What's On

Manchester Pride Festival 2023 – parade, tickets, line-up, and travel advice

Here's everything you need to know.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 25th August 2023

The time has finally come for the return of the much-loved Manchester Pride Festival 2023, with the city ready to welcome a huge parade, a line-up of massive music, and loads of celebrations across the Gay Village.

The charity’s annual LGBTQ+ celebration is one of the highlights of Manchester’s events calendar, drawing thousands into the city.

This year, there’ll be the Gay Village Party, the parade, and loads of smaller events like Superbia Weekend, Family Pride, and more.

If you’re heading down to Manchester Pride Festival 2023, here’s everything you need to know, from travel to tickets and more.

Manchester Pride 2023 Parade

The Manchester Pride 2023 parade route
The Manchester Pride 2023 parade route. Credit: Supplied

This is arguably the most popular and well-attended part of the entire Manchester Pride Festival weekend – the parade.

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Thousands will take part in the march through the city centre, with tens of thousands usually coming to watch.

This year’s theme is Queerly Beloved, marking 10 years since gay marriage was legalised in England and Wales.

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The parade will set off at 12pm from Liverpool Road, navigating its path through the city centre via Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Road, Portland Street, Princess Street, Whitworth Street.

It’s expected to wrap up on Fairfield Street around 3pm.

Manchester Pride Festival tickets and wristband exchange

Manchester Pride Parade. Credit: Supplied

Manchester Pride Festival will run from Friday 25 August until Monday 28 August, with all events apart for the Gay Village Party free to attend.

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Weekend and day tickets are still on sale with Ticketmaster, though VIP and low income tickets have sold out.

Manchester Pride ticket prices are as follows:

  • Saturday day tickets – £33.85
  • Sunday day tickets – £33.85
  • Monday day tickets – £2.50
  • Weekend tickets – £41

You’ll need to swap your ticket for a Pledge Band at the Pledge Ban Exchange Point before heading into the Gay Village Party. You can find the exchange point at the Aytoun Street Car Park, with the opening times below.

  • Friday 25 August: 12pm – midnight
  • Saturday 26 August: 12pm – midnight
  • Sunday 27 August: 12pm – midnight
  • Monday 28 August: 12pm – 6pm

Manchester Pride Festival line-up

This year’s line-up is Manchester Pride’s most diverse to date, with 96% queer performers; 54% women, 51% people of colour and over 42% from trans and non-binary communities. 

The music will take place across three stage; The Village Stage, MancUnity, and the Alan Turing Stage.

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Headliners include drag sensation Pabllo Vittar, singer-songwriter and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard, and electronic music icon Alison Goldfrapp.

The full stage splits and set times are on the Manchester Pride website, but there’s a tidy summary below too.

Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Goldfrapp. Credit: Publicity picture
BIMINI. Credit: Publicity picture
BIMINI. Credit: Publicity picture

Friday

  • The Village Stage: Trans Filth & Joy, hosted by Milk Presents and Trans Creative. Featuring BIMINI, Tito Bone, Cyro, The BollyWitch, and more. 18:30-23:00.
  • MancUnity: Celebrate Fat Pride, in partnership with Gaydio, with artists including The Niallist, Ivy Profemme, The Fat Britney, and Miss Lei-Lei. 18:30-00:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Hosted by Donna Trump, and includes the Human Rights Forum, La Discothèque Orchestra, Queeriosity Cabaret, and more. 17:00-23:00.

Saturday

  • The Village Stage: Notable appearances by Alison Goldfrapp, Pabllo Vitar, Jodie Harsh, and more. The stage will open from 12:00 with a Parade screening, with main acts from 16:30-23:00.
  • MancUnity: Black Pride MCR / Swagga, headlined by Raven Mandella. 13:30-00:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Queer Asian Takeover, hosted by Lucky Roy Singh, featuring Gok Wan, Gracie T, and more. 12:00-23:00.

Sunday

  • The Village Stage: Join Danny Beard and Friends, Jake Shears, Natasha Bedingfield, Lisa Scott-Lee, and more. 12:00-23:00.
  • MancUnity: Queer Women’s Takeover, with Monki, Blasha and Allatt, Mix-Stress and Friends, and more. 13:00-00:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Cutie-poc Cabaret, hosted by Rikki Beadle-Blair, with Oneda, Angie Brown, and more. 12:00-23:00.

Monday

  • The Village Stage: Revel in community collaboration and enjoy performances from George the Dragon Disabled Queer Joy Cabaret and Cuppa T. 12:00-18:00.
  • MancUnity: The Runway by Manchester’s own 7ft drag artist Banksie, 14:00-17:00.
  • The Alan Turing Stage: Enjoy the melodies of the Disney Orchestra. 12:00-16:30.

Family Pride

Family Pride 2023.
Family Pride 2023.

Family Pride is the part of Manchester Pride Festival that aims to provide an exciting, inspiring and celebratory day for LGBTQ+ families, parents/carers, and children alike.

The completely free event will be held at the Great Northern Warehouse on Saturday 26 August, between midday and 6pm.

The programme includes music, crafting, party games and sing-a-longs, as well as a rainbow disco, showcasing performances and artists that champion love, self-expression and individuality.

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You can find out more here.

Travel advice

There’s a rail strike on this weekend… yep, again. Oh, and there’s a First Bus strike on too.

So if you’re planning to get public transport in to town, you’ll need to plan carefully, especially as the Manchester Pride Festival is on at the same time as a Manchester United game and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ gig at Wythenshawe Park.

Mancs are being urged to leave their cars at home due to the road closures and diversions around the city centre.

The tram will be your best port of call. Here is the latest travel advice from TfGM.

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Weather forecast

As per the weather forecast for the entire summer so far, it’s not looking like a heatwave is imminent.

According to the Met Office, Friday will have highs of 17 degrees and lows of 12 degrees, and will be cloudy but dry.

On Saturday, there’s a 60% chance of a thunderstorm at 12pm (right at the time the parade starts, which is nice), then it will be cloudy with sunny spells after that.

Temperatures will reach 18 degrees, with lows of 11 degrees on Saturday.

On Sunday, there’s again highs of 17 degrees and lows of 12 degrees, with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon.

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And for the Candlelit Vigil on Monday, it’s cloudy and 18 degrees all day.

Featured image: Manchester Pride

What's On

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 26 May – 1 June 2025

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

It’s bank holiday Monday and schools are out for half term.

May has been in full bloom for the last couple of weeks, especially as Manchester Flower Festival is still here, and with June arriving at the end of this week, there’s absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester.

Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? No worries.

We’ve chosen a few of the highlights for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide, both free things, and those that’ll set you back a few pennies too.

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The Dachshund Pup Up Cafe

Manchester City Centre

Monday 26 May

Dachshund Pup Up Cafe
Dachshund Pup Up Cafe
The Dachshund Pup Up Cafe / Credit: Supplied

Are you a big dachshund fan? Love seeing lots of little sausage dogs in the same place? Looking for your little pup to make some sausage friends? Don’t even have a sausage dog but want to join in on the fun anyway?

Well you’re in luck, as the Dachshund Pup Up Cafe is back in our city for its second time this year… and what better day than bank holiday Monday.

Organisers are expecting more than 250 dachshunds to join in on the fun this time around, and there’s loads for them to look forward to.

Find out more and get last-minute tickets here.

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Manchester Flower Festival 2025

Manchester City Centre

Monday 26 May

Manchester Flower Festival
Manchester Flower Festival
Manchester Flower Festival 2025 / Credit: Manchester BID

Manchester is blooming with colour once again as the city’s annual Flower Festival has returned this late May bank holiday weekend.

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, is celebrating 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.

Find out more and see what’s happening here.

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GM Walking Festival 2025

Greater Manchester

Monday 26 – Saturday 31 May

Woodland walk
Women walking in nature
GM Walking Festival 2025 / Credit: Kitera Dent | Greg Rosenke (via Unsplash)

The GM Walking Festival is back for 2025, and it’s bigger than ever.

Coordinated by Greater Manchester Moving, and organised in alignment with National Walking Month, the month-long celebratory festival invites people from all across the region to experience the joy of walking and wheeling throughout May.

The festival brings together more than 400 free organised group walks hosted by local organisations and community groups in every borough of Greater Manchester.

Find out more about the events happening here.

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Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You

Science and Industry Museum

Monday 26 May – onwards

Operation Ouch!
Operation Ouch!
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group

You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.

Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.

Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.

Find out more here.

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Stories – Brought To Life

MediaCityUK

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Monday 26 May – onwards

Stories – Brought To Life / Credit: The Manc Group

A major new National Portrait Gallery exhibition has arrived in Salford.

The ground-breaking new experience by FRAMELESS Creative has opened at MediaCity, bringing some of the world’s most famous portraits to life like never before.

Stories – Brought to Life will explore the fascinating lives of these figures, who have shaped the UK’s history and culture all the way since the Tudor period, and will combine the highest quality digital projection, Hollywood-style visual effects, and the latest audio technology, along with specially created musical scores and creative narratives to shine a new light on each individual.

Visitors will be able to step inside iconic portraits including Grayson Perry, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare.

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Find out more here.

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Balcony Greening Workshops

Greater Manchester

Monday 26 May – Saturday 7 June

Sky Gardening Challenge
Sky Gardening Challenge
Balcony Greening Workshops / Credit: National Trust

Free balcony greening workshops are happening across Greater Manchester this spring to help people create their own ‘mini wildlife havens’.

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The National Trust is on a mission to help city dwellers create their own green spaces through its ‘Sky Gardening Challenge’, with the conservation charity encouraging people with balconies to ‘grow and green’ the town or city they live in from skyline spaces in the hopes that it’ll enhance their connection to nature and improve their wellbeing, all while helping wildlife thrive at the same time.

City dwellers can get a free balcony gardening guide, free seeds, and free workshops in collaboration with lots of brilliant community organisations across the region.

Classes are happening across the borough on selected dates up until 7 June, and you can find out more and book here.

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COMING SOON – Circolo Popolare

St Michael’s

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Authentic Neapolitan pizza
Circolo Popolare in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
COMING SOON – Circolo Popolare / Credit: The Manc Group

Get ready to say Ciao to Circolo Popolare, Manchester’s newest Italian restaurant opening over in Gary Neville’s fancy St Michael’s development early next month, because we got to have a little look around and can confirm it’s an absolute feast for the senses.

From the jasmine-covered ceiling to the windows full of vintage booze bottles, all the way down to the hand-painted crockery, she’s certainly a looker.

On the menus you’ll find authentic Neapolitan pizzas, huge pasta bowls, authentic plates, and a gigantic wibbly-wobbly tower of a lemon meringue pie – plus cocktails poured from animal-shaped jugs.

It’s officially opening on 6 June and this is one you want to get straight in your calendar.

Find out more and book a table here.

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LOWRY 360

The Lowry

Monday 26 May – onwards

LOWRY 360 / Credit: The Manc Group

L.S. Lowry’s iconic masterpiece ‘Going to the Match’ is being brought to life right before your eyes in this brand-new exhibition now open at The Lowry.

Lowry 360 is an immersive experience forming part of the legendary The Lowry theatre’s 25th anniversary programme, and it means that, for the first time ever, you can see one of Manchester’s most famous paintings by, arguably, the city’s most famous artist come to life through sight and sound.

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Better yet, after you’ve immersed yourself in this incredible experience, then you can then see the actual painting in the full gallery – Modern Life: The LS Lowry Exhibition.

Find out more here.

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The Rocky Horror Show

Manchester Palace Theatre

Monday 26 – Saturday 31 May

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The Rocky Horror Show / Credit: ATG Tickets

Legendary musical The Rocky Horror Show is back in Manchester this week.

Having been seen by over 35 million theatregoers since it first debuted, The Rocky Horror Show will be making a grand return to one of Manchester’s biggest stages this week, and it’s starring none other than Australian superstar, Jason Donovan.

The Rocky Horror Show at the Palace Theatre, Manchester – a night of unapologetic fun

The Rocky Horror Show tells the story of two squeaky clean college kids, who meet the charismatic Dr Frank-n-Furter when, by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor.

It’s described as being an adventure filled with fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity, and you can find out more and get last-minute tickets here.

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Half Term 50% Off Pass

Oxygen at MediaCity

Monday 26 May – Sunday 1 June

Oxygen Activeplay is opening at MediaCity this year. Credit: Supplied
Oxygen MediaCity is recruiting a Chief Excitement Officer - and they must be an actual child. Credit: Supplied, Jamie McPhilimey
Half Term Pass / Credit: Jamie McPhilimey

Now that schools are out, families can get themselves one of Oxygen at MediaCity’s Half Term Pass, which gives pass holders the chance to visit the newly-opened £2.5m indoor activity park on any five days of the two-week break for 60 minutes of ‘Open Play’.

Weekends and the bank holiday are also included in the pass, so there’s plenty of time to go.

For a limited time only, you can save some pennies and take advantage of a half price offer and get your hands on a Half Term Pass for only £30.

Find out more and book your ‘big time fun’ here.

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Kargo on the Docks

MediaCityUK

Tuesday 27 May – onwards

Kargo on the Docks / Credit: Supplied | Mark Waugh

Kargo on the Docks is back for the summer.

MediaCity’s al fresco dining pop-up has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.

A handful of Greater Manchester’s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.

Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.

Find out more here.

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Little Tikes x Bluey

MediaCity

Wednesday 28 May

Little Tikes x Bluey / Credit: Bluey | Wikimedia Commons

Fancy taking your little Mancs to meet Bluey herself this half term?

As schools across Greater Manchester are out for half term this week, toy manufacturers Little Tikes are heading to MediaCity, and bringing everyone’s favourite adventurous puppy Bluey along for the ride too… oh and better yet, it’s all completely free.

This day-long event – which is to celebrate the launch of Little Tikes and Bluey’s collaboration – will feature an abundance of Little Tikes toys for kids to try out, while parents can put their feet up and watch some Bluey on the big outdoor screen.

Find out more here.

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Swinton Sounds 2025

Swinton

Friday 30 May – Sunday 1 June

Swinton Sounds 2025 / Credit: Supplied

A popular festival full of pop-up live music, performance, food, drink, and family fun is back in Swinton this weekend.

Returning to the Salford town for the third year running at some of Swinton’s favourite venues and well-known locations, Swinton Sounds – which is a collaboration between Salford City Council and From The Other – is all about celebrating the local area and its vibrant community.

Throughout the weekend, local venues will welcome a lineup of Greater Manchester’s best musicians and DJs in a programme curated by the team behind the Sounds from the Other City festival.

Find out everything happening here.

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Featured Image – Supplied | Pup Up Cafe | National Trust

What's On

You can get 50% off tickets at Manchester’s new £2.5m indoor activity park this half term

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Oxygen Activeplay is opening at MediaCity this year. Credit: Supplied

Families have the chance to visit Greater Manchester’s newly-opened indoor activity park for half price this half term.

In case you hadn’t already heard, Salford was chosen by Oxygen Activeplay as the location for its next venture, and officially opened the doors to its newest state-of-the-art equipment facility above bustling food hall Kargo MKT, inside the former site of I’m a Celebrity Jungle Challenge down at Quayside MediaCity, in mid February.

Since opening to the public, Oxygen MediaCity has already been helping lots of local families stay active while having fun at the same time.

Following a £2.5 million investment, the new park features more than 30 trampolines, a mega-air bag, a high ropes course, a ‘Rollglider’ aerial ride which flies over the facility, and Oxygen’s signature illuminated sensory experience ‘Excite Tunnel’, along with even more epic activities.

A series of optional games and dance parties are also on offer during each play session, and the new Manchester park also hosts ‘Peaceful Play’ sessions designed for neurodivergent guests, who prefer a calmer and quieter playing environment, as well as there being a ‘Toddler Venture Zone’.

A cafe serving drinks, snacks, and meals also overlooks the park, so once you’re all bounced out, you can recharge with a full feast from the new menu before heading home.

And thankfully, once schools are out again for half term next week, families can get themselves one of Oxygen at MediaCity’s Half Term Passes, which gives pass holders the chance to visit the park on any five days of the two-week break – including on weekends and the bank holiday – for 60 minutes of ‘Open Play’ between 26 May – 1 June.

Oxygen MediaCity is recruiting a Chief Excitement Officer - and they must be an actual child. Credit: Supplied, Jamie McPhilimey
Manchester’s new £2.5m indoor activity park is offering 50% off tickets over half term / Credit: Jamie McPhilimey

What’s more is that when pre-booking online, jumpers can add VIP Meal Deals to their order, which include a kid’s meal, slushie, and an ice cream or fruit bag for children for just £6, a toddler meal for just £4, or an adult meal, along with a bottled drink and ice cream for just £10.

Alternatively, guests can add a ‘Feed The Family’ bundle to their order when pre-booking tickets to secure a 20% saving.

For a limited time only, you can save some pennies and take advantage of the half-price offer by getting your hands on a Half Term Pass for only £30.

Read more:

Find out more and book your passes here.

Featured Image – Jamie McPhilimey

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