There’s a huge sushi festival coming to Manchester this spring, and it sounds far too good to miss.
Bringing together a whole host of the city’s best sushi parlors, the Manchester sushi festival will land in the city on Thursday 21 April – showcasing the very best vinegared rice dishes (yes we said rice, not fish) that Manchester has to offer across three days.
For those who think that sushi is all about raw fish and have already decided they don’t like that, we’ve got good news: It’s not. You can make sushi with anything – and avocado, cucumber, carrot and ginger are all popular choices for those who don’t like raw fish.
Of course, there’ll be plenty of fishy sushi to go around too – and the festival will have a lot to offer those who are into the more adventurous side of things.
A mixed sushi platter served in a wooden boat at Kyotoya, Withington./ Image: Bidds Bites
Where better, then, to discover the full variety of this amazing Japanese dish than at an all-day event dedicated to the stuff?
ADVERTISEMENT
California rolls, maki, nigiri, temaki and more are all set to be on show, alongside other Japanese dishes like ramen, as the festival promises to ‘show you the greatest variety of sushi and Japanese cuisine’ that Manchester has to offer.
There’ll even be a live workshop hosted by Manchester cookery school Food Sorcery teaching you how to handroll your own sushi at home.
ADVERTISEMENT
That said, it won’t all be about sushi. There’ll be a live sake talk and tasting session, live performances from a Japanese taiko drumming ensemble, pop-up bars selling Japanese beer and more, plus Japanese-inspired art classes, fashion pop-ups, live music and DJ performances.
Of course, we’re very lucky in Manchester with a whole range of eateries offering sushi all year round – from Yuzu and Samsi to Kyotoya, Unagi, and the members-only Umezushi Omakase. Still, an all-day festival dedicated to Japanese cuisine is not to be passed up.
ADVERTISEMENT
Whilst the festival promises to feature some of Manchester’s best sushi restaurants, the line-up of traders is still to be confirmed.
Tickets are priced at £20 per person and include entry to the Sushi Festival, access to the theatre with live cooking demonstrations, and a portion of sushi or delicious Japanese dish from one of the festival’s hand-picked vendors.
Tickets for the live sushi-rolling workshop hosted by Food Sorcery need to be purchased separately here.
Taking place at Audacious Church on Trinity Way, Manchester, Salford, M3 7BD, the Manchester Sushi Festival will run from Thursday 21 April to Saturday 23 April 2022. Sessions will last three hours, starting at either 3pm or 7pm.
Altrincham named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2026 in The Sunday Times’ annual ranking
Emily Sergeant
A popular Greater Manchester town has been named among the UK’s best places to live by the Sunday Times in its annual ranking.
That’s right… it’s that time of year, once again.
The Sunday Times is known for pulling together a list of what it considers to be the most sought-after places to live in the UK every year, and 2026’s ranking has officially been published today – with dozens of locations across the country making up the comprehensive guide, and six of those coveted locations being right here in the North West.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all locations on the list, and assessed factors such as schools, transport, culture, broadband speeds, access to green spaces, the health of the high streets, and much more to devise the always-talked-about annual ranking.
Macclesfield in Cheshire, Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, and Aigburth in Liverpool are just some of the North West areas named by the publication in the 2026 list.
Altrincham has been named one of the best places to live in the UK / Credit: The Manc Group
A spotlight has also been shone on two Greater Manchester towns, and one of two has even been given the regional North West title… but which are they?
Where has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the North West for 2026, and is therefore one of the best places to live in the whole of the country? Well, that honour has been given to none other than Greater Manchester’s very-own Altrincham.
The publication described the Trafford town as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’.
“Altrincham is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands, and now it’s flying even higher,” The Sunday Times said.
The fact that co-working has now arrived on the high street thanks to the conversion of the old Rackhams department store, and that the town’s cultural and creative ‘cachet’ is also on the rise, have been highlighted as reasons as to why Altrincham has been chosen as the North West’s winner, as well its newly-flourishing fitness scene.
Of course, the town has also been praised for its transport links into Manchester city centre and across the region, as well as it being a great place for families thanks to the excellent local schools on offer.
Didsbury was the other Greater Manchester town chosen to represent the best of the North West – with the Manchester suburb described as being ‘stylish, solid, safe, and, yes, a little bit smug in parts… but that’s okay’.
You can read the full Altrincham feature here, and see where else The Sunday Times included in its list for 2026 here.
Featured Image – Geograph
News
11 arrested and £70k cash seized during early-morning police drug raids across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
11 people have been arrested, as well as a large amount of cash and drugs seized, during early-morning raids across Greater Manchester.
The raids took place during the early hours of the morning yesterday (Thursday 19 March 2026), where Greater Manchester Police (GMP) successfully executed eight warrants simultaneously across Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale to tackle a ‘suspected criminal network’ involved in the distribution of class A drugs and firearms.
Officers from Tameside Programme Challenger team, the District Intelligence Unit (DIU), and GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) were deployed to each of the addresses.
Following weeks of intelligence gathering and preparation, a total of 11 people – each aged between 24 and 77 – were arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences during the raids.
Eight men and three women were arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, being part of an organised crime group, possession with intent to supply, money laundering, and possession of an offensive weapon.
They all remain in police custody for questioning at this time, GMP confirmed.
During searches of the addresses, various class A, B and C drugs – including crack cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and nitrous oxide – were seized, while further recoveries of £70,000 in cash, a zombie knife, a BB gun, and four vehicles were also made at the same time.
Speaking following the success of the raids yesterday, Chief Superintendent Shan Nasim, District Commander for Tameside, said: “[This] operation has been a powerful example of our continued, determined effort to dismantle organised crime in our district and Greater Manchester.
“We have 11 people in custody being questioned by our investigation teams in relation to an organised crime group (OCG) that have been causing widespread harm across our communities.
“This action caused significant disruption of an organised crime group (OCG) and has prevented drugs and weapons from reaching the streets, as well as the associated harms that come hand in hand with organised crime.
“Organised criminals exploit vulnerable people and blight our communities; we will take robust action to catch offenders, keep our communities safe, and protect vulnerable people across Greater Manchester.”
Georgina Pellant -
11th January 2022 
