What's On

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 12 – 18 June 2023

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 9th June 2023

It looks like we’re set for another week filled with summer fun in Greater Manchester.

Not only has the sun been shining bright in the region over the last few weeks, signalling that summer is well and truly here, but we’ve also got an events calendar thats jam-packed full of festivals, family-friendly activities, foodie feasts, immersive experiences, and so much more to get stuck into.

Once again, we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide this week.

Here’s our top picks.

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La Clique

Depot Mayfield

Monday 12 June – Saturday 29 July

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La Clique / Credit: Leslie Martin | Craig Sugden

A huge circus tent has been installed onto the roof of Depot Mayfield in Manchester, as the world-leading cabaret La Clique is in town.

The trailblazing show – which has had its stay in the city extended right through to 29 July – features the best circus and cabaret acts in the world.

Presented by live entertainment company Underbelly, La Clique is wowing audiences with its genre-defining cabaret show, and for its Manchester stint, performers will include tension strap artist LJ Marles, singer Chastity Belt, aerial contortion artist Miranda Menzies, comedy and stunt performer Sam Goodburn, and more.

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Find out more and grab tickets here.

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Stephen Hawking at Work

Science and Industry Museum

Monday 12 June – onwards

Stephen Hawking at Work / Credit: Science Museum Group

Mancs now now get up close to rare personal items of Stephen Hawking’s in a new exhibition that’s now opened down at the Science and Industry Museum.

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Stephen Hawking at Work explores the remarkable life of a world-renowned scientist, who passed away in 2018 – with significant objects from his office giving an insight into his life as a scientist, science communicator, and as a person who lived with motor neurone disease.  

Highlights include a rare copy of his PhD thesis, and a wager he made with his peers about whether things that fall into a black hole are lost forever, while there’s also a ‘time traveller’ party invitation that he sent to his peers after the party had taken place, to prove that time travel to the past is impossible.

Find out more and grab tickets here.

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Into The Night

Chester Zoo

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Monday 12 June – onwards

Into The Night / Credit: Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo is bringing its ‘after hours’ events back this summer after they proved so popular last year.

Giving visitors the chance to explore the UK’s biggest charity zoo “like never before”, the Into The Night series was launched to massive success in 2022, and offered unlimited access to animal habitats, indoor areas, and restaurants after hours for the first time ever.

And this summer, it’s back for animal lovers who missed out.

With tickets now on sale from as little as £10, Chester Zoo is inviting people to discover the zoo as the sun goes down with thrilling live entertainment, special guest appearances, and delicious food and drink.

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Find out more and grab tickets here.

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The Coronation Street Experience

ITV Studios

Monday 12 June – onwards

The Coronation Street Experience / Credit: ITV

A brand-new Coronation Street Experience has opened, and it’s giving fans access to areas they previously haven’t been able to before.

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The Coronation Street Tour is known for giving people the chance to discover the hidden world that lies behind the camera at the external sets at MediaCityUK in Salford, and now, the already award-winning experience has got even better as the new exhibition extends the current 90-minute tour and makes it even more “immersive” for fans.

You’ll get the opportunity to see Dierdre’s famous glasses up close, take a seat in Roy’s Rolls, or even stand behind the bar at The Rovers.

Find out more and grab tickets here.

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Fancy trying out some new bars, and restaurants that have opened in Greater Manchester this month?

Summer is here, al fresco dining is on the cards, and it seems like the suburbs are having a moment again, as Urmston has not one but two exciting new openings to shout about, and Withington has just welcomed Almost Famous into its neighbourhood, as Manchester’s original dirty burger bar takes over the short-lived Libertine site.

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Elsewhere, Gordon Ramsay moves into town with his Lucky Cat restaurant moving into the former Jamie’s Italian site at the top of King Street.

We think you’ll agree there’s a lot to look forward to now that June’s here, so if you’re looking for somewhere to grab a bite this week, we’ve rounded up some of the best new openings to try.

You can read our list here.

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Great Big Green Week: Take A Detour with a Tree Tour

Castlefield Viaduct

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Thursday 15 & Saturday 17 June

Great Big Green Week: Take A Detour with a Tree Tour / Credit: National Trust

City of Trees is inviting Mancs to make the most of the long summer days by going on an hour-long stroll around the city this Thursday and Saturday.

Starting with a visit to see the magnificent garden of trees planted high in the sky on Castlefield Viaduct, guides will then take you down into the Roman gardens in Castlefield and beyond, teach you how to identify trees, and throw in some fun facts about the different species and their ability to adapt and survive the challenges of the former industrial city.

Find out more and book one of two tours here.

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Tipsy Tapas

Habas

Friday 16 & Saturday 17 June

Tipsy Tapas / Credit: The Manc Eats

Tipsy Tapas is one of Manchester’s newest bottomless brunches.

If you love Middle Eastern-inspired small plates, and a good Saturday afternoon out on the town, then you absolutely need to add this one to your list.

Hosted at former Michelin-recommended King Street restaurant Habas, for £38 per person diners can enjoy a ‘tipsy tapas’ with 90 minutes of non-stop cocktails, wine, beer, and a mouthwatering selection of punchy small plates.

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Drink choices include the likes of fruit punch, Aperol and apricot spritzes, prosecco and bellinis, plus glasses of house lager and red, white and rose wine.

Find out more here.

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DogFest 2023

Tatton Park

Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 June

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DogFest 2023 / Credit: DogFest

A massive festival especially for dogs and their owners is back at Tatton Park this weekend.

Described as being the “ultimate dog’s day out” and created by dog-lovers, for dog-lovers, DogFest returns to Cheshire by popular demand for another thrilling two-day event, so you and your pup can “try your paw” at a whole host of activities.

Dog diving, agility courses, the ever-popular hay bale race, or entering the Fun Dog Show for your chance to win ‘Best in Show’, are just some of the things four-legged friends can get involved with.

Find out more and grab tickets here.

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Father’s Day Screenings

King Street Towhouse

Friday 16, Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 June

Father’s Day Screenings / Credit: King Street Townhouse

King Street Townhouse, is celebrating dads, grandads, and as-good-as-dads with a selection of themed Father’s Day film screenings at its very-own exclusive underground cinema this weekend.

With something for everyone to enjoy on the lineup, you’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the captivating worlds of aliens, superheroes, boxing legends, interstellar adventures, and high-octane aerial combat, as six smash-hit films will be screened over three days.

Optional additions to enhance the Father’s Day celebration include whiskey cocktails, lager, pic ‘n’ mix, and mouth-watering burgers, all served to your seat for the ultimate indulgence.

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Find out more and grab tickets to each film screening here.

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Madre

KAMPUS

Saturday 17 June

Madre at KAMPUS / Credit: Madre

Liverpool’s beloved taco joint Madre is bringing the spirit of Mexico City to Manchester when it opens at KAMPUS this Saturday.

With a menu made up of mouth-watering tacos, wood-grilled seafood and steaks, plus fresh oysters and ceviche straight from a huge ice counter, and a drinks list celebrating agave, this is a new opening you don’t want to miss.

Evolving from a lunch spot to a buzzing bar with Mexican party vibes as the sun goes down, expect a destination that celebrates Mexico City’s cuisine, culture and personality in equal measure.  

Find out more here.

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GASP! Horror Festival

Cultplex

Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 June

GASP! Horror Festival / Credit: GRUB

GASP! Horror Festival is Manchester’s only horror film festival dedicated to minority filmmakers.

Taking over Manchester’s home of cult cinema, video games, and “cool nerdy events”, Cultplex – which is tucked away within the award-winning venue GRUB in Cheetham Hill – this weekend, there’s truly something for everyone within on the packed festival lineup that features the best new horror films by some of the most exciting filmmakers working today.

Six feature-length films and two short film showcases by female filmmakers, foreign language filmmakers, people with disabilities, people of colour, and the LGBTQ+ community make up the lineup.

Find out more and grab tickets here.

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Art With Affinity

Spinningfields

Sunday 18 June

Art With Affinity / Credit: Affinity Living

City centre apartment brand Affinity Living is hosting Spinningfields’ biggest art event in collaboration with Cotton On MCR this weekend.

Taking over the whole Affinity Living neighbourhood this Sunday 18 June from 12-4:30pm, Art With Affinity is a completely free public event where everyone is welcome to head on down and celebrate Manchester’s fabulous art scene in all its glory. 

You can expect over 25 of the city’s best independent and local artists selling a huge range of artisanal and small batch artwork, prints and paintings, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, and more. 

Find out more and grab tickets here.

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Featured Image – Madre | DogFest

What's On

Blossoms’ ‘Five Nights in Manchester’ residency – everything you need to know

Danny Jones Danny Jones Blossoms Manchester gigs support acts

The Blossoms boys are ramping up for their ‘Five Nights in Manchester’ residency to round off their UK tour of Gary, the fantastic fifth studio album which released earlier this year to critical acclaim.

Set to play not just one or two but five certifiably fantastic-looking gigs at five different Manc music institutions, each with a special place in our hearts and theirs, the incredible run of nights kicks off this Tuesday, 18 November and will see them play tracks from the album along with their biggest hits.

If you managed to grab yourself a ticket to at least one of these sell-out shows, you’re likely already trying to get things organised in your head to stop yourself from simply tail-spinning into an excited frenzy, so we thought we’d help you out where we can.

From the support acts to stage times, setlists and more, here’s everything you need to know ahead of Blossoms‘ ‘Five Nights in Manchester’.

Blossoms Manchester residency – all the important info

The venues and when they’re playing them

First up on the list is Manchester Academy on Oxford Road, where Blossoms will be starting their Manchester marathon of shows on Tuesday, 19 November – it will be the first time they’ve played the 2,600-capacity room since 2016.

Next up is the O2 Ritz on Wednesday (20 Nov), which many of the band members have said is their favourite venue of the lot given the number of acts they themselves have seen there and arguably their breakthrough hometown gig back in 2015, returning multiple times since then.

In at number three is the historic Albert Hall, where they’ve also taken the stage on a number of occasions, but this time their gig on Thursday, 21 November will see them perform their most polished and sprawling set yet.

The penultimate place hosting Blossoms’ Man residency is the O2 Victoria Warehouse over in Stretford, which will see them start the weekend in style this Friday (22 Nov). A big gig space made for big bands, so they’re a perfect fit.

And lastly, the Stockport boys round out the ‘Five Nights in Manchester’ mini-tour at one of the city’s very best venues full stop: the O2 Apollo. That sloping sprung floor, the stocks and the angle from the top tier – if you don’t know why this place is so special, we just can’t help you…

Who is supporting Blossoms in Manchester?

Perhaps the best part about this entire section of the tour, in our opinion, is that you’re getting a TONNE of different support acts across the five nights.

Not only are you getting different names every night but each Manchester gig will have not one but two warm-up acts, meaning you’ll fans will be treated to a total of 10 up-and-coming artists – and most of them are local too.

From Oldham’s very own Seb Lowe and Earlestown’s The K’s, who both supported them at Wythenshawe Park, to Scots Neon Waltz, local lads Delights; Manc rockers The Guest List; the ‘female Sam Fender’, a.k.a. Siobhan Winifred, London indie pop group Soft Launch, Brummy boys overpass, Leigh’s very-own Lottery Winners AND Liam Gallagher’s son’s exciting new band, Villanelle.

Phew. Let us catch our breath for a second. Sounds like an unreal few nights of nothing but non-stop indie and good times, right?

You can see whose playing where down below:

Set times

With doors opening from 7pm on all five nights in Manchester, you can expect a good half-hour or so for each support act, as well as two intervals to grab yourself a drink, nip to the loo or take a breather from your ape suit (trust us, we’ve seen plenty of people doing it) before the main event.

Blossoms are scheduled to take the stage for their highly-anticipated headline performances at 9pm throughout the residency, so you can plan accordingly depending on how far long it takes you to get to each venue from your location.

Luckily, they’re all in the city centre, so it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle to get to any of them; maybe just give yourself an extra bit of leeway to head to the likes of a busy Oxford Rd and to queue of course.

The concerts so far on this tour have lasted around two hours, meaning you’ll be heading home by 11pm, which should be just enough time to get the earworm that is ‘Gary’ out of your head.

Setlist for Blossoms’ Gary tour

Now, it won’t surprise anyone to learn that most of their current setlist is made up of tunes from the new album, but we’ll warn you now that they won’t be playing Gary in full.

They’ve sprinkled hits from previous albums into the running order and, according to the Leeds show recorded on the ever trusty Setlist.fm, they have the split down as five songs from their debut, four from Foolish Loving Spaces, two tracks from Cool Like You and just one from Ribbon Around the Bomb.

Meanwhile, there’ll be seven songs off Gary. You can see the most recent show from start to finish down below, but you can always expect some surprises from these guys:

  1. Your Girlfriend
  2. Perfect Me
  3. Oh No (I Think I’m in Love)
  4. What Can I Say After I’m Sorry?
  5. I Can’t Stand It
  6. Getaway
  7. If You Think This Is Real Life
  8. Big Star
  9. Slow Down
  10. The Keeper
  11. Care For
  12. Honey Sweet
  13. Gary
  14. I Like Your Look
  15. At Most a Kiss
  16. My Favourite Room

Encore:

  1. Nightclub
  2. There’s a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)
  3. Charlemagne – obviously…
A glimpse at what the Blossoms stage will look like for the ‘Five Nights in Manchester’ shows.

Read more:

And that should be just about everything you need to know ahead of Blossoms’ ‘Five Nights in Manchester’: a once-in-a-lifetime event that’s going to go down in history and Manc music heritage.

They’ve described this as a “lover letter” to the places that helped put them on the map, not to mention a trip down memory lane now more than a decade into their career.

If you were looking for a secret ticket link from us, we hate to break it to you but this thing sold out in a flash. You can of course keep your eye out on resellers like Twickets and SeeTickets but, as always with these things, be careful and due your due diligence.

Get ready to say hello to an eight-foot-tall gorilla and have what we already know is going to be an amazing week.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Ewan Ogden (supplied)/The Manc Group

What's On

Greater Manchester cinemas are screening loads of classic Christmas films throughout December

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Cinemas across the UK will be screening loads of classic festive films in the run-up to Christmas, and you can already book tickets.

With the nights drawing in, the temperatures dropping by the day, and the most wonderful time of the year now firmly in our sights, film fans looking for some wholesome festive fun in the run-up to the big day itself will soon be able to head on down to their nearest Greater Manchester cinema to catch a classic on the big screen.

Vue, Odeon, and The Light are among the cinema chains set to screen a handful of beloved Christmas films throughout December.

Although there may already be a TV channel showing Christmas films 24/7 now on air in the UK, if you fancy seeing the festivities in full screen instead, then you can watch showings of fan-favourites like Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, and more over the next few weeks.

Greater Manchester cinemas are screening loads of classic Christmas films throughout December / Credit: 20th Century Studios | Universal Pictures

You can also see seasonal screenings of live ballet, theatre, and concert performances too.

Undoubtably one of the highlights on the lineup this year, however, has to be The Polar Express, with several cinema chains scheduled to screen the 2004 animated Christmas gem to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release.

Starring Tom Hanks alongside a talented supporting cast of voice actors, The Polar Express is based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg and tells the story of a young boy who boards a powerful magical train to visit Santa Claus’ home on Christmas Eve, learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas along the way.

Elf, Home Alone, and Love Actually are among the films on the lineup / Credit: Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)

Looking for a more intimate festive film experience this Christmas?

Well you can also get yourself down to one of Manchester’s most popular hotels, King Street Townhouse, where a jam-packed lineup of classics will be screened in its very-own exclusive cinema over the next two months.

Here you can also complete your seasonal experience with festive-themed cocktails, popcorn, pick n mix, and a whole host of other treats too.

Read more:

Head to your local cinema’s website to check when your favourite festive flicks are being screened.

Featured Image – Warner Bros.

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