A community festival with dozens of free events and activities for all the family is returning to Manchester this weekend.
After what was a successful turnout last summer to celebrate 200 years since the University of Manchester (UoM) first welcomed students through its doors, with more than 150 immersive events on the lineup, Universally Manchester is back this weekend, and the popular festival has a jam-packed day of fun to look forward to.
Oh, and it’s FREE fun, at that.
As part of the university’s civic commitment to ‘enhancing’ its relationship with members of Manchester‘s local communities, the annual university-wide festival will back for its sixth year this Saturday.
Running since 2017, the university’s campus turns into a welcoming space for thousands of visitors from Greater Manchester and beyond, so they can discover all the important work the institution does.
The festival aims to be an ‘inviting and informal space’ for visitors to meet the university’s staff and students, while UoM also gets to play an integral part in conversations that connect people and inspire future generations.
Kicking off from 11am this Saturday (14 June), you can expect there to be something for everyone during this free day jam-packed with fun activities for all the family.
Saturday 14 June
Universally Manchester returns this weekend with a free day of fun / Credit: UoM
Universally Manchester is back for 2025 this weekend, and it’s shaping up to be a proper community day for all.
We’re talking everything from creative sessions with poetry, music, and art, right through to special tours and meets-ups with the university’s inspiring curators, lots of different activities for your wellbeing, and load more.
You can even watch and join in with science experiments, and listen to enthralling stories of local history and experiences.
Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park – tickets, times, supports, setlist and everything you need to know
Danny Jones
Besides Oasis’ glorious Heaton Park homecoming, the two biggest headline gigs in Greater Manchester are happening this weekend, with Fontaines D.C. kicking off Live From Wythenshawe Park 2025 this Friday, 15 August.
The Irish giants are bringing their now global, groundbreaking and critically acclaimed musical exports to Manchester for the second time in less than a year, only this will be their biggest gig in this city to date.
Fontaines last visited Manchester back in November as one of the biggest rock, indie and alternative bands to play Aviva Studios, home of Factory International; it’s fair to say it was a stormer.
And now scenes like THIS are set to be scaled up to a field full of Mancs and tourists alike, so it’s best to know what you’re in for…
Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park – all the important info
Fontaines Wythenshawe Park tickets: are there any left?
For starters, if you’re wondering whether there are tickets left for Fontaines at Wythenshawe Park, we’re afraid to inform you that general admission unfortunately sold out in a flash.
There are still VIP options available via Ticketmaster if you fancy treating yourself, but they will set you back a pretty penny.
Of course, you can always keep your eyes out via trusted resale sites like Twickets and TicketSwap, but as always, proceed with caution – let’s help the kick touts out of the music industry.
'I'M GON' HIT YOUR BUSINESS IF IT'S MOMENTARY BLISSNESS—UGHHHHH!' 🔥
We’ll confess, one of the things we’re most excited about ahead of the Dublin County icons returning to 0161 is the lineup of supports booked for Fontaines D.C. at Wythenshawe Park.
There are no warm-ups; we would and have already happily paid full whack to see some of these supports headline both here in Manchester and around the North.
Not only will fans be getting to see fellow Irish post-punk band The Murder Capital kick off the live music proceedings, but Leeds’ very own Mercury Prize-winning English Teacher will be following them up, before Gaelic rap trio, Kneecap from Northern Ireland, really ramp up the energy.
There’s even going to be DJ sets from So Young record label and magazine, as well as none other than The Stone Roses’ Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.
Fortunately, the DC boys have also made things nice and simple when it comes to stage times, too, with a full running order for each artist’s set already published.
They are as follows:
The Murder Capital – 16:25
English Teacher – 17:35
Kneecap – 18:50
Fontaines D.C. – 20:30
Doors to the massive outdoor Wythenshawe music venue will be open from 4pm, and the aforementioned DJ sets will be played in between each of the support acts, before the main event gets underway slightly earlier than most other headliners.
As for what the lads will be playing, an added bonus of their ongoing world tour is that it’s given us plenty of time to get to grips with the current Fontaines setlist – or at least the bulk of it.
This is based on their last big standout headline show at Cardiff Castle in Wales (courtesy of Setlist.fm).
Starburster / In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)
Last but not least, there’s just the small matter of getting there. While we’d always recommend travelling as green as possible/using public transport where you can, there are still some car park tickets that you can buy online from the Live From Wythenshawe website.
As for those of you catching a ride, there is yellow signage to the north of the site, which will lead you to the pick-up/drop-off point on Wythenshawe Road, M23 0AB.
There are also three tram stops to choose from: Wythenshawe Park, Moor Road and Baguley. However, it’s worth noting that both Wythenshawe Park and Baguley will be closed from 9pm, so you won’t be able to get back home this way.
Finally, you can always catch one of the shuttle buses back into the city centre. The service will be operating in a loop from Sale and the city centre, running from 1-8pm on the way to Wythenshawe Park and then from 8pm-1:30am when heading home.
For more information, you can find all the up-to-date travel stuff HERE or check out (TfGM) Transport for Greater Manchester’s guidance and even use their interactive map
We also want to remind everyone to get there with plenty of time to avoid queuing and congestion on public transport in and around Greater Manchester.
Last but not least, make sure to mind the weather, drink plenty of water, look after each other and, above all else, have an absolute belter.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Shots (supplied)
What's On
The UK’s only Pina Colada Festival is coming to a town near Manchester this weekend
Emily Sergeant
If you like piña coladas, then there’s only one place you’ll want to be this weekend.
Northwich town centre, over in Cheshire just an hour away from Manchester, is getting a taste of the tropics once again this summer as the popular The Pina Colada Festival returns, and organisers are promising it’ll be the biggest celebration to date.
The festival was first established back in 2021 after a local resident discovered that Rupert Holmes, the man behind the iconic hit ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’, was born in Northwich in 1947.
A social media post suggesting a celebration went viral… and just like that, The Pina Colada Festival was born and is now in its fifth year.
The UK’s only Pina Colada Festival is coming to a town near Manchester this weekend / Credit: Marcelo Verfe (via Unsplash) | Supplied
Taking place this Saturday (16 August), this family-friendly free festival is a Caribbean fusion of street performances, street food, live music, and of course, piña coladas – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – as far as the eyes can see.
Food and drink will be available across the town centre from Northwich’s bars, cafes and restaurants, all of which put on special events and stalls for the occasion, giving visitors the perfect opportunity to enjoy a bite to eat or refreshments while soaking up the sun.
And this year will see the introduction of a giant urban beach at the top of Witton Street too, alongside a surfing simulator, a free photobooth, and lots more.
The family-friendly festival will be taking over the Cheshire town this weekend / Credit: Supplied
The Samba Parade is back too, and visitors can expect ‘rhythm, colour, and unstoppable energy’ from a variety of dancers, including butterfly performers and vibrant rainbow dress dancers, creating a street spectacle to remember.
There’ll be a whole host of family-friendly activities happening across the town centre too, including free pineapple-themed kids crafts, glitter face painting, and pineapple-themed mini-golf.
Emily Sergeant -
9th June 2025 
