What's On

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 15 – 21 January 2024

Emily Sergeant - 12th January 2024

We’ve got another winter week on our hands, and so much to be getting up to.

2024 is already well underway now, and while many see January as a month of rest and relaxation following the hustle and bustle of the festive season, the Greater Manchester social calendar still has a wide range of events and activities you can be getting up to over the next couple of weeks.

If you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though, luckily, we’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide this week.

Here’s some of our recommendations.

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Mini Master Model Builder UK

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester

Monday 15 January – 4 February

Is your child a LEGO super fan? Do they reckon they could build impressive LEGO creations in their sleep? Well, if they’re feeling brave enough and are ready to put their skills to the test, then you’ll want to take them down to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester, as the hunt is one for a talented youngster to be crowned the UK’s newest ‘Mini Master Model Builder’.

For only the second time ever, young LEGO fans will have the chance to let their imaginations run wild in a “bricktastic” competition, by building the most epic creation entirely out of LEGO bricks in an attempt to take home the coveted title. 

Oh, and they’ll could also win a handsome £500 too, if they take the crown.

Find out more here.

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The Pie Festival 2024

The Black Friar Salford

Monday 15 January – 28 February

Back by popular demand, The Black Friar’s ‘Pie Festival’ has returned for 2024.

There’s nothing that sounds more inviting on a cold January evening than a lovely warming pie, right? So when we heard that The Black Friar’s now-annual Pie Festival was making a 2024 comeback, we have no shame in admitting we did a little dance.

Now in its third edition, the Salford restaurant has brought back the parade of meat and gravy, sweet and savoury, and all things pie and pastry-encrusted – with something for everyone on the menu.

Best of all, not only are there some enticing flavours on offer, but they’re also only £10 each.

Find out more here.

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Hamilton

Palace Theatre

Monday 15 January – February 2024

One of the most successful musicals of the 21st century is now on stage in our city.

After taking Broadway and the West End (and the world) by storm, Hamilton – the multi-award winning musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda – has been captivating and engaging audiences like no other for close to a decade now, and now it’s touring the UK – with Manchester one of only two lucky cities chosen to stage the smash-hit spectacle.

Despite absolutely unprecedented demand, there’s still a handful of tickets available for different nights over the course of the show’s run in our city, and you can get your hands of them now if you’re interested.

Find out more and grab last minute tickets here.

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Power UP

Science and Industry Museum

Monday 15 January – onwards

Did you know there’s a huge gaming event currently happening in Manchester?

With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP is back for more in 2024 down at the Science and Industry Museum, and it’s taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming every weekend.

There’s everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more to get stuck into, and each ticket includes unlimited play all day.

Find out more about the exhibition here.

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Echo Salford

Salford

Monday 15 January – onwards

Did you know that Salford’s just got its first-ever interactive trail that celebrates the incredible legacy of the city’s music and cultural footprint?

Echo Salford is is a brand-new and immersive augmented reality (AR) experience that takes users all across Salford to the places and spaces that best showcases the city and borough’s iconic musical and cultural history.

It’s aiming to “inspire and educate”, all while showing just how culturally important Salford is.

Find out more here.

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Winter Beer Fest 2024

GRUB

Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 January

GRUB’s now-legendary Winter Beer Fest is back this weekend, and it’s giving Manchester beer lovers the chance can sip creations from some of the best local breweries.

Running from Thursday 18 – Sunday 20 January 2024, you can expect there to be plenty of local brews to taste test over the course of the three-day festival – with brewery bars coming courtesy of some of the region’s best like Farmyard Brewing Co, Cloudwater Brew Co, Northern Monk, and Sureshot Brewing Co.

That’s not all either, as there’ll also be over 30 guest taps too.

If you’re not a big beer lover, you can also expect a street food market, a mulling bar, pop-up tasting events, and so much more over the extended weekend.

Find out more and grab tickets here.

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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 2024.

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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Reckon 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.

While the past couple of years amid and post-pandemic may have hit the theatre pretty hard, it’s a beloved industry that has now well and truly bounced-back – 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 2023.

And 2024 is set to be absolutely no different.

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 2024, so we’ve rounded up 10 of the best shows to see and grab tickets for this year.

Check out our top picks here.

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Did you also know that Manchester’s just been named one of the best places to visit in the UK in 2024?

Yes, that’s right.

Just like last year, Manchester once again been named one of the best UK cities to visit in 2024 by Time Out, thanks to some huge cultural openings last year – with our city having been praised for being a ‘cultural banquet’.

Local favourites like Mackie Mayor, Idle Hands, and Queer Lit have all been given shout outs, while the massive openings and reopenings like Aviva Studios, Manchester Museum, and The Snug earned us some cool points too.

Find out more about why Manchester’s been given the honour here.

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Featured Image – LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester | The Manc Group | GRUB