Manchester Day is back for 2025 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 26 July, and as always, it’s set to be ‘the day summer officially starts’ in the city centre – with a massive celebration of ‘all things Mancunian’ on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is music, and it’s inspired by Manchester’s spectacular summer of sound, spearheaded by Oasis Live ’25 that recently concluded at Heaton Park.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Manchester Day is back with a ‘mammoth day’ of music-themed free fun / Credit: Manchester City Council
As always, activities will be taking place right across the city centre – from St Ann’s Square to Cathedral Gardens, and everywhere in between.
Organisers say there will be plenty of chances throughout the day for visitors, both young and old, to get stuck in, try their hand at making music and maybe even uncover a hidden musical talent they didn’t know they had.
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
A number of road closures and parking suspensions will be in place / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2025 – Road Closures
Saturday 26 July
From 6am to 10pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Victoria Street to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
Cross Street (Corporation Street to New Market Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Cross Street to Exchange Street)
Exchange Street (St Mary’s Gate to St Ann’s Square)
Cateaton Street (Deansgate to Exchange Square)
Victoria Street (Deansgate to Cathedral Approach)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street)
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square)
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 9pm on Friday 25 July to 9pm on Saturday 26 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Victoria Street to St John Street)
Peter Street (St James Street to Deansgate)
Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square)
Central Street (Southmill Street to Mount Street)
Southmill Street (Windmill Street to Jackson’s Row)
Museum Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
George Street (Princess Street to Dickinson Street)
Victoria Street (Deansgate to Cathedral Approach)
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
Cross Street (Corporation Street to New Market Street)
Cateaton Street (Deansgate to Exchange Square)
Market Street (Cross Street to St Mary’s Gate)
St Mary’s Gate (Market Street to Deansgate)
John Dalton Street (Cross Street to Deansgate)
King Street (Cross Street to Spring Gardens)
St James’s Square (King Street to South King Street)
St Mary’s Street (Southgate to Deansgate)
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street)
Southgate (King Street West to St Mary’s Street)
On the day, full traffic diversion signage will be in place across all areas affected by road closures, and the Council says it will do its best to ‘minimise’ their duration.
Manchester Day 2025 is taking over the city centre on Saturday 26 July, and will be kicking off at midday right through to 5pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
Art & Culture
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 28 July – 3 August 2025
Emily Sergeant
It’s the last week of July, and once August arrives, we don’t want to see anyone denying that summer is here… you just can’t.
Schools across Greater Manchester are now out for the summer holidays, and that means the fun is just getting started, so there’s plenty happening this week to celebrate – from festivals, and themed events, to new foodie openings, family fun, and loads more.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? No worries. We’ve chosen a few of the highlights for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
Both free things and those that’ll set you back a few pennies are featured.
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Summer of Senses
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 28 July – 31 August
Summer of Senses / Credit: Science Museum Group
The Science and Industry Museum has got a spectacular summer holiday programme packed with all sorts of things to be getting up to, making it one of the best places to escape the hustle and bustle with your little ones in the city centre this summer.
With events running up until 31 August, whether it’s disco dancing around a giant brain, unveiling the science behind optical illusions, or journeying through a giant ear canal, there’s something for everyone during the museum’s ‘sense-sational’ summer.
Loads To Do / Credit: Artem Kniaz | Yan Krukau (via Unsplash & Pexels)
Thousands of free activities have been planned by Manchester City Council ready for local families to take part in this summer.
A many parents, carers, and guardians will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids entertained for six whole weeks before the new term starts, the Councilhas relaunched its popular Holiday Activity and Food programme (HAF) to help keep little Mancs active during the summer break.
From arts and crafts, to sporting events and plenty other physical activities, there is a whole host of entertaining things for everyone to get involved with, no matter your budget, making sure no one gets bored over the holidays.
There’s everything from a pop-up bar in Piccadilly Gardens with surprise live acts doing sets, and markets in St Peter’s Square selling vinyl and vintage goods, to block parties in the Northern Quarter, and the already-announced Music for the Senses art trail dotted around all the well-known city centre sights.
Music for the Senses / Credit: David Oates Photography
An all-new multi-sensory art exhibition has taken over the streets of the city centre this summer.
The new exhibition, which is titled Music for the Senses: an art arrangement for a musical city, is a collaboration between global art producer Wild in Art – the creators of the famous Bee in the City project – and Manchester City Council.
A free open-air cinema has arrived Manchester city centre for the summer.
With a backdrop of the modern Manchester skyline, Screen on The Square the go-to hangout for Mancs this summer, as audiences can recline in deck chairs surrounded by one of the city’s best views, and watch everything from classic and family films, to music, sporting events, and so much more.
It’s launched down at New Jackson – Renaker’s world-class skyscraper district and thriving new neighbourhood that’s taken shape at the southern side of Manchester city centre.
Stories – Brought To Life / Credit: The Manc Group
A major new National Portrait Gallery exhibition has arrived in Salford.
The ground-breaking new experience by FRAMELESS Creative has opened at MediaCity, bringing some of the world’s most famous portraits to life like never before.
Stories – Brought to Life will explore the fascinating lives of these figures, who have shaped the UK’s history and culture all the way since the Tudor period, and will combine the highest quality digital projection, Hollywood-style visual effects, and the latest audio technology, along with specially created musical scores and creative narratives to shine a new light on each individual.
Visitors will be able to step inside iconic portraits including Grayson Perry, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare.
The Cat That Slept for a Thousand Years / Credit: Supplied
You can step into the fantastical imaginary world of The Cat That Slept for a Thousand Years this summer.
This world-premiere exhibition, created in collaboration with robotics studio Air Giants, invites you to experience a playful blend of education, theatre, and dreamscape – and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen at Manchester Museum before.
Once you’ve met the 10-meter long sleepy cat, you’ll then find a series of fun, free, cat-inspired activities at the Museum throughout the summer, including an augmented reality trail.
A beach, splash park, fairground rides, and loads more family fun has returned to the Trafford Centre for the summer.
After proving to be massively-popular over the past couple of years, with thousands of families travelling from across Greater Manchester and beyond to bask in the sunshine and make the most of all the fun and games, the Trafford Centre has welcomed back its Summer Fair for 2025.
And this year, the beloved event has got itself a new family activity zone, and it sounds set to be bigger and better than ever.
The best bit? Tickets will only set you back just £3 each.
The SmileyWorld® Art Trail / Credit: Scott Kershaw Photography
Stockport has transformed into a playful outdoor gallery this summer as a colourful new art trail has taken over the town.
Visitors should get ready to explore a full spectrum of emotions this summer, as the SmileyWorld® Art Trail is making its North West debut and taking over the town centre with a colourful collection of quirky, fun, and exciting sculptures, each reimagined by a different artist to reflect the full range of human emotions including joy, pride, surprise, anxiety, and lots more.
The trail is created by trailblazing global arts producer, Wild in Art, in partnership with Totally Stockport BID and SmileyWorld.
The legendary illustrator behind Roald Dahl’s most iconic characters has landed in Salford, and this magical exhibition is completely free.
Quentin Blake and Me has taken over The Lowry for the summer, with more than 100 of his instantly-recognisable illustrations, alongside a life-sized sailing boat, a monster portrait gallery, puzzles, trails, dressing up, and even a selfie stop with the Enormous Crocodile.
Cheshire Oaks has brought its popular The Great Summer Social event back for another year, and there’s currently loads to get involved with while schools are out.
Not only is there a bunch of retail offers and promotions to make the most of, as well as free family-friendly interactive activities to get involved with too, but there’s also a big wheel, a mini golf course, a big screen showing entertainment events, DJs blasting out tunes, and a wide variety of street food and drink vendors across the Designer Outlet.
Kargo on the Docks / Credit: Supplied | Mark Waugh
Kargo on the Docks is back for the summer.
MediaCity’s al fresco dining pop-up has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester’s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
Chester Zoo’s much-loved Afterglow event is back this summer, and organisers say it’ll be ‘bigger and better’ than ever.
Returning to the UK’s biggest charity zoo by popular demand, Afterglow is already known and loved for offering visitors the rare opportunity to explore the zoo and its 37,000 animals after hours… and this time around, there will be ‘even more’ surprises to discover.
Animal lovers will get the unique chance to encounter some of the world’s most endangered species during golden hour – which, for many animals, is one of their most active periods.
Find out more and see if there’s last-minute tickets here.
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Day Out With Thomas
East Lancashire Railway
Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 August
Day Out With Thomas / Credit: ELR
Everyone’s favourite little blue engine has once again made a long-awaited return to Greater Manchester for the summer.
The beloved Day Out With Thomas experience is said to be ‘a train ride like no other’.
Families will have the chance to hop onboard the East Lancashire Railway’s replica of the cult-classic blue train character when he returns this weekend for a 45-minute trip through the Greater Manchester countryside.
A free festival with a lineup packed full of activities, workshops, live music, and more is coming to HOME this weekend.
The independent arts venue in the heart of Manchester city centre is inviting familie to the first of its two weekend-long festivals this Saturday and Sunday to get stuck into everything from interactive theatre and circus skills workshops, to dance, hands-on crafts, and so much more.
There’s a World Gravy Wrestling Championship near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Just on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, there’s a country pub set in a rural village that hosts a world gravy wrestling championship.
Leave it to us northerners to organise a world gravy wrestling championship because let’s face it, there’s nothing more northern than plummeting yourself into bucket loads of gravy.
At The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in the village of Stacksteads, it’s not just their meals they’re drenching in the brown nectar; they drench any willing guest in this beige saucy goodness too as part of the World Gravy Wrestling Championships.
Here’s a little taster from nearly a decade ago.
Participants are expected to wrestle in the gravy for two minutes, with the winner being judged not only on their play-fighting skills but also on their choice of fancy dress, comedy effect and entertainment.
Past wrestlers have rocked up as zebras, racehorse jockeys and famous TV characters like Ali G and Mickey Mouse.
Each wrestler is encouraged to raise money on behalf of a charity of their choice, but if you don’t have one, donations will be sent to East Lancashire Hospice, which has helped people countywide suffering from life-limiting illness for the past 30 years.
The World Gravy Wrestling Championships have been held outside this very pub for over a decade, with the first ever event taking place at a car park in Wigan before it found a permanent home outside The Rose ‘N’ Bowl.
And if swimming in a pool of gravy isn’t for you, don’t fret because there’s a handful of sauce-free activities you can get involved with spread throughout the pub’s car park.
Fret not, past events have included bouncy castles, cheerleading performances, craft beer stalls, cake and tombola stands and even a BB gun shooting range that are all completely gravy-free.
There will even be help from a local fire brigade who will be on hand to wash down wrestlers in between their gravy-filled tournament, so they can wander round all the stalls too.
The 2025 World Gravy Wrestling Championships are coming to The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in Stacksteads on 25 August, with tickets available in person only, but plenty of information about the event HERE.
If you’re after signing up to be one of the wrestlers at this event, applications are still open and you can get stuck in with all the details you need HERE.
And if that wasn’t enough Northern food competitive action, we’ll catch you at the World Black Pudding Hurling Championships, innabit.
Emily Sergeant -
25th July 2025 
