Spring is here, and the events calendar in Greater Manchester is looking as exciting as ever as we head into another week.
April is in full swing, and it’s another week that’s absolutely packed with plenty to do in our region, so as always, we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
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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Bloomtown Blossom Trail
Manchester City Centre
Monday 17 April – onwards
Bloomtown Blossom Trail / Credit: The Manc Group
A new walking trail has been created around Greater Manchester to celebrate the spring blossom, and it’s absolutely beautiful.
The National Trust has created a 30-stop ‘Bloomtown Blossom’ trail all around the city centre and beyond where you can soak in the prettiest of springtime scenes – from the famous purple blooms in St Peter’s Square, to the showers of blossom in Alexandra Park, and the clouds of pink in Sackville Gardens.
Some of the city’s newest spots are included on the trail too – including the Castlefield Viaduct, Mayfield Park, and Plant NOMA.
A giant outdoor funfair full of vintage fairground rides and a circus is back at the Trafford Centre.
After several hugely successful runs in both 2021 and 2022, the UK’s third largest shopping centre’s outdoor space has “sprung to life” once again, and is back with a whole host of thrilling rides, a glittering circus, and lots of delicious treats for the whole family to enjoy.
Spring Escape has popped up outside the Great Hall, and tickets are now available to buy for the wide range of events on offer.
Corn Exchange has installed a book vending machine inside its stunning atrium space.
Whether you’re in need a book for your commute into the city, want to update your bookshelf at home, grab a page-turner for your holiday, or simply have a good read over a coffee or glass of something at Corn Exchange, the new vending machine has you covered.
Book lovers are invited to head on down with their old books, grab a token for the machine, and Read. Swap. Repeat.
With the aim to help the environment and reduce waste for book lovers, the machine includes a mix of pre-loved books of all genres, and you’ll just need to simply bring in a pre-loved book and swap it for a token with one of the Corn Exchange hosts to access the machine and choose your next read.
RHS Garden Bridgewater is back hosting another one of its ‘Walkies at Bridgewater’ evenings by popular demand this Tuesday, and it means dogs owners can take a stroll around the picturesque gardens with their canine companions when the Worsley-based park opens up its grounds from 4pm–7pm.
With the sun set to shine, RHS says the special event is the perfect time to explore the horticultural delights of the season with your four-legged friend.
Fancy trying out some new bars, and restaurants that have opened in Greater Manchester this month?
Spring has arrived, and with it, the region has ushered in a whole host of new openings in April.
From a new pasta concept over on Peter Street from the brains behind Gooey, to whole loaves of sourdough filled with Full English fry ups in Ancoats, plus a stunning new contemporary Chinese restaurant on the edge of the Gay Village, there’s many new places popping up in the city centre and further afield to try this month.
If you’re looking for somewhere to grab a bite this week, we’ve rounded up some of the best new openings to try.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo is arriving at The Lowry this week.
Adapted for the stage by Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler, and based on the International No.1 bestselling book by Christy Lefteri, The Beekeeper of Aleppo tells the story of beekeeper Nuri and his artist wife Afra – who live a “simple life in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo”.
Described by critics as being a “compassionate and beautiful play”, it’s a story of connection between friends, families, and strangers.
Award-winning street food champions GRUB are once again teaming up with Manchester City Council to bring their monthly food and drink festival, GRUB Carnival -The Travelling Food Festival, back to Wythenshawe.
The monthly event is set to bring together the very best of GRUB’s top street food traders, alongside a series of pop-up brewery bars and take-home produce stalls.
Science and Industry Museum unveils ‘summer of senses’ programme with dozens of FREE activities
Emily Sergeant
The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its programme of free activities for the summer, and it looks set to be a ‘summer of senses’.
With the summer holidays right around the corner, and schools across Greater Manchester and beyond set to be out in a couple of weeks time, parents and carers will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids educated and entertained at the same time, especially if the unpredictable Manchester weather continues to show itself.
Even better if the activities are suitable for mini Mancs of all ages, and you don’t have to break the bank too much either.
By far one of the best places to escape the hustle and bustle with your little ones in the city centre, the Science and Industry Museum has got a spectacular summer holiday programme packed with all sorts of things to be getting up to.
With events running from 19 July to 31 August, whether it’s disco dancing around a giant brain, unveiling the science behind optical illusions, or journeying through a giant ear canal, there’s something for everyone during the museum’s ‘sense-sational’ summer.
The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its ‘summer of senses’ programme / Credit: Science Museum Group
The ‘Bogie Lab’ is where all the action’s happening, as it will be full of sticky surprises for visitors wanting to explore more about their sense of smell.
Interactive workshops will aim to inspire future scientists by giving them the chance to unearth the ‘brilliance of bogies’, and visitors can get hands-on with this ‘magical mucus’ by creating their very own pot of snot to take home.
Our senses of sight and sound will also be examined in a brand-new interactive Explainer experience, unpicking optical and audio illusions that ‘bamboozle’ our brains.
Stay tuned as there’s also set to be another live appearance from presenter of Operation Ouch!, Dr Xand, due to be announced soon.
If learning about the senses isn’t really your bag though, then you can explore five decades of play in the ultimate gaming experience, Power Up instead, and discover just how far computer games have come over the years.
There’s dozens of free activities happening across the six-week holidays / Credit: Science Museum Group
“We’re celebrating the summer by exploring the snotty science behind Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You,” commented Tash Camberwell, who is the Interpretation and Content Developer at the Science and Industry Museum.
“With activities from disco dancing to exhilarating experiments and brain boggling illusions, you won’t want to miss this summer of fun.
“Everyone is welcome for six weeks of family fun celebrating our amazing bodies, how our brilliant brains see the world, and the surprising significance of snot. We’ve got brains, we’ve got bogies, now all we need is you.”
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 23 – 29 June 2025
Emily Sergeant
How have we all been enjoying the sun this past week? There’s more where that came from too.
June is in full swing, and now that summer is here in all its glory, there’s absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester this month, as you’d expect – we’re talking festivals, themed events, new foodie openings, and loads more on the horizon in the coming weeks.
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 too.
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Clocking Manchester: 130 Years in the City’s Evolving Skyline
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
Monday 23 June – onwards
Clocking Manchester: 130 Years in the City’s Evolving Skyline / Credit: Supplied
A new free exhibition is now open allowing visitors to open the door into the rich history of one of Manchester’s most iconic buildings the Refuge Assurance Building, which is now the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
Clocking Manchester: 130 Years in the City’s Evolving Skyline has transformed the walls of the hotel’s Refuge bar and dining space to chart the building’s remarkable journey, from its beginnings in 1895 to its current life as one of the city’s most loved luxury hotels.
Alongside the story of the building itself, the exhibition also highlights the people who have shaped the building over the decades.
National Trust – Sky Gardening Challenge / Credit: The Manc Group
It’s time to get your green thumbs out, as the National Trust has challenged city dwellers to ‘green’ their balconies this summer.
We know the city is a little lacking in greenspace, so why not bring the greenspace to you? If you need some tips and tricks on how to get a little greener, and what plants would work best in your mini oasis, then you can grab yourself booklets, seeds.
Plus, they’re also running free workshops across Greater Manchester.
Oh and hey, if you think you’ve got a bloomin’ lovely balcony, then you can now enter the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge and be in with the chance of winning some exciting prizes.
An award-winning play about the England men’s national football team is playing outside of London for the first time ever, and Greater Manchester has been chosen as the lucky location.
The National Theatre’s smash-hit production of writer James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning play, Dear England, has started its four-week run at the legendary The Lowry in Salford, and audiences have a chance to catch it up until 29 June.
Directed by the Almeida Theatre’s Artistic Director, Rupert Goold, Dear England tells the story of the England men’s football team under former manager, Gareth Southgate.
Stories – Brought To Life / Credit: The Manc Group
A major new National Portrait Gallery exhibition has arrived in Salford.
The ground-breaking new experience by FRAMELESS Creative has opened at MediaCity, bringing some of the world’s most famous portraits to life like never before.
Stories – Brought to Life will explore the fascinating lives of these figures, who have shaped the UK’s history and culture all the way since the Tudor period, and will combine the highest quality digital projection, Hollywood-style visual effects, and the latest audio technology, along with specially created musical scores and creative narratives to shine a new light on each individual.
Visitors will be able to step inside iconic portraits including Grayson Perry, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Kargo on the Docks / Credit: Supplied | Mark Waugh
Kargo on the Docks is back for the summer.
MediaCity’s al fresco dining pop-up has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester’s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
MOTH, which sells premium cocktails in a can, has launched its first ever MOTH: Licence corner shop here in Manchester’s Northern Quarter
This convenience store with a twist on Oldham Street is now serving delicious boozy beverages in a can, with live DJ sets and the chance to win prizes.
These refreshing, bar-strength premium canned cocktails are ideal for picnics, single-serve drinking, and shoving in your bag for whatever summer adventures you may be heading out on.
The UK’s first official Oasis merch store has now opened in Manchester.
Officially throwing its doors open in Spinningfields at the end of last week, the Oasis Live ’25 Fan Store is stocked full to the brim of all the official merch for the hotly-anticipated reunion tour this summer, and it’s also launching online as well as in store.
As well as the official tour merchandise, the store sells exclusive brand collaborations, limited-edition products, and items not available to buy anywhere else.
Did you see that Manchester Museum has been named European Museum of the Year for 2025?
Talk about a prestigious title.
Yes that’s right, congratulations are in order, because Manchester Museum – which is part of The University of Manchester (UoM) – has received one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world, the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA).
Not only that, but it’s made history in doing so too, as it’s the first university museum to ever receive the annual prize.
Manchester Museum has been named the European Museum of the Year for 2025 / Credit: Manchester Museum
It beat out 41 other cultural hubs across the continent to claim the coveted prize.
Operated by the European Museum Forum (EMF), EMYA recognises new or redeveloped museums that showcase the best in excellence and innovation in their field.
A free open-air cinema is coming to Manchester city centre this summer.
With a backdrop of the modern Manchester skyline, Screen on The Square will be a go-to hangout for Mancs this summer, as audiences will be able to recline in deck chairs surrounded by one of the city’s best views, and watch everything from classic and family films, to music, sporting events, and so much more.
It’s all launching at New Jackson – Renaker’s world-class skyscraper district and thriving new neighbourhood that’s taken shape at the southern side of Manchester city centre.
Glastonbury weekend is upon us, and to celebrate the UK’s biggest music festival in all its glory, Nell’s is hosting its own festivals instead.
The beloved New York-style pizza specialists – which now has four sites across the region – is turning two of its most popular restaurants into festival hubs next weekend, bringing all the spirit of Glastonbury to Kampus and Altrincham.
Manchester’s thriving canalside neighbourhood Kampus will become home to the aptly-named Kampus Fest, while over in the Trafford town of Altrincham, Alty Fest will be in full force.
You can expect big screens live streaming the full Glastonbury festival throughout, plus pop-up markets, face painting and hair tinsel stations, outdoor tequila and margarita bars, happy hours, and of course, lots and lots of Nell’s pizza.
Find out more about both these free festivals here.
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Street Eat
Rochdale Town Hall Square
Saturday 28 June
Street Eat / Credit: Supplied
Rochdale Town Hall Square will be packed with foodies galore this weekend, as the town marks the return of its popular food festival.
Street Eat is one of the biggest days of the year in the Rochdale calendar, organised by the Rochdale Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), welcoming food and drinks stalls from local vendors and restaurants.
A whole host of other free activities will be happening throughout the day, including live Punch and Judy shows, face painting, a caricaturist sketching portraits, and lots of live music.
One of Manchester’s historic market halls has been revived for a new era, and a series of free summer festivals are set to celebrate – with the first kicking off this weekend.
As part of the unveiling of the newly-revived Campfield Mega Campus – a grade II-listed building that will be returning to its original purpose as a bustling market hall for the first time this century, a one-of-a-kind artisanal festival called The Weekender will be back on Saturday.
Expect a curated makers market, live music, creative classes, kids activities, top street food, delicious beverages, and a few other creative surprises.
A massive music-filled takeover of Manchester arrives this weekend ahead of 1.3 million music tourists descending on the city centre this summer.
MCR Live ’25 will celebrate what promises to be a sensational summer of sound.
There’ll be everything from a pop-up bar in Piccadilly Gardens with surprise live acts doing sets, and markets in St Peter’s Square selling vinyl and vintage goods, to block parties in the Northern Quarter, and the already-announced Music for the Senses art trail dotted around all the well-known city centre sights.
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2023 
