What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 18 – 24 March 2024
Emily Sergeant -
15th March 2024 
Is everyone ready for another busy week? We certainly are.
March has already brought with it food festivals, cultural celebrations, annual events, and so much more – and thankfully, there’s absolutely no shortage of exciting activities in the Greater Manchester social calendar to be getting involved with throughout this week either.
If you’re 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.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
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Manchester Film Festival 2024
Great Northern
Monday 18 – Sunday 24 March
Manchester Film Festival is back for its 10th year, and it’s bigger and better than ever before.
The biggest annual film event in our city, Manchester Film Festival is known and loved for shining a cultural spotlight on the talents and creativity of independent filmmakers.
At this year’s highly-anticipated festival, there’s so many incredible films sourced from all over the world, as well as right here in the North West, to watch – including shorts, features, premieres, Q&As, red carpet glamour, and so much more.
Find out more about Manchester Film Festival 2024 here.
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Power UP
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 18 March – 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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Fairfield Social Club
Green Quarter
Monday 18 March – onwards
Fairfield Social Club has now reopened in Manchester once again.
After a successful winter pop-up at the end of last year, and a soft launch via Isit Kitchen’s Supper Club a couple of weeks back, Fairfield Social Club – which is from the same family as beloved street food and social hub, GRUB – is now back up and running at its brand-new venue on Irk Street in the heart of Manchester’s Green Quarter.
A special lineup of events has already been announced to take place throughout the month – with quiz nights, speed-dating events, and plenty more on the agenda.
Find out more here.
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Manchester Open Exhibition 2024
HOME
Monday 18 March – 28 April
Manchester Open Exhibition is back for the third time in our city.
Taking place every two years down at HOME, the Open Exhibition is the biggest celebration of Greater Manchester’s creative talent, and sees HOME’s Gallery walls filled with 480 artworks created by the people of our region that have been specially-selected by a panel consisting of art experts and community representatives.
Open to all, the Exhibition brings together artwork including paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, ceramics, digital and mixed media, video, audio, and so much more.
Find out more here.
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The Great British Spring Clean 2024
Greater Manchester
Monday 18 – 31 March
Greater Manchester is being urged to take part in a huge UK-wide ‘spring clean’.
Residents across the region are being encouraged to “roll up their sleeves” and join in with the annual UK-wide ‘Great British Spring Clean’ organised by Keep Britain Tidy, and supported by Manchester City Council, that’s now running right through to the end of the month.
The Great British Spring Clean is calling on locals to get stuck-in by helping to tidy up local parks, pathways, and other green spaces.
Find out more about how to join in this month here.
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Did you know that a new ‘hobby house’ has opened up in the heart of Manchester city centre?
It’s called ‘Altogether Otherwise’.
Having recently opened down at Manchester’s growing neighbourhood, NOMA, the innovative new concept is is setting out to provide the Greater Manchester public with a welcome relief from all the demands and fast-paced culture of city centre life that we’ve, sadly, all become so used to.
It’s been dubbed a “place to pursue creativity” and a chance to explore and get stuck into some new activities, all while bumping into like-minded people in an ever-changing gathering space.
There’s an exciting lineup of workshops and events that are free to attend.
Find out more here.
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Printworks Launch Party
Printworks
Thursday 21 March
Manchester’s landmark entertainment venue Printworks will be celebrating the completion of its £21 million refurbishment this week with a massive free party.
The huge new-look venue will have TikTok sensation DJ SUAT headlining the launch party on Thursday (21 March), and he’ll be joined for the evening by Bohemian House Choir, and a host of other performers and dancers too.
As part of the refurb, Printworks will be home to the largest digital ceiling in Europe, and launch partygoers will get to be the first to see it in all its glory.
Find out more here.
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After hours: Forward-Thinking Fashion
Science and Industry Museum
Thursday 21 March
Manchester’s legendary Science and Industry Museum is celebrating sustainable fashion with an ‘after-hours’ event especially for adults this week.
Fashion, sustainability, and heritage are all set to come together for a unique event in the heart of Manchester city centre this Thursday, where visitors are encouraged to “journey through the past, present, and future of fashion” during an exclusive evening of entertainment.
Kicking off from 6:30pm and running right through to 9:30pm, the event – which is named After hours: Forward-Thinking Fashion – will showcase sustainable self-expression, offer nifty thrifting tips, and even unpick Manchester’s unique fashion history, all before shining a spotlight on the highlight of the night – a colourful cabaret catwalk.
Find out more here.
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Did you see that Chester Zoo is giving away 35,000 FREE tickets to children this year?
The UK’s largest charity zoo is on a mission to help nature to “survive and thrive”, and so, in a bid to do just that, has announced that it’s giving away tens of thousands of tickets to local schools in Greater Manchester and beyond for completely free of charge.
The free tickets are to help inspire a whole new generation of young conservationists.
Chester Zoo‘s free ticket scheme has been running since 2017, and has already seen more than 100,000 children get to experience all the wonders the zoo has to offer.
Find out more here.
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Red Rose Diner
East Lancashire Railway
Friday 23 March – onwards
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this week.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 March right through to November this 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.
Find out more and book here.
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Stockport Town of Culture Weekender
Stockport
Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 March
Stockport is coming together for a huge celebration to mark its current Town of Culture title this weekend.
In case you missed it, Stockport was named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2023 back in May of last year, so what better way to celebrate the coveted title than hosting a weekend packed full of cultural festivities for all the family, with access to some of the town’s must-visit venues? We can’t think of one.
More than 50 events and activities are set to take place over the two days, and the best part is, they’re all FREE to get involved with.
Find out more here.
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The Beeswing’s ‘Spanish Bottomless Brunch’
KAMPUS
Sunday 24 March – onwards
Popular Manchester wine bar The Beeswing down at Kampus has just launched a new ‘Spanish Bottomless Brunch’.
Called ‘Domingo’ – which means ‘Sunday’ in Spanish, and now running every Sunday until the summer and beyond – the brand-new event features a curated collection of classic Spanish brunch dishes to be served alongside free-flowing mimosas, sangria, and Bloody Marys for the pretty-impressive price of just £35 per person.
Hungry foodie fans can take their pick from a menu of Spanish-inspired brunch dishes like smoky shakshuka, and Ibérico eggs benedict, all while sipping on 90-minutes worth of drinks.
Find out more and book your brunch slot here.
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Featured Image – One Stockport | The Beeswing | Science Museum Group
