Manchester Food & Drink Festival is going ahead for 2020.
The famous event has been given the green light to return for its 23rd edition – with a new programme being held partnership with the city’s restaurants, bars, cafes and chefs across 12 days.
The Festival Hub will be situated at Cathedral Gardens this year, with the site consisting of two key areas – The Feasting Quarter and the Festival Market.
Entry price will be free, and an MFDF app has also been designed to provide a digital version of the Festival programme.
Brand new safety measures, such as social distancing, table service, ordering via mobile, and capacity restrictions have also been introduced to make the event COVID-secure.
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Organisers have confirmed the fest will take place from 24 September to 5 October.
Much of the event will all be undercover – with enough seating for all guests to eat and drink at tables.
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Orders can be placed via screens.
Among the attractions will be MFDF’s famous Manchester beer bar – showcasing and supporting the region’s very best brewers (every brew will be available on tap).
The Festival’s live music stage will also provide an acoustic soundtrack to the event with some of Manchester’s best bands and artists invited to perform stripped-back versions of their usual acts for an easy-going, outdoor live music experience – the first of its kind since the outbreak of the pandemic.
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This year will also see MFDF’s biggest food market yet.
The foodie shopping experience will feature over forty traders – offering the best local, independent and sustainable food and drink from around the region.
The MFDF team said they are “delighted to be able to stage the event this year, supporting jobs across a huge range of sectors decimated by the pandemic – from event production to hospitality – and, of course, celebrating our incredible food and drink scene and night-time economy.”
Alexa Stratton-Powell, Director of the Festival commented: “We’re thrilled to be planning a 2020 Festival, particularly at such an incredibly challenging time for our hospitality industry.
“It’s great to be staging a positive event for the city’s food and drink lovers too – we all need something to celebrate and look forward to right now. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our headline sponsors, Just Eat.
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“Without their support, and that of Manchester City Council, we simply wouldn’t be able to do this. It has been, and continues to be, a difficult and distressing time.
“We know that COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere fast – and neither is our city’s love for good food and drink.
“Our Festival this year will provide a safe setting in which to indulge in the pure joy of great gastro experiences.
“Watch this space for more announcements and we can’t wait to see everyone in September”
For a reservation fee of £5, guests can guarantee a table at the event and skip any queues to get onto the site.
Council sets out plans to rework busy Manchester junction after ‘serious safety concerns’
Emily Sergeant
Bold new plans to transform one of Manchester’s busiest junctions following ‘serious’ safety concerns have been unveiled.
All the way back in 2022, Manchester City Council identified the junction of Wilmslow Road with Ladybarn Road and Sherwood Street as an area that would ‘greatly benefit’ from upgraded infrastructure.
As a major route into Manchester, and an important route cutting through the city’s southern neighbourhoods, this junction sees a vast amount of road, cyclist, and foot traffic every day… and because of this, there are also said to be ‘serious concerns’ around safety when it comes to this particular stretch of road.
In a five year period between 2018 and 2023 alone, there were 15 collisions at this junction, the Council explained – with two of these classified as ‘serious’.
Under the plans – which have been announced by the Council this week – the junction is to be partially redesigned, creating several new and safer crossing points for cyclists and pedestrians, a more ‘seamless’ route along the current cycling lanes, and overall, just general improvements to the layout.
🚧 Wilmslow Rd Junction Improvements 🚲 Works start 18 May 2026 at Wilmslow Rd / Ladybarn Rd / Sherwood St to make the junction safer for pedestrians & cyclists. ✅ New cycle lanes ✅ Safer crossings ✅ Better links to the Fallowfield Loop 🔗 https://t.co/Y26mH7cc8Epic.twitter.com/IiOih5ehqp
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 11, 2026
Some of the safety features set to be included are three dedicated crossing points for pedestrians at the junction, rumble strips for cyclists at pedestrian crossing points, and improved signage and road markings.
Work is due to begin as early as next Monday (18 May), and will run until January 2027.
The work is set to be carried out in four phases, the Council has confirmed – with the first phase of these works comprising of the removal of street furniture, kerbs and tarmac, as well as upgrades to the drainage and road markings.
“This junction in particular sees a high volume of traffic – from cars, cyclists and pedestrians, commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“So it was clear that improvements were required following our engagement with local residents.
“As has been the case with other schemes like this in Manchester, safety remains our number one priority.
“We have long said that we want Manchester to be a city where people can walk and cycle around in safety, and by upgrading this junction and improving its crossing points, we are taking another step towards that goal.”
Featured Image – Google Maps
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Printworks launches UK-wide student art competition for Europe’s largest digital ceiling
Emily Sergeant
Printworks has launched a student art competition offering the winner a chance to have their work displayed on Europe’s largest digital ceiling.
Do you know an aspiring artist? Students aged 16 and over are invited to bring the ocean to life in a brand-new creative arts competition launched by one of the UK’s leading entertainment destinations, Manchester’s Printworks.
The venue has now opened entries for UK students from sixth forms, colleges, universities, and art colleges across the country to take part in an exciting new art competition.
This year, students are asked to create an original artwork inspired by the theme ‘Ocean / Under the Sea’, and then the winning design will be transformed into a spectacular digital display across the impressive ceiling installation.
From colourful coral gardens and tropical fish, to mysterious deep-sea worlds and majestic marine life, students are encouraged to unleash their creativity and dive beneath the waves for inspiration.
“We’re incredibly excited to launch this year’s student art competition and can’t wait to see the imagination and creativity that the UK’s young artists bring to this year’s theme,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks Manchester.
Printworks has launched a UK-wide student art competition for Europe’s largest digital ceiling / Credit: Supplied
“Our digital ceiling gives students the opportunity to see their work displayed on a truly massive scale in front of thousands of visitors, and we hope the addition of new prizes will encourage creativity to continue beyond the competition.”
The winning artist will also receive an iPad 11th Generation with an Apple Pencil (USB-C) this year too, as well as the main prize of having their artwork featured, giving budding creatives powerful new tools to continue developing their artistic talents and future projects.
Entrants who come in second and third place will also receive vouchers to be used at different venues inside Printworks.
The competition is now open, and further details on how to enter, submission guidelines, and full terms and conditions can be found on the Printworks website here.
The Manc -
6th August 2020 
