We’re already nearing the end of March, but there’s still plenty happening.
It’s hard to believe that another month is nearing an end, but just as the temperatures have risen and the sun has been showing its face a little in recent weeks, there’s absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester this week – both free things, and those that’ll set you back a few pennies too.
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, so here’s some of our recommendations.
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St Patrick’s Day & Manchester Irish Festival
Manchester City Centre
Monday 17 March
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Manchester Irish Festival 2025 / Credit: Colin Home (via Supplied)
Manchester’s massive Irish Festival is drawing to a close this Monday to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
The biggest of its kind in the whole of Europe, over the last two weeks, Manchester Irish Festival has been putting on 10 whole days of Irish revelry in the heart of the city centre – with something for everyone of all ages to get involved with across the jam-packed lineup of more than 100 events spanning the whole city.
You can find out more about this year’s Irish Festival here.
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Looking for somewhere to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Manchester?
It may be Ireland’s national holiday, but St Patrick’s Day is now marked all over the world, and Manchester is no different, so this Monday you can expect plenty of places pouring perfect pints of Guinness in our city.
See everything happening in the ciy’s new ‘Irish Village’ here.
Check out our round-up of the best Irish pubs Manchester has to offer here.
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Manchester Film Festival 2025
ODEON Great Northern
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Monday 17 – Sunday 23 March
Manchester Film Festival 2025 / Credit: MFF
Manchester Film Festival is back for 2025.
Taking over ODEON at the Great Northern Warehouse for an annual celebration of storytelling through cinema, the city’s biggest celebration of the best new and independent film brings film lovers and filmmakers together for 10 days of screenings, Q&As, red-carpet glamour, and so much more.
Tickets and passes available now, and you can find out more about the stellar lineup of films on show this year here.
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An Edible Family in a Mobile Home
Whitworth Art Gallery
Monday 17 March – 20 April
An Edible Family in a Mobile Home / Credit: The Manc Group
An exciting new exhibition where all the sculptures inside are made of cakes, biscuits, and icing has now opened in Manchester – and yes, you are encouraged to tuck in.
You’ll be whizzed back in time to the 1970s at An Edible Family in a Mobile Home, down to the retro comedy playing on the telly, and over the coming weeks, members of the public will gradually eat the sculptures until there’s nothing left.
Even the walls at this new genius collaborative creation of artist Bobby Baker and Manchester’s-own Long Boi Bakes are decorated in icing, and it’s open down at Whitworth Art Gallery until 20 April.
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.
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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”.
Did you see that Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025?
Taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024. it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale, and the year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
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More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
Read more about why it’s been chosen and what this means here.
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Or that one of Greater Manchester’s popular museums has been named the best free museum in the UK?
With the Easter holidays not far off, plenty of parents, carers, and guardians across Greater Manchester will likely be looking for a ways to keep the kids entertained and educated while schools are out, and without having to break the bank too.
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Luckily enough, Bolton Museum has taken the top spot in a list of the best free museums and galleries to visit in the whole of the UK.
Bolton Museum has been crowned the best free museum to visit in the UK / Credit: Bolton Council
The museum – which is on the Grade II-listed Le Mans Crescent in the town centre, and dates back to 1852 – has been a part of the leisure and education of Boltonians for over 120 years, and is home to one of the largest regional Egyptology collections in the UK, made up of over 10,000 archaeological objects.
There’s also an extensive local history section, with 38,000 objects from the 17th to 20th century relating to Bolton.
How about going to see a brand-new film for free next week? Now’s your chance.
That’s right, thousands of tickets to watch the new heartwarming drama-comedy The Penguin Lessons, starring Middleton’s-own Steve Coogan, are being given away for free all across the UK this month.
It’s all part of Escapes – a project supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) and National Lottery funding giving everyone the opportunity to “enjoy the big screen experience” and “discover independent cinema”.
The Penguin Lessons / Credit: Sony Pictures Classics | Krists Luhaers (via Unsplash)
You can watch the film this Monday (17 March) before it gets its wider release to the general public later on this year.
How cute is this? We’ve discovered a little workshop over in Chorlton where you can ice, pipe, garnish, and decorate a miniature bento cake just the way you want it, with the help of the experts at Vanilla Ice Cakes.
You can whip up your dream colour buttercream, personalise your fillings, and learn brand-new skills before heading home with this adorable little celebration cake of your own.
At Vanilla Ice Cakes in Chorlton, you’ll sit under the expert eye of owner Fiza, a master baker who’s been in the game for more than a decade, and she’ll guide you (and sometimes step in to help you) as you fumble your way through decorating your own cake.
Manchester Folk Festival is back for its second year in the vibrant Northern Quarter.
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Taking place from this Thursday to Sunday, the urban multi-venue festival brings together a diverse range of artists who represent the broad definition of contemporary folk music, so you’ll get to discover the best traditional folk, roots, and acoustic music across a variety of the city’s iconic music venues.
From intimate spaces to festival stages, there’s something for everyone happening across the three days, and there’s also loads of other free events alongside the regular programme.
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is currently hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the year, East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Red Rose Diners’ are described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, as they start with a glass of fizz and stretch over an almost three-hour steam train journey through the Irwell Valley.
The experience includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
Man City Women vs Chelsea Women WSL / Credit: Man City
Manchester City and Chelsea’s women’s teams seem to be very well-acquainted this month, coming up against each other on several occasions over the next couple of weeks, but one of the biggest showdowns has to be the Barclay’s WSL match this Sunday.
Sponsored by Revolut, and taking place down at the Etihad Stadium, the two talented teams will face off to see who can claim those all-important three points in the league.
So Retro Vintage Fair is back in the beautiful Bury town of Ramsbottom this Sunday with a fabulous array of vintage traders selling an eclectic mix of unique items from days gone by.
Visitors can discover fashion items, collectibles, and home decor from the 1920s-1990s, alongside some retro-inspired handmade crafts, and a fabulous selection of vinyl records, while DJs Tommy and Paul spin classic tunes from their vintage van outside the hall.
Brew Box will be serving up delicious hot drinks and sweet treats to enjoy while you listen to the music.
Entry costs £2 each, while under 14s go for free, and you can find out more here.
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Featured Image – So Retro | The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
What's On
Full list of locations announced for Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 – including NEW places
Emily Sergeant
The full list of locations for Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 has been announced.
Now in their 27th year, Manchester Christmas Markets are known and loved for bringing thousands of people into the city centre each year to fill up on the fantastic festive treats and soak up all the Christmas atmosphere.
This year will see a bigger return of Albert Square, after the headline-grabbing partial return at last year’s event, with the big wheel also set to make a comeback.
There’s also set to be some new locations too for 2026, with Lincoln Square joining in on the action. And there will also be big changes to St Ann’s Square, according to the Council, with what is being described as a ‘brand new layout’ bringing in a bigger number of market stalls.
There will be a total of 210 stalls spread out across the city centre.
And the Council has now revealed the full list of locations where you’ll find stalls this year, including giving a teaser on what types of stalls will be in each location.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 locations have been confirmed / Credit: The Manc Group | Flickr
Albert Square
Albert Square is gearing up to be a must-visit Christmas Market location this year, hosting a packed programme of festive experiences, including:
A 50-metre ferris wheel and a vintage helter-skelter.
A festive pop-up pub with live entertainment (which is new for 2026)
Food, drink, and craft stalls from local and international traders
A glittering Christmas tree with its life-size sleigh
Manchester’s very-own giant Santa sitting high above the markets in front of the Town Hall
The markets will be open here daily from Friday 6 November to Sunday 3 January 2027, except for Christmas Day.
Lincoln Square
A brand-new Christmas market location for 2026, just a step away from Albert Square.
Here you can enjoy festive refreshments, seasonal treats, and warming drinks from local and international traders – with jerk chicken, homestyle lasagne and pasta, Korean corn dogs, and so much more.
The markets will be open here until 22 December from 10am to 9pm every day, except 22 December when they will close at 6pm.
King Street
On King Street, you can browse soaps, decorations, local spirits, and truckle cheeses, or visit the Italian deli for gourmet meats, cheeses, and Mediterranean produce. Before heading off, make sure to visit mouth-watering food stalls for chicken and waffles, mac and cheese, Hong Kong-style French toast, Greek gyros, and so much more.
The markets will be open here until 22 December from 10am to 9pm every day, except 22 December when they will close at 6pm.
Manchester Christmas Markets are known for bringing thousands of people into the city centre / Credit: Manchester City Council
St Ann’s Square
The original home of Manchester Christmas Markets has been given a makeover and will have an exciting new layout for 2026. Grab a bite to eat and enjoy the twinkling lights of a giant Christmas tree, while sipping on a Guinness, a glühwein, or festive cocktail.
The markets will be open here until 22 December from 10am to 9pm every day, except 22 December when they will close at 6pm.
Corn Exchange
Browse the stalls in front of the Corn Exchange for unique gifts of all kinds from crafters, take home tasty festive treats like pork pies, handmade truffles, and artisan cheeses, or shop for clothing, jewellery, fabulous accessories and more.
The markets will be open here until 22 December from 10am to 9pm every day, except 22 December when they will close at 6pm.
Exchange Street & Exchange Square
Exchange Street and Square is back with many of the favourites you know and love.
Treat your taste buds to loaded hash browns, Yorkshire pudding wraps, traditional bratwurst, decadent hot chocolate, frosty affogatos, and Dubai-inspired chocolate-covered strawberries, before exploring the stalls selling a range of crafts and gifts against a backdrop of twinkling festive lights.
The markets will be open here until 22 December from 10am to 9pm every day, except 22 December when they will close at 6pm.
There will be a total of 210 stalls spread out across the city centre / Credit: Manchester City Council
New Cathedral Street
New Cathedral Street is a must-visit destination for Christmas shopping. But don’t miss the traditional German bratwurst and beers, or a chance to indulge yourself in delicious steak frites with hot raclette cheese poured over the fries.
The markets will be open here until 22 December from 10am to 9pm every day, except 22 December when they will close at 6pm.
Market Street
Market Street is back and bigger than ever, with even more craft and gift stalls to explore. And then when you’re ready for a break from shopping, test your skills with carnival-style games including darts and hook-a-duck.
The markets will be open here until 22 December from 10am to 9pm every day, except 22 December when they will close at 6pm.
Cathedral Gardens
Expect plenty of activities for all ages at Cathedral Gardens, particularly for younger visitors, like Skate Manchester’s huge covered ice rink, mini fairground games, free live entertainment, and loads of food and drink stalls.
The markets will be open here daily from Friday 6 November to Sunday 3 January 2027, except for Christmas Day.
Find out everything you need to know about Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 here.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
What's On
Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Emily Sergeant -
13th March 2025 
