Manchester’s Victoria Baths is gearing up to host its first-ever ethical and sustainable markets next month.
Held on the second and third weekends in June, the markets will boast a range of sustainable and ethical stands selling food treats, home crafts, sustainable household creations, recycled jewelry and more.
Traders confirmed to attend so far include Manchester’s Eighth Day co-operative, sustainable living company Rootstock, colourful recycled plastic creator Plastic Shed, and ceramics and macrame maker Studio Dawn.
Stallholders will be dotted around the Gala Pool and Sports Hall, whilst the yard outside will be transformed into an entirely vegan street food festival, complete with a vegan-friendly bar.
On top of this, there’ll also be a vegan selection of drinks and cakes on offer in the Victoria Baths Tea Room
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Inside the Female’s pool at Victoria Bath, where visitors will be able to see two newly restored large stained glass windows / Image: Geograph.org
“Victoria Baths’ Vegan & Ethical Markets have been designed with the feel-good factor in mind, we want people to enjoy their time here, meet up with family and friends, discover some great local makers and creators and enjoy some fantastic food and drink,” said Elizabeth Sibbering, Operations Manager at Victoria Baths>
“We’ll be making the most of the areas that make up Victoria Baths and for the first time using the yard outside as part of the occasion, which is going to be a terrific location for food, drink and relaxing.”
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Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore a permanent exhibition that tells the story of Victoria Baths, Manchester’s very own water palace.
They’ll also get chance to see two newly restored large stained glass windows in the Females Pool.
Entry to the markets is £4, or free for Friends of Victoria Baths and under 16s. They will take place on 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th June from 11am to 8pm.
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Booking in advance is required via the website, with entrance staggered in order to maintain social distancing. All money raised by the event will go towards the upkeep of the building.
Feature image – Wikimedia Commons.
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Timings confirmed for Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade to celebrate Chinese New Year 2025
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade will make its way through the city centre once again next weekend.
As Manchester gets ready to celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 – which begins next Wednesday (29 January) and runs through to Sunday 2 February – and mark the ‘Year of the Snake’, the iconic Dragon Parade will be making its grand return to the streets of our city centre next weekend, and bring a spectacular show of colour and light along with it.
In case you’re unfamiliar with what the Dragon Parade is all about, it’s the focal point of the city’s annual Lunar New Year celebrations – and it’s a real spectacle, to say the least.
The parade is known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region each year.
— Chinese New Year in Manchester (@ChineseNYMCR) January 14, 2025
Headlining the festivities, the popular parade is set to take place on Sunday 2 February 2025.
Once again, organisers are expecting visitors in their thousands to turn out and watch as the famous 175ft Chinese dragon weaves its way through the city’s main shopping streets.
Kicking off from 12pm onwards, starting on the junction of Oxford Street and George Street, the parade will make its way along Portland Street before concluding in Chinatown for a final performance on Princess Street.
There will also be a night dragon parade in the Chinatown car park at 6:30pm and 7:30pm on the Saturday 1 February, while an illuminated dragon will feature through the streets of Chinatown as part of the celebration’s conclusion from 6:30pm on Sunday.
Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade is returning to celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 / Credit: Chinese NY Manchester (via X)
There’ll also be even more cultural celebrations and activities to get involved with over in Manchester’s popular Chinatown, with live stage performances, a fun fair, and loads of stalls serving up tasty and authentic street food.
All the action in Chinatown will start from midday right through to 8pm on both days.
And to top it all off, we have also seen the return of Manchester’s famous traditional red lanterns dotted up above all around town too, adding colour to dark winter days.
As always, this year’s celebrations have been organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM), in partnership with Manchester Business Improvement District (BID) and Manchester City Council.
Featured Image – Chinese NY Manchester (via X)
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Bright Eyes are heading back to Manchester on their new UK and European tour
Danny Jones
Beloved indie veterans Bright Eyes are coming back to Manchester for the first time in more than three years as part of a brand new UK and European tour.
Formed back in 1995, the Omaha outfit has remained a cult favourite among music lovers all over the world, exciting fans with their latest comeback after an 11-year hiatus in 2020.
However, the Nebraska band have struggled with touring issues ever since, having to postpone a raft of shows during Covid and even after the pandemic was over, they had to cancel the remainder of their 2024 shows back following frontman Conor Oberst’s persistent vocal issues.
Bright Eyes confirmed that the lead singer had “developed a condition that is exacerbated by excessive singing” back in September, but with their new album finally out Oberst and co. are crossing back over the Atlantic to pick up where they left off.
JUST ANNOUNCED: We're delighted to share that @brighteyesband are coming to our venue on the 21st of June, following the release of last year's new album 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴!
Releasing their fifth studio LP Five Dice All Threes towards the end of last year – their first new outing in half a decade – the long-standing group have already got back on the road in North America and are due to land in the UK this summer.
Kicking off a run of 16 continental dates at Rock City in Nottingham, Bright Eyes arrive in Manchester on Saturday, 21 June and are set to play the legendary Albert Hall – a venue singer-songwriter Oberst himself played as a solo act back in 2017.
The last Manc venue they played was the equally iconic O2 Apollo back in 2022 and while they might have been away for a hot minute, their die-hard fandom hasn’t gone anywhere.
As for the new self-produced record itself (recorded at Obert and Mike Mogis hometown studio), its been described as capturing an “uncommon intensity and tenderness, communal exorcism and personal excavation.”
Bascially, if you like the usual emotional introspection Bright Eyes deliver, this is more of it.
Georgina Pellant -
30th May 2021 
