What's On

All the Manchester Pride music events happening this week

The city will be buzzing with Pride events this week.

Hannah Starkie Hannah Starkie - 24th August 2021

It’s been touch and go whether Manchester Pride weekend would go ahead this year. But with the lifting of restrictions and the mass roll out the vaccine programme we can safely say it’s game on by now.

Despite the annual Pride parade becoming another victim of COVID-19 after being cancelled down to safety concerns, the city has still got us covered with a range of other events starting as soon as Wednesday to really get us in the Pride mood.  

So, if you’re not heading to the official Manchester Pride Live festival down at Homeground or are keen to experience Pride outside of the village this year, here is our hefty roundup of music events happening across the city centre. 

Escape to Freight Island 

A dancer poses adorned in pink flowers, beads and flame shaped sunglasses.
Escape to Freight Island are set to embark on a five day Pride extravaganza. Image credit: Escape to Freight Island.

Really making the most of the weekend is Escape to Freight Island which is kicking off its Pride celebrations from Wednesday 25 August.  

Across a whopping five days, the popular al fresco dining and drinking hotspot is putting on a full jam-packed programme of music, DJs, live performances, drag shows and more to coincide with Manchester Pride Festival.  

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Renowned UK party starters High Hoops will be opening the show on the Wednesday. Expect to hear the signature disco, acid, psychedelic house and electro sounds that High Hoops are known for.

Then the funky vibes will continue into weekend from Friday with a takeover from Manchester collective Rebecca Never Becky who are all about championing emerging and LGBTQ+ artists.  

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Whilst on Saturday, the soul, reggae and afrobeat sounds of the So Flute DJs will switch things up, before Katbrownsugar and special guests take control. 

Freight Island’s very own Amuse Bouche will take over on Sunday as well. Hosted by Mix-Stress, the day will see a whole load more DJs followed by a special drag show courtesy of Performance is Power.  

To book, head here.  

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Escape to Freight Island | 25 – 30 August | 11 Baring St, Manchester M1 2PZ 

‘Something For Everyone’ at Ducie Street Warehouse

Also kicking Pride off early at Native Manchester on 26 August is the ‘Something For Everyone’ event presented by Ducie Street Warehouse.

There’s a whole five-day programme in place. It’ll be packed with performers, artists, live music and DJs in what will be Ducie Street’s first Pride Weekend event.

Mix-Stress and Friends will take care of the music on the Thursday, followed by four days of parties curated by Kiss Me Again, with takeovers from some familiar LGBTQ+ collectives.  

Marking the midway point in the festivities on Saturday will be Manchester’s own Gina Breeze, Luke Solomon and Krysko who will expertly soundtrack the evening with their years-worth of DJing experience. 

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Ducie Street Warehouse | 26 – 30 August | 51 Ducie Street, Manchester, M1 2TP 

The Refuge’s Come As You Are Weekender

The crowd enjoying the music at The Refuge.
The Refuge’s Come As You Are event has become a Pride weekend institution. Credit: The Refuge

The Refuge’s annual ‘Come As You Are’ event is not to be missed – and this year the weekender is back and bigger than ever. 

The venue’s stunning spaces will be opened up for a three-day and three-night spectacular from Friday to Sunday. 

Local legend DJ Paulette, Abigail Ward, Queer Latifah and Jamie Bull will provide all your house and disco mixes and everything in between across the weekend. 

It’s all free and walk-in only too so no need book tickets, just get yourself down there. 

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The Refuge | 27 – 30 August | Oxford St, Manchester M60 7HA  

Feel Good Club  

Northern Quarter café and bar, Feel Good Club, have announced their own plans for the weekend, too.  

Kicking things off on Thursday will be the launch of their monthly LOUDER music residency. It’ll focus purely on celebrating LGBTQ+ musicians making Pride the perfect time to launch the series. The inaugural evening will be in collaboration with Incantation Records, and will see SOFT LAD, The Elephant Trees and HUSK with The KTNA headlining.

Other Feel Good Club highlights across the weekend include a rebrand of their greenhouse to ‘Queen House’, which will become a safe space to meet and chat with likeminded individuals. And on Sunday afternoon, get some Pride pre-drinking in from 12pm-4pm. 

Feel Good Club | 26 – 29 August | 26-28 Hilton St, Manchester M1 2EH 

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Cottonopolis 

People enjoy drinks at Cottonopolis
There’ll be music, food and dancing at Cottonopolis all weekend. Credit: Cottonopolis

It’s full-on party mode at Cottonopolis this bank holiday. From Friday to Monday there’s is something different going on each day.  

Music highlights include live DJs, bongos and live sax players as they dust off the disco ball and transform the venue into a glittering extravaganza on Saturday.  

All the music and festivities will be accompanied by some cracking Japanese-inspired food, including a drag brunch, dining experiences, bottomless booze options and all of those famous Cottonopolis small plates and more.  

Head here to book a table.

Cottonopolis | 27 – 30 August | 16 Newton St, Manchester M1 2AE 

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Square One’s Pride Weekender

The crowd dancing at Square One.
Square One will host a special Pride weekender with High Hoops on Saturday. Credit: Square One/IG

Outdoor venue Square One have a class string of DJs lined up for their one-off Pride Weekender on Saturday 28 August.  

High Hoops, Midland, Niks, DJ City, Michael Upson and Supernature Disco will be responsible for spinning the tunes.  

The venue at the end of the Mancunian way has been putting on some incredible parties over the summer and this one’s set to follow suit.  

Tickets still available here.  

Square One | 28 August | Cakebread Street, M12 6HF | 2pm-11pm 

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Garden Party at Afflecks 

There’s even more fun to be had at Afflecks, too.

With a nod to the original Pride parade theme for this year, Manchester’s iconic emporium will be hosting their very own ‘Garden of Freedom’ party celebration in its place on Saturday 28 August. 

The whole building will be looking the part, adorned in heaps of glitter, decorations and all things garden party.

Meanwhile inside, drag DJs and queens will be roaming the venue for our entertainment throughout the day.

Afflecks | 28 August | 52 Church St, Manchester M4 1PW | 10am-6pm 

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StreamGM and The Manc have teamed up to show some serious love and support to the region’s renowned theatres, nightclubs, and live-music venues with the launch of SeeGM – a digital campaign to shine a bright spotlight on many of the amazing events, club nights, gigs and shows in our region. 

You can find out more here. 

#SeeGM 

Featured Image: The Refuge

What's On

Trailer released for new Netflix drama series starring Michelle Keegan airing in the new year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The first trailer for a new Netflix show starring Michelle Keegan and Joanna Lumley has now been released.

In case you hadn’t heard, the highly-anticipated new crime drama show, which is titled Fool Me Once, is an adaptation of Harlan Coben’s popular novel, and is set to air on the streaming service as soon as 2024 arrives.

After the first look pictures were teased earlier this month, we were already sitting on the edge of our seats.

But now, the release of the first trailer has proved it looks brilliantly binge-worthy.

The eight-part series follows Manchester-born actress Michelle Keegan’s character, Maya Starn, who is a former special ops pilot struggling with the tragic murder of her husband, Joe, who is played by Richard Armitage.

Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce, who is portrayed by Adeel Akhtar, conducts the investigation into Joe’s death while wrestling with his own hidden truths.

Things start to get interesting though, when she observes via the nanny cam her supposedly deceased husband playing with their baby daughter in her own home.

Meanwhile, Maya’s niece and nephew embark on the journey to seek answers about their own mother’s murder which took place months ago.

But one question remains – could the two mysteries be related?

‘Fool Me Once’ stars Michelle Keegan and is based on a novel by Harlan Coben / Credit: Netflix UK

The first trailer for the show was released by Netflix at the end of last week, and it showcases a star-studded cast with the likes of Dame Joanna Lumley from Absolutely Fabulous, Adeel Akhtar from Sherwood, Emmett J Scanlan from Peaky Blinders, and Dino Fetscher from Paranoid.

The streaming service has unveiled a selection of first look images, showcasing a star-studded cast with the likes of Dame Joanna Lumley from Absolutely Fabulous, Adeel Akhtar from Sherwood, Emmett J Scanlan from Peaky Blinders, and Dino Fetscher from Paranoid.

Filming took place in Yorkshire, where production crews were spotted in the Burdock Way area near the centre of Halifax, but Michelle Keegan was also spotted filming in Manchester city centre back in May.

You can watch the trailer in full here.

Read more:

Fool Me Once will air on Netflix in the UK on Monday 1 January.

Featured Image – GMP

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The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 11 – 17 December 2023

Danny Jones Danny Jones the best things to do in greater manchester 11-17 December 2023

Ay’up, you lovely lot — it’s another week with plenty to do here in Greater Manchester and another step closer to the big day and that post-roast and mince pie-induced nap just because you can.

We have no shame in admitting we’re starting to feel very festive now and while the weather might be a bit cold and miserable of late, it’s not like we aren’t used to it around here and so long as you’re wrapped up, there’s nothing to stop you heading out and enjoying yourself.

To be honest, there aren’t many things that get us in the Christmas spirit quite like seeing Manchester buzzing with people clad in big fluffy jumpers and bobble hats, bags of shopping, giant hotdogs and a cup of mulled wine in hand.

Speaking of which…

Manchester Christmas Markets – City Centre

Manchester City Centre

Monday, 11 – Thursday, 21 December

You’ll be glad to know that Manchester’s iconic markets are still around for plenty of time and while, yes, they might be a bit busy and pricey at times, it’s only once a year and we never feel guilty about treating ourselves to proper Bavarian beer served in a big frosty stein.

We don’t need to talk you through this one: you know them and (most of) you love them and The Manc office will certainly be soaking up as much of the international culture as we can before they disappear again for 12 months. But what else is on in Greater Manchester this week?

Skate Manchester

Cathedral Gardens

Monday, 11 – Sunday, 31 December

In that same breath, another Manc staple during the holidays is the ice rink and, thankfully, Skate Manchester is sticking around right up until 2 January, so you’ve got plenty of time to moonlight as the new Torvill/Dean even if you don’t make it there this week.

Located over in Cathedral Gardens, this little corner of the city centre has plenty to keep you busy while you wait for your booking and afterwards too, from a sizeable chunk of this year’s Christmas Market stalls, the National Football Museum and the Corn Exchange just next door. See you on the ice.

@the.manc Skate your way into 2024 ⛸️ #manchester #iceskating ♬ Ice Skating – Purrple Cat

The Twilight Trail

Mayfield Park

Monday, 11 – Sunday, 31 December

Manchester’s newest and arguably prettiest park just got even more eye-catching thanks to the truly spectacular Twilight Trail over in Mayfield. Having now tried it for ourselves and still admiring it from afar on the train into town, it’s well worth a visit this winter and only a tenner for adults.

Located just around the corner from Depot Mayfield with food and drink traders spilling over from the adjacent Freight Island, it’s one of the best festive light trails you’ll find anywhere in the region this year — and believe us, there’s plenty to choose from.

Christmas at Heaton Park

Heaton Park

Monday, 11 – Sunday, 31 December

Another such one of those light trails is just half an hour away from the city centre, so if you looking for some more Yuletide attractions beyond the bustle of central Manchester, this year’s Christmas offerings at Heaton Park are the perfect option.

With top-of-the-range visuals from the same people behind Christmas at Kew and equally impressive levels of audio production from the Raymond Gubbay division of Sony Music, this is one that will leave you looking like a wide-eye kid whether you are one or not.

Spectacular new Christmas light trail to take over Heaton Park

Charity Super.Mkt

Salford Quays

Monday, 11 – Wednesday, 13 December

As part of the wider Winter Fest events over in MediaCity, the first half of this week is also your last chance to grab a few bargains and hopefully a real diamond in the rough and do your bit for charitable organisations around Greater Manchester in the process.

The Charity Super.Mkt pop-up is the first of its kind in the UK and has now set up shop in Central Bay over at Quayside. Featuring multiple different non-profits and packed with plenty of pre-loved gems, this is the perfect place to grab a steal whilst also embracing the festive period as a time of giving.

elrow XXL (Delusionville)

Depot Mayfield

Saturday, 16 December 2023

One of the best-loved cult favourite music events on the planet is coming to Manchester, so it only makes sense that it’s taking place at one of the best of the hottest venues in the world, let alone the UK — and these lot should know, they’ve played plenty of them, with residencies in Ibiza and more.

Electronic gig promoters and festival organisers, elrow, are returning to The Warehouse Project on Saturday, 16 December and bringing their XXL experience to raving masses. This time delivering their aptly named Delusionville theme, it’s going to be one of the biggest nights of the WHP 2023 calendar.

You can grab your tickets HERE.

NEW OPENING – One Eight Six is back

Deansgate

Monday, 11 December onwards

Remember this one? The last chapter of One Eight Six’s rollercoaster story might have had a sad ending around this time in 2021 but from the ashes of that fire emerges a new bar reborn and more sleek and stylish than ever.

Having returned to the Deansgate strip and Manc nightlife scene over the weekend, it’s the second phoenix we’ve seen come to life in the North West this winter and we had the honour of being among the first to catch a glimpse of its new. It didn’t disappoint.

The Makers Markets

Chorlton, Sale and West Didsbury

Saturday 16 December – Sunday 17 December

It wouldn’t be a weekend without the Makers Markets popping up somewhere in the area and fortunately, you’ve got the choice of not one, not two but three different collections of stalls in Chorlton, Sale and West Didsbury.

With Chorlton’s pop-ups arriving on Saturday and the other two the following day, if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy the chaos and fanfare of the main Christmas markets, you’ll still be able to get lots of festive goodies on a smaller scale here, as well as enjoy the usual artisanal charm and sense of community. Here’s what Prestwich looked like this past weekend:

Disney on Ice

AO Arena

Wednesday, 13 December – Sunday, 17 December

Now, THIS is the kind of stuff we want to be doing at this time of year: getting a head start on our festive binge of Disney films through the medium of ice skating and at one of the best venues to see any kind of live performance.

Celebrating ‘100 Years of Wonder’, the legendary Disney on Ice production is enjoying a run of shows at the AO Arena and not only will you get to see all the princesses and classics like Toy Story and Aladdin but the Manchester crowd will also get to see the world of Encanto brought to life for the very first time. A truly unforgettable way to spend a winter’s eve.

Secure your spot to watch the spectacular show HERE.

Bar Hütte

Great Northern Warehouse and KAMPUS

Monday 11 December – onwards

Bar Hütte’s legendary karaoke cabins are back and they’re bringing alpine vibes, cosy furnishings, twinkling lights, live music sessions and a steady flow of drinks, of course — and this year, there’s not one but two locations in Manchester city centre.

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While Bar Hütte at Great Northern is heading back to Deansgate, with 15 cosy private ‘hüttes’ neatly positioned under a heated stretch tent and twinkling lights, Bar Hütte at Kampus also has a nice new outdoor terrace comprising of eight snug, wooden karaoke booths nestled beneath the trees and an ‘Aprés Ski Bungalow’ serving as an indoor alpine bar. Find out more and grab tickets here.

Liam Fray’s acoustic Christmas gig

Albert Hall

Sunday, 17 December

What better way to round off a week than by listening to one of Manchester’s most beloved music sons? Liam Fray’s one-off special show is an early Christmas present if we’ve ever heard of one and while we’re not going to kid you about there being any tickets left for this thing, you could still stand a chance of grabbing one on a resale maybe — who knows?

The Courteeners frontman is playing the one and only Albert Hall in what will be a slightly more intimate performance for the local lad who’s used to filling out stadiums and headlining festivals. We swear we can hear him practising a rendition of ‘Fairytale of New York’ as we speak and we’re welling up already.

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Liam Fray announces one-off acoustic Christmas gig in Manchester

Christmas Screenings at King Street Townhouse

King Street Townhouse

Saturday, 16 December onwards

A whole host of classic Christmas films are hitting the big screen at the little picture house tucked away inside King Street Townhouse this month. The more we learn about this classy little hotel and spa the more we fall in love with it.

With a marathon of three films set to be screened on each day of the event, the Christmas screening schedule has all the hits: Love Actually, Home Alone and the ever-enjoyable Elf, which is somehow celebrating its 20th anniversary this year if you can believe that.

Other festive favourites on the lineup every weekend leading right up until the big day include It’s a Wonderful Life, The Holiday, The Muppet Christmas Carol, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Bad Santa and more. You can book your perfectly cosy cinema seat HERE.

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Read more:

This is, of course, just a taste of the things to do in and around Greater Manchester this week but, lucky for you, you can always keep up to date with the rest of what’s on right here on The Manc.

If you know what’s good for you, you’ll be sure to keep an eye out on our socials too so you don’t miss any of the best bits over the next seven days and beyond.

Have a great week, lovely people!

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Supplied

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