The north’s leading beer festival is heading back to Manchester city centre this summer, ready for a weekend dedicated to all things craft beer – and we’re talking all-your-beer-is-included levels of craft beer here.
The Manchester Craft Beer Festival is set to take over Depot Mayfield for its fourth year, bigger and better than ever.
The cavernous space will be home to expert-led talks, tastings and tours, as well as live Euros screenings.
Some of the world’s best breweries and most dynamic brands from across the planet will be joining in with the fun this July, with more than 65 breweries and 500 beers to taste.
Local names like Cloudwater, Track, Marble, Northern Monk, Bundobust, Sureshot and Seven Brothers are all lined up, as well as British craft names like Deya, Verdant, Siren, North Brewing, and plenty of heritage brands.
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The Manchester Craft Beer Festival is returning for 2024. There’ll be talks and tastings at Depot Mayfield for the The Manchester Craft Beer Festival 2024
And for those who want to drink something other than delicious back-to-back beers, there are plenty of other drinks on offer, like Pimentae’s pre-batched margaritas and loads of other spirits.
A portion of the festival’s floor will be taken up by a Food Block Party, again showing off plenty of local favourites.
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Almost Famous will be serving their legendary burgers, Bundobust will have Indian street food, MorMor will supply Middle Eastern-inspired meals and Voodoo Rays are bringing giant NY-style pizza slices, along with ramen joint Bone Daddies making their Manchester debut
Channel 4’s Mark Dredge, who is Sunday Brunch’s beer expert, and Craft Beer Channel’s Jonny Garrett will be speaking at the huge event as part of the addition of talks, tastings and tours.
As the Manchester Craft Beer Festival coincides with the Euros, matches will be screened inside, so you can Harry Kane the beers while watching Jack Beerlish bring it home.
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Manchester Craft Beer Festival will have a food block partyYour ticket includes a glass and all your beers
The whole thing will be soundtracked by an acoustic music stage, as well as DJs playing throughout.
And new for this year will be a complimentary trade exclusive session, allowing those who already work in the industry to come along for free.
Thousands of beer-lovers and industry experts are expected to flock to Manchester from across the country to attend one of the UK’s biggest and boldest beer experiences, created by We Are Beer.
Mark Dredge said: “I’m thrilled to be participating in this year’s Manchester festival, to talk all things beer, a topic I am well versed in after writing eight books about it, working internationally as a beer judge, and talking about it daily!
“I’m a big fan of the festival and what they do so I’m delighted to be on board to bring an educational element to the festival where guests can learn a little more about the background and creation process behind what they are sipping, and why it tastes the way it does – a bit of beer education essentially.”
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Co-founder of We Are Beer and Director of Manchester Craft Beer Festival, Greg Wells, adds: “It’s been a disheartening year for Manchester’s beer scene so far with closure of the beloved Indy Man Beer Con Fest and the unfortunate debut of the International Brewing and Cider Festival, but we’re pleased to announce our return and bring more of what has been loved in the past three years.
“With even more breweries and experiences on offer and larger capacity this year, we’re buzzing to be back to satisfy all the beer lovers out there.”
The Manchester Craft Beer Festival will take place at Depot Mayfield on 5 and 6 July.
The Friday afternoon trade session will run from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, with public sessions 6pm to 11pm on Friday, and 11.30am to 4.30pm then 6pm to 11pm on Saturday.
Tickets start from £52, which includes all your beers and a special glass, plus access to all the talks, tastings, and tours, and are available here.
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You can upgrade to special packages and even full weekend tickets too.
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month
Emily Sergeant
A popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event is returning to Manchester later this month… and there’s some spooky surprises in store.
If you need an excuse to leave the little Mancs at home, or you just fancy releasing your inner child, then one of Manchester’s most visited museums might have just what you’re looking for, as the Science and Industry Museum has announced that its popular After Hours event especially for adults is returning for one night only at the end of the month.
The museum will become your playground once it’s closed for the day as you settle in for a unique evening of live music, giant interactive games, and spooky surprises for Halloween.
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month / Credit: Science Museum Group
The Museum’s permanent galleries and displays will be open after hours, so you can get hands-on with science in Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery, and discover Manchester‘s rich legacy of industrial innovations, creativity, and world-changing ideas in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also get free access to the popular Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos exhibition, which just opened earlier this year, and get to indulge your playful side in Power Up – with more than 150 consoles to choose from in the ultimate gaming extravaganza.
Especially for spooky season, you can look forward to some very special one-off events too, like stellar performances from Manchester drag royalty, Anna Phylactic, a cosmic cabaret with live vocals, and a monster mash-up soundtrack guaranteed to get you into the Halloween spirit.
There’ll also be a chance to meet Albert Slime-stein – a larger-than-life monster popping up the museum as part of Halloween in the City’s iconic Manchester Monsters trail.
And as this is an adults-only event, the museum’s events bar will be open on the night, serving up a wide range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to wet your whistle while you’re looking around, with some delicious food to accompany too.
Museum After Hours is happening on Thursday 29 October from 7pm-10pm, with tickets setting you back £12 each or £6 for concessions.
The Good Clothes Show returns to Manchester next month for a weekend of ‘fashion, shopping, and creativity’
Emily Sergeant
A weekend of ‘fashion, shopping, and creativity’ is returning to Manchester next month.
Taking over Manchester Central in early November, The Good Clothes Show is set to make a return to our city for one of the most fashionable weekends of the year, and will bring together dozens of brilliant independent brands, vintage and pre-loved treasures, hands-on workshops, catwalks, expert talks, and more all under one roof.
Visitors can expect an extensive shopping lineup of independent fashion brands, local artisans, contemporary labels, vintage specialists and pre-loved sellers.
At the heart of the weekend is a huge programme of opportunities to ‘learn, make, mend, and transform.’
The Good Clothes Show returns to Manchester next month / Credit: Supplied
You’ll get to try everything from darning, sashiko, and crochet, to creating makeup bags, transforming shirts, and upcycling football tops. Or if you fancy something completely different, there’ll be a chance to make a fascinator from scrap materials, create a statement necklace, or give tired old shoes a spectacular new lease of life.
No matter whether you’re a complete beginner or already quite handy with a sewing needle, organisers say The Good Clothes Show it’s all about learning new skills and leaving inspired.
And this year, TV star Leigh Francis is joining the fun as the show’s special guest for the weekend too.
Get ready for a weekend of ‘fashion, shopping, and creativity’ / Credit: Supplied
There’s plenty happening beyond the shopping and workshops, as you can take a seat beside The Good Catwalk, get ideas and advice at The Style Stop, hear from fashion voices and changemakers, or simply stop for a glass of sparkling and compare shopping finds.
And it’s not just about the grown-ups either, as The Kids Club will encourage the next generation to discover design, textiles, and creativity through hands-on activities of their own.
Daisy Jackson -
25th May 2024 
