Festa Italiana, the UK’s biggest Italian food festival hosted annually in Manchester, will return for its sixth season this August bank holiday weekend.
The free-to-attend event, which every year brings together some of the best Italian food traders from across Greater Manchester, has revealed this year’s line-up of food, drinks and culture as it gears up to take over Cathedral Gardens once again.
The brainchild of Maurizio Cecco, the Neapolitan chef behind family-run Manchester restaurant group Salvi’s, every year Fest Italiana brings together Manchester’s huge Italian community for a three-day knees up in at its Cathedral Gardens home.
This year, the festival is mixing it up with brand-new additions to its much-loved programme, including Friday’s Festa Italiana Della Donna – a full day dedicated to outstanding female cooks including Cucina Con Sofia, Carmela’s Kitchen, Salvi’s head chef Valentina Ambrosino, and Claire and Maurizio’s daughter Sienna Cecco – and a grand dining experience, curated with Italian brewery Poretti.
Speaking on the upcoming 2023 festival, Maurizio said: “This year Festa Italiana is all about celebrating our huge Festa family. We’re delighted to introduce Friday’s Della Donna, and of course the very special Poretti Grande Tavola dining experience, which will gather diners around a huge table, transporting them straight to beautiful Naples.
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“We have also prepared a feast of authentic Italian food, drink and entertainment, with fully vegan and gluten free options. Our menu is brimming with love and we can’t wait to welcome visitors from across the city into our little Italy right in the heart of Manchester.”
2023 Festa Italiana line-up highlights
Image: Festa Italiana
Image: Festa Italiana
Festa Italiana Della Donna
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This year, Festa Italiana is set for a powerful opening day with the brand-new Festa Italiana Della Donna, where three outstanding women will take centre stage to showcase their craft.
Proud MasterChef UK 2021 contestant and inspiring Culinary Generations winner, chef Sofia Gallo, will be passing down her family knowledge to Festa audiences with a live cooking demo at. Pastaia and Festa regular Carmela Sereno Hayes will be sharing her personal take on the art of fresh pasta making. There will also be cooking demos by Salvi’s head chef Valentina Ambrosino, and Claire and Maurizio’s daughter Sienna Cecco, with details to be announced.
Claire Wheeler, Managing Director and Salvi’s matriarch, said: “Creating a platform for women in such a male-dominated sphere is important to us because, as much as we love creating traditions, we also love breaking them and starting afresh.”
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Poretti Grande Tavola
Bringing something new to Festa Italiana 2023, Birrificio Angelo Poretti is hosting the ultimate ticketed dining experience on Saturday 26th August.
Festival goers can pull up a chair and enjoy a classic Italian menu from Salvi’s that has been curated to pair perfectly with Poretti and sip on the authentic Italian lager from Poretti’s iconic airstream – from a delicious Italian Fritto Misto, including an array of Neapolitan street food dishes such as fried courgette flowers, stuffed olives, croquettes, and more, to a beautiful lemon sorbet.
Poretti has been elevating mealtimes for over 140 years so what better way to showcase the lager than at the UK’s largest Italian food festival. Not only can guests enjoy a glorious sit-down meal, Poretti’s beer sommelier will be on hand to explain why each dish, curated by Salvi’s, pairs perfectly with Poretti.
This experience is a ticketed event on Saturday 26th August and the area is then open to all on Sunday 27th August, where visitors can gather, grab a Poretti and dine on their favourite food from the festival food vendors. Buy tickets to Birrificio Angelo Poretti’s Grande Tavolahere
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Live Cooking Masterclasses – Festa Marquee (free)
On Saturday 26 August, there will be a masterclass and book signing from Italian cooking superstar and Parmigiano Reggiano’s UK brand ambassador, Gennaro Contaldo (Saturday Kitchen, Two Greedy Italians, Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast). He is followed by TV star and restaurateur Giancarlo Caldesi (Returning to Tuscany, Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch), who will bring his Caldesi cookery school and endless charm to the Festa masses.
Sunday 27 August will see an encore masterclass from Gennaro, while Great British Bake Off 2021 winner, author, and proud Britalian, Giuseppe Dell’Anno dives into the world of bread and cakes.
Firing up the authentic Neapolitan ovens will be local legends and traditional pizza-makers I Knead Pizza, alongside the award-winning and proved to perfection, Proove.
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For the first time ever, Festa will also welcome sustainable pizza champions Purezza who will challenge the preconceptions of authentic Italian food, delivering full of flavour, fully vegan pizza with gluten-free options available.
The Pasta Factory will be serving up fresh handmade pasta, cooked according to the family recipe books. Priding themselves in traditional homemade sauces, they will also feature vegan options, one of which is well-loved vegan parmesan. Pasta La Vista.
Bringing classic Sicilian street food to the heart of Manchester will be T’arricrii, serving specialty arancini, alongside much-loved freshly-imported Polara drinks, while anyone with a sweet tooth can head over to Cafè Cannoli and Prendi Il Biscotto, who will bring an extensive range of hand-made Italian cannoli and biscuits.
Luxury gelato parlour Grandpa Greene’s will once again be serving classic Italian ice cream out of their signature truck, with a surprise charity Festa Italiana collaboration flavour, the full proceedings of which will go to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
In keeping with tradition, Salvi’s will be serving sweet treats and branded Salvi’s delights brought in from their Deli.
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Bars
In addition to its extensive Grande Tavola dining experience, Italian brewery Biriffico Angelo Poretti will be serving craft pints from its beautiful Poretti Piazza airstream.
Festa fans will also be treated to a brand-new spritz bar serving a selection of authentic Italian aperativi, including summer hits Aperol Spritz, Campari Spritz, and Limoncello Spritz, with a surprise cocktail to keep things fresh.
With a dedicated bar this year, Birra Murano will be inviting Festa goers to take a moment to appreciate the magical atmosphere with a clean, crisp and refreshing Italian-style pilsner.
Plus, the Salvi’s festival bar will be serving Italian craft beer, DOP-stamped wine, and, of course, glasses of Prosecco.
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Image: Festa Italiana
Image: Festa Italiana
Music
Italian-turned-Manchester-favourites Compagnia Sole Luna will once again be flying in from scorching Naples to provide a traditional Neapolitan folk music, revisited in a folk-rock style.
The music under the Festa sky will also feature local artists and bands, including the city’s best-loved opera singer The Manchester Tenor, Mojoband, and more.
Families
Carmela’s KitchenPasta maestra Carmela Sereno Hayes is back with ‘Carmela’s Kitchen’ across the entire weekend, with free drop-in sessions, teaching pasta-loving adults and kids alike how to make beautiful AND delicious fresh pasta from scratch.
Featured image – Festa Italiana
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Manchester Marathon 2026 guide – waves, start times, route map and much more
Danny Jones
It’s nearly that time again: the adidas Manchester Marathon has come back around for 2026, so it’s about time we gave you a helpful guide on everything you need to know.
Doesn’t matter whether you’re running it or are simply set to be one of the countless people expected to line the streets in support of the annual event; there are plenty of important details that can help make it as stress-free as possible.
Well, there are obviously going to be plenty of nerves out on the tarmac, but we already know you’re going to smash it.
So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in…
The great big Manchester Marathon guide – all the key info
We can start off by letting you know that, no, there aren’t any places left to join this year’s Manchester Marathon, but as always, it’s worth keeping an eye out on social media for any last-minute bibs going.
There’s always a fair few drop-outs in the last few weeks leading up to a big race, and while we hope it’s not happened to you or anyone you know, do let people know down in the comments if you know of any spares so we can field out the field as much as possible.
Waves and start times for the 2026 MCR Marathon
Where else to begin than with the start times themselves? If you’re joining the pack this year, you should have long received your race pack by now – if not, you can collect yours/try to sort a back-up bib at the adidas store on Market Street – and therefore should already know when you’re getting going.
However, even if you’re just watching, it can be helpful to know the exact minute that your friends and loved ones’ waves are starting. Here’s a full breakdown:
(Credit: adidas Manchester Marathon)
If you’re wondering how best to track those taking part, as well as sharing names and numbers on race bibs for predictive tracking, we would always recommend turning on the ‘Find My’ app on Apple devices and/or your phone’s equivalent.
We would also suggest sharing your location on WhatsApp, which can be set for several hours and beyond, which is usually pretty accurate.
Manchester Marathon route and event map
As for this year’s marathon route, 2026 marks just the second year that the sell-out Manc run will see its final stretch along the Oxford Road Corridor, with the finish line hosted just outside The University of Manchester’s historic Whitworth Hall.
Complete with a series of adidas-branded hoardings tilted at an angle for those cheering from the sidelines to slam and spur finishers along those last few yards.
Once again, the course will take participants from beneath the Trafford City Arch near White City retail park, down Bridgewater Way, then Chester Road, before heading towards Castlefield and Deansgate, on to Stretford, Sale, Timperley, Altrincham, and then out of Trafford in the direction of Baguley.
Eventually, you’ll make your way back to central Manchester, passing through Chorlton, Whalley Range, Hulme and eventually to the home straight on Oxford Rd for a grandstand finish.
You can see a detailed version of the Manchester Marathon right HERE and/or watch a full virtual tour of the 2026 route down below.
The start area is outside Man United’s Old Trafford stadium, which can be easily accessed by tram or car
Toilets, water and fuelling stations
Now, next up on the list of crucial locations is, obviously, the issue of toilets, as well as water and refuelling stations.
You’ll be glad to know that there will be places to go for your pre-race pees and poos, both in the first pan and in a secondary section just after you begin the starting process and head towards the retail park and Trafford Arch.
From there, runners will be able to use the toilet (fingers crossed you won’t need one) whenever they come across a water station, and in addition to the eight or nine points along the course, you can refuel energy and nutrition-wise with High5 Orange Aqua Gels.
Here’s a quick rundown of where you’ll find them:
Manc Marathon road closures
Next up, it goes without saying that such a big event is not just city centre-wide, but one spread across multiple Greater Manchester boroughs, doesn’t go ahead every single year (not to mention bigger and better each time) without some major logistical planning.
The adidas Manchester Marathon returns to the streets of Greater Manchester this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has now been announced. 🏃♂️🏅
Bag drop and collection points for the Manchester Marathon
The bag drop is situated near the front of Manchester United’s famous home ground, where you’ll also find the official starting area within the E2 car park.
If you plan to use this service (small sports bag or rucksack only), the organisers recommend arriving at least 45 minutes before you are due to access the start line.
Bags will then be collected and loaded into lorries corresponding to your wave colour, which will then transport them to the finish line, where they can be collected with proof. If you’re still unsure about anything, here’s a full explanation.
Fan zones, cheers squads and popular spectator spots
As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate-Castlefield Interchange, the Chester Road roundabout and strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few.
Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub, including help when it comes to tracking them.
In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, last year’s Manchester Marathon official Event Village at Circle Square has also seen a big upgrade. Find out more below.
As always, Transport for Greater Manchester is advising everyone making their way to the event this year to use public services wherever possible.
In terms of using the Metrolink trams, Old Trafford tram station is just 10 minutes from the start line, while Trafford Bar, Wharfside, Imperial War Museum and Exchange Quay are your next best options and still only a reasonable walk away.
One could even say they’re the perfect distance away to go through your full warm-up routine and pre-race checks; you can also check out a full interactive map of the relevant tram lines:
As for this year’s dedicated Manchester Marathon fan zones and cheer points, you’ll find popular spectator hotspots, including the Deansgate Interchange, the Chester Road strip leading up past Stretford Mall and a main section of Chorlton’s high street, just to name a few.
Thankfully, you can find lots more tips on where to cheer on your friends and family via the online Supporter Hub , including help when it comes to tracking them.
In addition to the multiple signposted junctures and atmosphere hubs seen in the virtual route tour above, with more live music and festivities from artists, charities and local organisations than ever, the 2025 equivalent of previous years’ event village comes in the form of an all-new fan zone on Oxford Rd.
Finally, if you were looking to use the bus this weekend, you can see the full list of bus diversions HERE.
Last but not least, there’s nothing else left for us to say other than good luck to everyone taking part, and whatever reason you’re running the 2026 Manchester Marathon, go and SMASH it!
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Manchester Marathon)
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Major ‘plan ahead’ warning issued before Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far
Emily Sergeant
A major ‘plan ahead’ warning for the weekend has been issued ahead of what is set to be Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far.
Heading into the city centre this weekend? Yeah… you and everyone else by the sounds of it, as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is encouraging people to plan their journeys ahead of a ‘Super Sunday’ that sees the return of the Manchester Marathon, while Manchester City also take on rivals Arsenal at the Etihad.
More than 40,000 runners and countless supporters will arrive in Greater Manchester for the marathon on Sunday 19 April.
Runners will set off from the Trafford Arch, near Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium from 8:55am until 11:30am, with the 26.2 mile route covering areas such as Deansgate, Stretford, Sale, Chorlton, and Altrincham, before finishing outside the University of Manchester (UoM) on Oxford Road.
A major ‘plan ahead’ warning has been issued ahead of Manchester’s busiest day of the year so far / Credit: Janus Boye | Supplied
These are likely to cause congestion and delays in the affected areas, TfGM has confirmed, and there will be ‘widespread’ bus diversions.
Elsewhere in the city, Manchester City’s Premier League clash with fellow title-chasers Arsenal kicks off at 4:30pm – with 55,000 fans set to be making their way to the match.
Due to both of these major events taking place on the same day, Bee Network trams and dedicated matchday buses are being touted as the best ways to get around.
👟 Running shoes at the ready… As it’s the @Marathon_MCR on Sunday 19 April.
📣 Going to the race to cheer a runner on? The Altrincham, Timperely, Brooklands and Sale tram stops will be the busiest throughout the day.
It’s predicted that the Altrincham and East Didsbury lines will be ‘very busy’ on the day, and people may have to wait to board a tram so should allow at least 30-minutes extra time for travel, with the quickest way to pay being the contactless ‘tap and go’ payments, where fares are, of course, capped and automatically calculated based on the number of zones you travel through.
Those travelling by bus over the weekend should do so at quieter times where possible, and are advised to check the Bee Network travel alerts hub for any diversions on their route.
Match day buses will still run, but fans should expect some route changes due to the marathon road closures.
People are being ‘strongly advised’ by TfGM not to drive – but for those that need to, using a park and ride site and continuing the journey by tram is a ‘quick and easy’ way to travel into the city centre, and is also free with a valid Metrolink ticket.
Further information for runners, spectators, and match-goers, as well as those making other journeys on Sunday, can be found on the dedicated Bee Network webpage here.
Georgina Pellant -
28th July 2023 
