There’s a lot of admin involved in Christmas, especially when you want it to go off without a hitch, and sorting your bins out is one that often slips our mind, so that’s why we’ve put together a list of the full bin collection dates this holiday seasons across Greater Manchester this year.
Covering each of the region’s 10 boroughs, we’ve got the details on when your local council will come and collect your rubbish and in what order. There’s nothing more colourful and quintessentially British than homes dripping in fairy lights and decorations with the full bin rainbow lined up out front.
With that in mind, let’s not waste any more time — here’s the full list of Manchester bin collection dates for Christmas 2023:
Manchester (central)
Manchester City Council has confirmed that this year’s bin collection dates will be shuffled to a couple of days later than usual, so rather than rubbish being collected on Monday, 25 December (Christmas Day), the collections will instead be taking place on Wednesday, 27 December.
New Year’s week collection days will also move forward by one day, meaning bins that would have been collected on New Year’s Day will now be picked up 24 hours later on Tuesday, 2 January and so on until Saturday, 6 January.
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Bin collections will then return to the normal schedule from Monday, 8 January 2024. They have also given full details on where to dispose of real Christmas trees HERE.
Bury
Grey, green and blue bin collections will change to be a day later than usual, i.e. rather than being on Tuesday, 26 December, the bins will now collected on the Wednesday, according to the council.
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As for bins normally expected to be emptied on Wednesday, December 27; the same rule applies and they will now be picked up on Thursday — so on and so forth up until Saturday, 30 December.
Bolton
Next up is you Boltonians, the local authorities have made things nice and easy for you by putting together a full schedule of the usual and revised bin collection dates for you to follow.
Christmas trees can also be taken to the tip and put in the green waste or collected by the council themselves for just £10 — just call 01204 336 632 before Thursday, 11 January 11 to arrange a date. They are also reminding people not to dispose of batteries and instead recycle them at supermarkets.
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Oldham
Over in Oldham, it has been confirmed that there will be no bin collections on Boxing Day this year (Monday, 26 December) and if your refuse is usually due to be picked up on that day you will be given an earlier allocation.
Most bins will be emptied on Christmas Eve, (Saturday, 24 December) and the council are asking residents to put out their bin blue, brown or grey bins on the same day that are usually due for collection, with the green food and garden waste bins set to be emptied on Monday, 2 January.
Once again, if you’re unsure, you can always find the exact collection dates for your postcode HERE or call 0161 770 6644.
Rochdale
The next borough on the list is Rochdale and while there will obviously be no bin collections on Christmas Day and if you are scheduled to have any bins collected on Boxing Day, these will instead be collected on Saturday, 30 December.
Collection days will run as normal from Wednesday to Friday (27-29) and the schedule will return to normal from Tuesday, 2 January 2024.
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Salford
If you’re in Salford this festive period, the bin men won’t be coming on Tuesday, 26 December and the replacement will be on Saturday, 23 December instead.
You can double-check your bin collection day HERE and for any local businesses, you can find details of any and all collection changes on the council website.
Salford City Council are also apologising for any delays in collecting pink lidded bins and food caddies due to operational staff issues over the Christmas period but has assured that if you place it out again on your next scheduled collection day.
Stockport
There are no collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day in Stockport and there will also be no green bins collected until Saturday, December 30.
You can check your collection calendar for details of when your waste and recycling are scheduled to be collected over the festive period or check it online HERE.
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This year Stockport Council has also teamed up with St Anne’s Hospice Christmas for their tree collection service, you simply have to fill out a registration form. Handy and helpful.
Tameside
As for Tameside Metropolitan Borough, they made things nice and easy for you with a quick and accessible graphic too.
Our bin crews will be working over most of the Christmas and New Year period, but there will be some changes to some collections ♻️
Councillor Denise Ward said: “I would like to offer my own and the council’s thanks to all residents who make the effort to recycle. By doing so you’re helping the environment by keeping the amount of waste sent to landfill to a minimum.”
“Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank our bin crews who work so hard not only over Christmas, but throughout the year and in all weathers.”
Trafford
There are a few changes if you live over Trafford way as well, but they’ve kept things straightforward in terms of the scheduling.
Last but not least, bin collection in Wigan will be nudged one day later between Boxing Day and Saturday, December 30.
Green bin collections will also be suspended from Boxing Day until Friday, 5 January 2024 before resuming as normal on the week commencing Monday, January 8.
Recycling centres will also be closed on all the main days this holiday season but will be open from 9am to 5:45pm in between if you need to get rid of some stuff between Christmas and New Year’s.
Manchester Pride WILL return for 2026, including the parade and party
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Pride will be returning to the city this summer, complete with the legendary parade, a party in the Gay Village, and the annual candlelit vigil.
The LGBTQ+ celebration’s future had been thrown into doubt following the collapse of the Manchester Pride Events Ltd company last year.
But now it’s been announced that the beloved event will return, delivered by a not-for-profit, Community Interest Company with a board of unpaid directors. t
Every pound of profit will go to supporting LGBTQ+ charities, grassroots organisations and community services.
Manchester Village Pride will have the backing of key partners including Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, Cityco and Equity, alongside LGBTQ+ organisations, charities and community stakeholders.
Plans are now in place for Pride to return over August Bank Holiday weekend again, between Friday 28 and Monday 31 August.
Over four days, Mancs will be able to gather together for the parade, the Village party, and the vigil, plus a vibrant Pride Fringe of arts, culture and nightlife events.
Manchester Village Party has received £120,000 from village venues, reflecting the determination of local LGBTQ+ businesses to safeguard Pride and ensure it remains rooted in the community which created it.
Carl Austin-Behan, one of the founding board members and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride CIC, said: “Manchester Village Pride is built around a simple belief. Pride has a home – and that home is the Village – but Pride belongs to everyone.
“This is a really exciting time for our community. We have a chance to start again. 2026 is a year of rebuilding, reestablishing trust, reconnecting with Pride’s origins and reinforcing the role of the Village as the heart of the celebration.
“From 2027 onwards MVP plans to develop a wider programme of citywide activity around Pride.
“Bringing Pride home to the Village is about more than location. It is a commitment to responsibility: paying artists properly, funding community groups, supporting charities, protecting LGBTQ+ heritage – and building a sustainable future for Pride in Manchester.”
Deputy Council Leader Cllr Garry Bridges said: “Pride is vital for Manchester, as a symbol of our welcoming and inclusive city, a chance to celebrate our LGBTQ+ communities and to highlight injustices which still exist.
“The Council have always been clear that Pride must happen this year. Manchester Village Pride came to us with a strong and credible plan which we are happy to support. Who better to organise our city’s Pride than the people who work with our LGBTQ+ communities all year round?”
Rachel Bottomley, Managing Director of the LGBT Foundation, said: “We’re proud to stand alongside Manchester Village Pride as it rebuilds a celebration shaped by and for the community. This renewed focus on community and transparency is an opportunity to ensure LGBTQ+ people across Greater Manchester feel supported, represented, and empowered. We look forward to playing our part in continuing to spread hope and joy, with our Village Angels helping keep people safe over the Manchester Village Pride weekend.”
Darren Knight, Chief Executive of George House Trust, said: “George House Trust’s history is built on the passion and determination of Greater Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community. For the last 40 years, the August Bank Holiday weekend in Manchester has been about inclusion, voice and making life better for people! Everyone at George House Trust is proud to stand in solidarity to ensure that for 2026 and beyond, there’s no change in that.Pride has always been, and will always be, for everyone.
“It’s great to see this community response and we hope we see you at the vigil.”
Karen Lockney, Equity’s North West Official said: “Equity is delighted that Manchester Village Pride will be signing an Equity agreement – the first ever UK union agreement for a Pride event. Not only will this guarantee fair pay and professional industry standards for all performers, but it also provides the workers of a Manchester Village Pride with a meaningful dialogue and a say over the terms of their work.
“Pride events fight for the rights of the LGBT+ community and that must include workers’ rights. We hope other Pride organisations will follow Manchester Village Pride’s fantastic example. This is testament to the work of members of Equity’s Drag Network, staff, and Equity members in the Village and our Greater Manchester branch.
“We have consistently called for unionised terms and conditions for Pride, and this positive development will restore the trust of our members in the event. They can be confident they will be paid and treated fairly in future. These are exciting developments, part of giving Manchester the Pride it deserves. An Equity Pride agreement is something for which the city should be truly proud.”
Printworks set to host a FREE music festival headlined by local music veterans
Danny Jones
You heard us right, Printworks is expanding its wide-ranging calendar of entertainment and leisure in 2026 with its very own completely free music festival here in Manchester.
Better still, it’s set to be headlined by some cult favourites.
The one-off event will debut next month to celebrate the arrival of the 2026 BRIT Awards, with the annual ceremony and accompanying seven days of intimate live shows coming to the city of Manchester for the very first time.
Set to take place from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, 27-28 February (4-10pm and 2-10, respectively), the open access weekender has been dubbed ‘Live and Loud’.
Judging by the lineup of artists announced for Printworks’ debut music festival, we have every faith it will live up to the name.
As well as Manchester DJ Matt Hydes kicking things off, followed by the likes of R’n’B soul artist, KingFast, resident Reform Radio MC Urbi will also be joining the lineup, as well as regional dance veteran, Gareth James, and an intimate set by Sabira Jade.
That’s just a small handful of those who signed up to play the inaugural Live & Loud 2025.
As for your headliners, we’re buzzing to confirm that local house legends K-Klass are topping the bill; they may be from Chester, but they’ve been based here for ages and are practically part of the cultural fabric at this point.
You can see the full Live and Loud lineup and Printworks artist spotlight down below:
Friday, 27 Feb, 2026
Tristan Walsh
2Vibe
Urbi
KingFast
Honey Bee Jazz Band
Matt Hydes
Sat, 28
K-Klass
Matt Walsh & Jay Murt
Sabira Jade
Gareth James
Kick Back Sundays
Jorge Martin
Guy Connor
Emma Ellis
Printworks general manager, Dan Davis, said in an official statement: “Manchester is renowned for its musical heritage, and we are excited to bring music to life here at Printworks.
“Live & Loud will place Manchester artists front and centre, with an eclectic line-up that is diverse in genre, background and generation – reflecting our commitment to championing a wide range of local and upcoming artistic talent for a must-attend weekend of live music.”
In case you missed it, this brand-new event also comes amid a raft of small-capacity fundraising shows across the country.
Colette Burroughs-Rose, Director at Genre Music, added: “Live & Loud is Manchester in full voice – familiar faces and new names coming together under one roof across two standout days.
“This is Genre Music’s home city, and we’re proud to be partnering with Printworks on a music programme that welcomes everyone: family-friendly by day, great for evenings with friends.
“Alongside curating a truly eclectic mix of the city’s incredible DJs and live acts, we’re also capturing the artists’ stories on film to help amplify their voices and creativity beyond the stage.”
With the BRIT Awards being hosted at the Co-op Live arena not just this Feb but until 2027 as well, here’s hoping this is just the inaugural ‘L&L Fest and we at least get a sophomore edition next year.
There’s plenty of other music festivals happening in Greater Manchester throughout the year, especially this summer.
Sounds From The Other City has released its 2026 lineup, and there's set to be more than 100 exciting acts playing on 17 stages across #Salford. 🎶🎸
Danny Jones -
20th December 2023 
