With so much happening over the two-day festival as part of the annual Halloween in the Citycelebrations – which is organised by CityCo and Manchester Business Improvement Distict (BID) – people making their way to the city centre this weekend are being encouraged to “dress up, join in, and get gruesome” to look the part.
Ghastly ghouls, wicked witches, curious cats, and more will all be welcome in Manchester city centre this Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October.
The more people in spooky fancy dress, the better.
Dressing up is all part of the fun, but if you’re feeling pretty confident about your costume this year, then there’s actually a huge fancy dress competition happening across the weekend, and this is your time to join either ‘Team Trick’ or ‘Team Treat’.
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All you’ll need to do is head to the one of the wristband exchanges at Market Street, Exchange Street, or Exchange Square to collect your team wristband, and this’ll unlock all your VIP experiences
Once you have your wristband, you’ll then get to take part in dance offs, screaming competitions, spooky challenges, and of course, the Halloween costume catwalk extravaganza to earn points for your team and win even win some special spot prizes too.
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Then you’ll want to make your way to the dance tent in Exchange Square at 4pm to find out which team is crowned the winner and celebrate at the glow in the dark disco.
There’s a huge Halloween fancy dress competition happening in Manchester city centre / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID Families are being encouraged to “dress up, join in, and get gruesome” / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
While the Halloween in the City celebrations will be largely taking place over this weekend, if you’ve got a keen eye, then you may have already noticed that giant inflatable monsters with hanging tentacles, fanged teeth, and bloodshot eyes have already been starting to take over the rooftops of Manchester this week.
Dotted at 14 different locations across the city centre, you’ll be able to go on adventure to discover them at places like Selfridges, Manchester Arndale, Great Northern Warehouse, AO Arena and The Royal Exchange, AO Arena, Spinningfields, and even at the ‘spooktacular’ outdoor ice rink in Cathedral Gardens.
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And then on Halloween weekend itself, there’ll be even more monsters set to pop up on the ground, so keep your eyes peeled around Exchange Square.
The monsters are just the tip of the iceberg of events happening at Halloween in the City this weekend though – think a welcome procession of roaming monsters, a monster carnival, top monster bands, monster DJs, a monstrous photo trail across the city, and so much more.
Here’s just a handful of other activities you can get involved with.
MCR Monsters have also begun popping up across the city centre / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
Monsters Rock! Party Procession
Spooky creatures will be on the move and weave through Manchester Arndale and Market Street.
The roaming performance comes from Walk the Plank, the same creative minds behind the Manchester Day Parade, and you can expect stilt walkers, monster puppets, and a five-piece band mingling with shoppers on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October, with performances at 12pm, 2pm, and 3pm.
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Creepy Carnival & Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World
A Creepy Carnival, made up of a carousel, helter skelter, street food and circus performers, is going to sprawl across New Cathedral Street.
Plus, Studiotech and Treacle Studio have discovered a mystical machine made by Queen Elizabeth I’s court scientist and magician – and Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World provides a gateway for all the friendly monsters who arrive in Manchester for Halloween in the City.
This interactive light display will invite Mancs to see if the portal works in reverse and could lead to the world where the monsters roam.
Scare Skate
A massive spooky ice rink has been built in Cathedral Gardens, where skaters will whizz past a huge monster and the ice will be brought to life with Halloween-inspired music and lighting.
The Scare Skate rink is now open, and will stay in place until Halloween itself.
Rock on with your mini monster at the Monsters Rock! Music Festival, with live bands and spooky DJs all weekend, like Fat Boy Slime, Grave Haslam, and the Blessed Medusa, as well as air guitar contests, zombie aerobics, and a glow-in-the-dark disco, across three stages.
Spooky creatures will be on the move and weave through Manchester this weekend / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BIDHalloween is taking over the city all week / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
Halloween in the City 2022 full lineup
MCR Monsters: 25 to 31 October – Across the city centre
Monsters Rock! Music Festival: 29 and 30 October, 10am-8pm Saturday; 10am-5pm Sunday – Exchange Square, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square and Market Street
Fancy Dress Challenge: Team Trick vs Team Treat: – 29 and 30 October, 10am-4pm – Various locations
Monsters Rock! Party Procession: 29 to 30 October, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm – Manchester Arndale amd Market Street
Creepy Carnival: 29 and 30 October, 10am-8pm Saturday; 10am-5pm Sunday – New Cathedral Street
Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World: 28 to 30 October, 4pm-8pm Friday; 10am-8pm Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday – St Ann’s Square, Manchester
Scare Skate: 21 to 31 October, 11am-8pm – Cathedral Gardens
Featured Image – CityCo & Manchester BID
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National Trust’s popular Manchester blossom trail returns with dozens of Bloomtown events this spring
Emily Sergeant
The blossoms are blooming everywhere you look, and the National Trust’s popular Bloomtown programme is back once again.
Each spring, the most beautiful blossom covers the UK in swathes of pink and white.
From ornamental magnolias in gardens to hawthorn scattered across the countryside, you really don’t have to go far to experience the beauty of this season, as there’s plenty of blossom to discover right on our doorstep in Greater Manchester.
Whether you’re walking through the city centre on your way to work, enjoying a spot of lunch in the park, or going on a little local adventure with your family, the National Trust’s interactive Bloomtown map is filled with more than 50 of the best places to see blossom – with trails that will take you on a journey through several floral hotspots.
You can follow the Bloomtown Trail everywhere from Manchester city centre, to Salford, Trafford, Rochdale, and Stockport, or get creative and use the map to explore and create your very-own route.
The National Trust’s popular Manchester blossom and Bloomtown trail has returned this spring / Credit: The Manc Group
That’s not all either, as the National Trust has also organised a whole host of themed events and activities to help you appreciate the blossoms in all their glory.
You can get involved in everything from walks and bike rides, to poetry, dance, storytelling, creative workshops, and so much more at hotspots like Castlefield Viaduct, Dunham Massey, and Lyme Park.
Bee Pedal Ready are hosting a series of Bloomtown bike rides – including one this weekend (Saturday 25 April, followed by others in May) – where you can bring your own bike or borrow one for free and explore some of Manchester’s best blossom-lined routes.
A special Blossom-themed parkrun will take place at Heaton Park next weekend (Saturday 2 May), or there’s also a hands-on ‘blossomify your kit’ workshop at the park’s Lakeside Cafe this Saturday (25 April) morning too.
One of the most creative events on the lineup has to be the poetry and writing walks through the city’s pocket parks and green spaces, where you’ll be given a related writing prompt at each blossom stop.
First timers and experienced poets alike are welcome of the event on late May bank holiday Monday (25 May).
Bloomtown then ends in a finale weekend with dance performances and music created from the electrical signals of plants on Saturday 30 May at Castlefield Viaduct (booking required), as well as a free celebration for all ages on Sunday 31 May at The Whitworth Art Gallery – featuring blossom-themed storytelling, arts and crafts, bike rides, free books, drumming, dance, and more.
The Bloomtown programme is underway until 31 May, and you can find out more about all the themed events and book your tickets on the National Trust website here.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Thousands of children in the North West have got involved in the UK’s biggest-ever Schools Cricket Day
Daisy Jackson
History has been made today, with thousands of children in schools across the North West taking part in a record-breaking Schools Cricket Day.
The event has coincided with the 50-day countdown to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will take over the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground this summer.
In Lancashire and Greater Manchester, around 14,500 children from 83 schools picked up a bat and ball as part of the event, the largest single-day cricket participation event in UK history.
It marks a major milestone on the road to this summer’s tournament, which will kick off at Edgbaston on 12 June before heading to Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground for four fixtures from 13 June.
There’s been everything from first-time batting and bowling in playgrounds to competitive matches on sports fields, as schools across the country catch the spirit of the game.
And that’s included 130 children from Kings Road Primary School enjoying a dedicated session at Old Trafford’s Indoor Cricket Centre alongside World Cup Winner and former England star, Alex Hartley.
Alongside lessons and activities, all Lancashire Cricket Foundation (LCF) staff supported additional events, from games and activities to assemblies, taking place across the region.
School children take part in an ICC Schools Cricket day at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester. Credit: Dave Thompson/Route One Photography
Big names from the world of cricket, including Heather Knight OBE, Lydia Greenway OBE and Hampshire captain Georgia Adams also joined school events in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup host cities.
Australian international and current player for Yorkshire women’s, Jess Jonassen, supporting a cricket session at Morley Cricket Club over in Leeds.
Schools Cricket Day is part of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)’s ambitions to use the tournament to inspire the next generation of girls to play cricket.
This year alone, through various initiatives and programmes, the ECB is aiming to see 500,000 women and girls playing cricket, 300 women taking up key leadership roles within the game’s administration, and 500 Champions of Change created as part of the Young Cricket Collective, which will empower young girls to volunteer and make change at their local cricket clubs.
The day also featured bespoke resources and games created by the ICC’s global charity partner, UNICEF, through its “Rights in Play” programme.
2017 World Cup winner and Lancashire Women’s star Alex Hartley said: “It feels like I’ve been waiting all year for the World Cup to arrive, and now we’ve only got 50 days to go!
“I’m really pleased to support initiatives like Schools Cricket Day today as they’re so important to inspire the next generation of potential cricket players. As an international cricketer I always looked forward to major tournaments, there’s nothing quite like playing on the global stage.
“There was a huge shift after the 2017 World Cup, we all felt it. Having the T20 tournament in England and Wales this summer presents another huge opportunity to continue building a legacy that can be felt by all future generations of cricketers from Lancashire and all across the nation.”
Managing Director of the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, Jen Barden said: “National Schools Cricket Day is a fantastic opportunity for young people in their education settings to get involved in so many aspects of the game!
School children take part in an ICC Schools Cricket day at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, joined by former England star Alex Hartley, to mark 50 days until the star of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Credit: Photo by Dave Thompson/Route One Photography
“We have members of the LCF delivering cricket across the County but also linking in lessons including the history of the game, using maths and science too!
“We have an amazing opportunity to inspire the next generation of cricketers, volunteers, coaches and officials in all aspects of cricket this summer with the games at Old Trafford, I can’t wait to see lots of young boys and girls giving cricket a go for the first time!”
Gemma Barton, ECB Head of Strategic Growth, said “Moments like this show how the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is shaping the future of the game. Every girl and boy inspired to pick up a bat and ball today can see how inclusive, welcoming and fun cricket is.
“It’s not just about the summer ahead, it’s about what comes next: more girls playing, more teams growing, and more people feeling like they belong in the game.”
Tickets for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 are selling fast – you can get yours HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
25th October 2022 
