What's On

Everything happening for Manchester Day 2024 – sports sessions, vintage fairground, flash mobs, and more

Your go-to guide for "the day summer officially starts" in our city.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 24th July 2024

Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the city centre is set to become the “biggest ever playground” to celebrate.

Fancy putting your sporting talents to the test? Riding some vintage fairground rides? Watching some street theatre? Or being entertained by a flash mob? Well, now that schools are officially out across the region, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the massively-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this weekend, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre.

Gearing up to be a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian”, the theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’.

It’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.

The day will be packed full of free events and activities for all the family to get involved with.

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But what exactly can you expect from 2024’s Manchester Day? Where is all the action happening? What show-stopping entertainment is on the cards? What activities can you hope to get stuck into? And how about food and drink?

Here’s everything you need to know.

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When is Manchester Day 2024?

If you’re ready to start your summer off in style, then this year’s Manchester Day is happening on Saturday 27 July.

As it has done in previous years, Manchester City Council is working with outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank on a jam-packed programme that promises something for everyone, and the city’s streets and squares will be filled with music, dancing, and interactive activities designed to “bring out the inner athlete” in visitors, both young and old.

Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council

Where is Manchester Day taking place this year?

Following the resounding success of last year’s ‘promenade-style’ event that saw activities take place in a number of different locations, the Council has revealed that this year’s Manchester Day will also take over the whole city centre.

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With a wide range of festivities set to kick-off from midday and run right through until 6pm, attractions will be dotted in main social hubs such as Deansgate, Piccadilly Gardens, St Peter’s Square, Market Street, and more.

Exchange Square, St Ann’s Square, Cathedral Gardens, and New Cathedral Street are a handful of other places where plenty of action will pop up.

The one-day festival will take over the whole city centre this Saturday / Credit: Manchester City Council

What’s on this year’s entertainment lineup? What FREE activities are there to take part in?

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.

The streets will also be filled with big screens showing sports, flash mobs, a vintage fairground with loads of retro rides, street theatre performances, and even a Capri-style beach club.

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 too.

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There’s loads of FREE interactive events and activities to get involved with / Credit: Manchester City Council

Football, cricket, netball, and taekwondo being just a few of the sports you can try out.

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 things like cheekiest grin, best Dad dancer, and more.

What is the Council saying?

Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Chair of Manchester Day, said this year’s event is pretty “sensational” in terms of what’s lined up.

“We’ve pulled out all the stops to make Manchester’s favourite day of the year a medal-winning Manchester Day to remember,” Cllr Karney added. “We’re all-in, going for gold with a fantastic programme jam-packed full of free things to see and to do, and enough different have-a-go activities to bring out the inner athlete in everyone.

“We can’t wait to see everyone there, so come on down and show us what you’re made of.”

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Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.

Read more:

Find out more on the Manchester City Council website.

Featured Image – Manchester City Council

What's On

Olly Murs at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Olly Murs Co-op Live Manchester gig times

The ‘Troublemaker’ himself Olly Murs is ready to cause some more chaos, and this time he’s returning to Manchester with throwback boyband, Blue.

X Factor and British star Olly Murs is embarking on his latest UK arena tour, which feels more like lads on tour with a helping hand from UK boyband, Blue.

Back in the late noughties, it was hard to escape the blazer-wearing, trilby-wearing popstar as he was dropping back-to-back bangers like ‘Heart Skips a Beat’ and doo-wop inspired ‘Dance With Me Tonight’.

Now, this cheeky chappy is embarking on the ’15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025′ tour, where he’ll be belting out all those classics as well as some more recent tunes too.

Olly Murs is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester this week.
Olly Murs is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester this week.
Credit: Marcos Moreno via Wikimedia Commons

Olly Murs UK tour dates

  • Thu 8 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Fri 9 May – Leeds, UK – first direct arena
  • Sat 10 May – Sheffield, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Mon 12 May – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Tue 13 May – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
  • Thu 15 May – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
  • Fri 16 May – Birmingham, UK – bp pulse live
  • Sat 17 May – London, UK – The O2 Arena
  • Sun 18 May – London, UK – OVO Arena Wembley
  • Thu 22 May – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
  • Fri 23 May – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
  • Sat 24 May – Birmingham, UK – bp pulse live
  • Sun 25 May – London, UK – The O2 Arena

Are there tickets left for Olly Murs’ Co-op Live gig?

There are just a few tickets left for Olly Murs at Co-op Live, so make sure you bag yours before your ‘Heart Skips a Beat’.

To see a range of tickets and prices in all sections of this impressive new entertainment venue, Co-op Live, tickets can be found HERE.

Plus, even if you miss out on the Co-op Live, we wouldn’t worry too much, because the British popstar is also coming to AO Arena later this month near the end of his tour with tickets HERE.

Olly Murs 2025 tour – ’15 Years Of Hits’ setlist

This Essex chap might have a solid setlist which he follows night in and night out, but he’s no stranger to being a bit ‘Unpredictable’ – I mean, he’s bringing a flamethrower on stage…

No, seriously, LOOK:

After being on our screens and airwaves for almost two decades, it’s no surprise that this setlist is lengthy, totalling at just over 20 songs, give or take the 80s medley weaved into the mix.

Who doesn’t love a bit of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ paired alongside Murs’ stacked setlist?

  • Troublemaker
  • Right Place Right Time
  • Please Don’t Let Me Go
  • Thinking of Me
  • Oh My Goodness
  • Heart Skips a Beat
  • Kiss Me
  • Army of Two
  • Hand on Heart
  • Up
  • Die of a Broken Heart / I Found Her / Dancing on Cars / I Hate You When You’re Drunk (Marry Me Medley)
  • Seasons
  • You Don’t Know Love
  • I’m Your Man / Never Gonna Give You Up / Livin’ On a Prayer / Beat It / Careless Whisper / I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) / I’m So Excited (80s Medley)
  • Dear Darlin’
  • Years & Years
  • Never Been Better
  • Wrapped Up
  • Save Me
  • Dance With Me Tonight

What are the stage times for Olly Murs in Manchester?

Olly Murs sporting his usual blazer and top-hat style back in 2013.
Olly Murs sporting his usual blazer and top-hat style back in 2013.

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be ‘Wrapped Up’ in the Essex popstar’s hits without having to worry about getting home too late. It’s a school night after all!

Doors for Olly Murs’ ‘15 Years Of Hits – Live 2025’ are scheduled for 6:30pm, with a kick-off time of 7:30pm and support from 2000s UK boyband, Blue.

The BRIT Award winners, Eurovision-performing and one-time chart toppers, are back together once again and about to take us back to pop school as we re-learn the words to boyband textbook classics, including ‘All Rise’, Best in Me’, ‘Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word’ and more.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, fortunately, 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; they run until 01:00 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 ticket.

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there are limited parking spaces available at the venue but these must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are also 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 come 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:

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  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • 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 through 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.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Read more:

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

Featured Images — Mark Hayman/ Edward Cooke/Marcos Moreno (supplied)

What's On

New monthly comedy night with ‘some of the UK’s biggest names’ to launch in Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A new monthly comedy night comedy with ‘some of the UK’s biggest names’ on the lineup is launching in Manchester.

As a new chapter for stand-up unfolds, you can expect an evening of belly laughs and big names all under one roof, as Club Comedy MCR and local comedy legend Josh Jones brings a brand-new monthly comedy night to Fairfield Social Club. 

You might know host Josh Jones from massively-popular national TV shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats, Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club, Late Night Mash, and most recently starring on ITV’s Dancing On Ice – but now he’s heading back where it all began, and bringing some of the UK’s best new acts along with him for a full comedy showdown.

Launching next week, the exciting new event aims to bring together some of the very best comedy acts from across the UK.

Fairfield Social Club, tucked away down in the city’s Green Quarter, already knows how to put on a big show, but organisers say this ‘loud and packed’ comedy showdown is guaranteed to bring a fresh wave of stand-up talent to the popular venue.

The lineup is packed with big laughs and even bigger community spirit.

On the opening night next Friday (16 May), the bill reflects a mix of favourites and rising stars – with Fairfield Social Clubs’s welcoming both first-timers and comedy die-hards alike, as big names take centre stage.

New monthly comedy night with ‘some of the UK’s biggest names’ to launch in Manchester / Credit: Jason Erst (via Flickr)

Beth Moore, Louise Young, and Faizan Shah are just some of the comedy names appearing on the opening night lineup.

“We’ve been working on this for a good while now, as we were desperate to get Josh in for a regular night,” commented Sam Stroker, who is the Head of Live Entertainment at Fairfield Social Club, ahead of the event kicking off next week.

“We reckon Manchester is going to love this night, and it can only go on to bigger and better things.”

Read more:

Club Comedy kicks off at Fairfield Social Club in Manchester next Friday 16 May, and you can find out more and get tickets here.

Featured Image – StockCake

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