What's On
Jubilee events taking place across Manchester this bank holiday weekend
Daisy Jackson -
1st June 2022 
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.
Queen’s Jubilee jamboree
City centre, 2-5 June
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.
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.
Head here for more information.
The Manchester Flower Show
City centre, 2-5 June
The city centre will again be filled with beautiful flowers this week as The Manchester Flower Show makes its return.
The hugely popular event will coincide with the Jubilee celebrations, and will include an extra-special Jubilee Trail of royal-themed floral displays.
You can find out more at themanchesterflowershow.com.
Jubilee Weekend on the East Lancashire Railway
East Lancashire Railway, 30 May – 2 June
The East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is giving all people named Elizabeth a ride for free through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
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.
You can find out more here.
Hatch street party
Hatch, Oxford Road, 1-5 June
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.
You can find more information here.
Imperial War Museum
IWM North, 1-30 June
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.
Find out more here.
Jubilee Celebrations at King Street Townhouse
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.
Find out more here.
A Right Royal Knees-Up at Albert’s Schloss
Albert’s Schloss, 1 – 5 June
Manchester’s favourite party bar will be celebrating HRH with both a special menu and a series of events.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
You can find out more here.
Jubilee Street Party
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, 3 June
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.
You can find out more and grab tickets here.
Not So Secret Garden Party
The Stamford Quarter, Altrincham, 4-5 June
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.
You can book on to a workshop here.
RHS Garden Bridgewater Jubilee Weekend
RHS Bridgewater, Salford, 2-5 June
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.
To enter the garden, you can book a slot here.
Featured image: Unsplash / Craig Shepheard, Demotix, NTB scanpix
