Whilst there are a million different places in Manchester to go for a traditional Christmas dinner, if you’re looking for something a little more alternative then we’re got you covered.
There are always some great festive specials on offer in the city, but – possibly thanks to last Christmas being cancelled – Manchester’s kitchens have truly outdone themselves this year, with one literally reinventing the cheese wheel in the process.
From festive fry-ups to a bottomless mulled wine brunch, Christmas tree donut boxes, Christmas kebabs, a mince-pie-Eccles-cake hybrid, pigs in blankets-topped parmos and loads more, keep reading to discover where to find the best alternative Christmas dinners in Manchester this year.
A Christmas sausage and stuffing camembert pie
Classic baked camembert, but make it proper Manc with the addition of a wrap-around sausage and sage and onion stuffing roll with added chilli cranberry sauce. That, in a nutshell, is exactly what Potter’s Pies have done with this latest creation.
Not for you? They’ve also updated their sausage roll-pie hybrid, making it extra festive with added turkey, roast potatoes, crunchy stuffing, cranberry and a pig in blanket sausage roll lid.
Idle Hands ‘world famous’ festive fry ups are now flying out of the kitchen and onto plywood tables right through the month.
Loaded with such delights as pigs in blankets, sprouts, mushroom and chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce and maple parsnips, plus all the usual fry up suspects, this is a cheeky twist on a roast if ever we saw one – and we’re absolutely here for it.
A bottomless mulled wine brunch with peanut butter and jelly French toast waffles
Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
Where: Firefly
Firefly has launched a Christmas bottomless brunch that comes with UNLIMITED mulled wine and special Christmas cocktails, prosecco, G&Ts and more.
As for your food, think peanut butter and jelly French toast waffles, a Firefly breakfast with all the trimmings or some gorgeous baked eggs with chorizo and feta.
Parmogeddon at Hatch has got some special festive breaded chicken parmos loaded with stuffing balls, bacon, pigs in blankets and oodles of cheesy bechamel sauce. You’ll even get a little pot of gravy to pour on top.
On top of that, you’ll also find loaded Xmas fries topped with everything from pigs in blankets and deep-fried stuffing to bacon, brie and cranberry on the menu throughout December.
Christmas tree and candy cane snowflake donut boxes
Image: DGHNT
Image: DGHNT
Artisanal donut baker DGHNT has created a beautiful Christmas-themed box for the month of December, with four individually-flavoured creations inside.
Available from 10 – 22 December, flavours include a candy cane-topped white chocolate glazed donut with mascarpone whipped cream and a Christmas almond donut with edible holly.
Italian pigs in Italian blankets AND sage and onion mozzarella sticks
Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria is a solid favourite at any time of the year, but it’s safe to say that the team is pulling out all the stops for Christmas.
Think massive mozzarella sticks rolled in sage and onion stuffing mix and served with a tangy, spiced cranberry dip, and Littlewoods’ pork chipolatas roasted in Calabrian nduja, wrapped in smoked pancetta rashers and served with a cinnamon honey dip.
Christmas kebabs with ‘festive’ smileys from a Michelin star chef
Birmingham-based Michelin star chef Brad Carter opened his One Star Doner Bar at Escape to Freight Island earlier this year, selling some of the most indulgent kebabs in the city. Now he’s doing a Christmas version, and it sounds very special.
Think turkey and stuffing shawarma, topped with Paxo mayonnaise, cranberry hot sauce, shredded sprouts, onion and cabbage, plus festive smiley faces loaded with fried sprouts, lemon and pepper.
A Christmas cheese platter feat. a Christmas cracker garlic bread burrito
Image: American Pies
Where: American Pies
For the ultimate Christmas cheese platter, you’d do well to visit American Pies – who’ve created this stunner in the name of the sweet baby cheesus (we joke).
Think nduja-crumbed burrata in blankets with hot honey, deep-fried Goude filo lollipops, bacon, cranberry and brie cheesy garlic knots, turkey meatball sliders, festive tots with whiskey and orange sauce, a Christmas cracker garlic bread burrito and jalapeno and cheddar stuffed jumbo pigs in blankets.
A Christmas burger with beef-fat fried Christmas pudding
Image: Slap and Pickle
Where: Slap and Pickle
Called ‘All I Want for Christmas’, think two Swaledale beef smash patties, smoked bacon, cranberry Wensleydale, pickles, Paxo mayo, red cabbage, lettuce, and a fried slice of Christmas pudding. For veggies and vegans, there’s a plant-based version too – served in a bright green bun.
Elsewhere, you’ll find loaded ‘All The Trimmings’ fries, Biscoff cheesecake and plenty more.
A Christmas dinner cheese toastie with all the trimmings
Image: Northern Soul
Where: Northern Soul
The Christmas dinner cheese toastie at Northern Soul is the stuff of legends. A special that people look forward to every year, it’s slathered in gravy and stuffed with sliced turkey, pink lady stuffing, cranberry sauce, cheese, and topped with a pork lollipop.
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A ‘White Christmas’ pizza with turkey dinosaurs, stuffing, and pigs in blankets
Where: Crazy Pedro’s
Crazy Pedro’s December special always comes with a festive twist – and this one is pretty solid. Featuring turkey dinosaurs, pigs in blankets, stuffing, gravy, cranberry and sage on a cheesy white pizza base, it’s available all month.
It doesn’t look much, but this buttery beauty is everything you want out of a festive pastry treat this Christmas. Created by small-batch bakery team Batard, it fuses the traditional Eccles cake with a mince pie filling for the ultimate naughty indulgence.
A ‘Boxing Day Burger’ with curry sauce, sprout bhajis and fried chicken
Image: The Manc Group
Where: Yard and Coop
Yard and Coop’s ‘Boxing Day Burger’ is absolutely massive, stacked with buttermilk fried chicken, butter chicken curry sauce, topped with sprout bhajis and curry-salted parsnip crisps. But that’s just the start of things.
There’s also the ‘Winner Winner Christmas Dinner’, which comes with fried chicken piled on top of cheesy mash, pulled chicken and sage stuffing, Yorkies and all the trimmings; plus gin and cranberry infused negroni wings, sticky marmalade chipolatas and loads more.
Yuletide Christmas pizzas including ‘Mistletoe and Swine’
Image: Nell’s
Where: Nell’s
Nell’s has created three festive pizas this year – one for meat-eaters, one for veggies, and one for vegans (full disclosure: the slices don’t actually come out shaped like Christmas trees, as far as we’re aware).
‘Mistletoe and Swine’ combines mozzarella with Sykes Fell cheese, guanciale, sausage, sage and onion crunch and chilli, whilst ‘Pigs in Blankets’ offers a veggie alternative with veggie bacon and Beyond Sausage. Vegan option ‘By the Baubles’, meanwhile, comes loaded with spinach, sprouts, facon, roquito peppers, leek and lemon.
Festive gourmet kebabs and giant stuffed Yorkshire puddings
Image: The Manc Group
Where: Bab
These beautiful-looking gourmet kebabs at Bab have been given the festive touch, loaded with the likes of roast turkey, pigs in blankets and sprouts, brie, cranberry and chilli sauce – or lamb chops with green peas and mint sauce.
There’s also an unsung hero on this festive menu, a giant Yorkshire pudding filled with roast beef, veggies and Bab gravy. If you’re not feeling a kebab, this is the one for you.
Peruvian eatery Peru Perdu has created a festive empanada for the season, combining the traditional Spanish turnover with the English mince pie.
Served with cream for dipping, inside the classic empanada casing you’ll find sweet mincemeat. According to the restaurant, it’s the UK’s first ever mince pie empanada.
News
The top 13 biggest gigs in Manchester music history
Thomas Melia
When you think of Manchester one of the first things that comes to mind obviously after ‘best city in the world’ is one word: ‘music’.
Our capital of the North West has birthed some of the world’s greatest singers of all time and welcomed some of the planet’s biggest stars.
Manchester has many live music venues to host impressive gigs including stadiums, arenas, parks and a wide variety of performance spaces.
The real reason these artists keep coming back is because of you, everyone who shows up and shows out to every single tour and performance happening in our culturally rich city.
Although not 2008, here is Kylie in all her grandeur at AO Arena in 2014 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
With a tour titled ‘KylieX2008’, the Aussie sensation made our heads spin around in 2008 as she graced the AO Arena for six nights of pop perfection from 11 July to 18 July.
Minogue has a special connection to Manchester and this arena specifically, performing here over 30 times to a total of 400,000 people.
Taylor Swift performing on the B-Stage at Etihad Stadium in 2018 / Credit: The Manc Group
‘Baby let the games begin!’ Swift opened her ‘Reputation Stadium Tour’ in 2018 while standing behind a backdrop of snakes, scales and reptile-like patterns.
The legendary pop star commanded the stage even walking through the crowd to greet fans with smiles and high fives, making sure to get up close and personal even in a venue this grand.
‘Tay-Tay’s last visit to the North West saw her playing three nights of her monumental ‘The Eras Tour’ just a stone’s throw away at Anfield Stadium and who knows, maybe once the Etihad renovation is complete, she might be keen to make another appearance.
11. Oasis: 80,000 – Maine Road (1996)
In signature Liam style, the tambourine is in hand and ready to accompany both the brother’s vocals.In signature Liam style, the tambourine is in hand and ready to accompany both the brother’s vocals / Credit:Wikimedia Commons
The Burnage boys were always destined to be on this list in one way or another due to their incredible impact in pushing Manchester music and bands to the mainstream.
Singing hits from their well-known music catalogue, Oasis attracted 80,000 to Manchester City’s former ground in the mid-90s.
Unlike the tour taking place in 2025, tickets for this gig would’ve only set you back £17.50, you’d have been silly not to grab yourself one!
10. Drake: 94,000 – Co-op Live (2025)
Drake played four non-consecutive gigs at Co-op Live with roars from the crowd each night/ Credit: The Come Up Show (via Flickr)
Canadian rap heavyweight Drake played four huge Co-op Live dates as recent as last week and with two more on the way, with four nights of smash hits
Also referred to as Champagne Papi, the hip-hop artist has played out four impressive nights at Co-op Live on a similarly impressive 360 stage which sees Drake getting up close and personal with fans.
His 2025 visit to the music capital of the North marks his largest scale gig to date and saw him sharing the bill with fellow Canadian performer PartyNextDoor.
9. Billie Eilish – 94,000 – Co-op Live (2025)
Global superstar Billie Eilish had the crowd hooked all four nights at Co-op Live / Credit: Lars Crommelnick via Wikimedia Commons
Bedroom-pop sensation turned global megastarBillie Eilish has visited Manchester three times through her rise to stardom with her most recent being at Co-op Live.
The American singer-songwriter played four non-consecutive nights of her current ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour, where she commanded 23,500 fans.
Eilish has a soft spot for Manchester as she debuted her single ‘TV’ at AO Arena in 2022 and brought out her brother and fellow musician Finneas as a special guest at her most recent city centre dates.
8. Harry Styles: 99,526 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2022)
The former One Direction star Harry Styles spent two nights in June spreading the love with his mega ‘Love On Tour’ and the feeling was definitely mutual.
On 15 and 16 June the ‘Watermelon Sugar’ singer had nearly 100,000 devotees in the palm of his hand as he belted out some of his best solo numbers.
The Cheshire-born superstar even paused his show to find his primary school teacher who he’d been informed was in the crowd, thanking her for all her help and hard work while he was in education. Adorable.
7. Foo Fighters: 100,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2024)
The Washington-formed band put on two impressive nights where Mancs witnessed ‘music royalty’ on their ‘Everything or Nothing at All Tour’ in June.
As well as ‘The Pretender’ hitmakers, the sold-out shows were spoilt with not one but four support acts split across the two dates, including Wet Leg.
On 13 June the rock champions even previewed an unreleased track ‘Unconditional’ for the first time, adding it to the setlist for the 15 June show too!
Foo Fighters played out to 100,000 people at Old Trafford Cricket Ground / Credit: The Manc Group / Publicity Picture (Supplied)
6. Spice Girls: 150,955 – Etihad Stadium (2019)
Etihad Stadium and Spice Girls spiced up our lives three times in 2019 with three non-consecutive performances from 29 May to 1 June.
This tour was missing one key ingredient, ‘Posh Spice’, who missed out on this string of shows for the first time in her career.
In addition to these four fierce ladies, another UK household act Jess Glynne joined them on the bill as a support act. The girls were met with raptures as they made their entrance to Manchester after 11 years since their last visit.
Just look at those iconic fits! Spice Girls performing at Wembley Stadium on the same tour that visited Manchester / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In 2023 they brought their Music Of The Spheres world tour to Manchester from 31 May to 4 June for four nights of dazzling lights, wowed fans and of course incredible live arrangements.
Altogether, these shows brought together almost 200,000 attendees who had the opportunity to get involved with the show’s production themselves by cycling electric bikes and kinetic dancefloor which both helped power the stage.
The Coldplay lads in all their glory.An awe-inspiring crowd lighting up the already phenomenal Etihad Stadium.Coldplay performed four nights at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium in 2023 / Credit: Wikicommons / The Manc Group
4. Ed Sheeran: 218,639 – Etihad Stadium (2022)
Starting his musical career just over the hill busking in Hebden Bridge before becoming one of the UK’s most prominent and successful artists of all time.
In 2022, the ‘Galway Girl’ singer took to Manchester City‘s awesome stadium to play hits from his full discography titled ‘The Mathematics Tour’ in honour of his equation-themed album titles.
The one-man, one-guitar show attracted almost 55,000 people across four nights who watched the singing red-head belt out his bangers on a 360 circular stage.
Ed Sheeran at V Festival in 2014, already a star in his own right / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
3. The Stone Roses: 225,000 – Heaton Park (2012)
The Manchester rock pioneers played a three-night hometown residency as part of their reunion tour following a 17-year concert hiatus.
Fans came in abundance to pack out to Heaton Park, a notorious music-hosting site which has hosted a plethora of acts as well as this formidable band.
Spanning from 29 June to 1 July, The Stone Roses played to a whopping 75,000 fans every night across the three sold-out Manchester shows at Heaton Park in 2012.
The Stone Roses performing at Fuji Rock Festival in 2012, the same year as their Heaton Park residency / Credit: Wikicommons Media
2. Oasis – 400,000 – Heaton Park (2025)
This year has seen some cracking live music events but none will ever be as monumental as the five nights the two Burnage boys and their troupe hosted this summer.
Liam and Noel Gallagher decided to get the band back together for a series of groundbreaking shows titled ‘Oasis Live ’25’.
Each night drew in 80,000 avid bucket-hat wearing Oasis fans and the support acts were just as legendary with The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft and Liverpool lads Cast helping make history.
Oasis was one of the biggest dates in Manchester’s music calendar ever/ Credit: The Manc Group
In 2011, ‘The Flood’ boys put on a remarkable eight nights for nearly half a million lucky Mancs from 3 June till 12 June, making for a summer everyone could ‘Never Forget’.
However, they weren’t the only boyband gracing the Manchester City stadium as dance duo Pet Shop Boys supported them on their ‘Progress Live’ tour across the UK.
A fan-captured moment of Take That reunited amidst their eight show run at Etihad Stadium in Manchester/ Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Honourable mention:
One Love Manchester, 55,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2017)
Even though this event may not be topping the attendance records, this concert was a special and remarkable moment in Manchester’s history.
Fronted by Ariana Grande, just two weeks after the Manchester Arena attack, Old Trafford Cricket Ground saw a multitude of artists coming together to celebrate the importance of music while paying respect to those affected by the events in the month prior.
BBC reported the ‘One Love Manchester’ live show had 14.5 million viewers at its peak with an average of 10.9 million worldwide and this benefit concert has since raised more than £10 million for the ‘We Love Manchester Emergency Fund’.
Featured Image – Eva Rinaldi (via Wikicommons)/The Manc Group/Lily Redman (via Wikicommons)
News
Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light
Daisy Jackson
The chance to live in Manchester city centre’s newest park (and one of its only green spaces) has taken a step closer, with plans for new Mayfield Park homes given the green light.
879 apartments have been approved this week, which will have ‘the ultimate front garden’.
The Mayfield district has been undergoing major changes in the last few years, including the redevelopment of Depot Mayfield (into Freight Island, plus a music venue for events like Warehouse Project) and the opening of the beautiful Mayfield Park.
And now hundreds of new one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes will be added to the area, as well as a 40% increase in the size of the park.
The plans for the first homes at Mayfield Park were met with unanimous approval by the City Council’s Planning Committee.
The residences will span across four buildings, with low-rise elements peppered in amongst the taller blocks, and will also be home to restaurants, cafes, and health and wellness facilities.
A new tree-lined road through the development will enhance walking and cycling connectivity from east Manchester into the city centre.
More than 880 jobs will be generated during the construction phase, plus 120 full-time jobs when operational.
Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light. Credit: Assembly Studios
The proposals suggest that the apartments will contribute £2 million annually in Council Tax and a major £10 million boost to local businesses through increased spending.
The high-quality homes are designed by Studio Egret West and shedkm, designed to reflect the industrial heritage of the area, including distinctive arches.
20% of the first phase of homes are intended to be classed as affordable housing and will be prioritised for key workers in Manchester.
Henrietta Nowne, Development Director at Landsec, representing The Mayfield Partnership, said: “For the first time, Mancunians will have the ultimate back garden within the award-winning Mayfield Park.
“An opportunity like this hasn’t existed before in Manchester. Since starting on site earlier this month, there’s real momentum building as we continue to grow a green, healthy and connected district in the heart of Manchester.”
The approval marks the next chapter of the continued transformation of the Mayfield district near Piccadilly Station, led by Manchester City Council, TfGM, London Continental Railways (LCR), and Landsec.
Georgina Pellant -
9th December 2021 
