Piccadilly Gardens to host ‘party fit for royalty’ for Coronation next weekend

Manchester will be throwing a huge party to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla – slap bang in the middle of Piccadilly Gardens.

Manchester City Council is inviting people to head into the city centre to watch the historic occasion on two big screens.

The new monarch will be coronated at Westminster Abbey – the same place his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned some 70 years ago – on Saturday 6 May.

The huge event is going to be live-streamed to chosen locations across the country, including our very own Piccadilly Gardens.

The area has also become the main hub of the Manchester Christmas Markets in recent years, and has hosted screenings of major sporting events too.

The Council has today also revealed plans to have a screen in Manchester Cathedral.

A range of traders will be invited down to sell everything from food and drinks to face paints for little ones.

Here’s what’s going on across the bank holiday weekend.

Saturday 6 May

A ‘party fit for royalty’ has been announced for Saturday, including airing the BBC Live Coverage of the Coronation in Piccadilly Gardens on large screens.

Visitors can dine on street food and Coronation treats, while kids can have their faces painted.

Or you can head across to the historic Manchester Cathedral and watch the Coronation from there instead, free of charge.

The platforms in Piccadilly Gardens will remain open until 11pm, with food, drink and entertainment into the night.

Sunday 7 May

The Coronation fun will continue the day after the main event, with a Coronation Big Lunch picnic planned in Piccadilly Gardens.

There’ll be picnic tables, benches and food stalls, with similar events happening in cities towns and villages across the country.

In the evening, the Coronation Concert will be live streamed in Piccadilly Gardens and residents are invited to enjoy the world-class entertainment in the city centre.

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Starting on Monday 8 May, to mark His Majesty The King’s Coronation, thousands of organisations across the country will be participating in the Big Help Out. The Big Help Out is a scheme encouraging people across the country to volunteer and help out their local communities.

For Manchester based volunteering opportunities, please visit: mcrvip.com/index-classic

Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Donna Ludford, said: “The Coronation of His Majesty the King Charles the III and Queen Consort is a landmark occasion, and I am pleased that Manchester is joining in with the Coronation fun.

“From joining in with the events in Piccadilly Gardens, to celebrating at home, there’s a range of ways that communities all over the city can get involved with the celebrations and I hope that it will be a weekend to remember for all.”

For more information on the Coronation, please visit: manchester.gov.uk/coronation

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