Manchester will be blooming with colour once again this early summer, as the city’s annual Flower Festival returns.
Now in its eighth year, and always billed as being the city’s most Instagrammable event in the annual calendar, The Manchester Flower Festival is a fabulous floral spectacle that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors into Manchester city centre.
This year’s festival, which is organised annually by Manchester BID, will celebrate Manchester and other great cities around the world.
From the vibrant tulip fields of Amsterdam, to the urban energy of New York’s Statue of Liberty, and the high-tech influence of Singapore, this year’s theme is wide open for interpretation, and offers contributing gardeners the chance to showcase their designs which interpret the beauty of cities through iconic landmarks, floral heritage. or personal connections to global hotspots.
Manchester city centre will be filled with fresh blooms this summer as the annual Flower Festival returns / Credit: ManchesterBID
Returning, as always, this May bank holiday weekend from Friday 23 – Monday 26 May, there are lots of ways to participate and get involved in this year’s festival – including various ‘Show Gardens’, floristry displays, festival market stalls, and loads of other events.
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Festival organisers are calling on garden designers, florists, street artists, garden groups, and budding enthusiasts across the region to showcase their designs at this year’s event.
Local businesses in the city centre are also encouraged to show their support for the annual festival by creating window, building, or in-store floral displays, and even host dedicated offers and food and drinks specials.
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Businesses can even host food pop-ups, outdoor bars, or take part in the festival’s cocktail trail.
Volunteers to help at this year’s event are also needed, and organisers assure volunteers will gain valuable experience and enjoy being part of the team at one of the city’s annual flagship events.
Featured Image – Manchester BID (via Supplied)
What's On
Manchester to host ‘landmark’ charity concert for Ukraine with star-studded lineup
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is set to host a ‘landmark’ international benefit concert for Ukraine with a star-studded lineup of big names.
Taking place at Co-op Live early next February, Songs of Freedom will aim to unite iconic global musicians, artists, and cultural leaders in solidarity with the women, children, and vulnerable communities affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Bob Geldof, Madness, Chrissie Hynde, and Midge Ure are just some of the more than a dozen famous names announced to be taking part in the show, alongside the Songs for Ukraine Choir, Royal Opera Chorus, and London Metropolitan Orchestra.
And as the concert will be here in Manchester, several local names are also due to appear too, including Peter Hook & The Light, Inspiral Carpets, The Lathums, Lottery Winners, and more.
Additional artists from around the world will perform via live video link into the broadcast – with mega stars Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, and Sean Penn all lined up to contribute.
Even more names will be announced in due course, so stay tuned.
The event is aiming to raise ‘vital’ funds and global awareness, while celebrating Ukrainian resilience, identity, and spirit.
All the money raised will go to UNITED24, Voices of Children, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk Charitable Foundation (People of the Future), and Masha Foundation – each of which directly support urgent humanitarian relief.
Manchester is set to host a ‘landmark’ charity concert for Ukraine next year with a star-studded lineup / Credit: Supplied
Backed by key industry figures, Songs of Freedom will be bringing together a lineup of international legends and Ukrainian talent.
Ahead of the concert next year, Harvey Goldsmith CBE said: “I am really pleased to have the opportunity to play my part in helping the Children and Communities in Ukraine.
“This war has gone on far too long and more and more children are suffering as a result. The concert at Coop in Manchester will highlight their plight. We must stand together and play a role in pressuring the need to stop this war.”
Songs For Freedom will take to the Co-op Live stage on Wednesday 3 February 2027, and tickets go on general sale next Monday (16 November) – with venue pre-sales beginning this Thursday (12 November).
Find out more and get tickets when they go on sale HERE.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
Two nights of Noah Kahan at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times, and more for 2026 tour
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Noah Kahan isn’t just gracing Mancunians with his presence once this autumn, we’re lucky enough to host him for two nights of his world tour.
The two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter is heading back to the UK for his biggest tour to date, two years after his last appearance in our city when he played to a packed-out Co-op Live.
Noah Kahan has taken the world by storm in recent years following the release of his acclaimed third album in 2022, Stick Season, which sat in the UK album chart for three years. He has almost 15 billion global streams, sold nearly 12 million albums, and earned 22 Platinum and Gold certifications to date – he’s not doing half bad, is he?
This tour is in support of his fourth studio album, The Great Divide, which is said to build on Kahan’s signature storytelling, encapsulating his thoughts on grappling with success, identity, family, distance, and unspoken truths.
Not only does Kahan provide us with the best music to cry it all out to, he also founded a mental health non-profit, The Busyhead Project, which has raised over $13 million in support of its mission to increase awareness around the importance of mental health.
Without further ado, here’s everything you need to know.
Noah Kahan will be playing at AO Arena next week / Credit: Publicity Picture
Noah Kahan at AO Arena, Manchester
Noah Kahan – The Great Divide UK & Ireland Tour Dates
Thursday 5 Nov – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Friday 6 Nov – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Monday 9 Nov – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Tuesday 10 Nov – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Friday 13 Nov – London, UK – The O2 Arena
Saturday 14 Nov – London, UK – The O2 Arena
Thursday 19 Nov – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Saturday 21 Nov – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Sunday 22 Nov – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Are there any tickets left?
Sadly, both Manchester dates are now fully sold out, but keep your eyes peeled on any resale sites, as you could still be in with a chance to secure some last-minute tickets.
Click HERE to access these tickets via the Ticketmaster general sale or verified resale.
What are the stage times for Noah Kahan in Manchester?
Doors are set to open at 6pm. However timings for both support act Bella Kay and then Noah Kahan are yet to be announced, though Kahan should be on stage around 8-9:15pm, judging from previous gigs.
Be sure to keep your eyes on their Instagram accounts, as well as the AO Arena website, for further information, as stage times are typically announced on the day of the show.
One thing we know for certain is that the show will finish before 11pm, due to AO Arena‘s curfew.
Who is supporting Noah Kahan at the AO Arena?
For both Manchester dates, Noah Kahan will be supported by Bella Kay.
Bella Kay is a 20 year-old Texas-born singer-songwriter. These dates will be some of the largest performances of her career to date, following the release of her debut album, My Reckless Abandon, back in July.
Similarly to Kahan, her album is an exceptionally honest account of her journey through self-acceptance.
Noah Kahan on stage / Credit: Raph PH (via Flickr)
Expected setlist for The Great Divide Tour 2026
As always, we cannot confirm the exact setlist as everything can depend on the city or differing tracks for multi-night venue runs, but this is an expected The Great Divide Tour setlist:
American Cars
Doors
All My Love
Deny Deny Deny
Staying Still
Haircut
Downfall
She Calls Me Back
Dashboard
Dial Drunk
Willing and Able
Porch Light
Orbiter (Extended)
Pain Is Cold Water
Maine
Paid Time Off
The View Between Villages (Extended)
Northern Attitude
The Great Divide
Orange Juice
New Perspective
End of August
Homesick
Stick Season
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
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Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
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The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Emily Sergeant -
25th February 2025 
