The city centre will be painted sky blue this evening as Manchester City is set to celebrate their 2021-22 Premier League title.
After what had been one of the closest title races of the past few years, Manchester City yesterday pipped North West rivals Liverpool to the post during an impressive comeback in their final match of the Premier League season to successfully retain their title as the winners of English football’s top flight.
The Citizens eventually made their dream a reality by beating Aston Villa 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium after first going 2-0 down.
Two goals came from İlkay Gündoğan, and one from Rodrigo, all in the second half.
The victory yesterday was Manchester City’s sixth Premier League title in total since returning to the top flight in 2002, and the fourth Premier League title in five years won under current manager, Pep Guardiola.
But the celebrations weren’t just limited to yesterday, as Manchester City has now confirmed plans to take over the city centre this evening for an open-top bus parade and a party fit for champions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here’s everything you need to know.
Open-Top Bus Parade
To show off the shiny Premier League trophy in all its glory to thousands of fans, Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City squad will set off on an hour-long open-top bus parade down the city’s main thoroughfare, before finishing at the Beetham Tower – where a live stage show will take place with the champions.
The parade bus will depart from Exchange Square near the National Football Museum at approximately 6pm, and then travel onto St Mary’s Gate.
ADVERTISEMENT
The route will then head south on Deansgate, and finish up near Beetham Tower at 7pm.
While fans will be able to line the streets for the full parade route, entrance to the official parade stage viewing area is only accessible via Deansgate, and not by any other entrance, with all supporters to be subject to a search before entering.
The accessible viewing platform on Great Bridgewater Street is available accessed from the same entrance, and will be available on “a first come first served basis”.
The open-top bus parade route through the city centre / Credit: Manchester City
Stage Entertainment
The open-top bus parade is only part of the party, as onstage entertainment will start at 4:30pm, with the players expected to arrive at approximately 7pm.
The parade party will be hosted by Manchester City’s City Square presenters Danny Jackson and Natalie Pike, who will be joined by former players and special guests, and, as there has been in previous years, there will also be live music from bands and DJs.
ADVERTISEMENT
As this is a non-ticketed event, Manchester City is suggesting that fans arrive early to get the best possible viewing experience.
There will also be screens throughout Deansgate showing all the action from the stage.
What is the Council saying?
Manchester City’s Premier League title-winning celebrations are being fully-supported and made possible with help from Manchester City Council.
Commenting on the parade, Councillor Bev Craig – Leader of Manchester City Council – said: “Winning back-to-back titles is a fantastic achievement which I’m sure City fans will be eager to celebrate, especially as the pandemic denied them the chance to do so last season.
“The Council are happy to support the parade and expect a memorable occasion as tens of thousands of fans gather in the city centre to share the moment”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Manchester City were crowned 2021-22 Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium yesterday / Credit: Manchester City (via Twitter)
What else do I need to know?
Manchester City and Manchester City Council have also released some top tips for people making their way to the celebrations, and for everyone else travelling in and around the city centre this evening.
This is an outdoor event and will take place come rain or shine, so it’s recommended that fans:
Check the weather forecast before leaving to attend the celebrations.
Wearing appropriate clothing for the weather.
If it’s sunny, bring sun cream, a hat, and drink lots of water.
If it’s raining, bring wet weather clothing as umbrellas are not allowed.
The weather forecast for this afternoon into the evening in Manchester city centre is predicting a combination of overcast skies and rain showers, with temperatures ranging from 12°C – 14°C.
For all travel advice – including details of bus diversions – refer to the TfGM website here.
Luke Littler is holding a meet-and-greet this weekend – but not exactly where you’d expect
Danny Jones
Young darts sensation Luke Littler has about as big a 12 months as a professional could hope for and many of those who don’t even watch ‘The Arrows’ now know his name, so much so that he’s already holding a meet-and-greet that is selling quicker than you say ‘180!’
Warrington locals are set to welcome Luke ‘The Nuke’ back to his hometown but it’s fair to say the event is taking place exactly where you would have expected.
The 2024 World Series, Premier League of Darts and Players Championship winner’s fame and reputation have continued to skyrocket ever since his debut, so he’d easily have fans lining up pretty much anywhere, especially in the WA postcode.
Nevertheless, hordes of kids looking to follow in his footsteps and bolster a new generation of youth darts players can attend Luke Littler’s meet and greet at none other than… a Smyths Toys Superstore.
Credit: Smyths Toys
As you do.
Located on the JunctionNINE Retail Park, Warrington Symths Toys will see the 17-year-old taking photos with fans, chatting to budding darts hopefuls and, as it turns out, show off his new personal collection.
Yes, while there will be plenty of wholesome selfies and wide-eyed little kids looking to meet their local hero, Littler and his team chose this particular location as Smyths Toys will be stocking his new range of Target Darts.
Once again, his meteoric rise has seen a huge uptake in young people wanting to try their hands at the sport, with the official Luke Littler Cabinet Set even being named as the Judge’s Pick for ‘Best Gift for Teens’ at the 2024 Christmas Wishlist Awards.
Beyond that, the shop also has the highly sought-after Luke Littler Magnetic Dartboard set for the little one, as well as the Luke Littler Steel-Tip Brass Darts, designed in celebration of the 17-year-old’s tremendous performance at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship.
Speaking ahead of the event, Littler said: “I’m really excited to meet everyone at Smyths Toys in Warrington this Saturday! It’s been an incredible year for me, and I can’t wait to connect with fans in my hometown and inspire the next generation.”
Adam Thompson, Head of Marketing at Target Darts added: “We’re thrilled to host this fantastic meet-and-greet event with Luke Littler. Luke has had an extraordinary year and we’re proud to celebrate his success with this special opportunity for fans to engage with him…
“It’s a great way to inspire young players and bring the darts community together and we can’t wait to see everyone in Warrington!”
The meet and greet will kick off from 1pm on Saturday, 5 October but you’ll have to be quick if you want to secure a spot. However, the store will still be open between the regular hours (9am-8pm), so you can still try your luck to try and catch a glimpse of ‘The Nuke’ and pick up a darts set or two.
Gymshark is set to open its first Manchester shop at The Trafford Centre
Danny Jones
Viral fitness brand Gymshark continues to go from strength to strength as they are now set to open a brand-new shop at The Trafford Centre next year.
One of the most well-known gym-wear brands on the planet right now, the company started by a student in the confines of his garage and bedroom back in 2012 is now opening just their third-ever brick-and-mortar location in the ever-busy shopping mall as their ‘IRL’ presence grows.
While it began as an online-only brand and will remain one of the most popular digital retailers for athletic apparel, with more than 10 million customers and a following of nearly double that amount on social media, it’s a pretty safe bet this store will be a welcome addition to The Trafford Centre.
Scheduled for a summer 2025 opening, this will be Gymshark‘s first location in the North so, naturally, they simply had to pick Manchester.
Gymshark Women is its own sub-brand.A glimpse at one of their two existing London locations.(Credit: Supplied)
Set to open a 7,500-square-foot unit on Upper Peel Avenue, the new Gymshark site will become home to all of their high-quality activewear, featuring a vast range of sizes, colours and styles to suit all.
There is also set to be a number of exclusives available only at the Gymshark Trafford Centre.
Building on an already strong and long-standing relationship with the city – with Manchester hosting one of the first-ever community meet-ups in the city during their early days and greeting thousands of gymgoers to Manchester Central in 2023 at its first post-Covid event, Lift MCR – it’s a natural marriage.
Having also recently opened a small space in Selfridges in Trafford Centre to great acclaim, General Manager of Wholesale and Retail, Hannah Mercer, says: “We’re a Brummie brand, but we look to Manchester as something of a big brother with its heritage for graft, discipline and authenticity.
She goes on to add: “It’s why we’ve had so many wonderful moments in the city […] whenever we’ve landed here, it’s been incredible. We’ve also done so much in Manchester because we know how passionate the community here is about the gym and fitness […] In short, we love Manchester and can’t wait to open our doors to our Northern community next year.”
When taking into account their ever-growing workforce and group of influencers and/or sponsored athletes, not to mention they now reach a total of 230 countries, it’s fair to say this will be a very popular arrival to the nearby shopping complex.
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said of the announcement:“Gymshark is an impressive British success story with a global following, so we’re excited to welcome their first Northern, standalone store right here at Trafford Centre.
“With the activewear and athleisure market continuing to thrive, we’re confident that Gymshark will prove to be extremely popular with our visitors.”
As founder Ben Francis reiterates with every evolution of the company, “Gymshark isn’t a sports brand or an athleisure brand, it’s a gym brand. [It] prides itself on being the brand for creating the tools to help everyone achieve their very best in the gym, not just from the clothing it sells, but from the community it has built around it.”
Emily Sergeant -
23rd May 2022 
