The city centre is to be transformed into the “biggest-ever playground” for this year’s Manchester Day celebrations.
In case you missed it a couple of months back, Manchester Day – which is often dubbed “the day summer officially starts” in Manchester, and undoubtedly one of the most vibrant and colourful events in the city’s annual social calendar – was confirmed for a 2024 return this summer, with our city all set to host a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” next month.
This means you can expect a day packed full of FREE events and activities to get involved with.
Following the resounding success of last year’s ‘promenade-style’ event that saw activities take place in a number of different locations, , Manchester City Council has revealed that this year’s one-day festival will also take over the city centre.
And now, after weeks of waiting, the theme for this year’s event and all the celebrations lined up, have been revealed.
The city centre will become the ‘biggest ever’ playground for this year’s Manchester Day / Credit: Manchester Day
This year’s event will be inspired by an international summer of sport, according to the Council, and the city’s streets and squares will be filled with music, dancing, and interactive activities that are designed to “bring out the inner athlete” in visitors, both young and old.
As it has done in previous years, the Council is working with outdoor arts specialists, Walk the Plank, on a jam-packed programme for the day that promises something for all ages and all sporting abilities.
Visitors can expect to see jaw-dropping acrobatics, pop-up performances of wrestling, breakdancing, opera, drag, and more in “the most unlikely of places”, and a daring dance-circus production, all while getting stuck into various games such as darts, hook-a-duck, or even the ‘actual reality’ arcade filled with larger-than-life consoles.
Manchester Day is back on Saturday 27 July. 🌞
Inspired by an international summer of sport, expect pop-up performances, astounding acrobatics and have-a-go activities. 🤸♀️🎾🚴♂️
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) June 20, 2024
Most importantly though, in what will be a Manchester Day special for 2024 to mark this sizzling summer of international sport, with UEFA Euro 2024, Wimbledon, and the Olympics being just a couple of the sporting events in the calendar, the Council has also partnered with some of the UK’s leading sports bodies to offer loads of fitness taster sessions and activities throughout the day.
Football, cricket, netball, and taekwondo are just a few of the sports that visitors can expect to show off their skills in.
Gold medals will be awarded in a special ‘Winners’ Enclosure’ throughout the day, and the honours will be up for grabs in all kinds of categories – including cheekiest grin, best Dad dancer, and more.
Sporty celebrations will take place all across the city centre / Credit: Manchester Day
“We know how much Mancunians of all ages love to celebrate the city’s special day with us, and this year we’re really going for gold,” Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Chair of Manchester Day, teased ahead of this year’s event in a couple of weeks time.
“We’ve got an absolutely fantastic day lined up, stuffed full of free things to see and do for all the family, all with a sporting flavour, so grab your granny and your trainers and come on down and join us.”
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Stage times confirmed for Oasis Live ’25 at Heaton Park in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Oasis will finally return to Manchester for five massive hometown gigs this week – and stage times for their Heaton Park show have been confirmed.
The Gallagher brothers have already reunited for two gigs in Cardiff ahead of their Manchester shows.
Oasis will be performing in Heaton Park on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 of July, with support from long-time friends Richard Ashcroft and Cast.
With about 80,000 people expected to flock to the fields for the Oasis Live ’25 shows, there’s a lot of planning going on behind the scenes.
And the stage times for the Oasis Manchester gigs have just been confirmed by the band.
Oasis will be taking to the stage at 8.15pm, and with a 10.30pm curfew, that’s around two hours of glorious Gallagher hits.
Gates to Heaton Park open at 3pm and organisers are expecting large crowds – they’re encouraging fans to allow plenty of time for travel and arrive early.
As a reminder, there are shuttle buses running directly from Lever Street to Heaton Park from 1.30pm, but these are almost sold out.
You can also get tickets for Big Green Coach here, or use trams from Victoria Station up to the venue.
Confirmed stage times for Oasis at Heaton Park, Manchester
The first-ever Horrible Histories live concert is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Any fans of childhood favourite Horrible Histories in the house? Well, you might want to pay attention because the iconic kids’ show is bringing its first-ever live concert to Manchester.
The beloved educational comedy by CBBC was, for many of us, the first time we showed a proper interest in history, and we’ll confess, we still go back and comfort-watch it from time to time.
Running from 2009 until 2014, it featured countless funny faces that went on to become stars in the UK comic scene and even spawned a smash-hit live show, which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary.
With that in mind, to help celebrate the milestone, the team behind the cult classic are putting on a special a pretty extensive series of live shows to bring the music of Horrible Histories to domestic audiences, including two right here in Manchester.
Credit: BBC/Supplied
Teaming up with Birmingham Stage Company and Lion Television, the BBC and Horrible Histories crew will soon be playing all the hit songs from the TV programme in the flesh.
Based on the books, CBBC show and the success of the theatre show, this unique music-driven live format is written by the TV series’ writers Ben Ward and Claire Wetton.
Led on stage by the Horrible Histories song master, Richie Webb, himself – who has written all the songs from the smash-hit BBC series – you’re getting the full, authentic experience.
Featuring a live band performing the sensational TV songs, including guest appearances from Charles II, Dick Turpin and a bunch of Vikings that we couldn’t stop barging through the stage door, this is one show you don’t want to miss.
You can find all the 32 ‘Horrible Histories: Live (And Dead)! – The Concert’ UK tour dates down below:
Early 2026
Spring 2026
– Fri 23 January, Darlington Hippodrome – Sat 24 January, Darlington Hippodrome – Fri 30 January, Bristol Beacon – Sat 31 January, Bristol Beacon – Sun 1 February, Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre – Fri 6 February, Manchester Opera House – Sat 7 February, Manchester Opera House – Fri 13 February, Liverpool Empire – Sat 14 February, Liverpool Empire – Tues 17 February London Royal Festival Hall – Fri 20 February, Birmingham Alexandra – Sat 21 February, Birmingham Alexandra – Fri 27 February, Milton Keynes Theatre – Sat 28 February, Milton Keynes Theatre – Sun 1 March, Cambridge Corn Exchange – Sun 8 March, Sheffield City Hall – Fri 13 March, Edinburgh Festival Theatre – Sat 14 March, Edinburgh Festival Theatre – Sun 15 March, Edinburgh Festival Theatre – Fri 20 March, Glasgow Theatre Royal
– Sat 21 March, Glasgow Theatre Royal – Sun 29 March, Nottingham Concert Hall – Thur 2 April, Southampton Mayflower – Fri 3 April, Southampton Mayflower – Sat 4 April, Southampton Mayflower – Mon 6 April, York Barbican – Tues 7 April, York Barbican – Thur 9 April, Brighton Concert Hall – Fri 10 April, Brighton Concert Hall – Sat 11 April, Brighton Concert Hall – Fri 17 April, Sunderland Empire – Sat 18 April, Sunderland Empire
Coming to the city centre and the storied Manchester Opera House for two evenings early next year, if you’re a fan of the series or the live theatre act, this one has to be on your list.
The whole cast for the tour is yet to be fully confirmed, but you can expect plenty of humour and talent from start to finish.
ATG+ presale has just gone live, and general admission will be available from Friday, 11 July, with prices starting from £18 and school tickets costing just £13.50
Emily Sergeant -
24th June 2024 
