We may have waved the summer goodbye, but there’s still plenty happening in our region, so we’ve put together a fresh edition of our ‘what’s on’ guide for the city of Manchester and beyond this week, and we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits you could be getting up to.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, others will set you back a few pounds, and many will need to be booked in advance.
Plenty are still taking COVID-safety measures to give you peace of mind though.
Here are our top picks.
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Beat the Frog
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
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Monday 13 September
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
Beat the Frog is the legendary amateur comedy night that takes place every Monday at Manchester’s iconic Frog and Bucket Comedy Club, and has helped to launch the careers of some of comedy’s biggest names – including Peter Kay, John Bishop, Johnny Vegas, Smug Roberts, and more.
At the start of the competition, three cards are handed out to lucky members of the audience, and up to 10 acts will then take to the stage and each try to do five minutes of material. If within those five minutes all three cards go up, then the act has lost and must leave the stage – but if the three cards stay down, that act has successfully ‘Beat The Frog’.
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They are then invited back to the stage for a clap off at the end of the night – which will determine the overall winner.
It’s been named the “most unpredictable comedy night in the north”.
You can find more information and grab your tickets via the Frog and Bucket website here.
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Summer Social
Trafford Centre
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Monday 13 – Sunday 26 September
Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre has extended its popular ‘Summer Social’ event.
Featuring an 8,000 sq ft beach, retro rides, entertainment, and independent food and drink brands, ‘Summer Social’ is a vast outdoor area that brings together all the fun of the fair, alongside live music, exciting pop-ups, and selfie-ready backdrops.
As well as several covered events spaces where people can safely relax, a number of independent food and drink brands will be popping up in the coming weeks, including Boujee Bar – the renowned, all-pink Instagrammer’s dream founded by Real Housewives of Cheshire star Lystra Adams – Epic Pizza, Snowflakes, and Clean Traits.
Live musicians, street artists, and buskers have also been taking to the stage.
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You can find more information, and grab tickets here.
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Sixes
Corn Exchange
Monday 13 September – onwards
Sixes Manchester
The “world’s first immersive cricket experience with hospitality” has now arrived at the Corn Exchange with the opening of Sixes Manchester.
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A social cricket sports bar kitted out with three state-of-the-art cricket nets available to hire for 30, 60 or 90 minutes, as well as a champagne bar, a 70-seater dining space and an open kitchen, Sixes offers the chance to swing for the boundaries whilst enjoying a wide selection of high-quality food and drink.
The opening of this new Manchester venue coincides with an exclusive game at Sixes called ‘The Hundred’ – which is named after the 100-ball cricket tournament taking place for the first time this summer.
You can find more information about Sixes Manchester here.
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I’m A Celebrity… Jungle Challenge
MediaCityUK
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Monday 13 September – onwards
ITV
The highly-anticipated Salford Quays adventure attraction based on ITV’s popular survival reality show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! has now opened to visitors.
The I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge – which was first announced back in April – welcomes fans into the wilderness and invites them to “navigate a series of fun-filled physical challenges inspired by the blockbuster ITV show”.
Located at MediaCityUK, the attraction features a variety of familiar vantage points and landmarks – including the Main Camp, the Throne and, of course, the Winner’s Bridge.
You can find more information and book tickets here.
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Candyland
Manchester
Wednesday 15 September – 7 November
Candyland
Ready to make all your childhood dreams come true?
For all of those with a sweet tooth looking for their next sugar fix, it’s time to take a trip to Candyland – a unique and independent pop up experience in the heart of Manchester that combines riddles, candy and cocktails.
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Not only will the Candyland bar be stocked with the most delicious candy-themed cocktails – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, which are included in the ticket price – guests will also get to indulge in 90 minutes of immersive candy-themed fun, and there’s a whole host of games, puzzles and prizes to be won along the way too.
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.
Manchester Food and Drink Festival (MFDF) is “back in the flesh” this year from 16 – 27 September after a year of postponement amid the COVID-19 pandemic saw the city’s flagship food and drink festival move online for 2020.
Taking place down at Cathedral Gardens, highlights of this year’s MFDF programme include a mammoth chippy tea feast, an Oktoberfest takeover from Albert’s Schloss, a wine and fizz festival at Halle St Peters, and an ultimate night of pub grub feasting from The Bull and Bear’s Tom Kerridge – the only UK chef to ever win two Michelin stars at a pub.
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An artisan food market will feature some of Manchester’s finest local producers, hosting two separate line-ups across each weekend, and there will also be an amazing range of street food traders popping up at intervals throughout the duration of the festival.
You can find more information about everything happening at MFDF here.
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Chorlton Book Festival
Chorlton
Friday 17 – 25 September
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Chorlton Book Festival
The seventeenth annual Chorlton Book Festival is back this year after going online in 2020, and event organisers say they are really looking forward to welcoming the fabulous 2021 lineup – which features a great mix of discussion events, talks, poetry, spoken word, theatre, events for children and a local history walk.
There’s a combination of in-person, online, and interactive events planned across the week, with something for everyone to get involved in.
A wine truck featuring top tier French wines from the Loire Valley is hitting the streets of Manchester this month.
The Little Loire Wine Truck will be at the Manchester Food & Drink Festival (MFDF) on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September from 11.30am – 7pm, with an expert sommelier on hand to take passers-by through free walk-in tastings, with bottles ranging from whites to rosés spanning Muscadet to Touraine.
Budding wine connoisseurs can also enter a competition to have the wine truck stop off at their own home too.
A huge “throwback” concert that’s billed as “the biggest live pop show of the decade” is coming to Manchester for one night only this Saturday, and nineties music fans have been going mad for the lineup.
With more than 18 artists all set to perform under one roof, including the likes of Peter Andre, 5ive, Atomic Kitten, Liberty X, Damage, S Club 7, Blazin’ Squad and more, the team behind 90s Baby POP have managed to pull off one of the biggest pop line-ups to ever grace the UK.
90’s Baby POP will see over 6,000 people descend on the B.E.C Arena in Stretford.
Electric Chair took hold of the city’s nightlife scene in the mid-nineties, steering things in a new direction at a time when Manchester was in a bit of a post-clubland raving rut and evolving into a mini culture.
It became a home-from-home for a beautiful melting pot of people, many of whom attended religiously, no matter the venue, guest DJs or local selectors booked to play that night – and now, after a 14-year absence, it’s coming back to open the party up to a whole new generation of ravers with a special one-off show at Depot Mayfield as part of the 2021 Warehouse Project season as this Sunday.
Expect a headline set from DJ Harvey, plus performances from Artwork, Lil’ Minx and The Unabombers during what is set to be a big evening.
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 12 – 18 January 2026
Emily Sergeant
It may be chilly out there, but January is really hotting up now.
Now that January is in full swing, we’re really not short of exciting activities and events to be getting up to right across Greater Manchester – with everything from smash-hit musicals to 360° walk-through projection shows happening 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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The Great British Rail Sale
UK-wide
Monday 12 January
The Great British Rail Sale / Credit: Northern | Transpennine Express
The Great British Rail Sale has returned for 2026, with train ticket prices will be slashed by up to 50% or more – and this is your LAST DAY to make the most of it.
Millions of discounted train tickets for half term activities, weekend getaways, and even commuting are up for grabs, as the week-long rail sale – which has been running from 6 to 12 January 2026 – gives passengers the chance to save well over 50% on many advance and off-peak tickets.
The reduced fares can be used to travel on thousands of popular routes between 13 January and 25 March 2026.
Looking to escape the elements and have your mind boggled this winter? Sounds like a trip to Museum of Illusions is on the cards then.
It’s time to let your competitive side out – get ready to experience the city’s most unique attraction like never before. Race through the vortex, create the best mirror image, and complete the brain gym the fastest to win the dazzling trophy at the end.
Whether you’re team building with your work lot, or taking your mates for a bit of healthy competition, it’s a great one to have a go at.
A huge gaming event is happening in Manchester at the moment.
With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP at the Science and Industry takes ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming, with everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more.
Power UP is taking place each weekend only throughout this month, with each ticket including unlimited play all day.
Have you seen that Vue Manchester Quayside has had an ‘Ultra Lux’ upgrade?
Vue currently has 93 state-of-the-art cinemas throughout the UK and Ireland, totalling more than 850 screens – and the Quayside cinema is the latest to benefit from upgraded seating.
75 brand-new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats have been installed across seven screens, offering film fans what is, quite literally, the chance to sit in the best seats in the house, as each seat provides the very-best view of the big screen and comes with a host of premium features.
Some of these exciting premium features include extra-wide armrests, a personal table for snacks and drinks, your very-own beverage cooler, and even a back and legs that recline independently.
Fancy making the most of all the January dining deals on offer over these next couple of weeks?
The time has come again for Manchester’s restaurants and bars to slash their prices in a bid to entice customers to keep eating and drinking out all throughout January, and that means hundreds of places are offering up half-price scran, added freebies, or two-for-one offers this month.
There’s loads of offers beyond Manchester city centre too, as suburban gems are getting in on the action in 2026.
So whether you’re looking for a date night for less, an affordable family dinner, or a cheap eat after work with your mates, we’ve got you covered.
Read our massive round-up of January dining deals here.
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Got a sweet tooth? This’ll cure it.
There’s nothing quite like a hot chocolate to warm you up on a chilly winter’s day, but we guarantee you’ve never seen a hot chocolate quite like this anywhere else in Manchester… it’s quite literally, hot chocolate.
Head down to Salvi’s in the Corn Exchange for a proper Italian hot chocolate.
It’s the kind of treat that makes you forget all about New Year’s resolutions (at least for the afternoon anyway, we won’t tell anyone).
You can even pair it with one of their famous cannolis for the ultimate sweet treat combo. We dunked ours straight in, no messing about.
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SIX The Musical
Manchester Palace Theatre
Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 January
SIX The Musical / Credit: ATG Tickets
SIX The Musical is arriving in Manchester this week.
The crowning glory of Broadway, the West End, and beyond, the international smash hit musical SIX makes its royal return to Manchester following its previous sold-out success, and will be taking to the Palace Theatre stage.
From Tudor queens to pop princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.
Find out more and get your hands on last-minute tickets to a show here.
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LUMINISCENCE
Manchester Cathedral
Wednesday 14 January – 26 March
LUMINISCENCE Manchester / Credit: Supplied
Manchester Cathedral is set to be lit up with ‘truly stunning’ new 360° walk-through projection show this winter.
Combining 360° video mapping, new orchestral arrangements of iconic songs, and a narrative story celebrating everything that makes Manchester and its residents so special, visitors will be invited to step into a ‘spellbinding fusion’ of light, sound, and storytelling.
LUMINISCENCE is set to pay tribute to Manchester’s rich cultural heritage through specially arranged orchestral renditions of iconic anthems – with the setlist including songs by Oasis, The Verve, Joy Division, and Elbow, just to name a few.
The Matcha Kyoto has found a permanent city centre home.
There’s no denying that this viral matcha spot has gone crazy in Manchester, with pop-ups all over our city, but now, after huge fan demand, they’ve finally opened the doors to their very-own home, and are bringing a little slice of Japan to Lincoln Square.
Step inside their new cafe and you’ll find with traditional Kyoto details, as well as their famous matcha drinks topped with satisfying cream swirls and banana pudding.
They’ve even got a full food menu now, too. Think a range of sandwiches, including egg mayo, teriyaki chicken and black truffle mushroom, and delicious baked treats.
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Could a trip to the theatre could be on the cards this year?
Greater Manchester has firmly earned itself a spot as a place for world-renowned touring theatre productions to make a stop off at.
This beloved industry has now well and truly bounced-back post pandemic – with the region’s three main theatres, Palace Theatre Manchester, Opera House Manchester, and The Lowry, all having welcomed some absolute show-stopping productions in 2025.
Our region’s theatre events calendar is already jam-packed with award-winning musicals, family-friendly plays, inventive dance productions, and so much more in 2026, so we’ve rounded up some of the best shows to see and grab tickets for this year.
If there’s one thing Manchester is known for across the world, it’s music.
Our region is not only a historic musical hub in and of itself, having been the birthplace of so many legendary famous names, but it’s also a major UK stopping point on many global artists’ tour schedules too, thanks to the city’s various sizes of stage and venues.
This means there’s a jam-packed schedule of gigs happening all throughout 2026 – with something for everyone, no matter your taste in music.
Read our picks for 10 of the best gigs happening in Manchester this year here.
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What else is there to look forward to in Greater Manchester in 2026?
Oh, so much. So so much.
The next 12 months are shaping up to be another monumental year for Manchester, with absolutely loads of huge developments, events, and reopenings on the horizon. Expect major global events like the BRITs and The MOBO Awards, huge openings like The Medlock Hotel at the expanded Etihad Stadium, and the relaunch of venues like Manchester’s popular Cat Cafe, and The Spinners Rest (formerly known as The Shamrock).
We’ve rounded up some of the best things to look forward to throughout the year here.
More Greater Manchester football matches called off as Storm Goretti sets in
Danny Jones
Yet more scheduled football matches in Greater Manchester and the surrounding regions have been postponed and/or cancelled due to Storm Goretti.
The increasingly cold, blustery and icy conditions moving over from France and across more parts of the UK have already caused schools to close, flights to be grounded, and plenty more disruption.
Another such inconvenience has come in the form of live sports, large swathes of which now look like they simply won’t be taking place.
One of the latest to be called off is Salford City‘s upcoming game against Swindon Town in the FA Cup this weekend, with various other games involving teams up and down the footballing pyramid now facing uncertainty over whether their third-round fixtures will go ahead as planned.
Ironically, this is just the tip of the iceberg, if you’ll pardon the very obvious pun.
Another game that was called off late last week, between Chadderton and FC Isle of Man, is yet to be rescheduled; the same is true of Rochdale AFC’s meeting with Brackley Town, Radcliffe v Oxford City, as well as games involving Bury, Stockport Town, Irlam, Cheadle Town, Prestwich Heys and more.
Other nearby outfits, such as Chorley, Warrington Rylands and Ramsbottom United, just to name a few, are also still unsure of when their next game will be.
In many cases, it is simply a matter of the grounds being largely or completely frozen and deemed unfit for use following pitch inspections.
Oldham Athletic – which has already been hit with plenty of snow and frost – yesterday confirmed that their Notts County clash wouldn’t be going ahead due to that very reason.
With winds of up to 90 miles per hour also being reported, yellow and even red weather warnings have been issued across various parts of the country, with people being urged to check their routes home from work by local authorities.
Storm Goretti should start calming down this evening (Fri, 9 January) and into Saturday morning, but the after-effects could still play havoc over the next few days.
For instance, over in Cheshire, Macclesfield FC are going so far as to call on nearby residents to help clear their playing surface from heavy snowfall.
So, if you’re in the area and fancy helping out, they could sure do with your help.
VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED
Macclesfield FC are once again requesting the help of the fanbase and the local community to help clear the remainder of the compacted snow from the surrounding areas of the https://t.co/fL99QEEJ4D Stadium.
Emily Sergeant -
10th September 2021 
