It’s safe to say that Manchester is fully in the swing of a restriction-free summer, with June so far being beyond busy with events and parties.
There’s no sign of things slowing down just yet either – but in true Manc style, there’s something for everyone on the horizon this week.
There are celebrations of beer, music and a bit of both, candlelit sessions, yoga, film, and loads more.
Here are some of the best things to check out in the week ahead.
Summer Beer Thing
Kampus, 24 – 26 June
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This three day festival celebrating all things beer will be taking over Kampus this week.
Summer Beer Thing is organised by the teams behind Port Street Beer House, Common and The Beagle, and is the sister festival to Indy Man Beer Con.
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There’ll be a a brand new line up of breweries and food traders to go with its new waterside location, including Nell’s Pizza, Levanter and soon-to-be Kampus resident operators Madre, Pollen and Great North Pie Co.
Find out more here.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground, 22 June
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Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Californian rockers Red Hot Chilli Peppers will be performing an almighty gig here in Manchester this week.
The By The Way singers will take to the stage at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground as part of their 2022 world tour.
It’s the third massive artist to perform at the venue in recent weeks, following on from shows from Harry Styles and The Killers.
Salsa, poetry and music at Lock 91
Lock 91, Various dates
Credit: The Manc Group
Manchester’s brilliant lockside local bar has loads of events on throughout the week in its converted lock keeper’s cottage building.
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This week, there’s salsa dancing for all levels on Wednesday, as well as an open-mic or EP listening session from up-and-coming students from the BIMM Institute.
You can also pop down on Thursday for Punk in Drublic, a spoken word and stand-up comedy night that donates its ticket fee to Mustard Tree.
Cathedral Gardens and Exchange Square, 24 – 26 June
Credit: Gobefest
All weekend, there’ll be a celebration dedicated to the areas of Transylvania, the Carpathian Basin, and its wide-ranging traditions.
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Yep, Gobefest is back for its sixth year, bringing together culinary delights like kűrtőskalács (chimney cake), mititiei (Romanian skinless sausages), Hungarian honey bread and Csiki beer, alongside folk music and dance traditions that date back hundreds of years.
For three days in June, stages in Cathedral Gardens and Exchange Square will play host to an array of bands, choirs, ensembles, orchestras, dance groups and solo performers, hailing from as far as Transylvania, Croatia, Hungary and Romania.
As we all know, getting tickets for Glastonbury is a nigh-on impossible task, but you’ll be able to get a little taste of the magical event here in Manchester.
Grub and Vocation Brewery are teaming up on GRUBstonbury, a weekend of entertainment, music, and food while the festival itself is broadcast on the big screen.
Events include a Best of Glasto Disco Bingo, a Born To Be Wild Child family party, and a Rockstar Spirits garden bar takeover, plus live DJs, a vintage clothing pop-up, and (of course) street food.
Manchester’s firework displays are ‘back with a bang’ as they return from 2026
Emily Sergeant
Council-organised firework displays in Manchester’s parks are set to return from next year, it has been confirmed.
You may remember that these once-popular events have not been held since 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic initially prevented them from taking place from 2020 onwards, and then following that, they remained paused on a trial basis while the Manchester City Council sought to ‘reprioritise funding’ to support a wider range of free community events across the city.
But now, as it seems, the door was never shut on their potential return.
An ‘improved financial position’ now means that the Council is in a position to bring firework events back, while also still continuing to support other community events.
Papers setting out the Council’s financial position show that fairer funding being introduced by the Government next year will leave the Council better off than previously anticipated, he the reason firework displays have been brought back into the mix.
The Council has admitted that ‘pressures remain’ after so many years of financial cuts, but this new funding creates the opportunity to invest in the things residents have said matter the most to them.
“Manchester prides itself on free community events and we know many people have missed Bonfire night firework spectaculars,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“That’s why we are pleased to confirm they’ll be back by popular demand in 2026.
“We know that generations of Mancunians have enjoyed Council-organised displays and that free family events are a great way to bring people together… [and] now that this Government is actually investing in Councils like ours rather than the cuts we had since 2010, we can bring back Bonfire events.”
Cllr Craig said that the return of Council-organised firework displays is ‘building up for a spectacular 2026.’
More information on their return is set to be announced in due course.
Featured Image – Chris Curry (via Unsplash)
What's On
Peter Kay announces final Manchester show on historic run – with all profits going to cancer charities
Daisy Jackson
Peter Kay has announced some final arena shows, including one in Manchester, and he’s donating all profits to cancer charities.
The Bolton-born comedy legend will be playing one more night at the AO Arena as well as extra dates at The O2 in London, The First Direct Arena in Leeds, and plenty more.
What sets these arena shows apart from his record-breaking run, which has seen him sell out arenas for four years now, is that all the profits will be going straight to charity.
Peter Kay has pledged that ‘every single penny’ from his final dates will be going to 12 leading cancer charities.
These will include Children With Cancer UK, the Teenage Cancer Trust, plus charities dedicated to 10 different types of adult cancer.
Peter Kay holds the record as the only artist in the world to have performed a monthly residency at the O2, and has performed more than 100 shows on this tour in his hometown, at the AO Arena in Manchester.
The star made the announcement on BBC’s The One Show this evening.
Speaking of the announcement, he said: “It’s been the greatest privilege of my life to perform for audiences up and down the country.
“I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the support over the years, and it feels right to give something back. Every single penny of profit from these final shows will go to help fight cancer and support those affected.
Peter Kay announces final Manchester show on historic run – with all profits going to cancer charities
“Unfortunately, just about everyone knows someone who’s been affected by one of the cancers on that list.
“I really hope people can get behind this – come out, have a great night, share a few laughs, and do something good for charity at the same time. It’s a win–win.
“You don’t even have to like me – raising money for these twelve charities goes far beyond that. Together, we really can make a difference.”
Peter Kay will perform one more night at the AO Arena Manchester on Saturday 8 August 2026.
Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Sunday 30 November HERE.
The cancer charities Peter Kay will donate his final profits to are:
Daisy Jackson -
17th June 2022 
