The Therme Manchester Marathon will take over the city once again on Sunday, with tens of thousands of runners pounding the pavements between the city centre and Altrincham.
The huge running event – the second-largest in the UK – has now returned to its usual April dates after a bit of a shuffle last year.
Elite and amateur runners will all come together to tackle the 26.2 course, which will also be used for the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers.
The Manchester Marathon is particularly popular because of its flat route that will see many runners gunning for their PB.
To make room for this massively popular sporting event, there’ll be road closures in place across Greater Manchester.
Here’s everything you need to know, whether you’re runner, resident or going along to cheer people on.
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When does the Manchester Marathon start?
The Manchester Marathon is set to take place this Sunday, April 3, though there are different start times for all runners.
The official start wave times are below.
Runners will assemble at the bag drop near Old Trafford Cricket Ground before heading to the start line.
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What is the Manchester Marathon route map?
The city centre section has had to be rerouted slightly due to roadworks (story of Manchester’s life), but the route is still 26.2 miles.
It goes from Old Trafford, through the city centre, then down through Stretford and Sale to Altrincham before it comes back on itself via Chorlton.
There are activity points all the way along the route to spur people on with everything from samba to live choirs to cheerleaders.
What road closures will be in place?
Several roads around the marathon route will be closed on Sunday – both spectators and runners are advised to use the Metrolink to get around at the weekend.
Some streets will close as early as Saturday morning, and remain shut until late on Sunday.
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Make sure you plan ahead before you travel anywhere – there are full maps and helplines on the Manchester Marathon website.
Where to get a well-earned pint after the finish line
There will never be a pint that tastes quite as good as the one you drink after running an entire actual marathon.
You’ve really, really earned that drink (but please do rehydrate on non-alcoholic drinks too).
Cloudwater will be giving away free beer to all finishers at their taproom in the city centre, which is surely enough of a pull to head back into town.
But you’re also only a couple of tram stops away from the brilliant Stretford Foodhall, or there are a handful of fuss-free pubs around Old Trafford itself.
Featured image: Paul Currie, 07796 146931, www.paulcurrie.co.uk
What's On
Where to watch the 2025 Six Nations in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
It’s that time again, the Six Nations is just around the corner and we can practically taste the Guinness already — that being said, we thought it only right to put together a list of where to watch it and enjoy those pints.
With the tournament kicking off on Friday, 2 February, we don’t want you scrambling around to find places showing the Six Nations in Manchester, we just want you to sit back and enjoy the games.
So, without further ado, here is our list of the 16 places where to watch the 2025 Six Nations in Manchester city centre.
Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.
16 of the best places to watch this year’s Six Nations in Manchester
Speaking of Guinness, as far as Manchester Irish bars go, there’s a very strong argument to be made that there isn’t any better than Mulligans.
A go-to for sports fans and punters in general, not to mention Guinness’ second home in Manchester, this traditional Irish pub sandwiched just across the road from Spinningfields will be showing the games and promises live music every night. It’s always good craic in here.
You don’t book here, you just keep your fingers crossed for a table but with a whole new floor upstairs, you’ve got a better chance than ever.
2. Guinness Fan Zone at Freight Island – Depot Mayfield
Guinness and the Six Nations go hand in hand (I mean, their name’s literally on the trophy), so what better place to start than the official Guinness Fan Zone at Freight Island?
This year it’s not just the largest outside of London – it’s ser to be the biggest and best in the whole country and it’s got plenty more on offer than just the games.
You can book online but walk-ups are more than welcome too.
Next up, a tried and tested favourite of any punter who frequents sports bars in Manchester: Shooters Bar inside the Bierkeller at Printworks.
Showing the Six Nations every year, this place always draws in a big crowd whilst still promising plenty of room, not to mention great value for money when it comes to food and drink packages.
You’d be forgiven for thinking a place called Calcio only shows football, but au contraire mon frère (one for those few France fans among you): this sporting hotspot just on the edge of the Northern Quarter and not far from Piccadilly has all kinds on the box.
They’ll be showing all the rugby action from start to finish as well as keep you busy during the breaks with tonnes of retro games and, of course, plenty of pints.
Better still, they’ve recently taken on a brand new food vendor in the shape of RioMex. If you want to try both, you can book your table or a personal booth HERE.
5. Tib Street Tavern – Northern Quarter
No list of Manchester sports bars would be complete without Tib Street Tavern, one of the most popular in NQ or the city centre in general, for that matter.
With recently refurbished booths for you and all your mates to pile into, massive screens filling the walls and solid grub, this place is packed out noon till night, so you best book whilst you still can.
You can call them up on 0161 834 1600 for bookings of six or more but you can still try for a walk-in.
Whether you’ll be cheering on Ireland or not, Kiely’s is a prime location to watch the Six Nations.
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Yet another place for Guinness lovers and showing live sport all week-round before the rowdy live music kicks off in the evenings, we’ve spent many a night in here and can heartily recommend it for the rugby and good vibes in general.
We can’t think of many better places for a tipsy song-song after the game than here.
7. Seven Oaks – Central
For number seven, what better place to slot in than the seven screens over at The Seven Oaks? Tucked away on Nicholas Street just off Mosley St and round the corner from Chinatown, this place is great for watching all manner of sports, so of course they’re showing the Six Nations as well.
This place is always packed with plenty of regulars on matchdays and is even the local for the Northern Spurs fans and even the Manchester branch of St Pauli Supporters Club from Germany. It’s also known for serving bartenders till late.
One of Manchester longest standing free-house sports bars, having first opened its doors all the way back in 1824, it’s known for having some of the friendliest pub staff you’ll find anywhere in town, as well as now hosting regular live stand-up, music and even the odd theatre production these days. Give it a go.
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Credit: The Manc Group
8. The Waldorf – Piccadilly
Now, if you’re looking for something right next to the station so you don’t have to walk far for your first pint or, equally, can make a quick exit if the result doesn’t go your way, The Waldorf is the one for you.
Spanning across multiple floors with the upstairs regularly dedicated to big rugby fan bookings, you’ll catch many a face watching the sport here most weekends.
Again, it fills up quickly so bag yourself a table while you can HERE.
One of the biggest, best and busiest sports bars on this list, BOX on Deansgate brings a real sense of the American sports bar culture with shuffleboard, giant steins of booze, banging food and TV on every wall — including a big 360-jumbotron screen so nobody misses a second.
With all that in mind, it makes for the perfect place for all fans to come along and watch the Six Nations.
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Even with two large floors, this place packs out quickly, so we would get booking your place now.
10. The Directors’ Box – Central
Another all-time classic Manchester sports bar, The Directors’ Box just off St Peter’s Square in the city centre has plenty of pints and an absolutely mint menu full of sharing platters perfect for watching the game with your mates.
We’ll be straight with you, it isn’t the biggest place for the amount of people that try and get in — it’s a local favourite for a reason — so we’d advise you book your Six Nations table now if you can.
No one likes being the one who suggested a place only to not get in. Trust us, we’ve been that person far too many times – the worst.
Located just off Oxford Road Corridor, Brickhouse Social continues to cater to sports fans in the city centre and its fan zone come tournament time just keeps getting bigger.
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With three floors including a rooftop terrace, solid slices of pizza up for grabs and plenty of pool tables to keep you busy in between the ruck, this place has everything you need.
Boasting a total of 12 screens and a state-of-the-art sound system for live entertainment and the club nights downstairs in Kable, this might be one of the best places for atmosphere in Manchester when it comes to the Six Nations. Book your table at [email protected] or on 0161 236 4899.
The massive pub, club and local nightlife institution has plenty of food, pints and screens to cater to the hordes of punters. Better still, with its Australian roots, there’s a real love for rugby in here, whether you’re a Wallabies, England fan or otherwise.
We’ve already had a couple of Irish bars on the list, what harm could another do? Third time’s the charm, as they say.
Mulligans, Kiely’s and O’Sheas: the holy trinity of Manc Irish pubs and just like the other two, this boozer on the corner of Princess Street has a brilliant atmosphere, especially when the rugby’s on.
With great Guinness, classic Irish snacks like Taytos, a solid food menu and live music most nights, what more could ask for? To be honest, at this point, we might as well just give all the places decked out in green – you won’t go far wrong with any of them.
Our cousins know how to enjoy the rugby even better than we do.
14. The Grosvenor – Oxford Road Corridor (formerly The Footage)
Another student favourite and budget-friendly venue, we spent many a uni day watching live sport in The Footage and we have to say, no matter how many years and tournaments have gone by, there’s nothing quite like a fever pitch rugby crowd in this place.
It might have changed name after a short hiatius from the busy student strip but the prices in here are still great and it’s looking bigger and better than ever. Big tellies, pool tables, beer pong – they’ve got you sorted from noon until night.
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You can of course book a table if you want to secure the perfect spot but this place always has plenty of rooms try your luck with a walk-in.
15. The Courtyard – Oxford Road Corridor
The penultimate round on this fixture list, not only is this one of the cheapest places for a night in town, possibly the country, but it’s yet another prime location to watch the sport.
It might be very student-heavy most nights of the week but with a large interior, huge outdoor area with coverage, as well as plenty of value for money grub and bevs up for grabs, you can’t go wrong with the old stomping grounds.
You are never—we repeat, never too old for Courtyard and it NEVER disappoints when the game is on.
The Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits is another tried and tested favourite come any matchday and the team over there do a great job of building a proper atmosphere across their two floors. You can tell how much they love sports from the original posters they create for each tournament alone.
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It’s great a post-work spot any day of the week, let alone when there are big events on like this. Food, pints, pool, table tennis and more. 10/10, no notes from us.
Not a bad place to love you and leave you to enjoy the Six Nations this year. Walk-ins are welcome but you’re best reserving your table HERE.
So, if you’re still wondering where to watch the Six Nations in Manchester, that should be plenty of options for now. It’s one of the biggest competitions on the sporting calendar and we don’t plan on missing a single second.
It may still be a bit nippy this time of year but we’ve never been ones to let the weather put us off going out and having a good time.
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 3 – 9 February 2025
Emily Sergeant
Who’s ready for another fun-filled week in Manchester?
February is here, the nights are getting lighter, the temperatures a little warmer, and not only does Greater Manchester‘s events calendar already seem very exciting over these next few weeks, but there’s also lots of other things to look forward to in 2025 too, so it’s time to fill up your diaries.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? We’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide to help you out.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
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PUSH Festival 2025
HOME MCR
Monday 3 January – Saturday 8 February
PUSH Festival 2025 / Credit: HOME MCR
PUSH Festival has return to Manchester for its biennial celebration of North West creative talent.
Set over two weeks, the stages, screens, and spaces down at HOME MCR will be dedicated to showcasing fantastic works from around the region, as well as offering opportunities for creatives to meet industry professionals, share ideas and inspiration and develop their skills.
Freight Island’s Six Nations fanzone has returned for 2025.
The iconic international tournament is now underway, and so is Freight Island’s fantastic fan experience, providing an unparalleled level of excitement beyond being inside the stadium.
Already proving to be even bigger and better than last year, it’s the largest of its kind anywhere in the country, with everything from free pints and prosecco, live music, top-notch scran from Freight’s in-house vendors, and so much more.
A groundbreaking new immersive exhibition exploring our relationship with the natural world is now open at Manchester Museum.
‘Wild’ look at how people are creating, rebuilding, and repairing connections with nature, and how the natural world has traditionally been presented and idealised through Western art, as well as looking at some unique approaches to environmental recovery too.
The exhibition will also crucially look at how we can tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by making the world more wild.
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots is currently out on a tour of the UK, and the talented cast will be stopping off in our city.
The Broadway and West End phenomenon, which is based on a true story and is an adaptation of a 2005 film of the same name, has become known and loved by musical theatre fans all across the globe, and it will be taking to the iconic Palace Theatre stage this week.
This 2025 revival production is already being billed as “guaranteed to raise you up” and “celebrate everybody’s individuality”.
An all-new musical featuring the music of Dolly Parton is on stage in Manchester this week.
After workin’ 9 to 5, what better way to unwind than with a musical packed with hits spanning the Queen of Country music’s legendary roster? This production sees the story of a diehard fan recounting ways in which Dolly Parton and her hits have helped him throughout his life.
Tricia Paoluccio takes on the role of the international icon, sprinkling her sunshine, knowledge, and wit wherever she goes.
A huge gaming event is happening in Manchester this weekend.
With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP at the Science and Industry takes ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming, with everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more.
Power UP is taking place each weekend only throughout this month, with each ticket including unlimited play all day.
Manchester gem Hello Oriental has finally opened its new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre.
The renowned East Asian street food hub has chosen the Trafford Centre as the first UK shopping centre location to bring its trademark street food dining concept to, and there’s more than 100 delicious dishes for customers to choose from.
Hello Oriental owners and childhood best friends, Ricky Yip and Azim Kourah, say they have selected some of the most popular dishes from the Manchester city centre site’s extensive menu for the new Trafford Centre restaurant.
This means diners can enjoy traditional dishes from across East Asia, including a wide range of Dim Sum, fluffy baos, Korean fried chicken, and three varieties of sticky chicken wings.
The Christie Charity’s ‘Night of Neon’ 2025 / Credit: The Christie Charity
The Night of Neon charity walk is making its return to light up Salford Quays this weekend to raise money for The Christie Charity.
Always a popular event in the calendar, over 600 enthusiastic participants are set to take to the Quays to have fun, while raising money for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and supporting the thousands of patients who are treated for cancer at The Christie Hospital in Withington.
This luminescent fundraiser will also feature pre-walk entertainment – including a six-piece roaming band, face painting, glitter artists, and so much more.
Brickhouse Social has announced that it 90s-themed brunch is back by popular demand.
The Manchester social hub is inviting music lovers down to enjoy 90-minutes of bottomless pizza slices, fizz, bottled beers, and select cocktails on its ooftop terrace every Saturday over the nexr couple of months – with a resident DJ playing all the best tunes from the nineties.
There’s two brunch sittings available, so you can opt for 1-3pm or 3:30-5:30pm, and you can get booking your table now.
Want to watch the biggest game on the biggest screen?
GRUB is hosting a Super Bowl LIX party this Sunday, and will be showing the game on the biggest screen in the venue, the upstairs cinema CULTPLEX, so if you’re keen to see the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs, then this is the place to be.
Expect a relaxed environment, big screen fun from 9pm, and special menu from Oscar’s Dogs served between 9pm and 11pm to help you fill your belly for a long night of football action.
Daisy Jackson -
1st April 2022 
