it cleaned up, brightened up, invested in and made to feel safer. It’s still called Piccadilly Gardens and we’ve heard loud and clear from Manchester people that they want its appearance to do more to reflect that name. We’re going to give them more greenery and more flowers as part of a co-ordinated range of measures to improve the look and feel of the area.
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens have been revealed
“We know there are aspects of Piccadilly Gardens that no longer work – in the case of the fountains quite literally – and we’re determined to ensure the space looks better and feels better. Ripping out the defunct walls, opening up the Gardens and investing in improvements.
“We’ll also be focused on ensuring the area is lively for all the right reasons with a programme of great, family-friendly events, from this year’s Christmas Markets onwards.
“Crucially, this plan is not just about what the Council can deliver but a multi-agency blueprint to address issues with crime and anti-social behaviour, and in invest in other sustainable improvements. All these elements will work together.
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“This plan, getting underway quickly, is the beginning of a bright new chapter for Piccadilly Gardens.”
City centre spokesperson Cllr Pat Karney said: “Piccadilly Gardens isn’t living up to anything like its potential at the moment but it could and should be a great public space for Manchester.
“This plan promises to be a massive leap forward. We’ve already demolished most of the hated wall but this package of improvements will go further to make a real and lasting difference.
“We thank GMP for their support in this plan – its success will be not just in improving the appearance of Piccadilly Gardens but in reassuring people that it’s a safe and welcoming space.”
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, GMP District Commander for the City of Manchester, said “Piccadilly Gardens is a vital part of our city centre, and we know how important it is that people feel safe and confident spending time there.
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“We’re working closely with Manchester City Council and partners on planning the physical improvements to Piccadilly Gardens, including the position of lighting and CCTV, intending to deter antisocial behaviour and criminality from occurring, as well as strengthen evidence and intelligence gathering opportunities for our investigative teams.
“This plan builds on our proactive, problem-solving neighbourhood policing model and the recent investment through the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee which has allowed us to uplift and strengthen our existing city centre team with new officers and resources.
“Through initiatives like Safe4Summer, we’re already demonstrating our commitment to making Manchester safer by increasing visibility, listening to community concerns, and tackling issues head-on.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Piccadilly Gardens plays a vital role in connecting people across our city region, with hundreds of thousands of journeys made in and around there every single week.
“We are working closely with the Council to significantly improve facilities for Bee Network passengers by creating a more accessible, modern and welcoming interchange in the heart of the city centre.
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“After successfully bringing buses under local control and backed by £2.5bn funding from government to deliver transport projects through to the early 2030s, we have exciting plans to further transform the Bee Network, helping to keep Greater Manchester moving and growing by connecting people to jobs, education, and opportunity.”
Emily Sergeant -
13th June 2025 
