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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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
Everything you need to know about Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 – dates, locations, and more
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Christmas Markets will be taking over the city centre this festive season, with hundreds of little wooden huts lining the streets.
Now in their 27th year, Manchester Christmas Markets are known and loved for bringing thousands of people into the city centre each year to fill up on fantastic festive treats and soak up all the Christmas atmosphere.
This year will see a bigger return of Albert Square, after the headline-grabbing partial return at last year’s event – with the big wheel also set to make a comeback.
There’s also set to be some new locations too for 2026, with Lincoln Square joining in on the action, as well as big changes to St Ann’s Square with what is being described as a ‘brand new layout’ bringing in a bigger number of market stalls.
There will be a total of 210 stalls spread out across the city centre.
When are the Manchester Christmas Markets 2026?
This year’s Manchester Christmas Markets will take place between Friday 6 November and Monday 22 December, across 10 different city centre locations.
Some sites will remain open even longer though – there’ll be festivities continuing at both Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens (which is home to the Skate Manchester ice rink) until Sunday 3 January 2027.
Another date for your diary is the Manchester Christmas Parade, which will see floats and performers filling the city on Sunday 6 December.
Manchester Christmas Markets locations
Manchester Christmas Markets
There are some brand-new spots to check out this year as the markets officially leave Piccadilly Gardens and return to their spiritual home around Albert Square.
Notably, Lincoln Square will be hosting a food and drink-focused market for the first time.
St Ann’s Square will also have a brand-new look, and Albert Square will again be home to a helter-skelter and a big wheel, along with loads of food, drink, and festive retail.
The locations are:
Albert Square
Lincoln Square
King Street
St Ann’s Square
Corn Exchange
Exchange Street
New Cathedral Street
Market Street
Exchange Square
Cathedral Gardens
You can see more about what each location will offer HERE.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 opening and closing times
The vast majority of the Manchester Christmas Markets locations will be open from 10am to 9pm daily, through to 22 December.
The only exceptions are as follows:
Albert Square
6 November – 23 December: 10am to 9pm
24 December (Christmas Eve): 10am to 5pm
25 December (Christmas Day): Closed
26 December – 30 January: 10am to 6pm
31 January (New Year’s Eve): 10am to 12.30am
1–3 January: 10am to 6pm
Cathedral Gardens
6 November – 23 December: 10am to 9pm
24 December (Christmas Eve): 10am to 5pm
25 December (Christmas Day): Closed
26 December – 30 January: 10am to 6pm
31 January (New Year’s Eve): 10am to 12.30am
1–3 January: 10am to 6pm
Food and drink highlights at the Manchester Christmas Markets
Great North Pie Co. at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc GroupHong Kong French Toast at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc Group
Until the markets are officially open, we’re not sure exactly what this year’s top stalls and must-eats will be – but looking at the trader list, we can give you a good idea.
The always-popular Yorkshire Pudding Wraps from Porky Pig will be back in Exchange Square, along with the iconic Witch House German bratwursts a short distance away on New Cathedral Street.
Other traders we loved in 2025 who’ll be returning this year include Great North Pie, Flat Baker, Hong Kong French Toast, and Oi Dumplings.
Travel advice and how to get to the Manchester Christmas Markets
As usual, passengers are advised to travel with public transport wherever possible, as the city centre will be very busy with both Christmas Markets visitors and shoppers.
There are eight tram stops in the city centre that will put you within walking distance of the festivities, with St Peter’s Square the closest to the main site at Albert Square.
Trains and buses also serve the city centre well, but if you really need to drive, TfGM is advising to make use of the park and ride system rather than risking traffic delays in town.
ENB’s Romeo & Juliet at Palace Theatre Manchester – the world’s most famous story expertly reimagined | Review
Emily Sergeant
Every now and then you experience a bit of a full circle moment… and for me, this was one of them.
Back in 2011, when I was a dance-obsessed 14-year-old, taking and assisting classes countless times a week, I became enamoured by a BBC documentary series called Agony & Ecstasy: A Year with English National Ballet. As one of the country’s premier ballet companies – celebrating its 60th anniversary at the time of the documentary – ENB allowed cameras behind the scenes, from the rehearsal room to backstage, giving audiences a previously unseen inside look on what it takes to stage some of the most spectacular productions your eyes will ever meet.
One of the ballets being staged in the year the BBC followed the company was Romeo & Juliet.
Based on a story known around the world and with an unmistakable score by Prokofiev, it’s a ballet I was already fond of prior to the documentary, but seeing the work that went into making the show a reality, up close like never before, it turned into one of my favourites.
Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to see several different dance stagings of Romeo & Juliet – but last night, at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, was the first time I got to sit in the audience and see English National Ballet’s production live with my own eyes.
And it was just as magical as I was hoping it would be.
ENB’s Romeo & Juliet is now on stage at Manchester Palace Theatre / Credit: Laurent Liotardo
Right off the bat, I’m just going to presume you already have somewhat of a grasp on the story of Romeo & Juliet, right? Given the fact it’s arguably Shakespeare’s most famous work and one of the most iconic plays of all time.
And you’ll be pleased to know, even if you’re not seasoned in watching ballet, that the story we all know and love remains largely intact for this production, therefore making it easy for audiences of all ages and interests to follow along and admire.
The two title characters, the star-crossed lovers themselves, were embodied expertly by Rentaro Nakaaki and Julia Conway as Romeo and Juliet, who had the audience captivated from the second they entered the stage – with undeniable chemistry and enviable technique.
Fabian Reimair took on the role of Tybalt with ease, Noam Durand was Mercutio, and Rodrigo Pinto was Benvolio, all while Elvis Nudo and Minju Kang stepped into the shoes of Paris and Rosaline.
But the lead roles are nothing without the wider cast of supporting dancers and character actors, who really help transport you to 14th century Verona and help bring the authenticity a production as epic as this requires.
The world’s most famous story has been expertly reimagined / Credit: Bill Cooper | Laurent Liotardo
Aside from the dancing, it would be remiss not to praise the expert sets and costuming here from Ezio Frigero and Franca Squarciapino.
And I suppose I should also give a shoutout to little-known name, Rudolf Nureyev, who choreographed this version of Romeo & Juliet all the way back in 1977. Something tells me he would’ve had a great career… I could be wrong, though.
Romeo & Juliet really is one of the most tragic love stories of all time, and the power of that is not lost through dance. It’s still as raw and heartbreaking in this production as it always is.
And that is truly a credit to every single person forming part of it – both on the stage and off.
Daisy Jackson -
1st June 2022 
