Manchester Pride Festival has unveiled the theme for this year’s celebrations, as tickets have officially gone on sale.
The charity behind beloved annual event – which is a celebration of LGBTQ+ life in Manchester, and always brings thousands of people onto the streets of the city centre every August bank holiday weekend – has revealed what the Festival’s theme will be for 2024, as well as confirming its long-awaited programme of events and activities.
This year, the iconic Manchester Bee will be taking pride of place, as Manchester Pride will be paying homage to the city’s emblem through the theme ‘Buzzin To Be Queer – A Hive of Progress’.
Every year, the Festival lineup offers a wide range of activities for the LGBTQ+ community to join together and celebrate, as well as providing opportunities to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, engage families and young people, and celebrate queer arts and culture.
This year’s Festival is set to kick-off on Friday 23 August and round out on Monday 26 August.
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Manchester Pride has unveiled the theme for 2024’s Festival / Credit: Manchester Pride
The iconic Gay Village Party, Candlelit Vigil, Superbia Weekend, and Family Pride and Youth Pride MCR events are among those to have been confirmed as returning this year.
A Human Rights Forum is also on the lineup this year, and is set to bring together prominent activists and thought leaders to discuss the challenges that continue to face LGBTQ+ communities today, and what people can do to bring about political and social change.
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And of course, the highlight of this year’s Festival events programme has to be the return of the annual Manchester Pride Parade through the streets of Manchester, where the 2024 theme will on show and celebrated in all its glory with a powerful march that organisers say “symbolises the enduring significance of unity, resilience, and the ongoing fight for equality”.
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“We’re back this year with a theme that we feel will unite the people of Manchester and our visitors under,” commented Mark Fletcher, who is the CEO of Manchester Pride.
“This symbol means so much to the city, demonstrating how Mancunians work hard to achieve great things and stand together in unity.
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“Mancunians are proud to champion the city’s diverse communities and celebrate our differences, and this year, we will celebrate our theme and see the ‘Progress Bee’ become more than a symbol, instead becoming a call to action.
“It reminds us that, just like worker bees collaborating in a hive, LGBTQ+ communities and their allies can achieve great things when we work together to influence change, and it also symbolises the ongoing commitment to progress for LGBTQ+ inclusivity and equality that Manchester Pride champions all year round.”
Manchester Pride Festival returns to the city this August bank holiday weekend / Credit: Manchester Pride
Manchester Pride Festival 2024 is free to attend, with the exception of the Gay Village Party – which the first round of tickets and VIP options for are now officially on sale.
There are a variety of ticket offerings available, including day tickets and weekend passes.
Weekend tickets will set you back £37.50 each, with £2.50 from every ticket being donated to the Manchester Pride Community Fund and the money going directly to LGBTQ+ causes and projects in Greater Manchester through the distribution of grants.
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Low income tickets will be available in the coming weeks too in a bid to ensure the Festival is accessible and inclusive for all in response to the cost of living crisis, and family tickets are also available at £54 to give access to a family of up to four people.
The UK’s much-loved ‘day rave’ with Vicky and Jon McClure returns to Manchester for New Year’s Eve
Thomas Melia
One of the UK’s most popular new club events and pioneering ‘day rave’ is returning to Manchester this New Year’s, featuring founders Jon and Vicky McClure, as well as some very special guests.
The Line of Duty star and Reverend and the Makers frontman started the parent-friendly event back in January of this year as an alternative day out for those looking to have a party and still manage an early bedtime. Since then it’s gone on to become a real phenomenon and is only getting bigger.
With Vicky swapping UK dramas and crime thrillers for the discotheque and ‘Big Jon’ switching lanes from his usual rock, indie and alternative roots to favour timeless dance tracks to still get people up on their feet, Day Fever has gone down a storm all over the country.
With their first year coming towards a close, they now look set for arguably their biggest day rave to date as Day Fever will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve for their final hurrah of 2024 right here in Manchester city centre – and no, you don’t need to be able to stay up until midnight.
The two McClures – unrelated, by the way, they just share a name and a fantastic taste in music – and the rest of their crew will be partying between 3-8pm for a much more tame and friendlier night (day) out, commanding the decks alongside some other special guests.
Not only does this alternative way to party promise a more responsible curfew, meaning clubbers don’t have to worry about missing the last train home but it’s also geared towards over 30s whilst still being super inclusive.
This day-time clubbing event is designed to reminisce on the old days and all those dance-filled memories of evenings spent out on the tiles, just minus the late-night finish – and hopefully the hangover but that’s down to you really, isn’t it?
In their words: ‘There’s no dress code, no egos—just pure positivity’; there’s nothing we love to hear more than the sweet relief of not having to get dolled up for a big night when we just can’t be bothered.
With New Century Hall hosting the Day Fever once again for their first-ever NYE party here in Manchester, along with two other events being held simultaneously in Edinburgh and Birmingham, you can get all your partying done way with plenty of time to get cosy in bed before the calendar turns over.
Just in time to watch Jools Holland’s famous Annual Hootenanny, as they put it.
Jon McClure and Vicky’s co-star, Martin CompstonVicky McClure leading the dance routines
This is guaranteed to be an evening to remember for everyone in attendance, especially when you’re joined by stars of stage and screen who will be powering you through with some proper dance bangers as they have done all year long.
The New Year’s Eve party isn’t just the last dance of the year either, it’s also effectively the prequel to next year’s raft of shows as Day Fever has already announced more than a dozen big dates in January and February.
This batch of 2025 dates sees the gang taking on lots of other cities, including North West neighbours Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull over in Yorkshire, two Newcastle shows and plenty more.
So, if you’re feeling those clubbing blues, that pesky seasonal affective disorder or just still not booked up for NYE 2024, why not make the most of this day-time opportunity?
Tickets for both the New Year’s Eve and the rest of their 2025 events are available on the official Day Fever website HERE.
Oh yeah, and help get Rev to Christmas number one – it’s for a good cause and they deserve it!
Manchester’s popular Winter Beer Festival is back next month to kick off 2025
Emily Sergeant
Once the hustle and bustle of the festive season has died down, there’s often not a great deal to look forward to in January.
But luckily, Manchester’s very-own GRUB has got you covered.
The now-legendary Winter Beer Festival is back by popular demand for 2025, and tickets are already on sale if you’re keen to kick off your new year with a pint or two.
The Green Quarter-based social hub is known for being home to a wide range of rotating food and drink vendor pop-ups all year round, but next month is perfect excuse to pay a visit, as this year’s Winter Beer Festival will take place across three days.
GRUB’s Winter Beer Festival gives beer lovers the chance can sip creations from some of the best local breweries.
Running from Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 January 2025, you can expect there to be plenty of local brews to taste test over the course of the three-day festival – with loads of pop-up brewery bars and more than 30 guest taps too.
If you’re not a big beer lover though, you can also expect a street food market, mulled wine pop-up, beeroke and quiz events, and so much more over the extended weekend.
Manchester’s popular Winter Beer Festival is back to kick off 2025 / Credit: GRUB
Fancy it then? Tickets for the GRUB Winter Beer Festival 2025 are now on sale.
They will set you back just £4 on Thursday and Friday, with a limited number of early bird tickets at £3, and then Saturday tickets will be £5 with a limited number of tickets available of the door on the days for £6 each.
Tickets include entry to the festival, access to the full range of beers – including all the brewery bars and guest taps – a branded WBF glass to take home with you afterwards, and FREE optional entry to any of the entertainment events taking place during your session too.
Emily Sergeant -
5th February 2024 
