A weekend-long festival dedicated to the areas of Transylvania, the Carpathian Basin, and its wide-ranging food, drink, and folk traditions will return to Manchester this summer.
Called Góbéfest (Góbé being a friendly word for a ‘crafty Székely’), the festival celebrates the little-known culture and traditions of the Székler people – a minority group of ethnic Hungarians living in Transylvania, part of Romania.
Now in its sixth year, 2022’s event will bring together foodie delights like kűrtőskalács (chimney cake), mititiei (Romanian skinless sausages), Hungarian honey bread and Csiki beer, alongside folk music and dance traditions that date back hundreds of years.
For three days in June, stages in Cathedral Gardens and Exchange Square will play host to an array of bands, choirs, ensembles, orchestras, dance groups and solo performers, hailing from as far as Transylvania, Croatia, Hungary and Romania.
A food and drink market will serve up popular dishes from around the region, including langos, chicken paprikash and goulash, and for the first time, Sunday will be a dedicated dance day, featuring folk groups in the Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian and Polish traditions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here’s a rundown of what’s on offer over the three days.
Image: Gobefest
Food and drink
Refreshments will be provided by a number of independent food and drink traders, offering favourites from around the Carpathian Basin, including langos (deep-fried flatbreads topped with creme fraiche and cheese) from Langos Factory.
ADVERTISEMENT
Festival favourites Szekely Csarda will be back with a menu that includes mititiei (barbecued Romanian skinless sausages made from pork, lamb and beef) and disznó flekken grilled pork steak.
Image: Gobefest
Pompas Mezes’ Hungarian honey bread is amongst the most intricately embellished in the world, often featuring designs reminiscent of lace and embroidery. The honey preserves the cookie, so it can be kept for over 10 years in its sealed packaging.
Tastylicious Catering’s dishes including halaszle, a paprika-based fish soup also known as fisherman’s soup, stuffed cabbage rolls, chicken paprikash, zserbo, a layered chocolate topped apricot and walnut cake and rigo jancsi, a traditional cube shaped chocolate sponge.
ADVERTISEMENT
Beer is by Transylvanian artisan brewer Csiki Sor, who took on Heineken in a trademark battle and won, and a Szicsek palinka bar will provide traditional fruit spirits with no added sugar, up to 50 percent proof.
Image: Gobefest
Folk music
Barozda formed in 1976 in Transylvania and for almost half a century have been exploring Hungarian folk music from its roots, taught and inspired by village musicians, travelling all over Transylvania. They were the initiators of the Hungarian dance house movement, bringing traditional folk music to a wider and younger audience and setting the standard of the great Hungarian “tanchaz” movement in Transylvania. This is their first time at Góbéfest.
Tokos Band, a six piece band featuring strings and accordion, formed in 2010 by students of the Kolozsvár Music Academy in Transylvania. As part of the vibrant dance house movement in the city, they initially entertained the student population in pubs, clubs, cafes and dance houses but they soon became popular guests at festivals around Transylvania. In 2014 they won first place in the televised Hungarian folk music contest Fölszállott a Páva.
Góbé Band is a Hungarian six-piece who met at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest. Merging their folk sound with rock, blues, dubstep, reggae, metal, jazz, pop and hip hop, they say their style is entertaining and contemporary whilst preserving the traditional nature of their music. Between them they play violin, viola, bagpipes, recorder, guitar, kobza, double bass, hammered dulcimer, hurdy gurdy, viola-tambura and flute Góbé Band played at the first Góbéfest in 2017.
Bercy Biro is a Transylvanian folk singer now living in North Wales
ADVERTISEMENT
The Kalina Balalaika Ensemble is a community group for adults and young people in south Manchester, coordinated by MyHub Music Centres in collaboration with One Education Music. The group play Russian and Ukrainian string instruments balalaika and domras and rehearse at Chorlton Central Church.
Image: Gobefest
Non-folk music
MIRO Ensemble (Manchester International Roots Orchestra) is led by Romanian-born double-bass maestro and composer Michael Cretu and was set up by Community Arts North West in partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Its members have roots from across the world and its repertoire combines diverse musical influences from haunting eastern European melodies, to the delicate textures of Middle Eastern percussion and vocals through to soulful Sufi chants of South Asia and joyful African gospel, embracing rap, hip-hop, classical music and jazz along the way.
Chuva is a Manchester based guitar/ mandolin/double bass folk/classical trio that was founded in 2018 by guitarists Rafael Onyett and Borna Kuca, whilst studying at the Royal Northern College of Music. Kuca is Croatian, whilst Onyett is of Latin American heritage.
Oliver Wolf (Zsolt Farkas), 22, was named Hungary’s young jazz musician of the year in 2018 and graduated from Leeds College of Music three years later. Though his background is in jazz, for Góbéfest, he is trialling a new RnB sound.
Stikli is a pop rock band from Budapest. They released their first album in 2018 and say there is ‘quite a bit of jumping and dancing wherever we perform’ The band has been invited by festival partner the New Generation Centre in London.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hungarian Choir of Great Britain is a Góbéfest project, which began during lockdown in 2020 and initially rehearsed over Zoom. The choir performed live together for the first time at Góbéfest 2021.
Katy Carr is a singer songwriter with Polish roots who is known for her songs about Polish history. A fan of the 1930s and 1940s, she plays vintage instruments and wears clothing and hairstyles from the period. Her album Paszport, a tribute to those who fought in World War II, won Best Concept Album from the Independent Music Awards in 2014.
Manchester Youth String Orchestra members are aged 11-18 and from schools and colleges across the city. All play at grade 5 or above. The orchestra is coordinated by MyHub Music Centres in collaboration with One Education Music.
Image: Gobefest
Folk dance
This year, for the first time, Sunday will be dance day, featuring folk dance acts from all over eastern Europe including Szeklerland (part of Transylvanian), Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
Polonez Manchester is a Polish folk dance troupe that formed in the city in 1949. The group was started by expatriates, who were unable to return to Poland after WWII, due to the communist regime. They wanted to keep the culture and traditions of their homeland alive, through song and dance and taking part in operettas and dramatic productions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Százlabú (Caterpillar) folk dance ensemble from Transylvania began in 2006 with the aim of teaching Hungarian folk dances, games, songs to young generations. The 35-strong group will be performing various dances from different parts of Transylvania on each day of the festival.
Hunique Hungarian Folk Ensemble was founded in London in 2008. Its members are enthusiastic Hungarians living in London and its surrounding counties.
Gergiovden Folklore Fitness Group are Bulgarian ‘horo’ folk dancers. While it’s believed that horo derives from ancient Thracian times, this traditional dance continues to be an integral part of any Bulgarian gathering to this day. Dancing horo is considered to be akin to yoga, with its many benefits to physical as well as mental health.
The Hungarian Folk Dance Group of Bristol was formed in Sept 2019 and recently held its first Hungarian folk dance house in the city. The group will demonstrate Szatmari, Szeki and Moldvai dances.
Ansamblul Tezaur is a Romanian folk dance group based in Warwickshire & Coventry, created to promote Romanian traditions in the UK.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Gobefest
Children
Family activities will be centred around the children’s activity tent in Cathedral Gardens and will include:
Zenkő Karda is an award winning designer, illustrator, painter, stage and costume designer, from Transylvania. She has illustrated over 25 books, produced in many languages. Zenkő will be running workshops for children and families in folk tale illustration, drawing and clay, with a fairy tale theme.
Enikő Szabó is a storyteller from Transylvania, bringing traditional tales to life for children and adults. She is the organiser of the Onceuponatime Storytelling Festival in Transylvania which welcomes storytellers from all over Europe.
Cimborák Puppet Theatre Company was established in Transylvania in 1998. The company works with folk tales, encouraging the community, both young and old, to cherish these traditional stories. The piece they will be performing is based on the stories of famous Szekler Hungarian writer Elek Benedek
Mátyás Király Zither Ensemble launched in 2009 at the Mátyás Király Elementary School in Hungary. By 2014 and 2015 the young group of musicians was regularly winning gold medals at national folk music competitions. Góbéfest is delighted to welcome the zither ensemble back. They have played at the festival every year since 2017.
ADVERTISEMENT
When is Góbéfest this year?
Founded by Ottilia Ördög, who is herself of Székely origin and has worked in Manchester’s music scene for the past years, including alongside the likes of Tony Wilson, the free to attend festival will take place this year from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 June 2022, spreading out across Cathedral Gardens and Exchange Square.
Feature image – Gobefest
News
Police give update after bomb squad descended on Fallowfield and evacuated residents
Emily Sergeant
Police have given an update after officers were called to investigate reports of two ‘suspicious items’ found in front gardens in Fallowfield.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to Abram Close, in the Fallowfield area of Manchester, shortly after 6:05pm this past Saturday (6 June 2026) following a report of a ‘suspicious item’ being found in a front garden, and officers attended the scene alongside the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD).
After the EOD made an assessment of the scene, around 20 nearby properties were advised by police to evacuate ‘as a precaution’.
As the investigation continued across the weekend, a second suspicious item was then found outside a property on Rostherne Avenue at around 2:45pm yesterday afternoon (Sunday 7 June), and once again, officers and partner agencies attended the scene to put a cordon in place.
As a precaution, several other houses in the area of the second property were also asked to evacuate while this work continues.
No arrests have been made at this time, but enquiries are ongoing.
“We thank everyone for their patience so far whilst we deal with this incident, as our investigation into the full circumstances continues,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Peter Morley, of GMP’s City of Manchester Division.
“Incidents such as these are likely to cause alarm in the local community, but please be reassured that there is no wider threat.
“Officers will be on hand to ensure the safety of people in the nearby area, so please speak to them if you have any concerns. As our work continues, it is vital that anyone who has any information, no matter how small, should report it to us and allow us to investigate.”
Can you help? Any information, CCTV, dash cam, or mobile phone footage can be shared with police online via the LiveChat service at gmp.police.uk, or by calling 0161 856 4259, quoting the log number 1948 of 07/06/26.
Details can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
Where to watch the 2026 World Cup in Manchester
Danny Jones
The 2026 World Cup is undoubtedly the biggest sporting event happening this year, and for those still wondering where is best to watch it, there are plenty of places in Manchester to make sure you don’t miss a second of the action.
We’re not going to get carried away and declare this as ‘England’s year’, but let’s just say we’ve got a very good squad and a head coach who has won some of the biggest footballing trophies on the planet.
That being said, we have every reason to feel positive, especially with so many great Manc pubs, bars and more screening the World Cup games.
So, let’s not drag this out like a long VAR any check: here are 26 of the best places to watch the 2026 World Cup in Manchester city centre and beyond…
26 top places to watch the World Cup in and around Manchester
1. The Grosvenor – Oxford Road Corridor
Up first on our list is the old Footage pub, which these days has been updated to The Grosvenor. They’re teaming up with Fireball for a big fan zone, including everything from free shots of that famous cinnamon whisky and other giveaways to quizzes, games and more. Grab your tickets now.
One of Manchester’s biggest and best new food halls and bars, House of Social, is also hosting its first-ever big tournament viewing party, with five big screens being installed. Standard entry is free, while seated (£15) comes with a free drink included and a comfortable view of the action, and VIP (£30) tickets come with £15 to spend on food, too. In addition to pre and post-match parties with live music and even a margarita truck out in the garden section, not to mention the terrace benches with heated canopies, this one is a great package all-around. Tickets are right HERE.
In at number three, we’ve got The Faraday over in the Northern Quarter (formerly Seven Sins, for anyone unaware), which has all the games you could need – and we don’t just mean the ones up on the telly. They’ve got pool, shuffleboard, darts, and more, not to mention live music throughout the week.
Rounding off our top four (the Champions League spots, if you will) is the very impressive space set up by Boundary over at The Union on Manchester Metropolitan University’s campus. Not just for students, this is much more than a uni bar: besides the pub itself, they’ve turned the gig and club room into a huge fan zone, with live DJ sets, super cheap drinks, and even 10p off Carling EVERY time England scores. Say no more; book your spot for the Three Lions games HERE.
Darts and pool on offerHUGE screensFree Jubels, anyone?…Credit: The Manc Group
6. Definitely Maybe – NQ
Next up, we have Manchester’s dedicated Oasis pub, Definitely Maybe, also over in NQ. You may associate this place more with Britpop and/or pre- and post-gig vibes, but the brilliant Afflecks music bar also has three large screens in the main room, not to mention tables and regular standing tickets available. Food and drinks packages will also be available, and there’s even a Green Room that can host private screenings of up to 60 guests. Reserve your spot now.
Number six is, of course, the now-famous Road to Victory, which returns for every big international competition. Having been at multiple places before landing at Manchester’s AO Arena, it’s now a bigger party than ever, with smoke machines, confetti cannons, giveaways, and interactive stuff for supporters to fill the break, just to name a few highlights. As close to being in the stadium itself as most will get this June and July – sign up HERE.
8. Victoria Baths – Chorlton-on-Medlock
From Road to Victory (RtV) to ‘Victory at the Baths’, over Chorlton way, is also holding a big fan zone for the latest international tournament. We don’t need to tell you how stunning a space this will be to watch ‘the beautiful game’, but it will also have some of the best acoustics in the business when those goals go in, the limbs go up, and the pints are sent flying. Find out more and grab your tickets while you can.
9. Freight Island – Mayfield
Similarly, their old neighbours at Depot Mayfield are bringing back their own building-wide watchalong party, ‘We Are Football Festival’. Operating in partnership with 4TheFans, the fan park specialists return for World Cup 2026, with several big rooms to be made the most of. You can find out all you need to know down below.
One entry on the list that may surprise you is Zouk Tea Bar and Grill over at The Quadrangle, just off Oxford Rd. Now, it goes without saying that there’ll be some unreal Indian and Pakistani scran being served up here over the summer, as there is every single day, but they’re also putting up big screens for select games over the next month or so. Book your table with food starting from £29 per person HERE.
Now, we thought we’d lump a few of these into one, because St John’s – just off Deansgate and behind Spinningfields – is gradually becoming one of the fastest-growing districts in central Manchester city centre, not least of all thanks to the brilliant food and drink scene over in this small slice of the city. With Trading Route, Courts Club, Stables Tavern and now ‘The Green’ all helping create a great atmosphere ahead of this year’s sporting summer, food, drink, and pure vibes will be in full flow.
Find out what they’ve got on right through until August.
12. O’Malleys – Central
Heading over to O’Malleys on Portland Street, right in the heart of the city centre, we may be bursting with some great Irish bars and pubs in Manchester at the moment, but O’Malleys MCR undoubtedly has some of the cheapest pints and value for money across the board. They’re doing free entry throughout, and they’re showing every single game, so you don’t just have to be backing British teams.
Heading toward the outskirts for a spell, Hotel Football, which sits in the shadow of Old Trafford, is obviously a footy-obsessed venue from start to finish, but this isn’t just limited to Man United affairs. This World Cup, they’re showing every England game and even offering special stay-overs, with dinner, as well as bed and breakfast included. Find all the options HERE.
This package comes with a stadium view and tour of Man United’s Carrington complex (Credit: Supplied)
14. GRUB On The Docks – Salford Quays
As we cross the halfway point, and since we’ve strayed just beyond the city centre, we thought we’d shout out the fantastic festival feel being set up for GRUB On The Docks over at MediaCityUK. Formerly known as BOX on the Docks, this new-look outdoor leisure and live entertainment hub will hopefully serve as the perfect suntrap, not to mention there’ll be plenty of boxes showing the football itself.
Any place offering free fan zones gets a big thumbs up from us, and fortunately, we already know plenty of people heading back to Nell’s for World Cup watchalongs. Nell’s Pizza and frozen cocktails speak for themselves, but in case you weren’t aware, they have a big projector up at their Kampus location, as well as screens at their other sites, such as Common, The Beagle, and over in Salford Quays, too
The Manchester Blues Kitchen site just off Deansgate is another one that we can vouch for when it comes not only to watching the biggest sporting fixtures, having watched the Super Bowl there every year for the past half a decade, but also the footy – in fact, we watched the last Euros final in there and while the result was gutting, the night overall was excellent. It’s first-come, first-served, and their latest Southern-inspired food menu feels like the perfect fit for the North American tournament.
Credit: The Manc
17. Society – Central
Another food and beer hall, Society, is another ideal spot to watch the World Cup in Manchester this summer. Not only do you have rows and rows of tables and benches to seat fans, multiple kitchens to choose from, and a great selection of locally-brewed bevs, but you’ve also got the outside area to hopefully soak up sun, suds, and energy from the crowd during the breaks. Hopefully, we’ll be at least 1-0 up in most matches by the time the whistle blows for half-time.
Beloved Manc bar and nightclub ‘JBs’ is bringing their dedicated England fan zone back for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and if you spent any time during the last edition, you’ll know the atmosphere in here is great. Complete with shiny new booths, multiple screens, a DJ booth and more, the ‘Clubhouse’ upstairs is well worth a go for a game or two. Find ticket prices and all their other events listed HERE.
Credit: The Manc
19. The Lawn Club – Spinningfields
Heading back over towards Spinningfields direction, Lawn Club on Hardman Square is another great alternative for World Cup screenings, especially as you’ve got the indoor hut, complete with cocktail deals, AND the roomy beer garden outside. For those who haven’t stumbled across it before, here’s a better idea of how it’s going to look based on previous years:
Holding viewing parties for the 2026 World Cup at their two flagship homes – the taproom and their first-ever beerhouse, Seven Brothers are also offering bookings, from just you and your partner, to big private hire for groups of mates and work colleagues. Spaces for England’s first game against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June, are already filling up, so email either venue to reserve your spot ASAP.
Credit: Supplied
21. 11 Central – Salford Quays
Speaking of the Seven Bros Brewing Co., another one of their brands over at Quayside in MediaCity is another place that will be showing all England games, at the very least, throughout the 2026 World Cup. This still relatively new Salford Quays spot may go overlooked in foodie terms at times because of Central Bay next door, but one thing they do better than their neighbours is live sport on the box.
No. 22 is the brilliant Black Cat Club, brought to you by the same team behind the Michelin-recommended El Gato Negro and Canto tapas restaurants on King Street and Cutting Room Square, respectively. To toast this year’s tournament and the last time England won the World Cup, they’re serving up a ‘Geoff Hirst’ deal, where you can grab three small plates for £19.66, or four-pint pitchers of Black Cat Lager, Red Stripe or Moretti for the same price. Here are all of their packages.
Credit: Press shot (supplied via Black Cat Club)
23. Dirty O’Sullivans – Albert Square
From Mediterranean influences to more Gaelic goodness, another recently opened Manc Irish bar is also offering great deals for this year’s World Cup, including giving away 1,000 FREE pints to those who pre-book their table at this increasingly popular pub just off the corner of Albert Square. Sort yours HERE.
As we approach the final minutes of this round-up, if you will, we thought we’d throw in another favourite gaming and activity bar of ours in the form of Electric Shuffle. You can pay either £25 or £50 as a deposit, redeemable off your bill at the end when putting your name down, and you don’t have to book. a shuffleboard table to be in the room – though why wouldn’t you? Bookings are live now.
25. Diecast – Piccadilly East
Our penultimate pick of the bunch, we couldn’t complete this squad selection without giving a nod to Diecast over towards Back Piccadilly and the edge of Ancoats. A previous RtV host, this massive Manchester drinking hall, beer garden, gig and club venue is still well-equipped to hold a big World Cup watch party all of its own. Although all early bird tickets have already sold out, general admission is still on sale for just a tenner, so don’t wait around.
26. Albert Hall – Peter Street
If we’re in extra time, we can’t think of many better places that stressful eleventh hour than Manchester’s iconic Albert Hall; in fact, we have done almost exactly that for the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, and we promise you we made some unforgettable memories in here no matter how it all ended. They’re keeping things simple here: £5 entry, and the first 100 get a free pint – tickets can be found HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
26th April 2022 
