The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 1 – 7 December 2025
Emily Sergeant
We did it, we made it to the end of the year – December is finally here.
With less than a month to go until Christmas Day, Greater Manchester is looking as festive as ever now. There’s dozens of light trails and Christmas events to be getting involved with, not to mention the iconic Manchester Christmas Markets have kicked off for 2025 too, so there’s loads to do throughout our region this week.
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 are featured.
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Manchester Christmas Markets 2025
Manchester City Centre
Monday 1 December – onwards
Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 / Credit: Manchester City Council
It’s that time of year once again… Manchester Christmas Markets are here for 2025.
The iconic annual event is an absolute staple in Manchester’s festive events calendar, and always draws in thousands of visitors from all across the globe – with hundreds of stalls across several sites now lining the streets of our city this year.
Visitors can tuck into a wide range of festive foods and drinks, and shop for Christmas gifts from countless independent traders.
Find out everything you need to know about Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 here, and check out the full round-up of drinks prices from all the traders here.
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Northern Lights
Heaton Park
Monday 1 – Wednesday 31 December
Northern Lights / Credit: Supplied
Heaton Park has been transformed into a glowing world of wonder, as one of the UK’s most celebrated festive light trails has made its Manchester debut.
Already a hit in other major northern cities such as Leeds and Newcastle, Northern Lights – the acclaimed light trail from the team behind established music festivals Kendal Calling and Bluedot – has descended on our city’s largest park, bringing its cinematic visuals, choreographed soundscapes, and festive atmosphere along with it.
What’s a festive season in the city without Skate Manchester?
Back once again for 2025, ready for families, friends, and festive fun seekers to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas, Skate Manchester is festive staple in Cathedral Gardens.
Skaters can expect to glide across a gleaming ice path and spin around a dazzling seven-metre Christmas tree taking centre stage in the middle of the rink for another year.
This year, there’s also a giant turbine by Octopus Energy that’s partially-powering the rink too, and you can skate around it while enjoying the ski scene in the globe.
The dazzling Lanterns and Light trail has returned to Chester Zoo for the winter.
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Over the past couple of years, Lanterns and Light has proved to be such a success that it’s developed into one of the North West’s biggest and longest-running festive light trails, and all profits from the event support the zoo’s charitable mission to prevent wildlife extinction.
The zoo has transformed into a spectacular winter wonderland with colour-changing forests, glowing animals, show-stopping puppets and, brand-new for this year, a host of new immersive installations.
East Lancashire Railway’s beloved Santa steam train rides are back for more festive fun this Christmas.
Running right through until Christmas Eve, ELR’s ‘Santa Specials’ are your chance to hop on board an old-school steam train and travel through the magical Irwell Valley to make “enchanted memories” that last a lifetime.
The famous festive steam trains have become an essential part of Christmas for many families in the North West, and there’s still some tickets left available.
A magical illuminated trail has made it returns to the historic Dunham Massey, filling the grounds with twinkling lights and dazzling installations.
Christmas at Dunham Massey has become one of the North West’s most popular festive light trails, created by award-winning light trail producers, and for 2025, there’s a whole host of brand-new installations to see.
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Visitors will get to walk through multicoloured landscapes of laser beams, while a projection on the facade of the historic house at Dunham Massey will narrate festive stories.
The Grotto has returned to the Trafford Centre for the festive season.
This year, the shopping centre is taking things up a notch too, as The Grotto is described as being a ‘joyful’ and ‘interactive’ adventure where you’ll become part of a magical mission – saving Christmas cheer.
To make the experience accessible to all, specially-tailored Whispering Winter sessions with softer lighting, quieter music, and fewer visitors will create a calm and inclusive environment for every child to enjoy the magic of Christmas.
Believe! The Polar Express Experience has landed in Manchester.
Having taken over Victoria Warehouse, this is an immersive walk-through experience, inspired by the timeless Christmas classic. You’ll be taken through the story in its entirety, stepping into the Polar Express carriage as a passenger and arriving to a festive Northern Lights display at your final destination – the North Pole, of course.
Photo opportunities are available throughout the experience too… yep, even with the big guy himself, so make sure to get snapping.
Yuletide at Tatton Park / Credit: Tatton Park / Emma Croman
One of winter’s top events, Yuletide, has returned to Tatton Park’s Gardens.
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The magical winter adventure has, once again, brough a glittering light trail and theatrical, immersive performance to the famous beauty spot.
This unique fusion of Christmas light trail and winter family festival is now in its third year, and will debut brand-new features and performances for 2025. As visitors wander the Yuletide event, they’ll be treated to everything from sparkling light installations to impressive fire juggling shows.
Land of Lights at Gulliver’s World / Credit: The Manc Group
The magical Land of Lights has returned to Gulliver’s World once again.
After proving to be a huge success the past two years, the one-mile trail showcases a huge array of lanterns and displays, creating a wondrous, wild, and magical atmosphere that’s suitable for all ages, and this year, there’s even some new additions.
The Curling Club / Credit: Justin De Souza (Supplied)
A pop-up curling rink has opened right beneath the skyscrapers in Manchester city centre for the winter.
Already a top attraction in London, The Curling Club has now arrived launch at the foot of the Deansgate Square towers, and as well as the state-of-the-art curling lanes, where Mancs can slide and shove their stones along the rink to giant bullseyes, there’ll be plenty more entertainment for the party season at the alpine-themed winter village.
The Curling Club has also brought apres-ski bars to the New Jackson district too, with DJs, dancers, and festive food.
Christmas has taken over Freight Island, as Winter Island and Twilight Tales open for the festive season.
Twilight Tales is a brand-new outdoor immersive light and story experience, with interactive installations, marshmallow toasting, a Moth Drinks bar, and more.
While Winter Island has returned for another year, bringing you the most delicious festive comfort food from traders like Nell’s, Ornella’s Kitchen, the all-new V. Goode Pies, and Oh My Cheesecake to finsih things off and satisfy your sweet tooth.
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GRUB On The Docks: Christmas Crossover
MediaCity
Monday 1 – Tuesday 13 December
Manchester’s award-winning street food market GRUB has returned for a festive takeover with a lineup of tasty vendors.
GRUB On The Docks: Christmas Takeover has transformed the On The Docks site into a cosy, seasonal hub for residents, workers, and visitors.
Taking place now across three long weekends from Wednesday to Saturday right up until 13 December, you can expect great food, winter drinks, festive entertainment, a selection of community-led experiences curated in true GRUB style, and even a mini Christmas market.
Lightwaves Salford 2025 / Credit: Dave Sloan | Liz West
After having successfully lit up MediaCity like never before in recent years, and going on to become an undeniable winter season highlight in Greater Manchester, Lightwaves Salford is set to return this weekend.
Presented by Quays Culture, the popular festival is returning for its twelfth year, and there’ll be 12 illuminated artworks along a 1.5km fully-accessible trail around MediaCity and Salford Quays.
The mesmerising immersive experience will include installations of different scale, all making use of light, sound, and technology in innovative ways.
Our piggy little prayers have been answered – you can finally get your hands on proper British pies at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
You may know that Great North Pie Co have been a staple at the Markets for years, but it’s always been with pies you take home to heat for your tea… not this time though, as this year they’ve got an actual pie and mash bar.
They’re currently serving up their award-winning bakes on a bed of fluffy mashed potato, with lashings of steaming hot onion gravy.
Everybody’s favourite pasta from a cheese wheel is back this year.
Pasta Claus is the Italian themed pop-up serving all the classics. We’re talking the OG carbonara, cacio e pepe, and a pesto burrata number – the options are endless. There’s even thick cut slices of Lasagne too, with layers of beef ragù, bèchamel sauce, and lashings of parm.
If you’re dreaming of a cheesy Christmas, get this one added to your list.
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Is piping hot goulash in a bread bowl more up your street?
When we’re after comfort food, nothing hits the spot quite like a hearty stew or a warm bowl of roasties, right?
Enter Roasties Haus, brought to you by the team behind Drip Haus. We’re talking fluffy roasted tatties piled high with all the festive trimmings, and of course, a big tub of gravy to pour, dip, and devour every last bite.
But wait, they’re not stopping there. These legends are also serving Austrian goulash in a bread bowl, because nothing screams comfort and warmth like a hearty, loaded soup and crusty bread.
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Is your sweet tooth craving tiramisu? Ours certainly is.
These gorgeous little boxes of tiramisu have been going viral on TikTok, so we made a beeline to the Manchester Christmas Markets to grab one for ourselves.
Misu Tiramisu have brought nine different flavours of their handcrafted Italian desserts to Piccadilly Gardens.
You can tuck into flavours including classic, pistachio and lemon, as well as festive flavours like Black Forest, gingerbread, and orange chocolate, all served in these beautiful little boxes.
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Featured Image – Chester Zoo | The Manc Group | Dunham Massey
What's On
Popular street food market GRUB is back and taking over MediaCity docks this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s award-winning street food market GRUB has returned for a festive takeover with a lineup of tasty vendors.
GRUB, Manchester’s leading independent street food and events collective – which recently said goodbye to its former home over at the Red Bank Project in the Green Quarter – is teaming up with MediaCity to bring a brand-new festive feasting hub to the waterfront this winter.
GRUB On The Docks: Christmas Takeover will transform the On The Docks site into a cosy, seasonal hub for residents, workers, and visitors.
Taking place now across three long weekends from Wednesday to Saturday right up until 13 December, you can expect great food, winter drinks, festive entertainment, a selection of community-led experiences curated in true GRUB style, and even a mini Christmas market.
The MediaCity site is set to ‘come alive’ with a rotating street food lineup, Christmas specials, and festive moments throughout the takeover.
The core trader lineup includes CAFF, Above and Beyond, Baby Mayhem, and Wholesome Junkies.
Baby Mayhem will launch a brand-new dessert exclusive to MediaCity, while Wholesome Junkies bring the award-winning vegan cooking that has been featured on Netflix and on BBC’s Million Pound Menu, alongside plenty of other things to look forward to.
On top of that, the festive GRUB bar will serve a bespoke seasonal drinks menu throughout the full three-week run.
Wholesome JunkiesBaby Mayhem
“Partnering with GRUB is an exciting step as we continue to evolve the experiences on offer at MediaCity,” explained Joshua McAllister, who is the Senior Events Manager at MediaCity.
“With a focus on independent talent, great Manchester food tenants, seasonal drinks and relaxed festive moments, this collaboration reflects our aim to create vibrant, inclusive spaces. We are confident GRUB will bring a warm and enjoyable addition for everyone to discover this winter.”
GRUB’s takeover of the On The Docks site is set to be ‘just the start’ of a developing long-term partnership with MediaCity that will bring even more food, drink, and cultural experiences to the waterfront.
Daisy Jackson -
22nd May 2024 
