What's On

Manchester Flower Festival set to fill the city centre with fresh blooms this summer

The prettiest weekend of the year is back.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 13th March 2026

Manchester’s annual Flower Festival is set to return once again early this summer, filling the city centre with fresh blooms.

Now in its ninth year, and always billed as being one of the most colourful and ‘Instagrammable’ events in the annual calendar, The Manchester Flower Festival is set to make a return this upcoming late May bank holiday weekend, and as always, it’s expected that this fabulous floral spectacle will attract thousands of visitors into Manchester city centre.

This is your chance to celebrate the start of summer, as the city comes alive with stunning floral displays, green installations, and dozens of free events, all alongside outdoor dining and entertainment. 

This theme of this year’s festival, which is organised annually by Manchester BID, is ‘Green Manchester’.

Manchester Flower Festival 2025
Manchester Flower Festival 2025
Manchester Flower Festival is set to fill the city centre with fresh blooms again this summer / Credit: Supplied

It’s all about celebrating the city’s green spaces and future developments – including the Castlefield Viaduct extension, Piccadilly Gardens redevelopment, and Cyan Lines, which is a project to connect 100-miles of nature across the city.

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As mentioned, returning this late May bank holiday weekend from Saturday 23 – Monday 25 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.

The Floral Trail will be at the heart of the event, where visitors can wind their way around the city’s shopping streets to find some of the most beautiful gardens and flowers.

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There’ll be a dedicated Festival Zone providing all the action, as well as a Floral Marquee on New Cathedral Street where you can find a collection of beautiful displays from local Manchester florists, alongside daily workshops.

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 hosting dedicated offers and food and drinks specials.

Read more:

The Manchester Flower Festival 2026 returns on Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, and you can find out more here.

Featured Image – Supplied

What's On

Some of the best St. Patrick’s Day deals, offers and specials in Manchester city centre this year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Best St Patrick's Day deals offers and specials in Manchester 2026

St Patrick’s Day 2026 is nearly upon us, and we can’t wait to drink a river of Guinness, sing old Irish classics, dance a jig and be generally merry.

It’s a good job we know exactly where to make the most of the festivities then, isn’t it?

The best Paddy’s Day deals and offers around Manchester | 2026

1. Cheap Guinness and brilliant, beefy pies at The Black Friar – Salford

First up on our list this year, the beautiful Black Friar pub and bistro over on the edge of Salford is doing £4.50 Guinness for St. Patrick’s Day 2026 – one of the best prices you’ll find in town these days.

But that’s not all: they’re also doing a special Guinness and Beef Pie special, which you can grab with a pint of the good stuff for £17, plus £15 bottles of wine, as well as beers and cocktails for just a fiver. You can book a table HERE.

Credit: Supplied/The Manc Group

2. St Patrick’s Day specials at Hello Oriental – Oxford Road

More of a fun little one-off rather than a deal or discount, per se, but when we saw that even pan-Asian food hall Hello Oriental was getting involved with Paddy’s Day, we couldn’t ignore it.

As well as they’re already viral spice bags, they’re also doing a Black Bean Guinness Noodles dish – available with chicken or completely vegan – and we’ll admit we’re very keen to try it for ourselves.

@the.manc The salt and pepper spice bag has landed at @Hello Oriental MCR – but the big question is, are you going sweet and sour or curry sauce? 🤤 #themanc #manchester #spicebag #irish #ireland #manchesterfood #manchestereats #hellooriental #saltandpepper #takeaway #takeawayfood #manchestercitycentre #manchesterfoodie ♬ original sound – The Manc

3. Lots of the black stuff at Black Cat Club – Central

No-nonsense here: £5 pints of black gold, £2.50 shots of Baby Guinness, and a special ‘Frozen Fat Frog’ cocktail, which is basically an alcoholic slushie with Blue WKD, Smirnoff Ice and Orange Bacardi Breezer.

They’ve also got a special Irish-themed food menu for the weekend, too, including Guinness-glazed wings, spice bags, which can be enjoyed with crispy chicken and chip shop curry sauce.

Plus, there are always games to be played. (Credit: The Manc)

4. A big St. Patrick’s Day party on Peter Street – Deansgate

Albert’s Schloss remains one of the best nights in town for all seasons, so it’s no surprise that they’re throwing a smashing St. Patrick’s Day bash every year.

This time around, there’ll be ‘Kunst Kabarat’, Celtic comfort foods like pie, Irish boxty and sticky toffee pudding serving out of the Cook Haus, as well as prizes to be won like free merch, drinks tokens and even £100 off your bill. Tickets are available now.

Credit: Albert’s Schloss (supplied)

5. Free entry and MUCH more at O’Malleys – Portland Street

At the other end of the spectrum, you could argue that free entry isn’t anything too spectacular, but it’s becoming increasingly common on Paddy’s Day, and luckily, O’Malleys has lots of other stuff going on too – all the way until 4am.

How about merch, ‘Seflie Guinness’ (with you face on) from their ‘Stoutie’ machine, a happy hour running from 3-6pm on 16, 18 and 20 March, with £6 cocktails, £4 selected beers/ciders, £18 house wine and £5 Guinness available? Oh, and they also do bottomless Guinness brunches, too, so yeah – there’s plenty.

6. Guinness pastries, pies and plenty of pints at O’Connell’s – Oxford Road

It may not be the Thirsty Scholar anymore, but what that does mean is they go extra ham over at O’Connell’s at this time of year nowadays – and they’re bringing back an exclusive fan favourite special as well.

As well as the recent and extremely popular beef and Guinness collab with V. Goode Pies returning for the day, they’ve also teamed up with Half Dozen Other to create a Guinness Pain Suisse – yes, really – which will serve as arguably the best pub snacks in the entire city come 17 March 2026.

Credit: The Manc Eats/Half Dozen Other (via Instagram)

7. 50% off special Paddy’s Day cocktails at Slug & Lettuce – Piccadilly (only)

Everyone knows the Slug, it doesn’t need any introduction – BUT, they’ll likely be busy all week around Paddy’s Day and do have a banging offer this year.

They’re doing a Paddy’s Apple and Lemonade made with the brand’s fruity Irish whisky, topped with apple juice and lemonade for half price between 16 March and 12 April, when you download the MiXR app ahead of time. Simple as that.

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Now, this is by no means a comprehensive list; we just thought we’d put you on to a few good ones we’ve seen in and around the city.

And, of course, if you spot any good St. Patrick’s Day deals in Manchester, do let us know and drop them in the comments for everyone to make the most of.

We hope you enjoy the celebrations, and please drink responsibly.

Before you leave us, you might as well check out some of our favourite Irish pubs and bars in the area for Paddy’s Day 2026…

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The very best Irish pubs and bars in Manchester

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/supplied

What's On

First look at enormous The Mystery of Banksy exhibition as it opens in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A reimagining of the Barely Legal room in LA

Europe’s most popular Banksy exhibition has officially landed in Manchester, displaying hundreds of reimagined works inspired by one of the world’s most prolific artists. 

Making its UK debut, The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind documents the street artist’s illustrious global career and showcases his most famous artwork. 

An enormous purpose-built exhibition space has taken shape at Depot Mayfield in the city centre, where visitors weave their way through a maze of documentary footage, sculptures, prints, graffiti, photographs and paintings.

The exhibition has already stunned millions of visitors across 36 cities, from Berlin to Stockholm, and now it’s Manchester’s turn to step inside the mind of Banksy. 

Huge pieces have been spraypainted on site to suit and fit the mammoth space that is Depot Mayfield. 

95% of the art pieces are recreations of lost Banksy artwork – whether those originals have been sold, covered, or destroyed, removing them from public view. 

The fascination collection highlights artworks which have often been placed in locations that raise awareness for political and social issues, whether it’s the steelworks in Port Talbot, or the rubble of war-torn cities. 

Installations include Palestine Wall, a remodelling of the walls in Gaza and the West Bank, where Banksy has sprayed a range of murals since 2003. 

One gallery showcases Banksy's work in war-torn Ukraine
One gallery showcases Banksy’s work in war-torn Ukraine
There are photo opportunities throughout the exhibition
There are photo opportunities throughout the exhibition
Recreations of Banksy's most famous artworks are on display
Recreations of Banksy’s most famous artworks are on display

You can also step inside a set inspired by The Walled Off Hotel, Banksy’s boutique hotel in Bethlehem which overlooks the concrete separation wall.

While you can no longer safely visit many of these artworks in real life, The Mystery Of Banksy is doing its best to bring them to life here in Manchester. 

His political works are displayed in every room, including reimaginings of his pieces created on ruined buildings in war-torn Ukraine. 

There are also famous sculptures like Death of a Phone Booth, Angel Bust, and Suicide Bomber. 

And visitors can walk through a recreated London Underground carriage that was turned into an immersive Banksy artwork in 2020, called If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get.

Recreations of Banksy's most famous artworks are on display
Recreations of Banksy’s most famous artworks are on display
There are sculptures, documentary footage, and loads more
There are sculptures, documentary footage, and loads more
Paintings by patients of The Christie are also on display
Paintings by patients of The Christie are also on display

You’ll be able to explore a timeline of milestones in Banksy’s career, from his graffiti work in Bristol in the early 90s all the way through iconic cultural moments like his Dismaland theme park and his documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop.

The exhibition also explains why Banksy began using stencils – something he is best-known for – and shows his early and most famous stencil work, like Mild Mild West and Kissing Coppers. 

As you weave through the custom-built exhibition space, you’ll pass sets like the Barely Legal Room, which gives a glimpse inside his three-day warehouse installation in LA, dominated by a gigantic red elephant sculpture (the real exhibition used a live elephant). 

There are photo opportunities along the way too, where you can pose with work like Girl with Balloon. 

And take time in the last room of the exhibition, where Banksy work shares the space with pieces created by patients from The Christie. 

The Christie is the official partner for The Mystery of Banksy, which will raise money towards a new Total Body PET-CT scanner through ‘tap to donate’ spots around the exhibition, alongside a dedicated charity event takeover and an exclusively commissioned artwork which will be donated for auction.

John Carrigan, Director of Cartel Events Limited, says “We’re excited to launch the ‘Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind’ in Manchester, the UK’s hub of modern culture. In partnership with Europe’s leading entertainment promoter, COFO Exhibitions, who holds 50 years of experience in revolutionary international exhibitions, visitors can expect a spectacle of reenvisioned accessible artworks for all.’’

Louise Hadley, Chief Executive of The Christie Charity, says: “We are absolutely thrilled to be the chosen charity for The Mystery of Banksy, A Genius Mind exhibition. It is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us and one that will ultimately benefit cancer patients both now and in the future.”

Open to all, standard adult tickets start at £22. Tickets are free for curious minds under the age of six, with concession tickets also available for seven-16 year olds, seniors and all NHS workers. 

Find out more and book tickets HERE.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

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