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
Price of Manchester Village Pride 2026 tickets confirmed as wristbands go on sale
Emily Sergeant
Wristbands for Pride in Manchester this summer officially go on sale today.
Following last week’s announcement that the iconic Manchester Pride celebrations would, in fact, be returning in 2026 thanks to the creation of Manchester Village Pride CIC, today marks a ‘landmark’ moment as wristbands go on sale, helping to rebuild and reclaim what has always been once of the city’s most important events.
Early bird wristbands are now on sale at just £25, plus booking fee, offering community members access to four days of ‘safe and responsible’ celebrations.
This is set to include a ‘diverse’ programme of events that build on some of the best-loved elements of previous years – a Pride Parade, candle-lit vigil, party with performance and music across various stages, as well as talks, exhibitions, and community activities.
Manchester Pride is returning in 2026 / Credit: The Manc Group | Manchester Pride
Once early bird wristbands sell out, then general release wristbands will go on sale priced at £30 plus booking fee for the full weekend, or £20 plus booking fee for individual day passes.
Options for those on low-income, or those that require additional support, will also be available too.
Under the new direction of Manchester Village Pride CIC, all funds raised through the sale of wristbands and passes will enable the safe delivery of the Summer Bank Holiday Weekend event, and will support LGBTQ+ charities, grassroots organisations, and vital community services.
Any surplus funds will then be legally locked in for public benefit, and a ‘transparency dashboard’ on the Manchester Village Pride CIC website will be updated regularly to show ticket sales, costs, and projected charitable surplus.
Manchester Village Pride CIC has so far received £120,000 in loans from Village venues, which it says reflects the ‘determination’ of local LGBTQ+ businesses to safeguard Pride and ensure it remains rooted in the community that created it.
However, despite this, funds from wristband sales are now required to help start planning and organising the event properly.
“Naturally, given the failure of Manchester Pride Ltd and ongoing impact that this has had on charities, artists, and businesses within our community, we know that everything we do is going to be scrutinised,” admitted Carl Austin-Behan, who is one of the founding board members and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride CIC.
“We are ready to meet that head on with clear open book management, direct and clear language when providing updates, and radical transparency about any funding.
Wristbands have officially gone on sale for 2026’s event this morning / Credit: Manchester Pride
“In the spirit of this transparency, we do need to be clear that we need people to purchase a wristband or day pass.
“Over Pride weekend, the Village becomes a large-scale live event space, with outdoor stages, performances, and street bars. A ticketed entry system allows us to meet essential safety, security, and government licensing requirements, manage crowd numbers responsibly, and provide appropriate stewarding, medical, and welfare support.
“Without this approach, venues would not be legally permitted to host stages or outdoor bars, and the Village simply couldn’t operate in the way people expect during Pride weekend.
“This is not about restricting access, it’s about keeping people safe, protecting our venues, and ensuring Manchester Village Pride can happen responsibly.”
Manchester Village Pride 2026 will take place over August Bank Holiday weekend between Friday 28 and Monday 31 August.
Where to watch Super Bowl LX in Manchester
Danny Jones
Game day is fast approaching, and with the NFL scene getting bigger and bigger in the UK each year, more and more Mancs are left wondering where to watch the Super Bowl in Manchester.
With six-time Championship winners, the New England Patriots, set to take on the Seattle Seahawks – a resurgent side who have only won just one Super Bowl in their history – it’s all set up to be a fully blown blitz from the off.
Luckily, there are a whole host of sports bars in the city centre that will be showing Super Bowl LIX right through, so you don’t have to miss a minute of the action – all four hours or so of it.
Yes, it’s a long, old night (usually wrapping up around 3am here in the UK), but that’s part of why people love it, and if you’re still undecided as to where to go, here are a dozen places you can hunker down with some good grub and plenty of pints to watch it.
13 of the best places showing the Super Bowl in Manchester
1. The Blues Kitchen – Deansgate
We’ve spent the last three years watching it from here, so we vouch for the vibes. (Credit: The Manc)
First up on our list is the place we spend the Super Bowl pretty much every year: Blues Kitchen just off Deansgate, which promises big screens, live music, American BBQ favourites and more from 9pm.
With food and drinks served until late to keep you going throughout the long night, you’ll have an absolute ball. Book HERE.
2. BOX – Deansgate
BOX Bar opened on Deansgate back in 2021 and has quickly become one of the most popular places to watch any sport in town, and it’s not hard to see why.
With massive pitchers and steins of booze, a banging food menu built for shuffleboard at the back and screens on almost every wall, including a massive NBA-style jumbotron screen, you won’t miss a second of the action. This one always fills up quickly, so book now if you don’t want to miss out.
3. O’Malley’s – Portland Street
Ideal gameday scoops and scran. (Credit: Supplied)
As one of the only pubs in Manchester that regularly stays up this late – and by that we mean 4am – keeping eyes open until the early hours is child’s play for these lot, so similarly, it’s no surprise that the Irish bar is showing the Super Bowl.
One of many recent green and gold additions to the city that’s obsession with Guinness and all things Gaelic only seems to be growing, O’Malley’s, you can book your spot to watch both the Bowl and the Six Nations right HERE.
4. Black Cat Club
If you’ve never been to Black Cat Club before, then what are you playing at? They’ve got interactive darts, high-tech shuffleboard, foosball tables, and with the El Gato Negro team having spawned their food menu, you’re guaranteed a solid lineup of gameday goodies inspired by proper NFL tailgates.
They’re coming up on their second birthday very soon, and we think giving Mancs a first real taste of a proper sporting all-nighter is the perfect way to celebrate. You can find out more and how to book HERE.
Given that students are typically the ones who don’t tend to worry about sleeping/waking up at any particular time, it’d be rude not to put a regular uni haunt and Manc nightlife favourite, The Courtyard, on this list.
Not only is this one of the cheapest places for a night in town, possibly the country, but it’s yet another prime location to watch the sport. You are never, we repeat, NEVER too old for Courtyard, and it never disappoints when there are sports fans in.
Another all-time classic Manchester sports bar, The Directors’ Box, just off St Peter’s Square in the city centre, has plenty of pints, an absolutely mint menu full of sharing platters perfect for watching the game with your mates, as well as a pool table to keep you occupied during the breaks.
They’re even putting on a special menu just for the game. This is another one that packs out fast, so book now while you still can.
The Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits is another tried and tested favourite come any matchday, and the team over there does a great job of building a proper atmosphere across their two floors when it comes to the Super Bowl.
It’s a great post-work spot any day of the week, let alone when there are big events on like this. Food, pints, pool, table tennis and more. 10/10, no notes from us. Reserve your table now
8. Tib St Tavern – Northern Quarter
Credit: The Manc Group
No list of Manchester sports bars would be complete without Tib Street Tavern, one of the most popular in NQ or the city centre in general, for that matter.
With booths for you and all your mates to pile into, massive screens filling the walls and solid grub, this place is packed out noon till night, so give ’em a ring on 0161 834 1600 to sort your seat whilst you still can. They also completed a refurb not too long ago, so you’ll be comfier than ever this year.
Nothing like the Bowl at Bunny’s. If you’ve ever been in this beloved wing-stop and rock-themed watering hole for an NFL game, you know that this place is pretty much the perfect place to be.
Arguably the best dive bar on the planet (it’s us, we’re arguing it), and not just because the wings start from 30p, there’s no bookings – you just rock up and try your luck and hope for laces out. Say no more.
10. Albert Hall – Peter Street
Following the success of their England watchalongs for the Euros and World Cups, Albert Hall is going all fan park once again for Super Bowl Sunday 2026. With plenty of room and a very big screen, it’s set to be the ideal place to watch SBLX, from the gridiron carnage to the halftime show.
It’s just a tenner for entry, and once again, besides a top sound system and big HD telly, there’ll be pitchers of beer, hot dogs and all the essentials required for a proper American sports party. Find out more down below.
If you popped into Brickhouse for the World Cup or even the Six Nations, you’ll know the bar, club, rooftop terrace, and pool hall are really killing it when it comes to live sports at the minute – especially with tickets to dedicated fan zones for just a fiver.
Kicking off from 8pm and spreading across two of the three floors, this is one of the best places to grab a slice of pizza and a pint while watching the game. Better yet, their increasingly popular fan zone is absolutely free; you just need to email [email protected] or ring 0161 236 4899.
Last on our list is another cult favourite amongst NQ frequent flyers, as not only do Shack MCR specialise in all the very best kinds of food you want whilst watching live sport – wings, fries, burgers, nachos, etc. – but they’re even serving up special Super Bowl platters for the occasion.
They’ll be serving scran until 1:30 in the morning, and although all the private booths have already sold out, there are still some tables left for Sunday, 11 February, so book yours now.
Last but not least, lucky number 13 (yeah, we’re glass-half-full kind of people) on this year’s list of Super Bowl screenings in Manchester for 2026 is veteran Aussie sports bar, Walkabout.
With Bierkeller and Shooters across the way having sadly closed, this is now the longest-standing boozer of its kind in Printworks, and they also love a late night,
Of course, it goes without saying that if we could chuck every one of our city’s wonderful pubs and sports bars on this list, then we would, but we’d be here forever.
That being said, a literal dozen places to watch the big game in Manchester city centre should be more than enough to get you started — now it’s down to you to make sure you plan out the perfect Super Bowl Sunday for LX 2026. Just make sure you’ve got your arse in a seat before that first touchdown.
Get lots of sleep this week because you’re going to need it!
Oh, and if you’ve also been wondering where to watch American football’s forefather, the best rugby union tournament in the land is underway, and there are plenty of places showing it in town.
Emily Sergeant -
13th January 2023 
