After a few years spent locked up in our houses, we’re all in need of a blowout – and what better excuse than the feast of St Patrick?
This year, St Patrick’s Day falls on Thursday, 17 March – and Manchester’s operators are already gearing up for the celebrations.
From Guinness gravy-soaked burgers and guided tours of Manchester’s Little Ireland, to boozy Guinness-fuelled bottomless brunches, parades and Irish festivals, we’ve put together a list of some of the best events happening in the city for you here.
Whether you want to drink your weight in Guinness or absorb a bit of culture, there’s something here for you.
Keep reading to discover where to go on St Patrick’s Day in Manchester this year.
The annual Manchester St Patrick’s Day parade is organised by the Irish World Heritage Centre and takes place in Cheetham Hill.
Now in its 25th year, the parade will start from the Irish World Heritage Centre on Queen’s Road in Cheetham Hill at 12 noon on Sunday and will follow a route down Cheetham Hill Road as far as the AO Arena before turning round and following the same route back to where it started.
One of the city’s oldest St Patrick’s celebrations, the Manchester Irish Festival has events running in the city throughout the month right up to 20 March.
Highlights include the award-winning Fianna Phadraig Pipe band who are coming up to their 75th anniversary and will be taking the festival on tour with visits to different locations across the city throughout this weekend, before touring Levenshulme, Burnage, and Fallowfield on St Patrick’s Day itself.
The area around Manchester’s Oxford Road station was once known as Little Ireland, and this St Patrick’s Day you can learn all about its history from local tour guide Ed O’Glinert .
This guided tour promises to unearth the best stories of Little Ireland: recalling Auntie’s Bar, stopping off at the site of George Orwell’s doss house, searching for a whiff of the Waxie’s Dargle and maybe even enjoying a glass of a black Irish drink with a creamy head.
It will take place on 19 March, kicking off at 1130am and running for a couple of hours. You can pick up tickets for the tour here.
A two-week Irish festival at O’Sheas beer garden
Image: Supplied
O’Sheas giant beer garden has re-opened in Manchester, and operators are kicking off the St Patrick’s Day celebrations early with a two-week Irish festival.
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Think live music from a host of Irish bands, free-flowing pints of ice-cold Guinness, and cocktails like espresso martinis and pornstar martinis, plus an all-new Irish American street food menu from Manchester bagel heroes Eat new York.
Running from now until 24 March, it’s the perfect excuse to get down to the newly-returned (and now covered) beer garden that was such a hit when hospitality reopened its doors in April last year.
A 4-day ‘Irish weekender’ at Manchester Piccadilly Gardens
Image: Twitter
Piccadilly Gardens will be paying homage to the Emerald Isle with a weekend full of live music and dance, free-flowing Irish stouts, street food and more.
Irish dancers, pipe bands and Irish folk musicians will take to the stage in the middle of the gardens throughout the long weekend, whilst huge bars will have all manner of Irish tipples – from dry Irish stouts and Irish coffees to hot toddies and fine whiskeys.
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Entertainment will be free and take place in the gardens from 12-7pm every day throughout the long weekend.
Manchester’s part-time pizza parlour is bringing the goods this St Patrick’s Day, with non-stop pints of Guinness and endless slices of their New York-style cold-proved pizza all for a fixed price.
For one day only, the team have added the beautiful black dry Irish stout to its bottomless brunch offer in honour of St Patrick’s feast.
That means that for just £25 a head you’ll be able to get 90 minutes of unlimited Guinness and non-stop pizza slices at both Manchester Bridge Street and Northern Quarter venues between 12 and 5pm. How grand.
A special Guinness fondue burger at Honest Burgers
Image: Honest Burgers
Honest Burgers is selling limited-edition fondue burgers drenched in Guinness gravy this month, all in the name of St Patrick’s Day.
Comprised of Honest’s classic hand-shaped beef patty, it’s sandwiched between brioche then topped with candied bacon, molten fondue, a Guinness beef and bacon gravy, crispy onions, rocket and pickles.
Available at the burger restaurant through March, it’s served with Honest’s signature rosemary and sea salt fries. For this month only, you can also enjoy a pint of draught Guinness on the side to wash it down with.
Bottomless wings and endless Guinness at The Shack
Another bottomless Guinness deal, this time with added endless wings.
The Shack in Manchester’s Northern Quarter has bottomless deals running on St Patrick’s Day, priced from £15 a head – and it sounds too good to miss.
Even better, they’ll also be offering free gaming in the basement from 5pm and £2.50 shots of Jamesons all day.
Boilermakers and Jameson whiskey pizzas at Nell’s
From 14-20 March, Nell’s pizza is serving up one of its classics with an added Irish twist.
For one week only, fans can get the signature Chilli HOney pizza with added Jameson whiskey for an additional £1.50.
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On top of that, there’ll be some boozy specials on the drinks side too – think Jameson orange and lemonade, or the classic boilermaker – combining a schooner of beer and a shot of Jameson for an extra £2.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Manchester
Scouting For Girls announce two massive anniversary shows, including one in Manchester
Danny Jones
Long-standing indie-pop act Scouting For Girls have just announced two new very special and very big 20th birthday shows, including a stop right here in Manchester.
In fact, their Manc show will be their biggest headline show to date – and by that we mean in the group’s entire history.
Known for the chart-topping ‘Heartbeat’, ‘She’s So Lovely’, ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’ and many more, the trio are once again heading up North to roll back the years.
This announcement follows the previous batch of anniversary shows for 15 years since their second album in 2025 and ’26, only this time they’ll be toasting two whole decades of being a band.
Credit: Press shots/Near Wild Heaven Records (supplied)
Heading to Wembley’s OVO Arena and our very own AO Arena, this marks a huge career landmark for the beloved noughties band, who have also just released their latest record.
Dropping their seventh studio LP, These Are The Good Days, on Friday, 27 March, they’re still as busy as ever, both in the studio and when it comes to performing live.
In recent times, they’ve once again become a bit of a festival favourite, as multiple generations know every word to those famous choruses.
And now, 20 years on from signing their first record deal, the lads will be playing those same hits and plenty more for what is set to be one big Scouting for Girls celebration.
They’re even bringing along a fellow throwback outfit with them, in the form of The Hoosiers. Can’t lie, we still listen to ‘Goodbye Mr A’ and the rest of the FIFA 08 soundtrack pretty often.
Writing on social media, the band said: “This is going to be a proper 20th birthday party — ALL of album one, all the favourites, huge sing-alongs, massive nostalgia, and the biggest nights we’ve ever done.
🎸 @Scouting4Girls celebrate their 20th anniversary with a huge Manchester show!
Manchester marks Scouting For Girls’ only confirmed show outside of London in 2027 so far, although we imagine there’ll be plenty of appeal for more dates in no time.
Visiting the city six times since 2020 alone, they clearly still enjoy playing up here, and judging by the reaction from the Audio North team, the love for them hasn’t gone anywhere either.
Scouting For Girls arrive in Manchester on 12 February next year, with the mailing presale window (via their website) going live at 10am on Tuesday, 31 March.
As for general admission tickets, they’ll be available from the same time the following Tuesday, 2 April; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
They’re not the only nostalgic name visiting Greater Manchester for a milestone show either – and you don’t have to wait until next year to see these lads up close and personal:
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied via SJM Concerts)/Scouting For Girls (via Facebook)
Manchester
MOBOs 2026 in Manchester – all the award winners and iconic performances
Thomas Melia
Manchester had its second major music award show visit of the year courtesy of the MOBOs, and here’s all the awards, winners and iconic performances from the night.
We knew 0161 was known for its impact on the music industry, but it’s recently become a place for music celebration on multiple occasions with the BRITs and, most recently, with the MOBOs.
As expected, this was a night full of A-listers, rising stars and incredible music makers, who all united for an award show dedicated to celebrating one aspect of the industry in particular – Music of Black Origin.
Created by Kanya King back in 1996, Manchester had the pleasure of hosting the MOBOs as the award show celebrated its 30-year anniversary right here at the 23,500 seater Co-op Live.
MOBOs 2026 – all the highlights from the night
Get ready to find out everything that happened during the MOBO Awards 2026, including the awards, winners and iconic performances.
All the awards and winners from MOBOs 2026 in Manchester
MOBO Global Songwriter Award – Pharrell Williams
MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award – Slick Rick
Album of the Year – The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean
Song of the Year – Olivia Dean, ‘Man I Need’
Best Male act – Jim Legxacy
Best Female act – Olivia Dean
Best Newcomer – DC3
Video of the Year – Raye, ‘Where Is My Husband!’
Best R&B/ Soul Act – Flo
Best Alternative Music Act – Nova Twins
Best Grime Act – Chip
Best Hip-Hop act – Central Cee
Best Drill Act – Twin S
Best International Act – Ayra Starr
Best African Music Act – Wizkid
Best Caribbean Music Act – Vybz Kartel
Best Jazz Act – Ezra Collective
Best Electronic/ Dance Act – Sherelle
Best Gospel Act – DC3
Best Media Personality – Niko Omilana
Best Performance in a TV Show/Film – Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Best Producer – P2J
Pharrell Williams receiving his ‘MOBO Global Songwriter Award’ and Flo accepting the ‘Best R&B/ Soul Act’ / Credit: The Manc Group
Who performed at the MOBOs 2026 in Manchester at Co-op Live?
Flo opened the show with their iconic silhouettes, just like on their Access All Areas Tour, which we had the privilege of witnessing live at Manchester Academy last Autumn.
If you’re worried you’ve lost a backstage pass to all things Flo, think again. Their latest single continues the unrestricted theme with its aptly-fitting title ‘Leak It’, and they set standards high.
A variety of grime acts dominated the stage as curated by DJ Target with Chip, D Double E, Wiley, Nolay and Scorcher with staple hits like ‘Legend’, ‘Street Fighter Riddim’ and ‘Wot U Call It?’
Slick Rick treated Co-op Live and the MOBOs audience to a medley of hits like’Children’s Story’ and ‘Landlord’ while bringing out the wonderful Estelle to sing ‘Mona Lisa’ alongside the respected rapper.
Flo opened the show with a live debut of new single ‘Leak It’ / Credit: MOBO Organisation (supplied)
Folk-pop star Miles Smith had the crowd in the palm of his hand as they all sang ‘Stargazing’ in unison, almost as though it was their own performance. This singer-songwriter returns to Manchester and Co-op Live this winter.
When Tiwa Savage walked onto the stage, this Manchester indoor venue knew they were in the presence of royalty, the Queen of Afrobeats to be exact. She performed ‘You 4 Me’ and dropped a preview of her new hit ‘Energy’.
The multi-MOBO winner Olivia Dean showed off her vocal prowess with an exclusive live performance of ‘A Couple Minutes’ accompanied by a beautiful orchestra arrangement.
Ms Dean blew our minds with her ‘Man I Need’ performance at the BRITs just last month, and she can’t keep away from Manchester, returning to Co-op Live next month for ‘The Art of Loving Tour‘.
Credit: MOBO Organisation (supplied)
Moston’s own Aitch had the crowd going crazy with his The Stone Roses-sampling track ‘1989’ and one of his biggest hits to date, and Ashanti-sampling record ‘Baby’.
Dancehall diva Shenseea closed the night with not one but four of her cathartic bangers like ‘Hit & Run’, the empowering ‘Shenyeng Anthem’, UK Top 20 single ‘Shake It To The Max (Remix)’ and newest effort ‘Talk To Me Nuh’.
Which stars attended the MOBOs red carpet in Manchester?
Manchester is the music capital of the North, so it makes a lot of sense that some of music’s biggest names decided to pop over to this city for a visit.
Alongside all the nominees and performers, there was a whole host of acts in attendance from the music, film, TV and social media industries.
Everyone from former Little Mix member turned independent artist Leigh-Anne and Bemi Orojuogun, more widely recognised by her digital moniker ‘Bus Aunty’, strutted their stuff on the MOBOs red carpet.
Audio North had the incredible opportunity of chatting with a whole host of talented artists and creatives straight from the red carpet, including shaking hands with legendary multi-hyphenate Nile Rodgers.
This was a truly beautiful night which celebrated the contributions and impact made within the music industry across the past 12 months and beyond, soundtracked by some class live performances.
Georgina Pellant -
14th March 2022 
