July is in full swing, and so is the summer season.
Britain’s rescheduled ‘Freedom Day’ will arrive on Monday, but until then, there’s still plenty to be getting up to in our region.
We’ve put together another edition of our ‘what’s on’ guide for the city of Manchester and beyond this week.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, others will set you back a few pounds, and most will need to be booked in advance – but all are COVID-secure in order to keep you as safe as possible.
Here’s a few of our top picks.
ADVERTISEMENT
___
Manchester International Festival (MIF)
Manchester City Centre
ADVERTISEMENT
Monday 12 – Sunday 18 July
Manchester International Festival (MIF)
The highly-anticipated return of Manchester International Festival is finally here, with a jam-packed lineup showcasing original new work from across the spectrum of visual and performing arts and music by artists from over 20 countries.
A 42-metre sculpture of Big Ben made out of political books in Piccadilly Gardens, a new film featuring Cillian Murphy, and a theatrical performance of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay about grief are among the standout works featuring at the festival.
ADVERTISEMENT
Performances are taking place safely at both indoor and outdoor locations across Greater Manchester, including the first ever work on the construction site of The Factory – the landmark cultural space that will be MIF’s future home.
A “rich online offer” is also providing a window into the festival wherever audiences are, including livestreams and work created especially for the digital realm.
You can find more information about the exciting lineup of events for MIF21 here.
___
Looney Tunes Street Art Trail
Manchester City Centre
ADVERTISEMENT
Monday 12 July – 31 July
CityCo & Manchester BID
Have you seen that playful world of Looney Tunes has taken to the streets of Manchester?
Well, your eyes aren’t deceiving you.
11 of the most-beloved characters from the Looney Tunes series – including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Speedy Gonzales, Tasmanian Devil and more – have all been spray-painted at various locations across the city centre as part of an exploratory street art trail that’s aiming to welcome people back to the city post lockdown.
There’s also a family-friendly walking tour taking place, too, so you can see all the colourful characters popping up around the city.
ADVERTISEMENT
You can find more information about the trail and artwork locations here.
___
Runway Visitor Park
Manchester Airport
Monday 12 July – onwards
Runway Visitor Park
Manchester Airport’s tourist attraction Runway Visitor Park has officially reopened, with an exciting programme of activities on the cards this summer.
ADVERTISEMENT
The airstrip-adjacent park is inviting visitors to take weekend tours of vintage aircraft – such as Concorde – board flight simulators, and gawp at classic vehicles as part of an upcoming events schedule, which is underway until September.
The programme features a wide range of highlights for history buffs and families alike, including historic vehicle club open days, an airport memorabilia fair, a military showcase, and so much more.
Live music performances have also been confirmed for the park’s memorabilia fair in July.
There are 52 events for families and festival-goers to get stuck into at the Tatton Park Pop Up Festival this summer.
The outdoor boutique festival in Knutsford will feature 10 weeks of music and entertainment performances between right through until the end of August, with acts during the day suitable for children, while the party continues at night for adults.
Just some of the events include ABBA Mania – the world’s number one touring ABBA tribute – and live performances of science show Brainiac.
ADVERTISEMENT
For the kids, there’s also Jurassic Earth – a unique, immersive dinosaur experience for all ages, combining animatronics, performances, and the opportunity to walk with a Triceratops, roar with a T-Rex, scream with a Spinosaurus and run with a Raptor.
You can find more information about the festival here.
The OT Art Trail – which has been organised by OT Creative Space and is funded by Arts Council England – sees a number of local artists work together with members of the Manchester community to create six individual large scale murals which have been painted onto walls and building gable ends around the area, including in Seymour Park and Ayres Road.
The new murals have been added to the murals and artwork already seen around Old Trafford.
The several new street art sites are linked together via a downloadable audio tour, which is suitable for people of all ages.
Each mural centres around the theme ‘community togetherness and diversity’.
You can find more information on The OT Art Trail via the OT creative SPACE website here.
ADVERTISEMENT
___
Box on the Docks
MediaCityUK
Monday 12 July – onwards
Box on the Docks
MediaCityUK’s popular outdoor dining concept Box on the Docks (BOTD) is welcoming customers back to its waterside ‘pods’ this week, with the collection of 30 sheds and greenhouses having undergone renovation from local artists.
An exciting range of residents have moved into the neighbourhood for the summer, along with beloved local eateries from across the region such as The Spinn, Grandad’s Sausages, I Knead Pizza, Bada Bing Deli, and Batard Bakery.
ADVERTISEMENT
You can find more information about Box on the Docks 2021 here.
___
Platt Fields Park Story Trail
Fallowfield
Monday 12 July – onwards
Read Manchester | Unsplash
A brand new interactive story trail has arrived at Platt Fields Park for the summer.
ADVERTISEMENT
The trail – which is based on a story about elves in the Fallowfield park written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley – is delivered by the National Literacy Trust as one of 12 story trails across the country that are part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign.
The campaign provides children with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines, all whilst building speech and language skills at home.
As well as the story trail, there will also be an elf garden and elf-making activities to get involved with, and everyone will walk away with a free book thanks to Read Manchester’s Look for a Book partnership.
You can find more information about the Platt Fields Park Story Trail here.
___
ADVERTISEMENT
Snorkel with Sharks
SEA LIFE Manchester
Tuesday 13 & Thursday 15 July
SEA LIFE Manchester
SEA LIFE Manchester has launched a new snorkel cage experience that’s letting people get closer than ever have before to more than 1,000 creatures of the deep at the Trafford Centre-based marine life aquarium.
Snorkel with Sharks is a one-hour surface snorkelling adventure, suitable for swimmers age 10+ and includes a full briefing, introduction to the incredible creatures you can expect to see, and 20 minutes snorkelling in the purpose-built shark cage.
Tickets cost £40 per person, and the session can be booked for two to four people from the same household or bubble.
ADVERTISEMENT
You can find more information and book your tickets here.
___
Chase The Sun 5k, 10k & 10 Mile Run
Heaton Park
Wednesday 14 July
The first ever Chase The Sun 5k, 10k & 10 Mile runs are set to take place in Heaton Park this Wednesday 14 July, giving runners the chance to battle to the finish line before the sun goes down with each kilometre accurately marked out.
You can play it safe and fly round the 5k, or go for the extra challenge of the 10k or 10 Mile.
There’ll be music, refreshments, a fantastic Heaton Park-themed medal, and a great opportunity for a chip-timed personal best.
Prices range from £22 – £24, and you can register here.
___
Secret City
EventCity
Wednesday 14 – Sunday 18 July
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNqKFGIFQqQ/
Park N Party – the team that delivered both the sell-out successes of ScareCity, ChristmasCity and a number of other outdoor live events throughout 2020 – has launched a new venture titled SecretCity, and there’s a whole host of immersive drive-in entertainment events happening this week.
There’s screenings of cinema favourites including Mamma Mia, Pretty Woman, A Star is Born, The Lion King, and more all on show throughout the week.
Tickets must be booked in advance, and you can grab yours from £35 per car here.
___
Use Hearing Protection
Science and Industry Museum
Wednesday 14 July – onwards
Science and Industry Museum
A special exhibition documenting the formation and early years of the iconic Factory Records has officially opened at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.
The exhibition also examines the period 1978 to 1982, revealing how the label grew and thrived to give the city an authentic voice and distinctive identity, and visitors will be guided through the pre-Haçienda years to uncover the history of the label and how it earned its status as a catalyst for innovation through rarely or never-before-seen objects.
The first 50 artefacts from the official Factory Records catalogue are on display, including creations from Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, and so much more.
Common & Co has brought ‘(A Kind Of) Summer Beer Thing’ pop-up event to Manchester city centre’s newest canalside neighbourhood KAMPUS this month – hosting a wide selection of beers, wines and soft drinks on the waterfront.
Eight rotating taps of the “finest and most sessionable beers” will all be good to go – alongside natural wines, cocktails, softs, and snacks, with support from Salt Beer Factory and Sipsmith Gin.
Numerous pop-up tastings and weekend DJ sets will take place on the canalside throughout July – with Nell’s Ice Cream Sandwiches also up for grabs.
Tables will be for walk-ins only.
You can find more information about ‘(A Kind Of) Summer Beer Thing’ here.
___
HOPE FEST at Hope Mill Theatre
Ancoats
Friday 16 July – 8 August
HOPE FEST
A three-week outdoor theatre festival bringing a jam-packed programme of arts and cultural events to Ancoats is kicking off this Friday.
Created by Manchester’s iconic Hope Mill Theatre in association with Electric Park, HOPE FEST will see musicals, comedy, live music, family shows, film screenings, one-off special community events and even a dog festival all arrive in the city’s sought-after suburb right through until 8 August.
The festival’s unique programme of community-centric events are taking place inside a large sheltered tent that’s set to accommodate 250 people based beside New Islington Tram Station, just a stone’s throw away from the theatre itself.
To offer a wide range of local beers, spirits and good grub, the new pop-up summer venue will also include an onsite bar and an eating area with a BBQ.
You can find more information about HOPE FEST here.
___
Manchester Cheese Crawl
Central Manchester
Saturday 17 July
Geograph / Ian S | Northern Soul Grilled Cheese
The Manchester Cheese Crawl is two hours of non-stop cheese-related fun, including everything from blue cheese tasting, to cheese quizzes, competitions and more.
Starting off in St Ann’s Square, the tour wanders across the city and gives you the chance to try the finest cheeses Manchester has to offer along the way.
With tours taking place every Saturday until 25 September, tickets cost just £25 each and include cheese samples, optional bread and crackers, and some red wine to complement.
Nestled among the backstreets of Manchester and tucked into the courtyard of an old, red-brick historic mill, Ancoats Pop Up Market is a weekly-run market event which has teamed up with MUD (Manchester Urban Diggers) to supply the neighbourhood with a wealthy selection of fresh, organic and locally-grown fruit and veg, as well as dry goods.
The market also features Manchester-based stallholders serving speciality coffee, locally-brewed rum liquors, locally-sourced bakes and crafts, and more.
Street food and freshly-brewed coffee is also available while you browse.
Featured Image – Manchester International Festival (MIF)
What's On
Five fantastic freebies and offers for the 2025 Manchester Half marathon
Danny Jones
It’s nearly time: not just for the Manchester Half but, more importantly, the freebies and offers you can get for running it.
Let’s be honest, not everyone loves running for literal miles just for the sake of it; a lot of people need motivation, and besides an inspiring cause, you’d be surprised how many people will get out of bed for something as simple as free stuff.
You might be one of them – you are here reading this, after all.
There’s no long-winded preamble or intro needed to set this up, so let’s just crack on. Here are five brilliant freebies you can get with a 2025 Manchester Half Marathon medal.
What freebies you can get with a Manchester Half finisher’s medal
Now, you’ll be glad to know that most of these are completely gratis, but we thought we’d mention some others that stuck out to us as well.
1. Free fizz on The Refuge
First up, how about some free fizz? Well, that’s exactly what you can get this Sunday, 12 October, if you’ve just run the 2025 Manchester Half-marathon.
Participants can head to The Refuge inside the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel after the race to claim a well-earned glass of prosecco – available to the first 100 finishers on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Complimentary food and drink at Circolo Popolare
Next up, it doesn’t get much better than a free pizza and a cold one; that’s what Circolo Popolare in Gary Neville’s stunning St. Michael’s building are offering.
Just show your medal and enjoy a free margherita pizza plus your choice of either an ice-cold beer or a refreshing virgin cocktail. Prego!
3. You’ve got to be quick to get House of Social’s freebie
Speaking of free drinks, the first 50 runners who use the last of their energy to dash over to House of Social this Sunday and enjoy a pint on the house.
All you have to do is present your medal when ordering to snap up a beer at absolutely no cost. So we’ll see you there, basically.
Self-explanatory, really. The student favourite that used to be the old Footage pub on Oxford Road is offering up a limited amount of free pints to runners, just make sure you show your medal at the bar.
To be honest, even if it wasn’t free, we’d still probably spend a good few hours here sinking affordable pints because it is absolute VIBES at this gaff.
Last but not least, if you’re looking for a lovely carby reward in the city centre, you’re obviously spoilt for choice, but Italiana Fifty Five are offering a free starter when booking and presenting your 2025 finisher’s medal upon arrival.
Available at all Greater Manchester locations, the Italian eatery formerly known as Cibo always delivers good offers, and race day for the MCR Half is no different.
🏃♀️ Running the MCR Half this Sunday?
Celebrate your finish line moment at Italiana Fifty-Five, Manchester 🇮🇹
Show us your medal and enjoy a FREE starter with your meal! 🍝✨
Oh yeah, it might not be a freebie per se, but as one of the busiest post-marathon celebration spots anywhere in Greater Manchester, The Wharf is obviously getting involved beforehand as well.
This year, the canalside Castlefield favourite is serving up sausage and bacon butties from 10-11:30am before the usual Sunday roast service kicks in as normal from 12pm. Now we’ve just got to pray for good beer garden weather.
We hope you get to make the most of these freebies and others Manchester Half offers after your race is run, because let’s be honest, running 13.1 miles (21 and a bit kilometres for you metric heads) is a fair bit of effort, so you deserve a treat.
It goes without saying that there’s probably plenty more SWAG to be snapped up in and around the city that we’ve missed, so make sure to let your fellow runners know about them down in the comments.
Finally, if you’re still feeling uncertain about anything to do with the race itself, you can find our full Manchester Half Marathon guide down below.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/press shot (supplied)
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 13 – 19 October 2025
Emily Sergeant
October is in full swing, and we’re loving how autumnal it looks everything.
The air has a chill, the leaves have changed colour, and spooky season’s right around the corner now, so that means there’s plenty of exciting activities to be getting up to in Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and beyond.
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.
___
Pumpkin Lanterns
Manchester City Centre
Monday 13 – Friday 31 October
Pumpkin Lanterns / Credit: CityCo / Manchester BID
Have you noticed that Manchester’s adorable little pumpkin lanterns have already started popping up around the city?
If you’re looking to get in the mood for Halloween, but want to keep things a little on the cheaper side this week, then you need look no further than up above in the city centre as the annual decorative pumpkin lanterns are back once again.
Going on a little tour to see the lanterns in the trees in St Ann’s Square, Market Street, and beyond is the perfect activity for all the family, easy to plan, and great for pictures – and it’s free too.
Feeling brave? Scare City has returned to the North West with yet another ‘immersive’ horror experience in the lead up to Halloween.
Taking over the grounds of the abandoned Camelot Theme Park for ‘another year of terror’, just as it has done for the past four years following the success of its initial 2020 launch as a drive-in cinema, this year’s event features a selection of terrifying zones to weave your way through – some familiar, some brand new.
Tickets are now available to book at £29.50 for standard entry, or £44.50 for the ‘Gold Entry’ (both plus a booking free).
Find out more and grab tickets to this year’s event here.
___
Pumpkin Festival 2025
Kenyon Hall Farm
Monday 13 – Friday 31 October
Pumpkin Festival 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group
What could be more cute and autumnal than rummaging around in a field in the October sunshine, hunting for your perfect pumpkin? Nothing, if you ask us.
If you’re liking the sound of that, then good news, as Kenyon Hall Farm’s annual Pumpkin Festival has officially kicked off and they’ve got THOUSANDS to choose from.
As well as the fields full of pumpkins, there’s loads of seasonal items in the award-winning farm shop too (alongside masses of fresh produce), like tattoo transfers for your pumpkins, gonks, keyrings, and more.
And don’t forget to stop off at the cafe for their seasonal pumpkin specials.
Multi award-winning musical Sunny Afternoon is kicking off its UK tour here in Manchester at the iconic Palace Theatre.
Following a sell-out run at Hampstead Theatre, the musical production featuring all the hit songs by legendary rock band The Kinks opened to critical acclaim at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End, where it ran for two years ahead of its sensational UK and Ireland tour throughout 2016/17 – and now it’s heading out on tour.
Set against the backdrop of Britain on the cusp of the rebellious 60s,Sunny Afternoon is described as being an ‘exhilarating and moving’ celebration of the music, life, and the band that changed it all.
Dare you enter the haunted Big Top? Gandeys Circus is back at the Trafford Centre this spooky season, and is bringing along with it a brand-new spine-chilling and action-packed Halloween Spooktacular.
This legendary show will be filled with frights, delights, and dazzling sights for the whole family.
Prepare for jaw-dropping thrill acts that will leave you gasping, grand production numbers bursting with eerie enchantment, and of course, plenty of laughter and screams along the way, as this is Halloween entertainment like you’ve never seen before.
Want to know what other Halloween-themed events are happening at the Trafford Centre throughout this month?
Spooky season is nearly upon us, and the Trafford Centre has now announced its lineup of Halloween activities to get stuck into, and from creepy crafts, to hair-raising rides and eerie evening entertainment, there’s something for every brave soul.
The Oast House’s popular teepee draped in twinkling lights is back for the festive season.
Complete with two roaring fires, twinkling fairy lights, faux fur throws, The Teepee will be made up of four tents joined together to create a huge open hub, complete with a stage area for guests to dance the night away in festive spirit.
It’s all sounding set to be a popular spot for locals and those who’ve finished a hard day at work during the autumn and winter months.
NEW OPENING – Power Hall / Credit: Science Museum Group
It’s been a long time coming, but this week, the Science and Industry Museum will be welcoming visitors back inside one of the UK’s most significant industrial heritage buildings – the Power Hall.
Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery is a free working gallery where visitors can immerse themselves in the sights, smells, and sounds of the engine-driven ideas and industry that started in Manchester and went on to change the world.
Have you noticed any ‘street nipples’ popping up around Manchester in recent weeks?
Yes that’s right, we did say ‘street nipples’, you heard us correctly.
In case you weren’t aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as a way of marking this hugely crucial event, pavement studs across major UK cities like Manchester have been transformed into nipples as part of a bold conversation-starting initiative from charity Breast Cancer UK.
Pavement studs often go unnoticed, just like the early signs of breast cancer – but this clever new campaign is already stopping people in their tracks.
Need a spot for breakfast? Manchester’s newest food hall has got you covered.
House of Social now does breakfast – and my lord, are you lot in for a treat with this one.
From Ok Taqueria, there’s breakfast burritos packed with jalapeño sausage patties and all manner of other breakfast items, there’s a taste of New York from Dough Religion in the form of pancake stacks and in-house bagels.
And last but not least, Burger and Beyond has the hangover cure sent from the heavens, with breakfast buns and the most PERFECT hash browns on the side.
Summer may be over, but guess what? Now that autumn is well and truly here, that means we get to wear layers, cosy up in our favourite places, and eat heartwarming plates piled high with all the major food groups.
Roast dinners / Credit: The Manc Group
Whether you want the likes of Banyan’s bottomless Yorkshire puddings bigger than your head, or swapping your meat out for a pie (you heard us), we’ve got something to suit everyone… tou can even get dog roasts too, if you ask The Refuge nicely.
Check out our top 25 best places to head to for a perfect roast in Greater Manchester here.
___
Does your sweet tooth needing satisfying instead? Look at these spooky bakes.
Manchester’s most creative bakery has delivered the goods again this autumn, with a whole menu of seasonal treats and spooky pastries.
Half Dozen Other’s Halloween-inspired specials include a pistachio choux bun with a wobbly brain inside, an adorable pumpkin and pecan danish, and cherry cookie pie complete with witchy marzipan finger on top.
And beyond that, this month’s menu features a pistachio twist on their sell-out honey toast twice-baked croissant, a blood orange pain au chocolat, and a vegan charcoal cookies and cream croissant.
Emily Sergeant -
9th July 2021 
