Not only is it Valentine’s Day at the end of this week, but it’s also the start of half term, with schools soon to be out across the region, so as you can imagine, there’s absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester throughout this week.
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, so here’s some of our recommendations.
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Six Nations Fanzone 2025
Freight Island
Monday 10 February – onwards
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Six Nations Fanzone 2025 / Credit: Freight Island
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.
Looking for other places to watch the Six Nations?
We’re absolutely spoiled for choice with places showing all the sporting action across Greater Manchester, so if you’re looking to get together with your mates, we’ve rounded up some of the best places to head to here.
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Wild
Manchester Museum
Monday 10 February – onwards
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Wild / Credit: Manchester Museum
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.
It’s time to celebrate living legend, Philip Glass.
Over the course of three days, in collaboration with the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), the Hallé is hosting festival showcasing the composers best-loved works.
With wildlife photographer Frans Lanting’s stunning photography projected on the big screen. and Glass’s hallmark evolving textures mirroring the ever-changing landscape of life, this one-hour immersive audio-visual experience is set to be an emotionally-charged journey through time, from the Big Bang to the present.
In need of last-minute Valentine’s Day plans? Wondering where the most romantic restaurants and bars in Manchester are?
It’s Valentine’s Day this week, and Manchester is gearing up to welcome couples wanting to celebrate the international day of love in style.
With so many great restaurants, bars, and date spots in the city centre, if you’re looking to take your other half out, then you are quite literally spoilt for choice, so we thought we’d help make things a little bit easier by recommending some of our favourite popular date night spots to help get you started.
Valentine’s Day 2025 / Credit: 20 Stories | Unsplash
If you’re looking to spend a romantic evening celebrating the best of Manchester’s hospitality scene, then we’ve rounded up some of the city’s most romantic bars and restaurants here.
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Need some date inspiration? We picked five of the best date ideas here.
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The Love Club
Embankment Kitchen
Thursday 13 – Saturday 15 February
The Love Club / Credit: The Manc Group
Embankment Kitchen inside CitySuites is celebrating Valentine’s in style this year, with its very-own ‘The Love Club’ menu.
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The two and three-course set menu features a wide range of delicious signature dishes, with everything from fresh baked cod, and a mushroom and black truffle tortellini, to a salt-baked heritage beetroot salad, and a gorgeous chateaubriand for two to choose from.
There’ll also be live music across the three evenings from 7pm, and talking point cards on each table aimed at bringing you and your loved one closer together.
Two courses will set you back £36, while three courses costs £42 per person.
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 arriving at the Science and Industry Museum this week.
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 coming back to Manchester, and this time around, you can journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets are already on sale for the major new exhibition for children and families, which is titled Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
East Lancashire Railway’s special ‘Valentine’s Night’ luxury dining experiences are back once again by popular demand this weekend.
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Lovebirds can hop on-board a vintage steam train and enjoy a four-course meal while riding through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside as the sun sets.
Part of ELR’s ongoing – and massively-popular – ‘Dining with Distinction’ series, these Valentine’s Night luxury dining experiences are promising to provide couples with an “elegant” and “atmospheric” evening as they travel through the Irwell Valley and raise a toast to each other to celebrate their love.
Find out more and book your last-minute tickets here.
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Valentine’s Day at Printworks
Printworks
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Friday 14 January
Valentine’s Day at Printworks / Credit: Printworks
Fancy swapping Paris for Printworks this Valentine’s?
Love is in the air… and all over the ceiling at Printworks this Valentine’s, as to celebrate the international day of love itself, Mancs have been submitting their very-own messages to be displayed on Europe’s largest digital ceiling inside the city centre entertainment complex.
Whilst you’re down there, why not make a date of it? Maybe enjoy ramen and cocktails at Wagamama, or perhaps pizza and prosecco at Tank and Paddle, or look lovingly into your beloved’s eyes and serenade one another at Trax social – whatever your vibe, there’s lots to get up to this Valentine’s Day.
Don’t forget to chance your luck at the special Valentine’s game on the Printworks app too, where you might win a little treat for two.
Popular variety store Flying Tiger is opening inside the Trafford Centre this Friday.
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The Danish brand has become a staple on Manchester’s high street, thanks to its ability to keep up with the trends and constantly reinvent its products.
Opening on 14 February, more widely-known as Valentine’s Day, anyone who’s left their present shopping until the last minute is now in luck, as they can nip in and pick up a selection of bits and bobs for their special someone.
The Super Duper Family Festival / Credit: ManchesterBID
A brand new festival full of free activities for all the family to get involved with is coming to Manchester this weekend.
The new event, which is called The Super Duper Family Festival and is free to attend, will feature a series of pop-up play zones at a variety of outdoor spaces and popular venues across the city centre, all of which will be free to use and ready to explore.
There will be six play zones providing unique experiences for all ages across the four days.
Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare are hopping over to RHS Garden Bridgewater this February half term.
Starting this Saturday and lasting all year, families can discover an interactive garden trail and get involved with loads of activities based on the well-loved children’s book Guess How Much I Love You – including craft, planting, and dance workshops.
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.
Featured Image – Unsplash | The Manc Group | Manchester BID
What's On
We Are Football Fest – Europe’s largest World Cup fan park gets even bigger as ‘Big Sam’ joins the party
Daisy Jackson
The largest World Cup fan park not just in Manchester or the UK but all of Europe just got even bigger, as the latest ambitious project from 4TheFans is seeing them expand from Freight Island into Depot Mayfield.
In fact, the former has already sold out in just four hours, and with a former England manager set to turn up, you’d better be quick about booking your tickets…
We Are Football Festival, in partnership with Freight Island and Broadwick, will bring together 13,000 football fans in front of the biggest screens in the country to cheer on England as they continue their race for World Cup glory.
The already enormous fan park opened at Freight in June, but now they’ll be opening up the iconic Depot next door, further transforming the space into an unrivalled celebration of football, with the one and only Sam Allardyce even set to turn up on stage.
The outdoor screen has been box office vibes since minute oneWe Are Football Festival by 4TheFansThe fan park spills over into Depot MayfieldCredit: Vision Seven
We know he was only in charge for one game, but he’s still the only England boss to boast a 100% win record, after all.
Fans have been utterly immersed in the action thanks to a massive sound system, pyrotechnics, CO2 cannons, DJs, and entertainment around the games themselves – providing just about the closest thing you can get to a big game atmosphere.
The venue is open for all late kick-offs, too, and with England now through to the quarter-final stages following that dramatic 3-2 thriller against Mexico, the heat is really starting to ramp up.
Fans can head to Freight, as well as the rooftop or garden at Depot Mayfield from 5pm kick-off on matchdays in the sunshine, now with room for even more supporters to flood into the famous Manc Warehouse for those late-night games in the warehouse.
Here’s hoping it doesn’t get much later than a 4am full-time whistle again, eh?
There’s also the dedicated ‘Footy Fun Village’, which includes sponsored activations, games zones, and more family-friendly areas, creating a safe space for fans of all ages to enjoy the tournament no matter the time of day.
4TheFans and Freight Island have also hand-picked a great selection of food traders from around the world, not to mention a top-shelf bar selection.
We Are Football Fest’s 2026 World Cup coverage also comes with dedicated 4TheFans hosts, plus Sky Sports presenters, and the matches thus far have even seen England football legends providing quality match analysis at each screening.
Since launching, 4TheFans has welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans, and camera crews from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, Sky Sports, England TV, and Match of the Day, to fan parks across the UK.
It’s now chosen Depot Mayfield for its World Cup fan park, where they can fill the huge space at Freight Island first before scaling into the rest of the Depot as the fan community grows and the Three Lions march on.
4TheFans is the UK’s original and biggest fan park brand, and it’s working with Freight Island and Broadwick to deliver this game-changing We Are Football Festival – the biggest and best fan park in Europe.
5,000 early bird tickets are available from just £4.50 per person, each coming with one beer included, and are on sale right HERE.
4TheFans presents We Are Football Festival runs at Depot Mayfield until 19 July 2026.
General admission tickets include
4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
Football legend in attendance
Guaranteed entry to the event
The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
VIP table tickets include
VIP table section with the best view of the giant screens and the event
Meet and greet with a football legend
4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
Guaranteed entry to the event
The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
It’s been packed for every England game up to this pointHow the indoor Depot warehouse room will lookCredit: Supplied via 4TheFans
Featured Images – Press shots by Vision Seven (supplied via 4TheFans)
What's On
Title partner and more collaborators confirmed for first-ever Stockport 10k
Danny Jones
The official title partners and other key collaborators for the inaugural Stockport 10k run and road race have been confirmed, with Vitality lending its name as the new lead sponsor.
Now set to be dubbed the Vitality Stockport 10K moving forward as part of a multi-year agreement beginning in 2026, the new running event by the UK’s leading organisers, RunThrough, has already seen huge interest.
The popular promotion and growing sports community currently boasts more than 300 different events across the country over the course of the annual calendar.
Ahead of this new SK iteration launching later this month, the nearby health insurance company are teaming up with the likes of the RunThrough team, Stockport County and more.
We're proud to announce @Vitality_UK the Title Partner of the inaugural Vitality Stockport 10K! 🏃
Join us on 19 July 2026 for an unforgettable road closed race starting and finishing at Edgeley Park.
As mentioned, places are already selling out fast with hundreds signing up from the moment the race went on sale.
Besides Edgeley Park football stadium hosting a memorable finish line at the local ground, Stockport County’s Community Trust arm is also playing a big role in the maiden Greater Manchester movement.
Lots of runners will be taking on the 10 kilometre/6.2 mile challenge for all kinds of reasons, but importantly, this first edition will also help raise money for the Trust’s completely free health and wellbeing programmes across the borough.
Eddie Owen, who heads up the schemes, said in a statement: “We’re delighted to be supporting this new community 10K and bringing people together at Edgeley Park for what promises to be a fantastic event.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to get active, support an important cause and be part of something that will have a lasting impact on our local community.
“Every entry will help us continue delivering our free health projects and move us closer to our goal of funding a brand-new health initiative for an entire year. We can’t wait to welcome runners, supporters and families to Edgeley Park in July.”
As for RunThrough themselves, CEO Jack Williams went on to add: “We’re proud to announce Vitality as the title sponsor of the inaugural Vitality Stockport 10K.
“Their commitment to the local community makes them a fantastic partner for this event, and with the run starting and finishing at Edgeley Park, it already has a strong SK identity. We’re excited to work together to create a welcoming and memorable race day for runners and supporters across the town.”
The run itself is set to start along Harcastle Road, pass through the gorgeous Bramhall Park, back towards the town centre and Edgeley, before finishing at the famous Cheadle End.
Regarding the route itself, the course will treat participants to a route with a fairly flat elevation profile, making it ideal not only for those looking to notch a new personal best but entry level runners, too.
One of the best parts about RunThrough as well is the added bonus of accurate chip timing, a unique finisher’s medal design for each event, goodie bags and even free photos after completion.
Nick Read, Chief Vitality Officer, went on to add: “We’re delighted to partner with RunThrough as title sponsor of the Vitality Stockport 10K. This event brings together the local community in a way that reflects what Vitality stands for — making movement accessible, enjoyable and part of everyday life, whatever your starting point.
“Stockport is a key location for Vitality, both as a growing hub for our people and as one where we want to have a meaningful, long-term presence. It’s particularly fitting that this debut event takes place on the eve of opening our new office at No.3 Stockport Exchange.
“The space has been designed with health and wellbeing at its core, and this event is a great example of the kind of community-led initiatives we’re proud to support, helping to encourage more people to get active in a way that works for them.”
Entries for the Vitality Stockport 10K are open now, with runners from all over Greater Manchester invited to take their place on the start line come Sunday, 19 July 2026 – you can secure your spot HERE.
The North West running renaissance continues, and we’re absolutely here for it.
Emily Sergeant -
6th February 2025 
