It’s not just festival season we’re right in the midst of enjoying; a fantastic summer of sport is well underway, and with the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros having now kicked off, we thought we’d round up some of the best places to watch the games in central Manchester.
With the Lionesses still reigning European champions following that unbelievable final against Germany back in 2022, we can’t wait to see if they can retain England’s first major trophy since 1966.
One of our favourite parts about the Women’s Euros is that it tends to attract a much more family-friendly crowd, meaning that wherever you choose to watch it here in the city centre, out into Greater Manchester or anywhere else for that matter, it’s a safe, wholesome and wonderful atmosphere.
So, without further delay, here are 10 of the best places to watch our girls bring football back home once again – because you’re damn right we’re winning it.
10 of the best places to watch the Women’s Euros in Manchester
1. Tony Wilson Place – First Street
First up, rather fittingly, we’re returning to one of our go-to spots pretty much every summer: the big temporary lawn laid out over on the square at Tony Wilson Place. A sun-trap with deck chairs and plenty of places for food and drink around you – what more could you ask for?
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The ever-thriving First Street complex has been paving the way for free social listening/watch parties here in Manchester, especially when it comes to utilising public open-air spaces, and it’s sure to be backed once again for this year’s Women’s Euros too. Trendsetters, they are. It’s also the biggest screen.
Number two has to be the massive live music and entertainment pop-up currently buzzing over at Piccadilly Gardens. It may have been set up in line with Oasis‘ massive Live ’25 reunion tour as thousands flooded into the city for the historic gigs, but it’s turned into full-on festival square vibes.
Celebrating all things music, art, creative endeavours and now football as the Lionesses gear up for their second consecutive Euro 2025 final, you’ve got top scran from Zouk and Frites, live performers, DJ sets, the footy on big screens, and more. It’s also completely free entry from 11am-11pm. Enough said.
3. MediaCityUK – Salford Quays
Heading out of the city centre for a spell – though only a tram ride away – the waterside viewing zone at the similarly titled ‘Screen on the Docks’ over at Media City is back for summer 2025 with a wide range of live sport, including the F1, Wimbledon, cricket and, of course, this year’s Women’s Euros.
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Situated on the steps right next to the old harbour area, turned home of Greater Manchester mainstay, Box on the Docks, there are all kinds of entertainment to catch for free. Make sure you check their socials for the regular schedule this summer, even after the tournament is over.
Next up is another regular favourite for any big sporting competition: the ever-busy, family-friendly and massive screens at Freight Island. Not only is it right next to Piccadilly station for those who are travelling into Manchester city centre, but you have all the food and drink vendors you’ll ever need.
With an entire room dedicated to watching live sports all year-round, not to mention quieter, family-friendly spaces like the ‘Plant Room’, outdoor spaces and so on, the Depot’s neighbour is always set up perfectly for big competitions like this, and you can bank on the big room being filled with England fans.
Heading over towards Castlefield direction and the emerging area known as New Jackson, next on the list of family-friendly places to watch the Women’s Euros in Manchester is Deansgate Square, where property developers Renaker have set up a special dedicated section for a jam-packed summer of sport.
Simply called ‘Screen on the Square’, the viewing zone not only sits in the shade of the city’s now skyline-defining towers but also catches plenty of rays throughout certain periods of the day. This space will also be doubling up as a free outdoor cinema throughout the season.
Heading across to the other side of Castlefield and over to the back of St John’s, Aviva Studios – a.k.a. the home of Factory International – are also showing the women’s football this tournament season as part of their current Football City, Art United. exhibition, which began on Thursday, 4 July.
Tickets are available for just a tenner, and children 16 or under go completely free. As well as getting to view the incredible installation as part of this year’s Manchester International Festival (MIF), there are also areas dedicated to watching the 2025 Women’s Euros. Sorted.
Perhaps one of our favourite options this summer is The Cartlon Club’s collaboration with Baller FC, who host accessible, inclusive football watch parties all over the country, but have a particular strong following here in Manchester and down in London.
In this case, FC doesn’t just mean for football club: it stands for ‘Friends Collective’, as the idea is that everyone is welcome, serving as a reminder that the beautiful game is also the people’s sport and no one should feel excluded. You can grab tickets for the games HERE.
With two floors to choose from, kid-friendly games like pool and shuffleboard to be enjoyed, as well as plenty of pub classic food to keep everyone’s bellies full for 90 minutes, it’s pretty much one of the perfect spots to watch all the action.
Moving over to the other side of town towards Victoria now, the National Football Museum is one of the best family-friendly and, most notably, completely FREE places to watch some of the best female players in the world shine on the European stage.
While the local institution and home of Manc footy culture will be open as normal throughout the day as normal, since many of the games are being broadcast during the evenings here in the UK, 2025 Women’s Euros matches will be screened after hours at no extra charge. Find out more down below.
The penultimate stop on our list of the best places to watch Euro 2025 might surprise some of you, but North Bat over on Circle Square – formerly known as North Taproom (just off Oxford Road Corridor) – has quietly become a great place for watching live sport with a more chilled atmosphere.
It might night have the box on all the time, but when they do for big occasions like this, we do sometimes whisper it is an alternative suggestion among friends to avoid the rowdier pub scenes. Maybe give it a try this month and decide for yourselves – and grab some street food from Koto while you’re at it.
And finally, this may be one of the least-known options in the city centre, but the free screenings inside the Hyatt Regency Manchester are also some of the best family-friendly places to watch football, making them a perfect out-of-the-way spot to enjoy the Women’s Euros too.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press shots (supplied)
Manchester
Chorlton’s Horse and Jockey is reintroduced to the suburbs after stunning transformation
Danny Jones
The much-loved Horse and Jockey in Chorlton is back open for business following a major and marvellous refurbishment, which has seen the heart and soul of the pub restored to its former glory.
Opening just in time for the bulk of cosy boozer season, we’re about to spend A LOT of time in here.
With an impressive culinary pedigree to boot, the ‘new and improved’ Horse and Jockey was always bound to be a hit with critics and natives alike, we just weren’t expecting them to knock it quite so far out of the park – or, in this case, Chorlton Green.
Credit: The Manc Group
Giving the already gorgeous 200-year-old structure a new lick of paint and then some, the new Horse and Jockey looks set to reassert itself as one prettiest, cosiest and tastiest pubs in central Manchester.
Benefitting from sitting just outside the city centre, you’ve still got plenty of footfall from those who have seen Chorlton become a foodie destination all of its own, and those who have lived there all their lives.
Yes, you’ll still find plenty of old boys sipping their well-deserved pints and dogs curling up on the carpets here.
Now boasting up to 82 covers outside in the familiar evergreen beer garden, with table service in the summer, you can see this being a go-to spot for grub and a reliable watering hole for all year-round.
It’s also worth noting that it’s a pretty roomy venue inside as well, with an entirely refurbished upstairs seating area and a dedicated private dining space now, too.
Other touches we especially liked are bringing Chorlton Ale – which used to be brewed right here in the Jockey itself prior to Covid – back on draught. It may be made elsewhere nowadays, but we’re glad to see it being shipped back to and served out of its ancestral home.
Credit: The Manc
And it just gets better.
As well as supporting the local art scene by sourcing works from Greater Manchester creatives, they really are aiming to make this a community cornerstone.
They’ve taken the holistic idea of a public house right back to its roots, providing not only a place to meet, eat and drink for regulars, but also a real social outlet right in the middle of the suburb.
It’s also about supporting and celebrating traditional British pubs and the Northern working-class culture that goes along with it.
The majority of the furniture is even salvaged from the pubs we sadly lost up and down the country, not to mention other businesses that have unfortunately closed post-pandemic and the continuing struggles facing the industry.
We’re lucky to have people like this putting drinks in our hands and keeping our bellies full, so we’re glad that they’re doing what they can to pay homage to those who have come before them as well.
Perhaps most heartwarming is that not only have they kept pre-existing staff in post during the switch-over, but they’re all welcoming back familiar faces from the past. Once again, this is about championing the beauty of British pub culture in all of its facets.
Bookings are live already, and if you’ve tried the Sunday roast at The Black Friar, you expect this place to fill up just as quickly – we’d reserve our tables early if we were you…
This may be a big rebrand and transformation, but there are also still the same old Joseph Holt favourites on the taps for those who love the classic lineup, and they’ve even used their ‘Trailblazer’ stout glaze on one of their cheesecakes. Safe to say, they have our undivided attention with that one.
Proper foodie pub boasting cosy vibes just in time for the colder months; they even restored three of the five original fires that used to burn through the autumn and winter back in the day.
Owner Neil Burke, who formally acquired The Black Friar two years ago and now heads up the revamped Horse and Jockey, said of the reopening: “I have a personal history with the Horse & Jockey and it’s always held a special place in my heart.
“It’s such a beautiful building, but it hasn’t been shining the way it should in recent years. As a local myself, I felt Chorlton deserved a proper foodie pub – somewhere that delivers brilliant food in a setting that does justice to the building’s history.”
To top things off, they’ve got Michelin-trained head chef Paolo Bianchileading things in the kitchen. He went on to add: “The Horse & Jockey is an iconic part of Chorlton’s history and I’m proud to be leading its kitchen with the brilliant Black Friar team.
“After gaining years of experience in Paris, Dubai and London, it feels great to be rooted in Manchester, a city I’ve really fallen in love with.”
“My vision is simple, to serve British classics that people know and love, elevated with seasonal local ingredients, touches from my Italian heritage and international experience. The menu will be ever-changing, so guests can expect something fresh every time they visit.”
As for your job, it’s simple: expect great, hearty pub grub classics elevated to a gourmet level, with all the welcoming warmth of a traditional English pub
This isn’t just a metropolitan boozer trying to be acountry-style pub; the Horse and Jockey is a Cholrton gem reborn. It opens on Monday, 20 October, and you can guarantee you’ll be seeing us there.
Manchester’s iconic Bridgewater Hall to host FIVE Christmas events this year
Daisy Jackson
The Bridgewater Hall, one of Manchester’s finest music venues and concert halls, has announced a busy programme of Christmas events this year.
The beloved landmark has a schedule that includes something for all ages, from family-friendly shows and carol singing to epic orchestral evenings.
Over the course of the festive season, the Bridgewater Hall will host the music of the world’s greatest composers, travel back in time with nostalgic swing nights, and welcome in fans of all ages to get into the festive spirit.
This year’s schedule includes appearances from Sir Karl Jenkins, Horrible Histories, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and loads more.
Have a read below for the five big Christmas events at Bridgewater Hall this year.
Christmas with Sir Karl Jenkins
Christmas with Sir Karl Jenkins
The Bridgewater Hall will welcome a musical icon this Christmas, with a very special evening with Sir Karl Jenkins.
He’ll be conducting a spell-binding night of carols and festive classics, brought to life by the Manchester Concert Orchestra and presented by John Suchet.
Expect choirs, a full orchestra and a timeless evening of live music to get you into the Christmas spirit.
There’ll be music from Sir Karl’s hit festive albums Joy To The World and Stella Natalis, including Silent Night, Dulci Jubilo, Healing Light and plenty more.
Can you think of a more magical way to ring in Christmas than with traditional carol singing on Christmas Eve? Because we can’t.
The ultimate night of carolling will hit the Bridgewater Hall this winter, led by the inimitable Jonathan Cohen and featuring West End star Louise Dearman.
Belt your heart out to the likes of The Twelve Days of Chrismtas, Winter Wonderland, Frosty The Snowman, and plenty more beloved carols.
The Music of Zimmer vs Williams returns to Bridgewater Hall this Christmas
Composers don’t get much more iconic than Hans Zimmer and John Williams, who between them have crafted the most legendary movie music soundtracks of all time.
The 70-piece Manchester Concert Orchestra will be performing a selection of these in an almighty concert, where you’ll hear live renditions of soundtracks including Star Wars, Interstellar, Harry Potter, The Holiday, Pirates of the Caribbean, E.T., and loads more.
This night will be an epic head-to-head battle between two of the film industry’s composing greats.
The legendary Horrible Histories team will bring Horrible Christmas to the Bridgewater Hall in December, taking audiences on a festive romp through British history.
From Victorian villains to medieval monks, partying Puritans to terrible Tudors, and even a visit from St Nicholas himself.
The show will follow a Christmas that’s under threat from a jolly man in red (clue – it’s Santa), and one brave child’s mission to save the day.
It’ll be a night packed with family-friendly laughs, villains, and seasonal cheer.
Wrapping up the seasonal programme at the Bridgewater Hall is The Glen Miller Orchestra, stepping back in time to relive the music that defined an era.
The UK’s most celebrated big band will perform war-time chart-toppers from the 1940s, harking Manchester back to the golden age of swing.
Special guest Ray McVay will join the orchestra on stage, adding to the concert’s vintage charm.
And for the second half of the show, the band will don the iconic US Army Air Force uniforms of the Second World War for a truly immersive experience.
Danny Jones -
4th July 2025 
