Can you believe it’s already the last full week of February? 2023 is off to a flying start.
Schools across Greater Manchester are out for half term this week, and it’s also every foodie’s favourite February holiday, Pancake Day, on Tuesday, which means there’s plenty to be getting up to throughout the region 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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Castlefield Viaduct
Manchester City Centre
Monday 20 February – onwards
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Castlefield Viaduct / Credit: National Trust
Manchester‘s new ‘sky park’ on Castlefield Viaduct is reopening next weekend after being closed for maintenance over the winter.
The New York-inspired elevated urban park on the giant Grade II-listed 330-metre steel viaduct opened to the public as part of a pilot project to gauge opinion back in July 2022, but has been closed since December to allow time for the team of National Trust gardeners, volunteers, and community partners to prune, plant, and create new and exciting areas.
On top of the work to add a variety of seasonal planting displays created by, four plots on the viaduct have also been handed over to local community groups and partner organisations to create their own unique gardens for visitors to enjoy.
Half Term at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
Mancs will get the chance to “unravel the secrets of sound” through experiments, play, and performance at the Science and Industry Museum this half term.
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The Science and Industry Museum in the heart of Manchester city centre is encouraging families to “march to the beat of their own drum” and have a go at finding their inner musician, as there’ll be a whole host of interactive activities, special shows, and unique performances all themed around the science of sound to get stuck into.
One of the most iconic musicals of all time is heading out on a 50th anniversary tour, and it’s stopping off here in Manchester this week.
Having been seen by more than 30 million theatregoers over the past five decades now, Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock musical, The Rocky Horror Show, is returning to our city as part of a sell-out worldwide tour this week.
Famously combining science fiction, horror, comedy, and music, The Rocky Horror Show is the story of two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet. When by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor, and they meet the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter, making it an adventure they’ll never forget, filled with fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity.
Manchester Museum has finally reopened to the public after an ambitious £15 million transformation project.
After an 18-month refurbishment, the cultural institution – which is part of the University of Manchester – has expanded into a modern new two-storey extension, with new exhibition spaces and inclusive facilities added into the space.
New spaces inside include a brand new Exhibition Hall, which has opened with the blockbuster exhibition Golden Mummies of Egypt, where visitors get an unparalleled access to more than 100 objects and eight mummies in a UK debut, while the new extension also includes the South Asia Gallery, which will be the UK’s first permanent space to explore the lived experience of South Asian diaspora communities.
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There’s a new dinosaur in town too, joining the museum’s legendary T-Rex Stan.
ZOUK is serving up ‘the world’s hottest curry’ and a number of food challenges for National Chilli Day this week, and the best part is? There’s lots of prizes up for grabs.
To celebrate every spicy-food lover’s favourite day, ZOUK is putting on a special, limited-time-only menu to cater to all you heat freaks – and speaking collectively on The Manc‘s behalf (several of us having tried it), it’s no joke.
Running for five days from Monday 20 – Friday 24 February, the aptly named ‘Reaper Challenge‘ comes in three variations.
SEA LIFE Manchester is inviting families to dive deep into the past this February half term with its new pre-historic adventure called ‘Jurassic Seas’.
For those up for the true Jurassic experience, you’ll be able to dig for fossils, take part in challenges, enjoy dino photo opportunities, meet and greet The Professor, and even see animals from pre-historic times up close and personal – including sharks, turtles, and sea anemones.
Pancake Day / Credit: | Ducie Street Warehouse | The Shack MCR | Hampton & Vouis
Considering all you need is water, flour and an egg or two, you wouldn’t think there could be so much variety in pancakes in Manchester, would you?
But there’s many different styles to choose from.
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From sweet to savoury, miniature to fat, and thin to fluffy, no matter what pancake floats your boat, the city of Manchester is here to deliver… you just need to know where to look. So with Pancake Day finally here this week, we’ve broken down some of our favourites below to help you get your pancake fix.
Read our round-up of where to find the best pancake places in Manchester here.
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Club Classics on Brass
The Blues Kitchen
Tuesday 21 February
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Club Classics on Brass / Credit: The Blues Kitchen
Combining the traditions of New Orleans with Manchester’s own party heritage, The Blues Kitchen Manchester is delivering an evening of club classics performed by a one-of-a-kind brass band this Tuesday.
Mr Wilson’s Second Liners are the North’s answer to Meute, turning golden era dance anthems into big, brassy bangers, and this technicolour marching band promise glorious mayhem and pandemonium with their carnival twist on favourites by A Guy Called Gerald, New Order, Happy Mondays and more.
“Channelling the spirit of the 24 hour party people, welcome to the Brassienda.”
As always, East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has a whole host of themed events to entertain the whole family this February half term.
On top of the return of the popular Malice in Wonderland event, where families will need to hunt around for characters and clues to solve the mystery, there’s also the chance to embark on a brand-new magical quest to the Mythical Forest of Fantasy and become the newest members of the legendary Dragon Camp.
Part mystery, part scavenger hunt, part treasure trail, families will have to complete magical missions and solve puzzles to become the master of dragons while meeting some mystical characters throughout the journey.
Fancy catching all the February deals, discounts, and offers in Manchester’s cafes, bars, and restaurants?
Quite a few of the city’s bars and cafes have decided to extend their 50% off food deals from January into February, and we’re absolutely chuffed to see it.
Beyond that, there are some awesome set menus, lunch deals and general discounts going around – not to mention quite a lot of Valentine’s deals to take up if you’re looking to celebrate Cupid’s holiday with someone special this month.
February dining deals in Manchester / Credit: Cane and Grain | The Firehouse | The Mews
If you’re looking for somewhere to grab a bite this week, we’ve rounded up some of the best Manchester February restaurant deals to take advantage of in 2023.
The extremely popular ‘Family Fridays’ event returns to Manchester’s largest street food hub and social space GRUB for a half term special this week, with a range of activities including everything from watching specially-selected kids’ films at the in-house cinema CULTPLEX and playing puzzles and board games, to arts and crafts, music making, bulb planting for spring and more.
There’ll even be face painting, temporary tattoo workshops, and lots of fun with glitter too, on top of a wide range of street food, coffee, and the GRUB bar for the parents to enjoy.
The event will run from 1pm-4pm, with GRUB remaining open afterwards, and tickets are £3 per child, but adults do not need a ticket.
One of the biggest Guinness Fan Zones in the UK has arrived in Manchester city centre for the Six Nations, and the best part of all is, it’s absolutely free.
With the beloved rugby union tournament running up until Saturday 18 March, Guinness have brought their popular fan zone to our lovely city – which is the biggest one outside of London – and have popped up at Escape to Freight Island just round the corner from Piccadilly Station.
The space has been transformed into a dedicated area for rugby lovers to watch the match, enjoy a fresh pint of ice-cold Guinness, and get involved with a whole host of other festivities.
You can also read our round-up of all the best places to watch the Six Nations in Manchester here.
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Featured Image – ATG Tickets | The Shack MCR | GRUB
What's On
Music charity launches exclusive giveaway after naming Liam Gallagher as newest ambassador
Danny Jones
A local grassroots music charity is holding a special giveaway of exclusive Oasis x adidas Originals merch to celebrate Liam Gallagher becoming their latest ambassador.
The legendary British frontman and global rock icon is no stranger to teaming up with charities, but this latest project is seeing him focus on his hometown and the Manc music scene more than ever.
Brighter Sound, who are based right here in Manchester city centre, announced the one and only Liam Gallagher as their latest collaborator on Monday, 1 June, but that’s not all.
As mentioned above, they’re also holding a prize draw to raise funds for the cause, with some special kicks up for grabs – and they’re a model that became collectors’ items almost instantly.
The local music development organisation, which has been helping support young artists and aspiring creatives for more than two and a half decades at this point, revealed Liam would be teaming up not only to help promote fellow Mancunians in and around the music industry.
But there’s still much more to it than that.
With this special fundraising initiative also on the table – as are a limited edition pair of his sold-out adidas Achille SPZL trainers (including the extremely rare and highly sought-after Japanese-exclusive version) as part of the giveaway – this marks a commitment to supporting up-and-coming talent.
All proceeds from the charitable prize draw will go towards a crucial pot of money that will then go directly towards backing rising musicians across the region.
In case you haven’t seen the shoes in question, both Liam and his elder sibling Noel teamed up with adidas Originals during the Oasis Live ’25 merch boom and reunion tour phenomenon as a whole, each creating their own special ‘Spezial’ design. You can see more of them down below.
They obviously flew off the shelves rather quickly.
Speaking in an official statement, the 53-year-old said of the fresh partnership: “I’m honoured to be an Ambassador for Brighter Sound and support the new generation of creatives launch their music projects. We need more help for the arts, especially for the working class.”
Getting to work in and around his native territory across Greater Manchester will no doubt be an added bonus for the Burnage-born Gallagher brother.
As for Brighter Sound, the organisation’s director, Kate Lowes, added: “It’s a real honour to be working with Liam and his team on this special prize draw, and to welcome him as an ambassador for Brighter Sound. Manchester is an incredible place for music – and Liam and Oasis are a huge part of that story.
“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to making sure that more amazing talent continues to grow from the city and find its place on the world stage.”
For anyone looking to enter the prize draw and help support Brighter Sound’s work across Greater Manchester, you can do so right HERE.
Featured Images — Brighter Sound (supplied)/Jonnysmirth (via Wikimedia Commons)
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 1 – 7 June 2026
Emily Sergeant
Another new month is here, and summer is closer than ever.
It might not officially be summer until a few weeks time, but especially after all the sun we’ve had recently, it’s hard not to see the arrival of June as the turning of the season. And that means there’s obviously loads of events and activities to be getting up to across Greater Manchester this week – with all sorts on the lineup.
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 are featured.
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National Trust x Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails
North West
Monday 1 June – onwards
National Trust x Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails / Credit: James Dobson | Annapurna Mellor
National Trust and Pokémon have teamed up for an exclusive trading card game and immersive trail.
The partnership is set to bring together the places the National Trust cares for and Pokémon’s spirit of play and discovery.
Exclusively designed for the National Trust, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails are going to be running throughout summer at 14 National Trust places nationwide, combining ‘imaginative play’ with ‘gentle physical activity’ inspired by Mega Evolution Pokémon.
Find out where to get involved and book tickets here.
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Forest Tubing
Zip World Manchester
Monday 1 June – onwards
Forest Tubing / Credit: Supplied
Thrill seekers, this one’s for you, as Zip World Manchester has launched its new Forest Tubing experience, and it’s bringing the UK’s longest outdoor tubing slide is coming to Heaton Park.
The new family‑friendly outdoor adventure gives visitors the chance to soar along two slides, winding through woodland at one of the largest parks in the North West.
Suitable for children aged four and above, visitors can book an hour-long session – with unlimited rides during that time slot – and either ride solo, or share the experience with fellow adventurers.
The annual Future is Ours festival is back, and it’s set to be a celebration of youth creativity centred around the importance of creativity as a transformative tool for supporting mental health and wellbeing.
Delivered by mental health charity, 42nd Street through their dedicated creative space The Horsfall, The Future Is Ours is a unique arts festival amplifying and celebrating young people’s creativity, voice, actions, and ideas.
Putting young artists at the forefront of the work, allowing them to say and create what they want in the way they want.
Did you see that the spectacular 360° immersive experience that’s currently lighting up Manchester Cathedral has extended its run in our city?
That’s right – due to ‘overwhelming demand’ and following a roster of impressive reviews since making its UK debut earlier this year, LUMINISCENCE has now extended its run at Manchester Cathedral until the early summer, and it’s coming to an end this week
LUMINISCENCE combines 360° video mapping, new orchestral arrangements of iconic songs, and a narrative story celebrating everything that makes Manchester and its residents so special.
Visitors are invited to step into a ‘spellbinding fusion’ of light, sound, and storytelling. Find out more and get tickets here.
Salford is celebrating 100 years of being its own city this year, and a raft of exciting new events have been announced to mark the occasion, featuring everything from art commissions to community events from the likes of Walk the Plank and From The Other – with many free to attend.
Salford City Council has put together the cultural programme across Salford’s eight neighbourhoods, supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Everything has been created to explore the past, celebrate the present, and imagine the future of Salford – including special events for the bank holiday.
Find out everything happening for this special centenary year here.
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GRUB On The Docks
MediaCity
Tuesday 2 June – onwards
GRUB On The Docks / Credit: Supplied
GRUB On The Docks has returned for the summer.
MediaCity’s waterfront site has been transformed into a vibrant open-air destination built for warm weather and big moments across the season, as GRUB On The Docks returns later this week.
Running across the summer months, you can expect some of Greater Manchester’s best street food traders to be serving up global flavours and summer-ready drinks, alongside live music, DJs, and just an all round laid-back atmosphere turning daytime hangouts into evening sessions.
Cat Cafe Manchester has officially opened the doors to its new home.
You may remember that the beloved venue in the Northern Quarter – which first opened all the way back in 2016 – sadly had to close in 2021 following unavoidable economic struggles brought about by the pandemic.
But now they’re back, the fluffy felines are back inside Barton Arcade, off Deansgate, and they’re cuter than ever… you can absolutely take our word for it.
From Maine Coons Ottie and Heathcliff, and fluffy sisters Yumi and Yoki, to Uno the adventurous Bengal, beautiful Gracie the Ragdoll, and Emerson the proud British Shorthair, it’s clear to see that all 12 residents have been making themselves at home.
Find out more about this exciting new opening and book your visit here.
Is this now the go-to spot for watching sport this summer? We think so.
Capturing a kind of mix between the simple combo of wide open space, booze, (and hopefully sun) on the Stevenson Square we all know and love, with a bit of the Boxpark fanfare that will make it perfect come World Cup, we’re big fans of The Green – which has now opened over at St John’s.
The drinks will be flowing here all summer long, and best of all, there’s an absolutely massive screen at the end of the lawn for all your live sport needs and more – not to mention plenty of seating, parasols, and all-round good vibes.
That’s right – the top 30 beer gardens in the UK have been named this week, and alongside beachside boozers and riverside pubs, you’ll find… Sinclair’s, proudly taking up a place in the top 10 with its old-school attitudes and proper pints.
Did you know that Printworks is currently hosting a UK-wide art competition for students?
Do you know an aspiring artist? Students aged 16 and over are invited to bring the ocean to life in a brand-new creative arts competition launched by one of the UK’s leading entertainment destinations, Manchester’s Printworks.
The venue has now opened entries for UK students from sixth forms, colleges, universities, and art colleges across the country to take part in an exciting new art competition.
The winning design is set to be showcased on Europe’s largest digital ceiling.
Fancy saving up to 50% off at some of Manchester’s top restaurants?
A bit of a daft question really, we know… of course you do.
Well thankfully, EatClub – the free app that’s easy to download, and you can start using right away – has now arrived in Manchester, and there are discounts such as up to 35% off Habbibi, Lina Stores, and Salvi’s to take advantage of, plus many more to explore.
Simply download the app, book your walk-in slot, and enjoy. You don’t have to tell the restaurant either – just pay using your EatClub card, and it’ll sort the discount for you.
We Invented The Weekend festival is back for 2026 this weekend.
Across Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, Salford Quays and MediaCity will be buzzing with over 200 free activities in the UK’s most ambitious, creative, original and fun-filled festival celebrating the most precious of commodities – our free time.
From live music and action-packed sports, to family fun, theatre, DJ sets, exclusive tours, art workshops, markets, thought-provoking talks, street food, boat trips, wellbeing sessions, and of course, open water swimming, there really is something for everyone.
Everything you need to know about this year’s festival lineup is here.
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IRONMAN 70.3
Bolton
Sunday 7 June
IRONMAN 70.3 / Credit: Bolton Council | David J H Sun (Wikimedia Commons)
IRONMAN 70.3 is returning to Bolton this Sunday.
Bolton has been the proud home of the UK’s IRONMAN race since 2009, and the world-renowned triathlon is all set to take over the Greater Manchester town once again – with participants and spectators in thousands all preparing to flock to all four corners of the borough to the catch the action.
Bolton Council says a series of temporary road closures are needed to ‘ensure the safety’ of competitors and spectators.
All the information and road closures you need to know about ahead of race weekend can be found here.
Emily Sergeant -
18th February 2023 
