Hundreds will march through Manchester city centre to mark International Women’s Day this weekend for the annual ‘Walk For Women’.
After returning to the city in 2022 to massive success from a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the hugely-popular ‘Walk For Women’ is back once again this year, and it’s expected that hundreds will meet to parade through the city centre in the name of equality.
The ‘Walk For Women’ will march through the city in a celebration of the significant economic, political, and social achievements that women have made since they first won the right to vote just over 100 years ago.
Get your banners, instruments, and chants at the ready as our #WalkForWomen is back for 2023. 📢
🗓️Saturday 4 March 🕛 12noon 📍 Outside Manchester Cathedral
Taking place tomorrow (Saturday 4 March), the procession will meet outside Manchester Cathedral at midday for a 12:30pm start, and will start by walking together towards the Central Library in St Peter’s Square.
Organisers of the annual event say the walk is a brilliant opportunity to come together with family, friends, colleagues, and likeminded strangers to share a passion for equality and creating opportunities for Manchester women.
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The event is completely free to take part in, and everyone is invited to join.
A huge ‘Walk For Women’ will parade through Manchester city centre next month / Credit: Manchester City Council
Marchers are encouraged to bring “fun, safe, and noisy instruments” along with them to bang and clang, or are invited to make the most of their voices and join in with chants.
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“Whether you’re a lone ranger or part of a group, we’d love to see you walking with us,” organisers say.
Hundreds will meet to parade through the city centre in the name of equality / Credit: Manchester City Centre
Aside from the ‘Walk For Women’, groups will be coming together across the city for events with guest speakers, community meals, and displays of arts, crafts and music – which are all focused around a celebration of International Women’s Day.
Councillor Becky Chambers, Lead Elected Member for Women, said: “We’re excited to be back on the streets of Manchester standing up for women’s rights.
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“This will be our sixth year of holding the Walk for Women and we’d love to see as many people as possible come together to rise, roar, and represent women.”
Tomorrow from 12 noon, join hundreds of women and their supporters at our #WalkForWomen.💜
We'll meet outside @ManCathedral on Victoria Street before walking together down Deansgate, making sure the whole of Manchester can hear our roar.📢
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) March 3, 2023
Councillor Sam Lynch, Lead Elected Member for Women, said: “International Women’s Day is an important date, marking the achievements of women throughout history.
“It also provides us with a unique opportunity to celebrate the brave women who have fought for us and who continue fighting against inequality.”
Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum announces FREE programme of space-themed activities
Emily Sergeant
National Space Day is coming up, and you can celebrate with a bunch of free space-inspired activities in Manchester this bank holiday.
Ever wondered what astronauts eat in orbit? How they use the loo in zero gravity? Or why crumbs are bad news on the International Space Station? Well, to celebrate National Space Day – which is taking place this year on Friday 1 May – you’ll now get to discover the answers to those questions and so much more down at the Science and Industry Museum early next month.
The popular Manchester city centre-based museum has unveiled a programme of free ‘out-of-this-world’ events and activities this upcoming May bank holiday weekend.
The programme of free events are set to accompany the museum’s latest special exhibition, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos – which you do have to pay for – and will give visitors more ways to explore the ‘wonders and weirdness’ of space.
The Science and Industry Museum has announced a free programme of space-themed activities / Credit: Drew Forsyth / Science Museum Group
Launching on National Space Day (Friday 1 May) and running through to Monday 4 May, the special bank holiday weekend programme is especially timely following the recent return of Artemis II astronauts from their history-making mission around the moon.
Families can get a taste of space during new live shows by sampling real foods used to feed astronauts, and discover more about how humans live and work beyond Earth, while budding space explorers put their skills to the test in interactive activities designed to ‘spark curiosity’ and ‘stretch imaginations’ to the moon and back.
Stargazers can enjoy the night sky as its projected across super-sized screens, or get creative by crafting their very own constellations and designing a mission patch for an astronaut’s spacesuit.
The events accompany the museum’s latest special exhibition, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos / Credit: Drew Forsyth / Science Museum Group
“2026 has already been a stellar year for space,” commented Tash Camberwell, who is the Interpretation and Content Developer at the Science and Industry Museum, as the programme of free events was announced this week.
“We’ve been so inspired by the amazing Artemis II astronauts, so I’m especially excited to bring space back down to Earth with an action-packed programme for the May bank holiday.
“Just like the exhibition, our holiday activities have been created for young people and their grown-ups to enjoy together by blending humour, hands-on science and spectacular experiences to spark curiosity in space and inspire the next generation of space explorers.”
More information on the bank holiday weekend activities can be found on the Science and Industry Museum’s website here, and free general admission tickets, as well as £10 tickets to Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos, can also be booked online too – with under threes going free.
Following what was a popular spring school holidays, museum staff say early booking is ‘advised’.
Featured Image – Drew Forsyth / Science Museum Group
What's On
Popular grassroots music festival to return to hidden Manchester street with new fringe events
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s much-loved grassroots music festival is back next month, and this year, there’s some new fringe events too.
Set across a handful of popular venues up on Deansgate Mews – including The Lion’s Den, Low Four Studios and The Mews Bar – Deansgate Mews Festival is returning for its sixth year this late May bank holiday weekend.
More than 40 music artists will be performing on a mix of outdoor and intimate indoor stages.
But that’s not all, as in what’s set to be an exciting new chapter for 2026, the festival is expanding beyond its core programme with the launch of the first-ever Mews Fest Fringe too.
Popular grassroots music festival Mews Fest returns this late May bank holiday / Credit: Supplied
The inaugural Mews Fest Fringe will be hosted in a large unit within Great Northern Warehouse, which will be transformed into a ‘vibrant’ hub celebrating music, art and independent culture.
Designed as a platform for Manchester’s creative community, the festival space will welcome artists, designers, collectors, and creative entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their work while connecting with festival-goers.
At the Fringe event, you can expect everything from record sellers and vinyl collectors, to vintage clothes, arts and crafts makers, independent creatives, and even bands selling merchandise.
This year there’s also the addition of the Mews Fest Fringe / Credit: Supplied
Already known for its strong grassroots ethos and growing reputation, Mews Fest continues to champion local talent and independent culture – but now with the addition of the Fringe event, the stage is set for its most ‘ambitious and inclusive’ edition to date.
Oh and the best bit? Both festivals will be free to attend, with no need to book tickets beforehand.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd March 2023 
