The city centre is poised and ready for Halloween, with orange pumpkin lanterns already adorning the trees around town and a definite autumnal chill in the air.
As usual, Halloween in the City will be turning our streets into a spooktacular celebration for the occasion, with a weekend of shockingly good family-friendly events on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October.
It’s all organised by Manchester Business Improvement District (BID) and will include some ever-popular events as well as some brand new attractions, with families heartily encouraged to don their best fancy dress.
Giant inflatable monsters will be back looming and creeping over buildings across the city centre, transforming our landmarks with tentacles and googly eyes and pointy teeth.
Halloween in the City. Credit: Supplied
This year it’ll be bigger than ever before, with 14 monsters to spot around town on the trail between 25 and 31 October.
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Spooky creatures will be on the move too, in the Monsters Rock! Party Procession, which will weave through Manchester Arndale and Market Street.
The roaming performance comes from Walk the Plank, the same creative minds behind the Manchester Day Parade.
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Expect stilt walkers, monster puppets and a five-piece band mingling with shoppers on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October, with performances at 12pm, 2pm and 3pm.
Halloween in the City. Credit: Supplied
A Creepy Carnival, made up of a carousel, helter skelter, street food and circus performers, is going to sprawl across New Cathedral Street.
Plus, Studiotech and Treacle Studio have discovered a mystical machine made by Queen Elizabeth I’s court scientist and magician – and Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World provides a gateway for all the friendly monsters who arrive in Manchester for Halloween in the City.
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This interactive light display will invite Mancs to see if the portal works in reverse and could lead to the world where the monsters roam.
Fancy dress is, naturally, encouraged all weekend but particularly for the Fancy Dress Challenge, where Team Trick and Team Treat battle it out to be crowned the spookiest beasties in Manchester.
There’ll be dance offs, screaming competitions, spooky challenges and a costume catwalk to earn points and win special spot prizes, plus VIP experiences for those taking part.
Rock on with your mini monster at the Monsters Rock! Music Festival with live bands and spooky DJs all weekend, like Fat Boy Slime, Grave Haslam, and the Blessed Medusa, as well as air guitar contests, zombie aerobics, and a glow-in-the-dark disco, across three stages.
A massive spooky ice rink is being built in Cathedral Gardens, where skaters will whizz past a huge monster and the ice will be brought to life with Halloween-inspired music and lighting.
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The Scare Skate rink will open on Friday 21 October and stay in place until Halloween itself.
The full line-up is below, along with times and locations for all the other Halloween in the City events.
Halloween in the City 2022 events
MCR Monsters – 25 to 31 October – Across the city centre
Monsters Rock! Music Festival – 29 and 30 October, 10am-8pm Saturday; 10am-5pm Sunday – Exchange Square, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square and Market Street
Fancy Dress Challenge: Team Trick vs Team Treat – 29 and 30 October, 10am-4pm – Various locations
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Monsters Rock! Party Procession – 29 to 30 October, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm – Manchester Arndale amd Market Street
Creepy Carnival – 29 and 30 October, 10am-8pm Saturday; 10am-5pm Sunday – New Cathedral Street
Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World – 28 to 30 October, 4pm-8pm Friday; 10am-8pm Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday – St Ann’s Square, Manchester
Skate Manchester Halloween – 21 to 31 October, 11am-8pm – Cathedral Gardens
Featured image: Supplied
What's On
Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Highly-acclaimed rapper-songwriter Dave is heading to Co-op Live for two nights, in support of his recent release The Boy Who Played The Harp.
Manchester is gearing up for two nights of high-energy rap with a sprinkle of prose courtesy of rapper and songwriter Dave, taking place at Co-op Live.
The rapper has been cultivating an audience of dedicated fans through his impressive solo work and some pretty huge collaborations with acts like Central Cee, AJ Tracey, Fredo and more.
The Brit-Nigerian star has three albums to his name and an even bigger number of chart-toppers, recently earning his fourth, a collaboration with Afrobeats artist Tems titled ‘Raindance’.
Now, Dave is compiling a 10-year discography, creating a setlist perfect to be played at 23,500 seater venue Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Gig guide | Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Dave is playing two shows at Co-op Live Manchester in March as part of his UK tour / Credit: supplied via Wikimedia Commons
Dave UK tour dates
Fri 13 March – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 16 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tue 17 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 29 August – Little John’s Farm – Reading, UK
Sun 30 August – Bramham Park – Leeds, UK
Are there tickets left for Dave at Co-op Live?
You ‘Wanna Know’ if there’s any Dave tickets going spare? Well guess what, you’re in luck as you can still find a handful of tickets to both dates.
It might not be a ‘Funky Friday’, but Dave is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 16 March with tickets HERE.
There’s two chances to witness some of the best ‘UK Rap’ so grab your ‘Trojan Horse’ and get ready to watch him live on Tuesday 17 March – tickets HERE.
Dave setlist for 2026 tour
History
No Weapons
Verdansk
Clash
System
Both Sides of a Smile
Screwface Capital
Location
Thiago Silva
No Words
Professor X
Funky Friday
Kat Slater
Titanium
Victory Lap Freestyle
Trojan Horse
UK Rap
Selfish
Chapter 16
The Boy Who Played the Harp
Sprinter
Starlight
Stage times for Dave and support act at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for the ‘Money Talks’ hitmaker are set to open from 6.30pm with no official starting time listed although the rapper has taken to the stage around 9pm at previous dates.
The show officially begins at 7.30pm, with Lost Boys performing as support.
You’re guaranteed to get swept away by Dave’s songs and the storytelling weaved throughout his lyrics.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
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For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images – Press shot via supplied / Wikimedia Commons via supplied
What's On
Sensory-friendly Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Emily Sergeant
This week marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference, according to the most recent statistics, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026) highlighting the importance of championing, raising awareness of, and accommodating neurodiverse people.
And Printworks is marking the occasion in its own special way, with a series of new initiatives designed to create a more ‘inclusive’ and ‘sensory-friendly’ environment.
You may already know that the popular indoor entertainment complex in the heart of Manchester city centre is home to more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and leisure activities – including one of the largest IMAX screens on the continent – and Europe’s largest digital ceiling too, of course, but this week’s experience is unlike anything the venue has welcomed before.
Throughout the week, Printworks will be transforming its digital ceiling with calming Northern Lights and constellations which have been specifically designed to create a relaxed, sensory-friendly atmosphere for visitors with additional sensory needs.
Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week / Credit: Supplied
As part of a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Printworks is also introducing a weekly sensory-friendly hour every Sunday too, where lighting throughout the venue will be dimmed, and music and SFX volumes reduced for a reduced-stimulus environment.
200 free sensory packs – which can be collected at Vue cinema – with a pair of ear defenders and sensory-friendly toys, designed to support visitors who may benefit from sensory tools while enjoying the venue, are also on offer throughout the course of the week.
On top of this, there’s also a range of autism-friendly cinema screenings taking place on the last Sunday of every month at 10:30am.
An additional autism-friendly screening will be taking place with a showing of Hoppers this Sunday 22 March at 10:30am, with tickets now available from Vue’s website.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an important time for brands and venues to recognise and support the diverse ways visitors and audiences experience the world,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks.
Daisy Jackson -
12th October 2022 
