The big Jubilee weekend has arrived, and Manchester will be buzzing with activity all weekend.
With four days to celebrate in this bumper bank holiday, there’s plenty of time to get stuck in over the coming days.
Manchester City Council have organised plenty of action in the city centre, and bars and restaurants across the region will be throwing special events to mark 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
That’s in addition to the street parties that will spring up all over Greater Manchester over the coming days.
Here’s a guide to the major events taking place, and all the information you need to get involved yourself.
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Queen’s Jubilee jamboree
City centre, 2-5 June
Piccadilly Gardens. Credit: Unsplash
Manchester City Council has planned free events right across the city centre over the Jubilee weekend, including a ‘complete transformation’ of Piccadilly Gardens into a bustling marketplace, with live music and dance performances.
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There’ll also be a beacon lit in St Peter’s Square at 9.45pm on Thursday, and a free Sunday Funday event in the Central Library, with a day filled with vintage films, crafts and face painting between 12pm and 4pm.
The East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is giving all people named Elizabeth a ride for free through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
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The heritage railway will also host special performances from the era during the long weekend, with each station along the line celebrating in true 1940s / 50s fashion with food, vintage stalls, and live music from local acts.
Manchester’s popular shipping container village Hatch is hosting its very own ‘Street Party’ over the Jubilee weekend, with a platinum line up of the best events all taking place under one roof over.
Kicking off on Wednesday 1 June and running right through to Sunday 5 June, as with any street party, the Oxford Road venue will be adorned with bunting and party decorations to get everyone in the royal mood, and partygoers can expect everything from a raft of the best DJs to live music, street food, so much more.
The Queen inspects the Royal Guard of Royal Marines from HMS Newfoundland during her visit to Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), 11 April 1954. Credit: IWM
The Imperial War Museum’s main exhibition space will host projections showing the Queen’s history with the military throughout her reign – both in war and in peacetime.
Visitors will be able to view rarely-seen archive material in an immersive and unique setting.
King Street Townhouse will be transformed into an English country garden, with arrangements of summer blooms like lavender and rosemary filling the hotel.
They’ll be serving a special Jubilee afternoon tea with Manchester Gin cocktails, and screening classic British films like Notting Hill and Paddington.
Manchester’s favourite party bar will be celebrating HRH with both a special menu and a series of events.
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Expect Coronation chicken bagels, British-inspired kronuts and cruffins, and limited-edition cocktails.
The Jubilee Weekender events will include a Royal Baby Grand Slam on Wednesday, and a ‘Queens through the Ages’ event with Herstory on Friday night.
Jubilee Tea Dance Jive
The Trafford Centre, 2 June
Jubilee Tea Dance Jive / Credit: The Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre will come alive with performances to bring together all age groups, who will perform contemporary and traditional tea dances.
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in style, this lively and heart-warming entertainment will be performed to iconic numbers including Elton John, Spice Girls and Queen on Thursday 2 June between 1pm-3pm by the Miss Joanne Farnell School of Dancing on the main stage located in The Orient.
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It will be open to members of the public to watch and enjoy.
You can find out more here.
Joshua Brooks – Street party bottomless brunch
Joshua Brooks, Princess Street, 2-4 June
Popular city centre venue Joshua Brooks is hosting a Queen’s Jubilee-themed Street Party Bottomless Brunch this week, and it includes the choice of one main from all-day kitchen favourites like burgers, burritos, and halloumi dippers, and combines them with 90-minutes of bottomless drinks.
Taking place on Thursday 2 – Saturday 4 June from 12pm-5pm, there’ll also be teacakes and prosecco on arrival.
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Tickets will set you back £25 per person, and you can make a booking here.
Cloudwater X Levanter – The Queer Ju-Beer-lee Festival Bank Holiday
KAMPUS, 2-5 June
Cloudwater x Levanter / Credit: KAMPUS | Cloudwater Brewery
Manchester’s neighbourhood KAMPUS will play host a solid ten weeks of back-to-back block parties from its canalside garden, with each weekend seeing guest DJs take to the decks to spin tunes from different corners of the world – and this weekend’s event is celebrating the Queer Ju-Beer-lee Festival bank holiday.
Free-flowing beer will come courtesy of Manchester brewery Cloudwater, and food will be provided by Ramsbottom favourites Levanter serving up tapas, giant paella, and charcuterie boards aplenty.
This weekend, you can expect to celebrate the best of British in honour of Queen Liz, with arty bags and a street party at the ready, pouring fresh beer from the Queer Brewing Project.
Jubilee Street Party / Credit: Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
A whole host of Manchester’s best DJs and bands will descend onto The Refuge’s terrace on Friday 3 June to celebrate the Jubilee in royal style.
Curated by The Refuge team, the Jubilee Street Party will showcase a diverse range of up-and-coming talent, alongside established names from around the city and beyond playing music with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the royal family from 1-10pm.
It’s not all about the live entertainment though, as partygoers can also expect to tuck into an array of different street party nibbles and a themed cocktail menu fit for a queen.
The Stamford Quarter in Altrincham. Credit: Jody Hartley
The Stamford Quarter in Altrincham will take advantage of the bumper bank holiday weekend with a garden party, offering activities, family fun, and entertainment all the way down George Street.
Think afternoon tea, face painting, strawberries and cream and Pimms, and workshops, as well as live music (including 40s-style swing and jazz) and roaming performers.
There’ll be brass bands positioned around the gardens at RHS Bridgewater this weekend, with performances from the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, Astley Youth Band and Farnworth and Walkden Band.
Featured image: Unsplash / Craig Shepheard, Demotix, NTB scanpix
What's On
Travel warning issued as Manchester braces for busiest day of the year so far
Daisy Jackson
A ‘plan ahead’ travel warning has been issued for this weekend as the Manchester Marathon brings the busiest day of the year so far on the tram network.
Tens of thousands of people will hit the streets to take part in the race itself, with thousands more cheering them on from the sidelines.
This year’s Manchester Marathon route takes 36,000 runners through Sale, Stretford and Timperley before finishing up at a new finish line on Oxford Road – and there’ll be some big changes to your usual travel routes to accommodate this.
TfGM has said that Bee Network trams will be very busy before, during and after the 26.2 mile race, especially in Manchester and Trafford, with a number of road closures in place too.
Taking place on Sunday 27 April, the Manchester Marathon will coincide with Manchester’s popular St George’s Day parade which starts and ends across town around Oldham Road and Great Ancoats Street.
People are being encouraged to plan their journeys carefully this weekend, as it’s expected to be the busiest day of the year on the Bee Network trams.
The Manchester Marathon last year set a new personal best for the tram network, with 175,000 tram journeys racked up – the highest ever recorded on a single Sunday.
Trams will be the best choice to get around the Manchester Marathon course with key stops along the route including Sale, Timperley and Chorlton.
Many road closures will also be in place but at different times of day, so make sure you check HERE for the latest.
This will impact bus services, which will be on diversion from 8am until the end of service on Sunday, with traffic and congestion expected on surrounding roads.
Runners heading to the start line will only be able to access the athletes’ village from Old Trafford and Trafford Bar tram stops up until 9am. Participants arriving after 9am should get off at Wharfside or Exchange Quay instead.
Metrolink is promising to deploy as many double trams as possible across the network, with additional services between Piccadilly and Timperley.
As for other modes of transport, those who wish to drive should make us of Park and Ride facilities where possible; and those on the train should note that Salford Central remains closed with bus replacements in place.
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Director at TfGM said: “The Manchester Marathon is a highlight of the Manchester city centre calendar and our job is to make sure everyone can get to and from the event as smoothly as possible.
“We want everyone to have a great day – whether they are taking on the run themselves or cheering on a friend or loved one – and would urge people to plan their journey in advance, leave plenty of time and check the Bee Network app or website for the most up-to-date information.
“The start and finish lines will be especially busy so if you are coming to watch you may be better off catching the tram to Sale, Timperley or Chorlton, grabbing a coffee and claiming afront row seat to cheer runners on.
“Using public transport is the best way to avoid congestion and delays – and with Tap and Go contactless payments it’s never been easier or more seamless to get around Greater Manchester by bus and tram.”
Passengers can now travel seamlessly between bus and tram and pay for their journey by tapping on when boarding a bus without the need for a ticket, making it the quickest and easiest way to pay for travel.
People travelling on Bee Network buses on Marathon Day can simply tap in and pay £5 for the day on as many buses as they need and just £4.90 on the tram. You can use all Bee Network buses as much as you want all day from just £5.40*.
Kirsty Wilde, Operations Director, from Manchester Marathon organisers A.S.O. UK, said: “The TfGM tram service is an invaluable part of our event, which allows thousands of participants and supporters to navigate around the city. With a record-breaking 36,000 participants set to take part on Sunday 27th April – and more exciting activities taking place over the weekend as a whole – we’re anticipating a rise in tram journeys, which will subsequently bring economic benefits to local vendors, the hospitality sector, and retail businesses.
“We’d like to thank Transport for Greater Manchester for its continued hard work helping to facilitate what will be the largest event yet, and would also like to say a big thank you to the residents and businesses across Greater Manchester for their understanding and support.”
Science and Industry Museum reveals CGIs of iconic Power Hall that’s been closed for years
Daisy Jackson
One of the Science and Industry Museum’s most iconic attractions will reopen this summer – and the beloved museum has revealed a sneak peak of how things will look.
The museum has shared CGIs of the reimagined Power Hall: The Law Family Gallery, where visitors will be able to explore a lively working gallery full of engines and rail vehicles.
The popular part of the museum closed for urgent repairs in 2019 and has since been undergoing conservation work and a new look created by award-winning designers Studio MUTT.
The sounds, smells and sights of Manchester’s past and present industry will be brought to the Power Hall when it reopens.
Visitors will soon again be able to rediscover objects and learn the stories behind those who powered Manchester’s industry.
There’ll be three main themes within the Power Hall – Making More, which will explore how engines helped people make more, faster, with steam engines installed at factories and mills.
Then there’ll be Powering Lives, which will examine how engines power the electricity network we all plug into every day.
And also Connecting Places, which looks at how locomotives have connected communities around the world, starting at the site of the museum which sparked a transport revolution in 1830.
Science and Industry Museum reveals CGIs of iconic Power Hall that’s been closed for years
Kate Chatfield, Interpretation and Content Manager at the Science and Industry Museum, said: “Power Hall: The Law Family Gallery will be a must-see Manchester experience – a living gallery that showcases a unique collection of historic 19th and early 20th century working engines to tell the story of Manchester as an epicentre for the engine-driven ideas and industry that shaped the world as we know it today.
“Our most iconic objects will be available to explore like never before as we bring to life the people behind the power through stories of the engineers, makers and technicians who use their skills and senses to create and care for engines, both today and in the past.”
The work on the Power Hall is part of a multi-million-pound regeneration project across the Science and Industry Museum, which is conserving and reimagining these historic buildings.
The Power Hall has been future-proofed in the six years it’s been closed to the public, including urgent roof and timber repairs.
Further information about what to see and do and the Power Hall’s opening date will be announced in the coming weeks. Sign up to the museum’s mailing list to be among the first to hear more.
Power Hall: The Law Family Gallery project has been made possible with support from The Law Family Charitable Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Headley Trust, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Atmos International, The Beaverbrooks Charitable Trust, The Zochonis Charitable Trust and other donors who choose to remain anonymous.
Special thanks to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for their significant contribution to the gallery, and to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for funding the decarbonisation of the Power Hall through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix Finance.
Daisy Jackson -
1st June 2022 
