We’re already half way through January, and the events calendar across Greater Manchester is really starting to fill up now.
While January can often be considered a quiet month, the new year has brought a fresh start, and with that, all sorts of different activities to be getting up to this week, so once again, we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
As always, some of the events we’re going to mention are completely free, while others will set you back a few pounds, and many will need to be booked in advance.
Here’s our top picks.
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Backyard Cinema
Depot Mayfield
Monday 16 January – onwards
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Backyard Cinema / Credit: Supplied
Backyard Cinema has extended its stay on the rooftop at Depot Mayfield through January.
The huge immersive cinema event first opened in October and was only meant to stay in town for 10 weeks, but has added screenings all the way through to 25 January.
Its January dates will come with a January deal price tag too – screenings on Wednesday and Thursday will be half price, while Friday, Saturday and Sunday screenings will be charged at the current off-peak price.
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Film fans will be able to see new blockbusters like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Matilda the Musical on the big screen, all while they watch from custom-made beanbag chairs.
Winter at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
Exhibitions that explore the power of music, and give you the chance to try out an interactive “hands on” gaming experience are just some of the activities on offer at the Science and Industry Museum this winter.
The award-winning museum is inviting people to take a journey from the Sun back to the Earth in a brand-new science show led by the museum’s team of expert Explainers, while standout exhibition, Turn It Up: The power of music, is a world-first event giving those curious the chance to explore the science of music’s mysterious hold over us through a series of “immersive musical experiences and interactive activities” at a specially-commissioned ‘musical playground’.
There’s also still time to head on down and check out the stand-out interactive gaming experience, Power UP, and so much more.
Find out more about what’s on at the Science and Industry Museum here.
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PUSH Festival 2023
HOME MCR
Friday 20 January – Saturday 18 February
PUSH Festival 2023 / Credit: HOME MCR
PUSH Festival returns this week for HOME MCR’s annual celebration of North West creative talent.
Over four weeks, HOME’s stages, screens, and spaces will be dedicated to showcasing fantastic works from around the region, as well as offering opportunities for creatives to meet industry professionals, share ideas and inspiration, and develop their skills.
This year’s festival will showcase newly-commissioned works across a range of art forms, including theatre, digital work, visual arts, and cinema.
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The festival will also include a series of workshops and other artist development opportunities.
The much-loved Winter Beer Fest is back by popular demand for 2023, and is taking over GRUB’s award-winning space in the Green Quarter to Manchester beer lovers the chance can sip creations from some of the best local breweries.
Running from Friday 20 – Sunday 22 January, over the course of the three-day festival you can expect there to be plenty of local brews to taste test – with brewery bars coming courtesy of some of the region’s best like Unbarred Brewery, Rivington Brewing Co, The Runaway Brewery, Squawk Brewing Co, as well as 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.
It’s Chinese New Year 2023, and as always, Manchester has a whole week of celebrations lined up to mark the occasion.
After the city’s annual celebrations for Chinese New Year – also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival – have been on a slightly smaller scale over the past couple of years due to COVID restrictions, the festival is back in full swing in 2023, and includes the long-awaited return of the city’s legendary Dragon Parade.
Thousands of red lanterns will also be adorning the city’s streets, and visitors can also expect the chance to take in some spectacular live performances, feast on authentic street food, and a make the most of a funfair.
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Find out about the celebrations lined up for Chinese New Year 2023 in Manchester here.
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Coffee Lovers Class
Food Sorcery
Sunday 22 January
Coffee Lovers Class / Credit: Food Sorcery
Didsbury’s very-own cookery school, Food Sorcery, is hosting a special class where you can learn some fun facts and even a little bit of science about coffee.
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During this three-hour session that’s suitable for all abilities, you’ll learn the differences in techniques used to make the perfect coffee, find out what’ll work best for you at home and how to use all the kit that you bought and have tucked away in the back of the cupboard.
There’ll be plenty of opportunities to practise your skills and even try a little latte art to impress your friends too.
You can find more information, and book your place here.
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Fancy making the most of all the January deals, discounts, and offers in Manchester’s cafes, bars, and restaurants?
January is typically a time when many vow to change their eating habits, but even the most committed dieter should be tempted by these Manchester restaurant deals, discounts and offers.
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Whether you are starting a new diet, ditching alcohol, or trying out Veganuary, that’s no reason to stay at home.
Not when you’ve got January dining (and drinking) offers floating around like this.
January Dining Deals / Credit: The Manc Group | Evelyn’s | Ramona & The Firehouse
From half-price burgers to burritos, small plates, Sunday roasts, and more, we’ve rounded up some of the best Manchester January restaurant deals to take advantage of in 2023.
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 last year.
Theatre Shows 2023 / Credit: ATG Tickets
And 2023 is set to be absolutely no different – with award-winning musicals, family-friendly plays, inventive dance productions, and more on the agenda.
You can read our round-up of the best productions in 2023 here.
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Keen to challenge yourself in 2023?
A lot of us will already have our New Year’s resolutions picked out and lined up.
But if you’re really up for a test this year, then how do you fancy taking a freezing cold dip all in the name of raising funds for a worthy cause next month?
One of Manchester‘s most iconic and longest-standing charities, We Love MCR Charity, is hoping to get hearts racing with an exhilarating cold water immersion dip in Sale Water Park near Valentine’s Day this year, and you can now stick your name down to take part.
We Love MCR Charity Valentine’s Dip / Credit: WLMC
Daredevil Mancs taking part will be raising funds for the 25-year-old charity’s work supporting ambitious communities and young people across our region.
Greater Manchester’s gigs and festival scene is absolutely thriving in 2023, want to get in on the action?
There’s absolutely no stopping the music industry in 2023, with some of the world’s biggest names playing some of the world’s bigger gigs right here in Greater Manchester.
Venues from the AO Arena to Heaton Park to the Etihad Stadium are filling up with amazing live shows in the coming 12 months, and just looking at how busy June will be (again) is enough to make your head spin.
The best gigs and festivals in Greater Manchester 2023
For a lot of the bands heading out on tour this year, it’s their first big run of live dates since pre-COVID, and if those ticket sales have been anything to go by, audiences are absolutely desperate to get back to live music.
You can read our round-up list of the biggest gigs in 2023 here.
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Featured Image – Science Museum Group | CityCo & ManchesterBID | GRUB
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 3 – 9 February 2025
Emily Sergeant
Who’s ready for another fun-filled week in Manchester?
February is here, the nights are getting lighter, the temperatures a little warmer, and not only does Greater Manchester‘s events calendar already seem very exciting over these next few weeks, but there’s also lots of other things to look forward to in 2025 too, so it’s time to fill up your diaries.
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 to help you out.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
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PUSH Festival 2025
HOME MCR
Monday 3 January – Saturday 8 February
PUSH Festival 2025 / Credit: HOME MCR
PUSH Festival has return to Manchester for its biennial celebration of North West creative talent.
Set over two weeks, the stages, screens, and spaces down at HOME MCR will be dedicated to showcasing fantastic works from around the region, as well as offering opportunities for creatives to meet industry professionals, share ideas and inspiration and develop their skills.
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.
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.
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots is currently out on a tour of the UK, and the talented cast will be stopping off in our city.
The Broadway and West End phenomenon, which is based on a true story and is an adaptation of a 2005 film of the same name, has become known and loved by musical theatre fans all across the globe, and it will be taking to the iconic Palace Theatre stage this week.
This 2025 revival production is already being billed as “guaranteed to raise you up” and “celebrate everybody’s individuality”.
An all-new musical featuring the music of Dolly Parton is on stage in Manchester this week.
After workin’ 9 to 5, what better way to unwind than with a musical packed with hits spanning the Queen of Country music’s legendary roster? This production sees the story of a diehard fan recounting ways in which Dolly Parton and her hits have helped him throughout his life.
Tricia Paoluccio takes on the role of the international icon, sprinkling her sunshine, knowledge, and wit wherever she goes.
A huge gaming event is happening in Manchester this weekend.
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.
Manchester gem Hello Oriental has finally opened its new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre.
The renowned East Asian street food hub has chosen the Trafford Centre as the first UK shopping centre location to bring its trademark street food dining concept to, and there’s more than 100 delicious dishes for customers to choose from.
Hello Oriental owners and childhood best friends, Ricky Yip and Azim Kourah, say they have selected some of the most popular dishes from the Manchester city centre site’s extensive menu for the new Trafford Centre restaurant.
This means diners can enjoy traditional dishes from across East Asia, including a wide range of Dim Sum, fluffy baos, Korean fried chicken, and three varieties of sticky chicken wings.
The Christie Charity’s ‘Night of Neon’ 2025 / Credit: The Christie Charity
The Night of Neon charity walk is making its return to light up Salford Quays this weekend to raise money for The Christie Charity.
Always a popular event in the calendar, over 600 enthusiastic participants are set to take to the Quays to have fun, while raising money for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and supporting the thousands of patients who are treated for cancer at The Christie Hospital in Withington.
This luminescent fundraiser will also feature pre-walk entertainment – including a six-piece roaming band, face painting, glitter artists, and so much more.
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.
Want to watch the biggest game on the biggest screen?
GRUB is hosting a Super Bowl LIX party this Sunday, and will be showing the game on the biggest screen in the venue, the upstairs cinema CULTPLEX, so if you’re keen to see the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs, then this is the place to be.
Expect a relaxed environment, big screen fun from 9pm, and special menu from Oscar’s Dogs served between 9pm and 11pm to help you fill your belly for a long night of football action.
Featured Image – Freight Island | The Manc Group | Supplied
What's On
‘The world’s biggest Eurovision festival’ and celebration is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
An absolutely massive Eurovision festival and all-around celebration is coming to Manchester this year ahead of the Finals in Switzerland this May – in fact, it claiming to be the biggest in the world.
Taking place in our city for the first time ever, the official ‘MancHagen Eurovision Party’ is heading to 0161 for the annual festival’s 20th anniversary and it’s promising a huge programme of events, live music, entertainment and, most importantly, it’s all for a good cause.
Kicking off one of the best weekends of the year on Thursday, 10 April, MancHagen has partnered with the Gay Village district and some Canal Street favourites to offer a safe and exciting destination for all eventgoers to meet up.
You can expect live cabaret and singing, drag performers and DJ sets, as well as non-stop partying until the early hours. We cannot wait.
Credit: Silvester Belt via AP Media (supplied)/The Manc Group
The Canal St venues making up ‘Eurovision Village’ include EVA, Iconic Bar, New York New York, The Eagle and Cruz 101, all of which host an exclusive series of Eurovision programming and parties.
For instance, MancHagen’s Official Festival Euroclub opening party will be housed at Cruz 101, with eclectic sets from veteran Eurovision DJ David Horton and friends, followed by a weekend of performances from the likes of Choriza May (RuPaul’s Drag Race) in collaboration with Lady Olé.
Then, on the following Friday (11 April), the first half of the two-day All Stars Concertwill take place at Manchester Arcade Arena, our premier immersive augmented reality venue, from 6pm onwards.
Hosted by the UK’s 2001 Eurovision entrant Lindsay Dracassand Leeds‘ very own ‘Quality Street Queen’, Mamma Bear,the night will showcase Manchester’s leading cultural icons and look back at the thrilling history of the iconic song contest.
With show-stopping performances from the 2025 cohort, previous contestants and more, such as Eurovision 1993 winner, Niamh Kavanagh, Canal St queen Tonya Kneez; Beverly Tight-Lipps, Hera Björk and others, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about MancHagen.
Our interview with Danny BeardCanal Street in full swing during Pride 2024There’ll be plenty of watch parties around Greater Manchester, but a Eurovision Festival warm-up is even better (The Manc Group)
The celebration continues into Saturday (12 April), with an all-day programme at Depot Mayfield, a much-loved multiuse venue and home to The Warehouse Project as well as Europe’s largest indoor LGBTQIA+ celebration, Homobloc.
An exclusiveArtist Yellow Carpet Parade will then spotlight some of the UK’s leading Queer and creative pioneers, including appearances from Manchester’s own Drag icon and MancHagen ambassador Banksie, North West drag icon Danny Beard and more.
And that’s just the day-time: come nightfall, The Depot will transform into a wonderland of fashion, music and performance as the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will take over the room for a never-before-seen competition dubbed ‘Drag-A-Vision 2025’, with the likes of Marmalade, Rilesea Slaves, Alexis Saint-Pete; Charra Tea, Actavia and Chanel O Connor taking to the stage.
Oh, and of course there’s all the after-party action that Gay Village does so well – it is the part of the city that never sleeps, after all…
Besides the obvious excitement and fanfare surrounding this huge Eurovision festival, it is not only a welcome space for people from all walks of life but, above all else, being held for some vital charities.
Working alongside the Ukrainian Cultural Organization and United For You to host this year’s event, donations from each ticket sold will go towards Ukrainian Children and the George House Trust, as well as LGBTQIA+ groups like Sahir House, Manchester Pride and FSTB Danish Children.
The MancHagen co-founders say: “Our team is proud to announce the biggest celebration of Eurovision countries, cultures, fashion, music, dance and the diverse communities together in joy through music…
“There is nowhere more suited to host such an event than the UK’s inclusive capital of Manchester and capital of the North.” Dubbing itself the biggest party celebrating the annual event aside from the competition itself, if you’re a fan of the famous song contest, you don’t want to miss this.
Packages start at just £45, with VIP add-ons, affordable family tickets and VIP Backstage also available. Find out more about the ground-breaking Eurovision Festival and grab tickets for the Manchester celebration right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
13th January 2023 
