Manchester Food and Drink Festival is back for 2021 – everything you need to know
From artisan markets with some of the region's finest traders, to street food, a giant beer and cider bar, plus events across the city, MFDF 2021 has so much to offer
After a brief hiatus, Manchester’s premier food and drink event has returned to the city for 2021 – bringing with it a host of local street food, locally-brewed beers, artisan producers and fringe events involving some of the city’s best restaurants.
As ever at the heart of the action is the MFDF Festival Hub, which returns to Cathedral Gardens from Thursday 16 – Sunday 19 September, and then again from Wednesday 22 to Sunday 26 September.
Culminating in the prestigious awards ceremony, it’s a must-visit event for any self-proclaimed Manchester foodies.
Read on to discover everything that’s happening over the next two weeks.
Where is the Manchester Food and Drink Festival this year?
The centre of the action will be at The Festival Hub – the free to enter, pop up food and drink village that will take over Cathedral Gardens for two weeks.
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Bringing together a gigantic beer bar, wine, a gin bar, loads of street food, an artisan food market, banquets, and a live music stage, it’s all going on here with so much to be discovered across the following two weeks.
What time does the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Hub open?
The Manchester Food and Drink Festival Hub is open 12 – 11 pm between Thursday 16 and Sunday 19 September. It is then closed Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 September, before reopening on Wednesday 22 from 5 pm to 11 pm.
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The final stretch of the festival then runs from Thursday 23 to 26 September, open all day from 12 to 11 pm.
What street food can I find at the festival?
From halloumi fries to chocolate galettes, there’s so much street food to be discovered at this year’s Manchester Food and Drink Festival.
Home to an epic street food market features whole village of the very best independent food traders around, from the juiciest burger to chocolate galettes and halloumi fries, read on to discover what you can enjoy at the Festival Hub over the next fortnight.
Thursday 16TH – Sunday 19th Sept
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What’s Your Beef – Locally and ethically sourced grass-fed beef burgers, halloumi fries and regular fries .
Mi & Pho – Northenden’s Award-winning Vietnamese restaurant brings Bahn Mi and Pho to the Festival.
Maison Breizh – Authentic Breton crêpes and galettes, also known as French pizza.
Oh My Glaze – Wraps, wings and halloumi.
Maison Breizh is at the Festival Hub all weekend with authentic Breton crêpes and galettes
23rd – 26th Sept
Halloumination – The Halloumination team serve the most delicious halloumi fries + halloumi burgers.
The Spinn – Gatley-based indie restaurant & bar will be bringing their amazing trademark burgers to the festival.
I Knead Pizza – Stockport-based local food heroes serving up woodfired pizza and amazing ‘pizza bites.’
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Northern Soul Grilled Cheese – The UK’s first grilled cheese restaurant, based in Manchester.
Mezze – The family-run, Cypriot kitchen will be joining The Hub with their superb take on all things Mediterranean.
Spoons Desserts – Cracking crepes made locally, featuring all the classic crepe toppings.
Meatless Farm will also be at the Hub throughout the festival, serving up samples of their excellent vegan cooking products as well as a full street food menu of their plant-based burgers.
Event programme
There’s so many wonderful events taking part as part of this year’s Manchester Food and Drink Festival, with some special fringe dinners and tastings happening around the city as well as at the main Festival Hub.
You can find the full event programme for this year’s festival here.
Tine at The Bungalow – Tine will be bringing their elevated casual dining experience to The Bungalow at Kampus with a special five-course menu created especially for MFDF.
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The Mousetrap wine and cheese tasting experience – The Mousetrap’s super special cheese and wine tasting experience include four award-winning artisan cheeses paired perfectly with a selection of wines.
Le Social Last Summer Wine tasting – Expect creamy whites, savoury orange wines and comforting reds at this special tasting.
Bread Flower x Le Social Jewish-inspired supper club – Learn about the Jewish customs and traditions of this time of year, like dipping the apple in honey for New Year and the tradition of sleeping outside in a hut for 8days during Sukkot. Dishes will be paired with wines from Le Social.
MFDF Wine and Fizz Festival – Taking place Friday 17th and Saturday 18th September, Halle St Peters on Blossom Street in Ancoats will be taken over by some of the region’s finest and most exciting independent wine retailers and brands.
Sustainable wine evening – Open Kitchen will host a sustainable wine tasting evening, showcasing the Bolney Estate in Kent & sample a range of beautiful English wines.
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The Bull & Bear Hub takeover – Tom Kerridge, the man behind the first pub to ever be awarded two Michelin stars, is hosting the ultimate pub grub dinner at the Festival Hub.
MFDF Curry Club at The Hub – A festival feast like never before, the entire Festival Hub will be the venue for an undercover, al fresco Indian street food celebration.
Manchester’s Biggest Chippy Tea – The city’s best loved restaurants, chefs and food traders are coming together to create a mammoth chippie tea feast in homage to one of the region’s best-loved meals.
Schlosstoberfest – Expect an Oktoberfest Takeover bringing a day of Bavarian delights with brats, pretzels and lederhosen. Free to attend and no need to book.
Tast Tasting DInner – The team from the award-winning restaraunt Tast, will be bringing their acclaimed take on Catalonian tapas to the MFDF Street Kitchen
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Le Social Supernature Disco – Dedicated to the party and fantastic drinks, Le Social host an all-day disco party with Supernature.
What about the music stage?
The 2021 CityLife stage at MFDF will feature a curated line-up of Manchester’s best local bands andmusicians to provide the perfect soundtrack to your festival.
Highlights include:
Friday 17 September City Life Present The Lottery Winners – 8pm.
Saturday 18 September The Covertones -6.30pm.
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Sunday 19 September Flat Cap Brass – 1.30pm and 2.30pm / Fine Lines – 3:30pm
Wednesday 22September Manchester legend Clint Boon brings his Boon Army spirit and sounds to the Festival stage for a feel-good mid-week set.
Thursday 23 September Dave Fidler / Albert Schloss Stage Takeover
Saturday 25 September Gypsies of Bohemia
Sunday 26 September Flat Cap Brass /. Hattie Pearson
The artisan market at MFDF is hosting some stellar traders from across Greater Manchester
What traders are at the artisan market?
Thursday 16 – Sunday 19:
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Chorlton Bread Co – Serving handmade plant-based, sourdough bread and cookies all the way from Chorlton.
Cafe Cannoli – Bringing handmade, authentic Sicilian cannoli to the Festival.
Cafe Cannoli was recently recommended ias one of the best UK producers of cannolis in Waitrose magazine
DevilDog Sauces– Small batch chilli sauces and seasonings made right here in Manchester.
Cocoa and Bloom – Beautiful, sustainable, handmade chocolates made with natural fresh fillings.
Chorlton Cheesemongers -The cheesie big guns are out! Chorlton Cheesemongers will be on site serving up their best quality farmhouse and artisan handmade cheeses, chutney and pickles.
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Manchester Cheesecake Co– Homemade, locally produced small-batch cheesecakes in an array of amazing flavours.
BreadFlower– Handmade bagels and seasonal bouquets from MFDF Award-nominated new local producers BreadFlower.
Twisted Wheel Beer Co – Craft Beer brewed in the Northwest and celebrating the spirit of Northern Soul!
Prestwich Gin– Locally produced, award nominated, small batch gin!
O’Donnell Moonshine – Handcrafted spirits and liqueurs presented in their now iconic glass jars. A throwback to American prohibition usually found at Hatch and coming to the Festival for the first time.
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Jack BerryGluten free and speciality flours and bread mixes. Raw, natural honeys, seeds and No BEE Vegan HONEE® (the recently launched, unique vegan honey alternative)
Thursday 23rd – Sunday 26th Sept
Companio Bakery – Ancoats’ neighbourhood, sourdough bakery will be serving up their fresh loaves to the festival customers.
Paradiso Authentic Italian – Freshly made, authentic Italian desserts including their famous flavoured Tiramisu… Bellissimo!
Chorlton Cheesemongers – Chorlton Cheesemongers will also join us for the second weekend of our Festival Market with their best quality farmhouse and artisan handmade cheeses, chutney and pickles.
Eat Well –Manchester’s social enterprise, Eat Well, will present their limited edition hampers containing the finest artisan produce from a hand selected bunch of the best indie food heroes.
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The Gourmet Brownie Co – Gorgeous gooey brownies handmade and brought to the Festival to fulfil the needs of even the sweetest of tooths.
Ribble Valley Gin – Small batch, multi award winning gins brough to the Hub direct from the Ribble Valley.
HM Pasties – Pies and Pasties handmade in Bolton with the social mission of reducing re-offending by employing people with criminal convictions.
Crozier Drinks – Professional, premixed Artisan cocktails specialising in inventive combinations of fruits spirits and spices.
O’Donnell Moonshine – Handcrafted spirits and liqueurs presented in their now iconic glass jars. A throwback to American prohibition usually found at Hatch and coming to the Festival for the first time.
News
Popular Manchester comedy festival A Lovely Weekend announces 2026 lineup
Emily Sergeant
A popular comedy festival is returning to our city next month with an impressive lineup of local talent and ‘cult sensations’.
That’s right… some of the UK’s best comedy names are coming to Manchester.
Following the success of events held over the past couple of years, renowned production company, A Lovely Time, has once again put together an absolutely jam-packed lineup of television names, internet sensations, hotly-tipped newcomers, and even critically-acclaimed comedians for a weekend full of comedy shows in the heart of the city centre.
Taking place, once again, at Fairfield Social Club, the weekend-long festival, aptly called A Lovely Weekend, will kick off on Friday 29 May.
You can expect three full days of laughter at the hands of an expertly-curated lineup.
Audiences will get to watch Last One Laughing favourite Harriet Kemsley, viral internet sensation and stand-up Tom Lawrinson, and the return of Mark Silcox from BBC’s Man Like Mobeen on the Saturday, as well as the first-ever live show of Sean McLoughlin’s popular podcast, The Sean McTalk Show.
He will be joined by stand-up comic Josh Pugh, newly announced SNL UK cast member Larry Dean, and French comedian and writer Celya AB on the Sunday, all making for a ‘truly unmissable’ weekend of comedy.
Speaking ahead of the festival’s return, A Lovely Weekend producer John Stansfield said: “With around 20 shows over the course of three days, we can’t wait to pack out Fairfield Social Club with comedy fans for a heck of a lovely time and speaking personally, my favourite weekend of the year.”
The 2026 festival is supported by Found – Fairfield Social Club’s commercial operator – and alcohol free brewery, BRULO.
A Lovely Weekend will take over Fairfield Social Club from Friday 29 – Sunday 31 May, and tickets are on sale now – with tickets to individual shows, and specific day and weekend-long passes all available to get your hands on.
The MOBO Awards in Manchester – everything you need to know
Thomas Melia
It’s official, the MOBOs are coming to Manchester for a night of live music performances and international artists, all at Co-op Live.
This award show, dedicated to music created by black creatives and musicians, has been hosted in cities nationwide, most recently in Newcastle, but 2026 marks its first time ever in the music capital of the North: Manchester.
A whole host of impressive musicians and acts take to the stage every year, with iconic moments throughout the award show’s history attributed to R&B royalty Lauryn Hill and Queen of Dancehall, Spice.
This award show is dedicated to celebrating Music of Black Origin but is recognised more widely as the MOBOs, with the aim of platforming as many genres as possible, from reggae and rap to soul, hip-hop and more.
Odeal and Spice performing at MOBOs 2025 in Newcastle / Credit: Nick Redman
The MOBOs first took place in 1996, and since then, founder Kanya King and her team have created a legacy – one now set to celebrate its 30th anniversary at 23,500 indoor venue Co-op Live.
MOBOs 2026 guide – all the key info
Are there still tickets left for the MOBO Awards ceremony at Co-op Live?
In a word, yes; there is still a healthy amount of tickets, both general admission and hospitality/VIP packages, if you fancy splashing out.
There’s still time to secure a seat, so grab yours HERE while you still can.
What time do the 2026 MOBOs start in Manchester and on TV?
This year, the MOBOs won’t be broadcast on mainstream TV channels; the award show has decided to collaborate with Amazon.
The show will be live-streamed via Amazon Music UK’s official Twitch account on Thursday, 26 March from 8pm – watch HERE.
There’s also an ‘Access All Areas’ programme hosted by DJ Target on BBC One with interviews and all the red carpet action on Friday 27 March, recapping all the action HERE.
All live streams and official channels have a finishing time of 10:30pm, meaning you can enjoy a night of huge performances while also getting a good quality kip.
Eve and Eddie Kadi are hosting this year’s MOBOs in Manchester / Credit: MOBO Organisation
2026 MOBO nominations
Obviously, the focus of this night isn’t just toasting 30 years of music with Black British culture and beyond, but recognising those pushing the industry forward in their field(s).
Lots of current and up-and-coming acts have found their way onto the list of nominees for the MOBOs this year – many for the very first time.
Shortlisted are the likes of the neo-soul singer-songwriting sensation, Olivia Dean, fellow female solo artists, PinkPantheress and Little Simz; Central Cee, Skepta, Kojey Radical, Raye, Myles Smith and FKA twigs, just to name a few excitinng few.
The MOBOs are known for some of the most insane live performances by some of the music industry’s biggest stars, this year with presenters Eve and Eddie Kadi.
Get ready for the Co-op Live crowd to chant “DEANO!” as the aforementioned Ms Dean will be performing on the night, and with the amount of hits this ‘Lady Lady’ has, we’re bound to know every word.
The ‘Queen of Afrobeats’, Tiwa Savage, is set to take to the stage and her album, This One Is Personal, helped soundtrack 2025, like the Skepta collaboration ‘On The Low’. With ‘Skeppy’ in attendance, anything is possible…
Dancehall diva Shenseea will be performing and has seen massive international success on MOLIY’s single ‘Shake It To The Max (Remix)’, Aya Nakamura duet ‘Dis-moi’, and solo hit ‘Time For Me’.
R&B trio FLO, Manchester rapper Aitch, Myles Smith, Slick Rick and Estelle, as well as a grime medley featuring Wiley, Chip, Nolay, Scorcher and D Double E curated by DJ Target, are also putting on a show – Co-op Live is in for a treat.
Tiwa Savage, FLO and Shenseea are just some of the acts taking to the Co-op Live stage / Credit: Press Shots via supplied
Who else is on the live music line-up in Manchester for MOBOs Fringe?
With the MOBO Awards heading to town for the very first time, there’s also a whole host of events taking place at various independent venues throughout the city.
Some may have already passed in the build-up to event week, such as a special partnered Manchester Basketball game for the MOBO Fringe festival, but if you time to go along to any of the ones still remaining, we strongly urge you to do so.
Get your MOBOs fix ahead of the show by attending some stellar upcoming acts as you gear up for the big event next Thursday night.
Fri 20 March – Shimrise Selects – The Deaf Institute
Sat 21 March – Mobørigins – Renae
Sat 21 March – Habitat x MOBO Fringe – Cupra City Garage
Sun 22 March – Manchester Made: Roots, Rhyme & The Future – Niamos Centre
Sun 22 March – Aarchive House – Side Street
Sun 22 March – Crib Sessions with Faro – Side Street
There are plenty of events ahead of the MOBOs that you can get involved with across Manchester / Credit: Nick Flynn via supplied
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live to watch the BRIT Awards shows in person, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s also worth noting that anyone with a valid BRITs ticket is granted FREE travel from all zones travelling to and from the venue.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Georgina Pellant -
17th September 2021 
