Despite many of our Christmas parties and plans getting cancelled, December was expensive.
If you’re also looking at your post-festivities bank balance and panicking that you’ll have to spend January in hibernation, think again.
Greater Manchester is great at delivering amazing things to do, completely free of charge.
From walks to cultural fixes to, erm, petting goats, there’s loads you can do without spending a penny.
Our ultimate aim is to get you out the house but keep the pounds in the pocket.
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Walks
Winter walks are unbeatable – getting all chilly and then defrosting in your local with a pint or at home with a hot chocolate.
After the indulgences of a week of roast dinners, cheese boards and Baileys, a country walk is a good way to clear out the cobwebs.
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To keep it simple, we propose three easy walks through Manchester’s stunning parks.
Fletcher Moss, Didsbury
Fletcher Moss in Didsbury. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Fletcher Moss is the king of parks in Manchester with avenues of evergreen trees, waterfalls, rock gardens and ponds.
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A beautiful stroll along the River Mersey forms part of the many walks available here, or you can take a left and head through the Stenner Woods.
The village of Didsbury is only a five-minute walk from the park for a post-walk hot chocolate.
Tatton Park, Knutsford
Tatton Park. Credit: National Trust
Tatton Park is one of the UK’s most complete historic estates. It is home to an 18-century mansion, 50 acres of gardens and a 1,000-acre deer park.
A walk in the in the deer park is completely free and well worth it.
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Less than an hour drive away, Tatton Park is extra special for early morning risers – the view is unmatchable when the sun comes up over the park.
Reddish Vale Park, Stockport
Reddish Vale. Credit: Geograph
Reddish Vale is quiet, peaceful and filled with wildlife, like birds of prey including kestrels, sparrowhawks and buzzards.
A huge lake sits in the middle of the park, with the massive viaduct standing overhead.
It’s reported the coffees and fresh brownies they sell from The Coffee and Bean Dream van are the best in Manchester (we can neither confirm nor deny).
One of the best things about winter is that you don’t have to stay up late to watch the sunset – it’s still going down at about 4.30pm.
A cracking sunset is very underrated and doesn’t cost a penny.
Here are some of the best spots in the north west to see the sun go down.
Alderley Edge, Cheshire
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Watching the sunset is a great free thing to do in Manchester. Credit: Geograph
Watch the winter sun sink beneath Greater Manchester with an unrivalled view of Stockport and the outer-boroughs.
It’s stunning and definitely worth the visit. There are so many ledges to sit and watch the sunset from.
It’s a great place to sit after an afternoon walk and maybe bring a picnic if you’re feeling crazy.
Chorlton Water Park, Chorlton
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
A lakeside sunset – doesn’t get more romantic than that, does it?
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Picnic benches are by the play area so the little’uns can tire themselves out before bed and you can enjoy a lovely evening by the lake.
Parking by the lake is available and it’s really simple to get to.
Heaton Mersey Park, Stockport
Credit: Geograph
This treasured green space in Manchester always looks beautiful in the winter months.
The park is a bowl and so you can sit back and watch a sunset very comfortably. We would recommend this one for a long sit in with the sunset – but wrap up warm!
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Salford Quays, Salford
Credit: Geograph
We present to you a cityscape sunset – different to the previous more nature inclined settings, but the sun looks the same from anywhere.
Easily accessible via tram or bus, it’s a simple but rewarding outing watching the sunset with loved ones and at Salford Quays you can do this overlooking the waterways.
Werneth Low, Tameside/ Stockport
Werneth Low. Credit: Flickr
Werneth Low is a hill just outside of Manchester and forms part of the Pennines – don’t worry we’re not sending you up a mountain, it’s an easy ascent.
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It’s a great spot to walk the dog with excellent views of Manchester. After the sun sets fully, Manchester city lights up and sparkles. You can sit and enjoy a free light show.
Feed farm animals
Feeling like you’re lacking that animal influence in your life? There’s some just down your road and they’re awaiting your visit.
Heaton Park Animal Centre, Manchester
Heaton Park Animal Centre in Manchester is free to visit.
The centre is home to a selection of farm animals including cows, pigs, goats, alpacas, ducks, hens and geese plus rabbits and guinea pigs.
Located in the 640 acre grounds of Heaton Hall, both grounds and hall have retained many of their original features.
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It’s free entry and the closest car park for the animal centre is accessed from the St. Margaret’s Road entrance, or you could get the Metrolink to Heaton Park.
Pets Corner, Longford Park, Stretford
Credit: Longford Park Pets Corner
Pets Corner is part of the Friends of Longford Park group, a great little initiative that welcome donations in exchange for a free visit.
You could sponsor your favourite animal for £3 to £4 a month. Equally important are food donations.
Animals like to eat cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, sweetcorn, parsnips, swede, carrots and broccoli. Whatever you didn’t eat this Christmas could be given to a tiny little rabbit.
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Museums
Great Manchester Police Museum, city centre
Credit: Geograph
Materials dating back to 1981 have been preserved and tell the history of policing in Greater Manchester.
Staff are also on hand to discuss policing and how it has evolved in the community. It is also an 1879 Police Station, which has original cells and an 1895 Magistrate Court.
They have official and personal records – which is a great resource to learn about the history of policing in Manchester.
Surprisingly Stockport has a long history of hat-making. We didn’t know much about this either but it’s a really interesting visit on a rainy afternoon.
The museum is set over two floors and includes interactive exhibits, including a hatting factory floor with Victorian-style machines.
There’s also more than 400 hats on display.
Science and Industry Museum, city centre
Manchester has contributed so much to modern science and industry, and you can explore just a fraction of that at the Science and Industry Museum.
It’s home to interactive exhibits, and loads of objects and stories that chart 250 years of world-shaping discoveries and innovations that began here.
Featured image: Science and Industry Museum / Longford Park Pets Corner
Things To Do
Stevie Wonder to play landmark Manchester gig as part of UK tour this year
Thomas Melia
Living legend Stevie Wonder is heading on a UK tour and stopping off in Manchester for the first time in 15 years.
Manchester has been blessed by the music gods yet again, and this time, it comes in the form of funk pioneer Stevie Wonder.
The 74-year-old musician will be bringing his extraordinary grand piano, exceptional live band, and, of course, his groovy tunes like ‘Superstition’, ‘Isn’t She Lovely’, and ‘I Just Called To Say I Love You’ to our city later this year.
Wonder last visited Manchester in 2010, gracing the AO Arena with his presence, but now he’s visiting Manchester’s newest live music entertainment venue, Co-op Live.
Stevie Wonder will be visiting Co-op Live in Manchester this year / Publicity Picture (via Supplied)
The American-Ghanaian icon has an undisputed legacy.
He became the youngest solo artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 with his 1963 single ‘Fingertips’ at age 13, and has also won the prestigious Album of the Year category at the Grammys three times, as well as taking home 25 awards in total throughout his career.
His 1976 project Songs in the Key of Life was also featured in Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums at number six by esteemed critics and the public alike – a claim that not many have to their name.
With this 2025 UK tour titled ‘Love, Light & Song’, the Michigan native will be heading to two arenas, Manchester and Birmingham, and taking on various festival performances along the way – including Lytham Festival.
The crowds will be roaring when Stevie Wonder takes to the stage, and rightly so, as this artist has racked up almost 300 weeks in the UK Top 40, with an impressive 39 singles featuring on our charts throughout his career.
He’s an undeniable force, and this show in Manchester is set to be monumental, so ‘Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing’, as you’ll be in for a night of jazz, funk, soul, and everything in between.
Stevie Wonder will be playing Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 5 July 2025, with tickets going live this Friday 21 March at 10am HERE.
Featured Image – PICRYL
Things To Do
Everything you need to know about St. Patrick’s Day at Mulligans, Manchester’s biggest Irish party
Danny Jones
With Manchester’s deep-rooted connections to Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day in the city centre is one of the biggest parties of the year, so it only makes sense that thousands spend it at the ultimate Irish bar: Mulligans.
And no, we’re not exaggerating; hordes of punters pass through this pub over the full Paddy’s Day weekend, which this year lands on a Monday, but you’ll still see countless people filing in and out of the place from Friday onwards.
Considered by many as Deansgate’s crowning glory, this legendary venue is a pure gold-grade bar serving the best Guinness outside of Ireland. It’s a reputation we don’t need to bang on about too much, they built it up themselves over so many years that you’ll all have heard it by now.
While Manchester has some of the best Irish pubs around beyond those you’ll find in the Emerald Isle (yes, we firmly believe that), you won’t find anywhere in town putting on quite as big a St. Patrick’s Day celebration as Mulligans. Here’s what they’ve got on offer:
Paddy’s Day at Mulligans of Deansgate
Well, the obvious place to start is with what’s behind the bar, i.e. lots of whiskeys, lager, spirits and, of course, they’ve got the best Guinness in Manchester – scratch that, the ‘best outside of Ireland.’
Mulligans averages 13,000 pints of ‘The Black Stuff’ every week and they’re expecting to pour well over 4,000 pints of the stuff from their total 24 taps on Paddy’s Day alone, each as perfect as the last.
So, what time is the party getting underway? The answer is obviously all weekend as many people may not have booked Monday, 17 March off itself but, for those who have, they’ll be opening from 11am.
However, we hope we don’t need to tell you that there’ll be queuing from the crack of dawn, so the earlier you get there the better. It’ll cost you £20 to get in, by the way, so have your card/cash ready.
For context, we got there 10:30 a couple of years back and still weren’t guaranteed to get in, we just waited patiently and prayed to St. Patrick himself.
As for what time they’ll be closing on Monday, Mulligans is staying open until 1:30am as more than 1,200 guests are expected to visit the pub throughout the course of the day.
Entertainment
One thing that Mulligans is famous besides the obvious rivers of black gold and good craic is virtually non-stop live music throughout the week and Paddy’s Day is no different.
Instead, they try and cram as much of it into 24 hours as possible.
Now featuring two floors for the first time on Ireland’s national holiday, there is set to be an incredible lineup of eight different live bands performing throughout the day, playing everything from classic Irish reels and covers to get you up and dancing, as well as plenty Manc anthems to play to the home crowd.
2025 also marks the first St. Patrick’s Day at Mulligans to make us of the recently renovated first floor, which has seen the pub more than double in size, and the capacity along with it.
The expanded space, complete with timber-beamed vaulted ceilings, a mezzanine-level performance area and two brand-new bars, sets the stage for an unforgettable day and night of high-energy live indie bands, while Irish folk tunes will fill the downstairs.
Between the beloved exposed brick walls, cosy snugs, Guinness memorabilia galore as well as room to dance a proper auld jig upstairs and down, it won’t just be Mulligans at its very best but akin to being in the heart of Dublin itself for the big day.
Plus, since it’s a bunch bigger now, you stand an extra chance of getting in – or at least less time spent in the queue with all the other die-hards.
We often get people asking why all the faff surrounding Mulligans and all we can say is if you haven’t been before, you’ll only really know once you’ve been.
Pádraig Brady, owner of Mulligans, said: “St. Patrick’s Day is always special at Mulligans, but this year will be extra special with the new space upstairs.
“We have gone above and beyond to provide an extensive live music schedule that will guarantee an unbeatable atmosphere all weekend. And – as always – we’ll have measures in place to make sure every single pint of Guinness served is nothing short of exceptional.”
There’s no booking and no advance ticket purchase available either; everyone lines up the same and is guaranteed the same unbelievable night. Trust us, it’s worth the wait. But don’t worry if you’d rather skip the queueing and try somewhere else, there’s still plenty of good Guinness to be found in the city centre.
Dolly Busby -
31st December 2021 
