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‘The world’s biggest Eurovision festival’ and celebration is coming to Manchester
Getting the party started early.
Danny Jones -
30th January 2025 
An absolutely massive Eurovision festival and all-around celebration is coming to Manchester this year ahead of the Finals in Switzerland this May – in fact, it claiming to be the biggest in the world.
Taking place in our city for the first time ever, the official ‘MancHagen Eurovision Party’ is heading to 0161 for the annual festival’s 20th anniversary and it’s promising a huge programme of events, live music, entertainment and, most importantly, it’s all for a good cause.
Kicking off one of the best weekends of the year on Thursday, 10 April, MancHagen has partnered with the Gay Village district and some Canal Street favourites to offer a safe and exciting destination for all eventgoers to meet up.
You can expect live cabaret and singing, drag performers and DJ sets, as well as non-stop partying until the early hours. We cannot wait.
The Canal St venues making up ‘Eurovision Village’ include EVA, Iconic Bar, New York New York, The Eagle and Cruz 101, all of which host an exclusive series of Eurovision programming and parties.
For instance, MancHagen’s Official Festival Euroclub opening party will be housed at Cruz 101, with eclectic sets from veteran Eurovision DJ David Horton and friends, followed by a weekend of performances from the likes of Choriza May (RuPaul’s Drag Race) in collaboration with Lady Olé.
Then, on the following Friday (11 April), the first half of the two-day All Stars Concert will take place at Manchester Arcade Arena, our premier immersive augmented reality venue, from 6pm onwards.
Hosted by the UK’s 2001 Eurovision entrant Lindsay Dracass and Leeds‘ very own ‘Quality Street Queen’, Mamma Bear, the night will showcase Manchester’s leading cultural icons and look back at the thrilling history of the iconic song contest.
With show-stopping performances from the 2025 cohort, previous contestants and more, such as Eurovision 1993 winner, Niamh Kavanagh, Canal St queen Tonya Kneez; Beverly Tight-Lipps, Hera Björk and others, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about MancHagen.
The celebration continues into Saturday (12 April), with an all-day programme at Depot Mayfield, a much-loved multiuse venue and home to The Warehouse Project as well as Europe’s largest indoor LGBTQIA+ celebration, Homobloc.
An exclusive Artist Yellow Carpet Parade will then spotlight some of the UK’s leading Queer and creative pioneers, including appearances from Manchester’s own Drag icon and MancHagen ambassador Banksie, North West drag icon Danny Beard and more.
And that’s just the day-time: come nightfall, The Depot will transform into a wonderland of fashion, music and performance as the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will take over the room for a never-before-seen competition dubbed ‘Drag-A-Vision 2025’, with the likes of Marmalade, Rilesea Slaves, Alexis Saint-Pete; Charra Tea, Actavia and Chanel O Connor taking to the stage.
Oh, and of course there’s all the after-party action that Gay Village does so well – it is the part of the city that never sleeps, after all…
Besides the obvious excitement and fanfare surrounding this huge Eurovision festival, it is not only a welcome space for people from all walks of life but, above all else, being held for some vital charities.
Working alongside the Ukrainian Cultural Organization and United For You to host this year’s event, donations from each ticket sold will go towards Ukrainian Children and the George House Trust, as well as LGBTQIA+ groups like Sahir House, Manchester Pride and FSTB Danish Children.
The MancHagen co-founders say: “Our team is proud to announce the biggest celebration of Eurovision countries, cultures, fashion, music, dance and the diverse communities together in joy through music…
“There is nowhere more suited to host such an event than the UK’s inclusive capital of Manchester and capital of the North.” Dubbing itself the biggest party celebrating the annual event aside from the competition itself, if you’re a fan of the famous song contest, you don’t want to miss this.
Packages start at just £45, with VIP add-ons, affordable family tickets and VIP Backstage also available. Find out more about the ground-breaking Eurovision Festival and grab tickets for the Manchester celebration right HERE.
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Featured Images — Silvester Belt via AP Media (supplied)/The Manc Group
