Manchester is marking St Patrick’s Day with a big parade this weekend, and as always, that means road closures will be in place.
Manchester‘s annual St Patrick’s Day Parade will make its return to the city centre, taking place from midday on Sunday 15 March.
Each year, the event always proves to an incredible celebration of the city’s proud and thriving Irish community, and is known for showcasing and championing local groups and organisations in the process, like Irish dance groups, marching bands and pipe bands, along with a strong representation of the 32 counties in Ireland.
The parade forms part of the wider Manchester Irish Festival, is free for everyone to attend, and is great for all ages.
Alongside the parade, there’ll be live Irish music performances, and food and drink aplenty throughout the weekend in the Irish Festival Village in St Ann’s Square.
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With this year’s parade set to cover more of the city centre than ever, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has published a list of road closures and parking suspensions that will be in place over the weekend to ensure it can pass through safely.
The parade will begin at the Irish Heritage Centre at 12pm on Sunday 15 March, and will then make its way along Cheetham Hill Road, Trinity Way, Great Ducie Street, Chapel Street, Victoria Bridge Street, and finally onto Deansgate.
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The parade will finish on Deansgate at approximately 1:15pm, shortly after the junction with John Dalton Street.
Manchester St Patrick’s Day Parade 2026 – Road Closures
The following road closures will be in place to facilitate the parade, so here’s everything you need to be aware of if you’re travelling in the city centre this weekend:
On Saturday 14 March:
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Hilton Street (between Oldham Street and Spear Street). Stevenson Square will also not be accessible to buses during this time, as this is to facilitate celebrations prior to the parade.
From 9am until 11am on Sunday 15 March:
Queens Road (Boyle Street to Smedley Lane)
From 11am until 1pm on Sunday 15 March:
Queens Road (Cheetham Hill Road to Smedley Lane)
From 11am until 3pm on Sunday 15 March:
Cheetham Hill Road (Queens Road to New Bridge Street)
Cheetham Hill Road (New Bridge Street to Victoria Street)
Victoria Street (New Bridge Street to Deansgate)
Chapel Street (Victoria Street to Victoria Bridge Street)
Victoria Bridge Street (Chapel Street to Deansgate)
Deansgate (Victoria Street to Peter Street)
John Dalton Street (Deansgate to Princess Street)
Princess Street (John Dalton Street to George Street)
Parking Suspensions
From 12:01am until 4pm on Sunday 15 March:
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Cheetham Hill Road (Queens Road to New Bridge Street)
Victoria Street (New Bridge Street to Deansgate)
Cateaton Street (Fennel Street to Deansgate)
Deansgate (Victoria Street to Peter Street)
Queen Street (Deansgate to end)
South King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate)
John Dalton Street (Princess Street to Deansgate)
St James Square (South King Street to John Dalton Street)
Ebden Street (Minshull Street to Back Action Street)
Back Action Street (Fairfield Street to Granby Row)
Throughout the weekend, especially on parade day, TfGM is advising against travelling into the city centre by car if possible, as roads will be busier than usual and journeys may take much longer. In this case, public transport will likely be the best way to travel.
If you must drive, then you’re urged to consider leaving the car at one of TfGM’s park and ride sites and completing your journey by tram, bus, or train.
If you’re travelling by public transport, you can check for any diversions on your route on the dedicated travel alerts hub here.
Featured Image – Colin Home (Supplied)
News
New images released of Piccadilly Gardens as transformation plans take a big step forward
Daisy Jackson
Plans to transform Piccadilly Gardens to make them more ‘colourful, vibrant and safe’ have taken a big step forward today, with new images released.
Manchester City Council has shared the vision to the public ahead of a planning application being submitted this summer.
The plans to finally give Piccadilly Gardens some love were revealed last autumn, but things are now moving at pace with a delivery team appointed to design and build the new public space.
The new images show the vision for more green space, including lawns, trees, planting, seating, and colourful horticultural displays.
The temperamental fountains will also be removed for good, replaced with a new space called The Pavilion which will host family-friendly events.
The low concrete walls and raised planters at the edge of the gardens will be ripped out, improving the setting of the Queen Victoria statue.
There’ll be a new, larger playground for younger children, created in the same high quality style as the new parks at Mayfield Park and Ancoats Green.
A pre-planning consultation has started today and will run until Wednesday 15 July, with plans to submit the final planning application later this summer.
The new-look play area at Piccadilly GardensPlans for the new Piccadilly Gardens from above
The council has said that these new designs reflect feedback from the public and opinions on what we want to see at the new Piccadilly Gardens.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We’re getting on with sorting out Piccadilly Gardens. We all want to see a space which Mancunians can be proud of – a welcoming and attractive environment which people want to spend time in.
“So as well other initiatives which are delivering more police and more CCTV, we’re bringing forward this scheme to transform the public space. That means investment in more flowers, more greenery, a new welcome pavilion, a new and bigger playground and an altogether more inviting Piccadilly Gardens. A bright new chapter is just around the corner.”
Further planned improvements to the area around Piccadilly Gardens in the coming years will include a multi-million pound investment by Transport for Greater Manchester to create a new, modern transport interchange.
Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Emily Sergeant -
11th March 2026 
