Can you believe we’re almost at the end of another month and it’ll soon be time to wave goodbye to May?
June may be right around the corner, but not only is there a whole host of exciting activities lined up in the events calendar for the rest of this month, there’s plenty to be getting up to across the region this week, and we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide for the city and beyond.
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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British Pop Archive
John Rylands Library
Monday 23 May – onwards
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A new national collection that’s dedicated to “the preservation and research of popular culture” has now opened in Manchester city centre.
The British Pop Archive (BPA) has been created by the University of Manchester (UoM) and has opened at the iconic John Rylands Library on Deansgate in the heart of the city centre, with the aim of celebrating British popular music and other aspects of popular culture to recognise its “pivotal influence” on the world stage.
Featuring “iconic items” relating to quintessential British bands, legendary UK television, youth culture, counter-culture, and more that have set trends around the globe, the BPA will be an important academic resource for research and teaching, UoM says.
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It’ll also be public resource for exhibitions and public events that’s open to all.
13 street pianos have been dotted around popular Manchester locations, and they’re free for the public to play all month.
The annual Manchester Jazz Festival (mjf) arrived in our city last Friday, and to properly celebrate the 2022 edition in style, festival organisers have teamed up with the beloved Forsyth Music Shop to place over a dozen pianos at well-known sites in the hunt for Manchester’s most entertaining street pianist.
You don’t even need any technical talent or formal training either, as the competition is open to everyone, and there’s some brilliant prizes to be won.
A critically-acclaimed photography exhibition has officially opened in Manchester as part of its international tour.
In what is the first UK exhibition of this scale outside of London for over 20 years from the world-renowned Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, the Science and Industry Museum has will welcomed Amazônia – a major photography exhibition that celebrates the indigenous peoples and breathtaking landscapes of the Brazilian rainforest.
Salgado worked in the Amazon for seven years with 12 different indigenous communities, and the result is an incredible collection of powerful photographs that present his vision of a forest that is approaching a crucial tipping point in the fight against climate change, the Museum says.
Looking for some new restaurants and bars to try out that have just opened in Manchester city centre this month?
Before May is over and done with, there’s still a whole host of new restaurants and bars to visit in Manchester city centre and beyond.
Lazy Tony’s and Burgerism / Credit: The Manc Group
Think Italian subs, the return of sit-down Lazy Tony’s lasagne, a new Spring Gardens cocktail bar from Gordon Ramsay’s former bars boss, sushi, sashimi and (maybe) even a new dumpling place.
You can read our round-up to find out where to put on your list this month here.
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Summer Knights
Camelot Theme Park
Thursday 26 May – onwards
Summer Knights / Credit: Park N Party
Northern kids of the 80s, 90s, and 00s can truly revisit their youth, as the abandoned Camelot Theme Park in Chorley has gone back to its days of Arthurian legend for the new Summer Knights drive-in cinema and entertainment attraction this summer.
Some of the film highlights in the genre-diverse lineup include Insidious, Superbad, The Greatest Showman, Anchorman, Dirty Dancing, Disney’s newest smash-hit, Encanto, and so much more.
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There’s also be a fully-licensed bar and a number of street food vendors on site to choose from to make it a truly magical night.
Cloudwater x Levanter / Credit: KAMPUS | Cloudwater Brewery
Manchester’s neighbourhood KAMPUS will play host a solid ten weeks of back-to-back block parties from its canalside garden, with each weekend seeing guest DJs take to the decks to spin tunes from different corners of the world – and this weekend’s event is celebrating Canada and its much-loved culture.
Free-flowing beer will come courtesy of Manchester brewery Cloudwater, and food will be provided by Ramsbottom favourites Levanter serving up tapas, giant paella, and charcuterie boards aplenty.
This weekend, you can expect fresh beers from Toronto’s finest – including Bellwoods, Sonnen Hill, and Goodspeed breweries.
It’s been 65 million years since dinosaurs last roamed the earth, but The Pavillion Garden in Buxton will see the beats roaming through its parkland once more as 2022’s “most roarsome experience” arrives this week.
Roaring into The Pavillion Garden on 28 May – 12 June, the event will feature 50+ animatronic creatures, including two life-sized T-Rex beasts, which roar and snarl at passers by, and family favourites such as a Pterosaurs that shriek from the trees and a 15m tall Brachiosaurus guarding her eggs.
The event makes for the perfect family day out in the picturesque Peak District, and tickets are now available.
The Lowry Wine Dinner Series / Credit: The Lowry Hotel
One of Greater Manchester’s most prestigious hotels is hosting a series of “intimate” wine dinners throughout 2022, and it kicks off this week.
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The Lowry Hotel’sWine Dinner Series is set to give guests the chance to dine within the five-star surroundings of the hotel’s award-winning River Restaurant’s private dining room and enjoy some canapés and a five-course meal that has been expertly-prepared and paired with a range of world-class wines and champagnes.
The first event in the The Lowry Hotel Wine Dinner Series on Saturday 28 May will start at 7pm in the hotel’s library for arrival drinks and canapés, followed by dinner at 8pm in the River Restaurant’s private dining room.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Roadshow / Credit: UEFA / Manchester City Council
A festival of football is arriving in Manchester city centre this weekend to celebrate the countdown to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022.
Ahead of the start of the long-awaited tournament, the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Roadshow will be travelling more than 800 miles across the country to 10 host cities over the course of 43 days, and will be setting up in Cathedral Gardens in the heart of Manchester city centre for one-day only on Saturday 28 May.
It’s set to be a special festival of football, fitness, and music that gives families the opportunity to get involved in what will be one of the most exciting sporting events of the summer.
You can find out more about this free festival here.
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Revolution Oxford Road Reopening Party
Oxford Road
Saturday 28 May
Revolution Oxford Road Reopening Party / Credit: Supplied
Revolution Oxford Road has been transformed.
Having shut its doors for a few days on the 22 May to undergo a six-figure makeover, the popular vodka bar is set to reopen this Saturday 28 May, with the full relaunch events kicking off on the Jubilee weekend of 3 & 4 June and a weekend of themed parties to celebrate the revamp with a throwback to the era in which it was born.
From the new makeover, guests can expect two floors of exceptional music – with the loft dropping disco and indie classics and the main bar celebrating the sounds of the mid-90s up to the early 2000s – and there will also be dancers, a mirror man sax player and food and drink samples.
The parties will take place on both Friday and Saturday night.
A vegan pizza festival – which is always one of the most popular events in the city’s plant based food calendar – is set to return to the city’s largest street food fair this Sunday.
Taking place a GRUB – which is based at the Red Bank Project in Cheetham Hill – from 12pm onwards, there’ll be some of the very best vegan pizza and Italian street food traders traders in the UK, alongside a 100% vegan bar offering wine, cocktails, spirits, soft drinks, & beer from the best local vegan friendly breweries.
You can also expect live music, and both indoor and outdoor seating, which means it’ll be a great day whatever the weather.
War Child UK announce Foo Fighters charity prize draw for sold-out Manchester gig
Danny Jones
Amidst all the live music madness this week, with the intimate BRITs gigs happening, other big city centre shows and, of course, the mighty Foo Fighters coming to town, it can be hard to keep track of everything – but when we heard about a prize draw for free tickets, we couldn’t let you miss it.
That’s right, the Foos and War Child UK are getting ready to hand out limited pairs of tickets to their recently announced gig at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, which sold out in the blink of an eye.
They’re not even performing as part of BRITs Week lineup, but given it’s such a big moment for the city and an opportunity to raise money for the cause, they thought they’d throw their hats in the ring, so long as you chip in on your end.
So, ‘What’s the deal?’, we hear you ask. Well, look no further:
Put simply, all you have to do is enter the prize draw as advertised; plus, you know you’ll be doing your bit for a good cause, too, which is always an added bonus.
Given that the Ritz is already pretty much at capacity (approximately 1,500), they only have a small number of tickets to give away.
There are just four pairs up for grabs, to be specific, but with hundreds of people having already entered the charitable competition, nearly £17,000 has been raised for War Child UK already.
Incredible stuff.
For anyone still unclear on War Child’s mission, the organisation does crucial outreach not only here in Britain but all over the world, delivering emergency aid, specialist mental health support, and much more to children in need whose lives have been torn apart by conflicts across the globe.
This show, which has already generated huge funds towards those efforts through ticket sales, and local band The Covasettes are now even campaigning to get legendary frontman Dave Grohl to join them on stage after their stage times were shifted to make way for the Foo Fighters gig.
🚨 MANCHESTER UPDATE 🚨
With @foofighters playing the Ritz after us on Friday, our gig will now take place slightly earlier. Get down for doors and give the supports a night to remember!
Once again, the show itself is fully sold out, and there’s little chance you’ll find spares floating around ahead of a truly massive night.
Better still, if you are after one last lucky shot at getting yourself in that room, why not help raise some money for War Child while you’re at it?
As we’re sure you know, the gig itself is on Friday, but if you want to stand a chance, you must donate and choose your number of entries – £10 for one, three for £20, or £50 for a total of 10 entries – before 10am GMT this Thursday, 26 February.
All the artists performing at the BRIT Awards 2026 in Manchester – so far
Daisy Jackson
The BRIT Awards 2026 are right around the corner, and will be taking place in Manchester for the first time – but who will be performing?
The huge music awards have been drip-feeding us announcements all year so far ahead of the actual BRITs on Saturday, 28 February.
With seven names announced to date, it’s already shaping up to be one of the biggest events Manchester has ever seen.
From the world’s biggest pop stars to a producer who’s worked with the biggest names on the planet, the BRIT Awards have called upon some serious stars who’ll be performing for the audience here in Manchester.
Here are all the names that have been announced so far.
Who’s performing at the 2026 BRIT Awards in Manchester?
1. Harry Styles
Harry Styles will be performing at the BRITs in Manchester (Credit: Johnny Dufort)
Harry Styles will finally be performing at the Co-op Live – a venue he’s a major investor in – for the first time this year, thanks to the BRIT Awards.
The megastar will be performing his new single, ‘Aperture’, which has broken a years-long drought of new music from the former One Direction singer.
And given that his upcoming UK tour dates are exclusively in London, this will be a rare chance to see him on home turf… barring the BRAND NEW ‘intimate’ show announcement here in Manchester.
The first name to be announced as performing at the BRIT Awards was solo singer-songwriting superstar of the moment, Olivia Dean.
Olivia Dean has also been announced as a performer for the BRITs (Credit: Jack Davison)
She’ll be taking to the stage at the Co-op Live as a Grammy Award-winner too, having taken home the Best New Artist trophy last week.
Olivia Dean has also announced an unbelievably intimate show in Manchester, too, as part of the wider BRITs Week for War Child concert series, performing at the Albert Hall.
3. Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice are performing at the Brit Awards 2026 (Credit: Press shot)
Wolf Alice – one of the UK’s most celebrated bands – will be performing at this year’s BRITs, hot off the back of their own headline arena tour, which received serious praise across the board.
The group are nominated for three awards this year – ‘Group of the Year’, ‘Alternative/Rock Act’, AND ‘Mastercard Album of the Year’ for their fourth studio LP, The Clearing.
This will be the first time they’ve performed at the Co-op Live, joining the biggest names in the industry for the BRIT Awards 2026.
4. Mark Ronson
Outstanding Contribution To Music winner Mark Ronson (Credit: Supplied)
One of the greatest producers of a generation will be getting a double-whammy at the BRIT Awards 2026 – both a slot to perform, AND the highly coveted ‘Outstanding Contribution To Music’ award.
Mark Ronson has created some of the world’s biggest hits with other top artists, including ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars, ‘Shallow’ with Lady Gaga, and ‘Back to Black’ with Amy Winehouse. He already has two BRIT Awards and nine Grammys – and now he can add a lifetime achievement to that trophy cabinet.
Ronson said: “This is the most meaningful honour of my career. I think of the times I’ve watched artists I revere accept this same award. The idea that I’m now standing in that lineage feels impossible.
“I left England as a kid, but this country runs through everything I’ve made. The UK artists I’ve worked with—their brilliance and refusal to compromise—shaped not just my work but how I understand what music should do. And more than anything, it’s the crowds here who’ve sustained and shown up for me.
“The fans, the festival crowds, the record buyers and streamers—the love has always been overwhelming. I’m beyond grateful for all of it.”
5. Rosalía
Credit: Publicity pictures
As for the most recent name added to the BRIT Awards’ live music lineup for 2026, that goes to Spanish-speaking and multi-lingual pop superstar, Rosalía, who also just so happened to deliver one of our favourite albums of the year this past November.
The Lux singer, still just 33, has seen an incredible rise over the last few years and is understandably huge in Latin American and other Hispanic countries, but her presence continues to grow worldwide, so securing her for a mini Manchester gig at the upcoming ceremony is another real coup for the BPI.
With this being her BRITs debut following a number one record that saw her speak in 14 different languages, this genre-bending solo artist’s performance will be one watched all over the planet.
This was back in 2019, and she’s only got bigger since then.
6. KPop Demon Hunters – yes, the real ones
Golden by HUNTR/X is going up up up!
The original song from KPop Demon Hunters by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI has officially hit No. 1 on the Billboard Global Charts. pic.twitter.com/b3xZSZhQfh
In arguably one of the coolest names on the lineup of BRITs performers, singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI – a.k.a. the real voices of fictional girl group ‘HUNTR/X’ from Netflix’s global phenomenon, KPop Demon Hunters – have now been confirmed for a very special performance.
This will be a first for the smash-hit animated movie and musical released last August, and it’s not anything like the annual awards ceremony has seen before, either.
Even if you haven’t seen the feature film for yourself, we can promise you’ll have at least heard that one track which has been nominated for ‘International Song of the Year’ – or even if not, you’ll definitely find your toe-tapping along as you watch from home.
Reacting to being added to the roster, the group of vocalists said,“We are beyond thrilled to be nominated for 2 BRIT awards this year, celebrating the music of KPOP DEMON HUNTERS! We can’t wait to bring a special performance to Manchester. See you soon, UK Fans!”
As if half a dozen names weren’t enough already, another one of 2025’s breakout stars has also been called up to the stage.
Rising pop artist Alex Warren will also be performing in the flesh this month, bringing his folk-influenced solo material to Manc crowds for the very first time.
He was a big success at both the most recent Hits Radio Live and Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball back in December, with the Californian already amassing a strong transatlantic following.
Alex said of the honour: “The UK is where ‘Ordinary’ first broke and changed my life last year. I am so grateful for all the love from my fans there, and I can’t wait to bring a big performance to the BRITs’ stage for the very first time.”
8. SOMBR
SOMBR is the latest artist announced to be performing at the BRITs in Manchester. (Credit: Supplied)
One of the world’s most talked-about new artists – and the man behind the summer’s biggest and catchiest hits – is next up to perform at the BRITs 2026 in Manchester.
SOMBR, a.k.a Shane Boose, is nominated for two BRIT Awards this year, for International Artist of the Year and for International Song of the Year with his hit ‘Undressed’.
His smash single ‘Back to Friends’ topped Spotify’s global and US charts last year, leading to sold-out headline tours in the US, Europe and Australia.
SOMBR said: “I’m so honoured to be performing at the iconic BRIT Awards. I am so thankful to everyone who has supported me this past year. I love the UK and all the British people, it’s my second home!”
9. RAYE
SHE'S BACK 🤩 we're thrilled for @raye to return to The BRIT Awards 2026 stage this weekend 💋
don't miss her performance this Saturday 28th February on ITV1 & ITVX in the UK at 8:15PM and on YouTube globally at 8:45PM GMT pic.twitter.com/yzoyVMgaR3
Announced just days before the actual awards night getting underway, the one and only RAYE has also been confirmed as having now joined the BRITs live music lineup for 2026.
We’ve only just got over seeing her in the flesh after what feels like literally yesterday at Co-op Live already, but now – fresh off two fantastic nights and five-star reviewed shows across the board – soulful solo star is returning to the arena for another go around the block.
Commenting on making a quick comeback, the multi-award-winning artist said: “We are so grateful to the BRIT Awards for having us back on their stage. Me and the band are very excited.”
Honestly, even if we get a little taste of the show she put on earlier this month, we’re in for an absolute treat and then some…
Gosh, we really are being spoiled, aren’t we?
Oh, and if you haven’t heard about all of the incredible acts coming to town for BRITs Week ’26 (as mentioned previously with Ms Dean), you’re about to scream your heads off even more.
Emily Sergeant -
20th May 2022 
