Greater Manchester has certainly sprung back into life once again since some of the national lockdown restrictions were first relaxed, with the hustle and bustle of city life having returned to our streets.
While it’s been confirmed that Britain’s so-called ‘Freedom Day’ is postponed for another four weeks, there’s still plenty to be getting up to in our region.
So, we’ve put together another edition of our ‘what’s on’ guide for the city of Manchester and beyond this week.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, others will set you back a few pounds, and most will need to be booked in advance – but all are COVID-secure in order to keep you as safe as possible.
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Here’s a few of our top picks.
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Beat the Frog
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
Monday 21 June
Frog and Bucket Comedy Club
Beat the Frog is the legendary amateur comedy night that takes place every Monday at Manchester’s iconic Frog and Bucket Comedy Club, and has helped to launch the careers of some of comedy’s biggest names – including Peter Kay, John Bishop, Johnny Vegas, Smug Roberts, and more.
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At the start of the competition, three cards are handed out to lucky members of the audience, and up to 10 acts will then take to the stage and each try to do five minutes of material. If within those five minutes all three cards go up, then the act has lost and must leave the stage – but if the three cards stay down, that act has successfully ‘Beat The Frog’.
They are then invited back to the stage for a clap off at the end of the night – which will determine the overall winner.
It’s been named the “most unpredictable comedy night in the north”.
You can find more information and grab your tickets via the Frog and Bucket website here.
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DJ Paulette Presents Together
Homeground by HOME
Monday 21 – Friday 25 June
Homeground by HOME
Renowned Manchester artist DJ Paulette is currently hosting a jam-packed show called Together on The Bruntwood Stage at HOME MCR’s brand-new, festival-style outdoor events hub, Homeground, and the weekly event is said to “shine like a beacon of hope into our community, social lives and calendar.”
From 5pm – 7pm every weekday evening, The Bruntwood Stage hosts a stellar array of talent old and new from Greater Manchester’s homegrown, rich, diverse, and musical heritage – including the brightest stars from the club, alternative, pop, RnB, soul, and electronic arenas.
You can find more information about the acts on this week’s lineup, and book your tickets here.
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Euro 2020
Manchester City Centre
Monday 21 June – 11 July
The Oast House
Euro 2020 has finally kicked off, and will be running right through to 11 July.
After a year of postponement due to the pandemic, European football’s flagship tournament has finally arrived, with 24 countries battling it out for the trophy, including three UK home nations – England, Scotland and Wales.
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Manchester is a city that’s obsessed with football, so understandably, there are plenty of venues going all out for the Euros this year, so if you’re looking for recommendations for some of the best places to catch a match this summer, we’ve knuckled down and done the leg work for you.
You can find 20 of the best spots to watch Euro 2020 in Manchester city centre here.
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Electric Gamebox
Manchester Arndale
Monday 21 June – onwards
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Electric Gamebox
Electric Gamebox – the immersive group gaming experience that lets players transport themselves into another reality – has reopened its doors at Manchester Arndale, with a choice of five exhilarating immersive games lasting between 30-60 minutes.
After months stuck at home, Electric Gamebox delivers a truly interactive experience that the whole group can get involved in.
The games take place within a futuristic ‘Gamebox’ – a room that uses projection mapping, touch screens, surround sound and motion tracking technology. Working together in groups of between 2-6, the high-energy entertainment experience requires no heavy wearables or equipment, just a cool visor given upon arrival.
You can find more information, and book your tickets here.
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Runway Visitor Park
Manchester Airport
Monday 21 June – onwards
Runway Visitor Park
Manchester Airport’s tourist attraction Runway Visitor Park has officially reopened, with a bumper programme of activities pencilled in for this summer.
The airstrip-adjacent park is inviting visitors to take weekend tours of vintage aircraft – such as Concorde – board flight simulators, and gawp at classic vehicles as part of an upcoming events schedule, which is underway until September.
The programme features a wide range of highlights for history buffs and families alike, including historic vehicle club open days, an airport memorabilia fair, a military showcase, and so much more.
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Live music performances have also been confirmed for the park’s memorabilia fair in July.
MediaCityUK’s popular outdoor dining concept Box on the Docks (BOTD) is welcoming customers back to its waterside ‘pods’ this week, with the collection of 30 sheds and greenhouses having undergone renovation from local artists.
An exciting range of residents are moving into the neighbourhood for the summer, along with beloved local eateries from across the region such as Grandad’s Sausages, I Knead Pizza, Bada Bing Deli and Batard Bakery.
You can find more information about Box on the Docks 2021 here.
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RHS Garden Bridgewater
Salford
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Monday 21 June – onwards
RHS Garden Bridgewater
Have you had the chance to head to RHS Garden Bridgewater yet?
As many Greater Manchester residents will know, the opening of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) newest £44 million garden attraction – which is located off Leigh Road in Worsley – has been delayed on a number of occasions due to ongoing restrictions amid the pandemic, but now it’s open for all to visit.
The 154-acre garden at the former Worsley New Hall estate is the biggest hands-on horticultural project undertaken in Europe since planning permission was granted in 2017.
It’s also the first ever RHS Garden to be located in an urban area in the UK.
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You can find more information and grab tickets here.
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Snorkel with Sharks
SEA LIFE Manchester
Monday 21 – Sunday 27 June
SEA LIFE Manchester
SEA LIFE Manchester has launched a brand new snorkel cage experience that’s letting people get closer than ever have before to more than 1,000 creatures of the deep at the Trafford Centre-based marine life aquarium.
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Snorkel with Sharks is a one-hour surface snorkelling adventure, suitable for swimmers age 10+ and includes a full briefing, introduction to the incredible creatures you can expect to see, and 20 minutes snorkelling in the purpose-built shark cage.
Tickets cost £40 per person, and the session can be booked for two to four people from the same household or bubble.
You can find more information and book your tickets here.
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Totally Roarsome
Mottram Hall
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Monday 21 – Sunday 27 June
Totally Roarsome
Totally Roarsome took the region by storm last summer after it opened to the public following the initial lifting of lockdown restrictions in mid-2020, with visitors flocking from far and wide.
Now at the new location of Mottram Hall, just over the border into Cheshire, Totally Roarsome features everything from dinosaurs, jungle animals and Arctic creatures, to superheroes, pirates and cartoon characters.
Tickets are priced at £7.95 per ticket (+ £1.50 booking fee, per transaction), and must be booked in advance online from the Totally Roarsome Facebook page.
You can find out more information, and book your tickets here.
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Use Hearing Protection
Science and Industry Museum
Wednesday 23 June – onwards
Science and Industry Museum
A special exhibition documenting the formation and early years of the iconic Factory Records has officially opened at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.
The exhibition also examines the period 1978 to 1982, revealing how the label grew and thrived to give the city an authentic voice and distinctive identity, and visitors will be guided through the pre-Haçienda years to uncover the history of the label and how it earned its status as a catalyst for innovation through rarely or never-before-seen objects.
The first 50 artefacts from the official Factory Records catalogue are on display, including creations from Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, and so much more.
Park N Party – the team that delivered both the sell-out successes of ScareCity, ChristmasCity and a number of other outdoor live events throughout 2020 – has launched a new venture titled SecretCity, and there’s a whole host of immersive drive-in entertainment events happening this week.
There’s screenings of cinema favourites Step Brothers, The Greatest Showman, Deadpool, Pulp Fiction and more all on show throughout the week.
Tickets must be booked in advance, and you can grab yours from £35 per car here.
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Chat Cheese, Get Wined
Northern Quarter
Friday 25 June
Decent Drop
A huge cheese and wine party is coming to Manchester this Friday night, bringing free-flowing wine and mountains of cheesy goodness into the city.
Hosted by Manchester-based cheese and wine delivery company, Decent Drop, there’ll be six different wines floating around for you to get stuck into and taste alongside various styles of cheese from around the world – ranging from creamy to crumbly, plus olives, crackers, capers, grissini and more.
‘Chat Cheese, Get Wined’ takes place on Lever Street in the Northern Quarter.
This is a three-hour cheese-fest like no other, and tickets are on sale now starting from £45 for one, or £80 for two.
Nestled among the backstreets of Manchester and tucked into the courtyard of an old, red-brick historic mill, Ancoats Pop Up Market is a weekly-run market event which has teamed up with MUD (Manchester Urban Diggers) to supply the neighbourhood with a wealthy selection of fresh, organic and locally-grown fruit and veg, as well as dry goods.
The market also features Manchester-based stallholders serving speciality coffee, locally-brewed rum liquors, locally-sourced bakes and crafts, and more.
Street food and freshly-brewed coffee is also available while you browse.
The OT Art Trail – which has been organised by OT Creative Space and is funded by Arts Council England – sees a number of local artists work together with members of the Manchester community to create six individual large scale murals which have been painted onto walls and building gable ends around the area, including in Seymour Park and Ayres Road.
The new murals have been added to the murals and artwork already seen around Old Trafford.
The several new street art sites are linked together via a downloadable audio tour, which is suitable for people of all ages.
Each mural centres around the theme ‘community togetherness and diversity’.
You can find more information on The OT Art Trail via the OT creative SPACE website here.
What's On
Five fantastic freebies and offers for the 2025 Manchester Half marathon
Danny Jones
It’s nearly time: not just for the Manchester Half but, more importantly, the freebies and offers you can get for running it.
Let’s be honest, not everyone loves running for literal miles just for the sake of it; a lot of people need motivation, and besides an inspiring cause, you’d be surprised how many people will get out of bed for something as simple as free stuff.
You might be one of them – you are here reading this, after all.
There’s no long-winded preamble or intro needed to set this up, so let’s just crack on. Here are five brilliant freebies you can get with a 2025 Manchester Half Marathon medal.
What freebies you can get with a Manchester Half finisher’s medal
Now, you’ll be glad to know that most of these are completely gratis, but we thought we’d mention some others that stuck out to us as well.
1. Free fizz on The Refuge
First up, how about some free fizz? Well, that’s exactly what you can get this Sunday, 12 October, if you’ve just run the 2025 Manchester Half-marathon.
Participants can head to The Refuge inside the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel after the race to claim a well-earned glass of prosecco – available to the first 100 finishers on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Complimentary food and drink at Circolo Popolare
Next up, it doesn’t get much better than a free pizza and a cold one; that’s what Circolo Popolare in Gary Neville’s stunning St. Michael’s building are offering.
Just show your medal and enjoy a free margherita pizza plus your choice of either an ice-cold beer or a refreshing virgin cocktail. Prego!
3. You’ve got to be quick to get House of Social’s freebie
Speaking of free drinks, the first 50 runners who use the last of their energy to dash over to House of Social this Sunday and enjoy a pint on the house.
All you have to do is present your medal when ordering to snap up a beer at absolutely no cost. So we’ll see you there, basically.
Self-explanatory, really. The student favourite that used to be the old Footage pub on Oxford Road is offering up a limited amount of free pints to runners, just make sure you show your medal at the bar.
To be honest, even if it wasn’t free, we’d still probably spend a good few hours here sinking affordable pints because it is absolute VIBES at this gaff.
Last but not least, if you’re looking for a lovely carby reward in the city centre, you’re obviously spoilt for choice, but Italiana Fifty Five are offering a free starter when booking and presenting your 2025 finisher’s medal upon arrival.
Available at all Greater Manchester locations, the Italian eatery formerly known as Cibo always delivers good offers, and race day for the MCR Half is no different.
🏃♀️ Running the MCR Half this Sunday?
Celebrate your finish line moment at Italiana Fifty-Five, Manchester 🇮🇹
Show us your medal and enjoy a FREE starter with your meal! 🍝✨
Oh yeah, it might not be a freebie per se, but as one of the busiest post-marathon celebration spots anywhere in Greater Manchester, The Wharf is obviously getting involved beforehand as well.
This year, the canalside Castlefield favourite is serving up sausage and bacon butties from 10-11:30am before the usual Sunday roast service kicks in as normal from 12pm. Now we’ve just got to pray for good beer garden weather.
We hope you get to make the most of these freebies and others Manchester Half offers after your race is run, because let’s be honest, running 13.1 miles (21 and a bit kilometres for you metric heads) is a fair bit of effort, so you deserve a treat.
It goes without saying that there’s probably plenty more SWAG to be snapped up in and around the city that we’ve missed, so make sure to let your fellow runners know about them down in the comments.
Finally, if you’re still feeling uncertain about anything to do with the race itself, you can find our full Manchester Half Marathon guide down below.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/press shot (supplied)
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 13 – 19 October 2025
Emily Sergeant
October is in full swing, and we’re loving how autumnal it looks everything.
The air has a chill, the leaves have changed colour, and spooky season’s right around the corner now, so that means there’s plenty of exciting activities to be getting up to in Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and beyond.
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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Pumpkin Lanterns
Manchester City Centre
Monday 13 – Friday 31 October
Pumpkin Lanterns / Credit: CityCo / Manchester BID
Have you noticed that Manchester’s adorable little pumpkin lanterns have already started popping up around the city?
If you’re looking to get in the mood for Halloween, but want to keep things a little on the cheaper side this week, then you need look no further than up above in the city centre as the annual decorative pumpkin lanterns are back once again.
Going on a little tour to see the lanterns in the trees in St Ann’s Square, Market Street, and beyond is the perfect activity for all the family, easy to plan, and great for pictures – and it’s free too.
Feeling brave? Scare City has returned to the North West with yet another ‘immersive’ horror experience in the lead up to Halloween.
Taking over the grounds of the abandoned Camelot Theme Park for ‘another year of terror’, just as it has done for the past four years following the success of its initial 2020 launch as a drive-in cinema, this year’s event features a selection of terrifying zones to weave your way through – some familiar, some brand new.
Tickets are now available to book at £29.50 for standard entry, or £44.50 for the ‘Gold Entry’ (both plus a booking free).
Find out more and grab tickets to this year’s event here.
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Pumpkin Festival 2025
Kenyon Hall Farm
Monday 13 – Friday 31 October
Pumpkin Festival 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group
What could be more cute and autumnal than rummaging around in a field in the October sunshine, hunting for your perfect pumpkin? Nothing, if you ask us.
If you’re liking the sound of that, then good news, as Kenyon Hall Farm’s annual Pumpkin Festival has officially kicked off and they’ve got THOUSANDS to choose from.
As well as the fields full of pumpkins, there’s loads of seasonal items in the award-winning farm shop too (alongside masses of fresh produce), like tattoo transfers for your pumpkins, gonks, keyrings, and more.
And don’t forget to stop off at the cafe for their seasonal pumpkin specials.
Multi award-winning musical Sunny Afternoon is kicking off its UK tour here in Manchester at the iconic Palace Theatre.
Following a sell-out run at Hampstead Theatre, the musical production featuring all the hit songs by legendary rock band The Kinks opened to critical acclaim at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End, where it ran for two years ahead of its sensational UK and Ireland tour throughout 2016/17 – and now it’s heading out on tour.
Set against the backdrop of Britain on the cusp of the rebellious 60s,Sunny Afternoon is described as being an ‘exhilarating and moving’ celebration of the music, life, and the band that changed it all.
Dare you enter the haunted Big Top? Gandeys Circus is back at the Trafford Centre this spooky season, and is bringing along with it a brand-new spine-chilling and action-packed Halloween Spooktacular.
This legendary show will be filled with frights, delights, and dazzling sights for the whole family.
Prepare for jaw-dropping thrill acts that will leave you gasping, grand production numbers bursting with eerie enchantment, and of course, plenty of laughter and screams along the way, as this is Halloween entertainment like you’ve never seen before.
Want to know what other Halloween-themed events are happening at the Trafford Centre throughout this month?
Spooky season is nearly upon us, and the Trafford Centre has now announced its lineup of Halloween activities to get stuck into, and from creepy crafts, to hair-raising rides and eerie evening entertainment, there’s something for every brave soul.
The Oast House’s popular teepee draped in twinkling lights is back for the festive season.
Complete with two roaring fires, twinkling fairy lights, faux fur throws, The Teepee will be made up of four tents joined together to create a huge open hub, complete with a stage area for guests to dance the night away in festive spirit.
It’s all sounding set to be a popular spot for locals and those who’ve finished a hard day at work during the autumn and winter months.
NEW OPENING – Power Hall / Credit: Science Museum Group
It’s been a long time coming, but this week, the Science and Industry Museum will be welcoming visitors back inside one of the UK’s most significant industrial heritage buildings – the Power Hall.
Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery is a free working gallery where visitors can immerse themselves in the sights, smells, and sounds of the engine-driven ideas and industry that started in Manchester and went on to change the world.
Have you noticed any ‘street nipples’ popping up around Manchester in recent weeks?
Yes that’s right, we did say ‘street nipples’, you heard us correctly.
In case you weren’t aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as a way of marking this hugely crucial event, pavement studs across major UK cities like Manchester have been transformed into nipples as part of a bold conversation-starting initiative from charity Breast Cancer UK.
Pavement studs often go unnoticed, just like the early signs of breast cancer – but this clever new campaign is already stopping people in their tracks.
Need a spot for breakfast? Manchester’s newest food hall has got you covered.
House of Social now does breakfast – and my lord, are you lot in for a treat with this one.
From Ok Taqueria, there’s breakfast burritos packed with jalapeño sausage patties and all manner of other breakfast items, there’s a taste of New York from Dough Religion in the form of pancake stacks and in-house bagels.
And last but not least, Burger and Beyond has the hangover cure sent from the heavens, with breakfast buns and the most PERFECT hash browns on the side.
Summer may be over, but guess what? Now that autumn is well and truly here, that means we get to wear layers, cosy up in our favourite places, and eat heartwarming plates piled high with all the major food groups.
Roast dinners / Credit: The Manc Group
Whether you want the likes of Banyan’s bottomless Yorkshire puddings bigger than your head, or swapping your meat out for a pie (you heard us), we’ve got something to suit everyone… tou can even get dog roasts too, if you ask The Refuge nicely.
Check out our top 25 best places to head to for a perfect roast in Greater Manchester here.
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Does your sweet tooth needing satisfying instead? Look at these spooky bakes.
Manchester’s most creative bakery has delivered the goods again this autumn, with a whole menu of seasonal treats and spooky pastries.
Half Dozen Other’s Halloween-inspired specials include a pistachio choux bun with a wobbly brain inside, an adorable pumpkin and pecan danish, and cherry cookie pie complete with witchy marzipan finger on top.
And beyond that, this month’s menu features a pistachio twist on their sell-out honey toast twice-baked croissant, a blood orange pain au chocolat, and a vegan charcoal cookies and cream croissant.
Emily Sergeant -
18th June 2021 
