30 people from different households can now gather outdoors, whilst hospitality, entertainment and culture venues have all got the green light to reopen.
And there’s plenty to be getting up to.
If you’re stuck for something to do, this is your go-to guide for what’s on and what’s happening in the city of Manchester and beyond this week.
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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.
Whatever you fancy doing, though, there’s certainly no shortage of choice in our region, so here’s some of the things you can get stuck into.
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Box on the Docks
MediaCityUK
Monday 17 May – onwards
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Box on the Docks
Do you remember Box on the Docks from 2020?
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 and an exciting range of residents moving into the neighbourhood for the summer.
Beloved local eateries from across the region – Grandad’s Sausages, I Knead Pizza, Bada Bing Deli and Batard Bakery – have all arrived at BOTD.
You can find more information about Box on the Docks 2021 here.
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Top Secret
Science and Industry Museum
Wednesday 19 May – 31 August
Science and Industry Museum
Top Secret: From Ciphers to Cybersecurity will pore over a century’s worth of secret communications and intelligence in an exhibition containing over 100 objects from GCHQ and the Science Museum Group.
The exhibition will include, for the first time, objects related to Alan Turing and his team’s work intercepting German comms at Bletchley Park, and visitors can also explore how Britain protected its skies during WWI, how codes were cracked in WWII, and the ways in which intelligence agencies foiled one of the most successful spy rings operating during the Cold War.
The exhibition will also explore modern digital security – considering recent examples of major cyber hacks such as the WannaCry attack on the NHS.
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You can find more information ahead of the exhibition’s opening here.
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Flower Power Yoga
Angel Meadow Park
Friday 28 May
As part of the Manchester Flower Show, MeadowSide and yoga instructor, Kate Tittley, are hosting a 45-minute ‘flower power’ edition of Yoga in the Meadow at Angel Meadow Park in the Green Quarter from 8am.
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Yoga helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, boost creative energy, enhance metabolism and improve posture, with all experience levels welcome.
Social distancing will be in place at this event, Track and Trace will be required for all in attendance and no yoga mats will be provided due to risk of COVID-19 transmission, so you are asked to bring your own mat.
FAC51 has announced it will return with two live socially-distanced Haçienda House Party shows at Victoria Warehouse on May bank holiday.
On Friday 28 May, Haçienda Classical will take over with Graeme Park and Manchester Camerata, plus DJ Paulette and Peter Hook. On the second night, Sunday 30 May, we’ll see a special set from legends Orbital, alongside A Guy Called Gerald live with DJs Jon Dasilva and Justin Robertson.
Tickets for both events have already gone on sale, but there’s no need to worry if you missed out or can’t make it down as they’ll also be streamed online from 7pm to 12pm for free.
Manchester is about to become the most picturesque places in the country this Saturday, as the city gets dressed up in celebration of the annual Flower Show.
Organised by CityCo and Manchester BID, the nine-day festival – dubbed the “most Instagrammable event of the year” – will see Manchester draped from head to toe in magnificent floral tributes; with plants and flowers covering landmark buildings, shop windows, doorways, balconies, statues and fountains.
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Manchester Flower Show will run until Sunday 6 June, and you can find more information here.
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The Champions League Final at 4TheFans Fan Park
Event City
Saturday 29 May
4TheFans
It’s the Champions League final next Saturday, with Manchester City and Chelsea set to battle it out to take the title, but with only 6,000 fans from each club allowed make the trip the Estadio do Drago in Porto, Portugal to watch the biggest club event in European football, there is even more of a need for a catered and COVID-safe space where fans can come together to watch.
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4TheFans Fan Park at Event City in Trafford will provide the perfect setting for fans to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and action.
Tables start at £70 per table of six and include a drink per person (beer /wine / soft drink) and table snacks.
You can find more information and book your tickets here.
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La Discotheque Bottomless Brunch
Albert Hall
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Saturday 29 May
A glitter-draped disco brunch with an endless amount of Rudy’s pizza and booze is coming to Albert Hall this Saturday.
La Discotheque – the show-stopping party promotion famed for serving up funky dance beats, psychedelic decorations and limb-twisting stage performers – is putting its own excited spin on the classic midday meal event; cranking up disco tunes and partnering with one of Manchester’s most beloved food and drink vendors for the occasion.
Albert Hall’s neighbours and nationally-renowned Neapolitan pizzeria Rudy’s will also provide slices exclusively for the occasion.
Tickets are priced at £40 and you can find more information here.
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Ancoats Pop-Up Market
Ancoats
Saturday 29 May
Ancoats Pop Up
Nestled among the backstreets of Manchester and tucked into the courtyard of an old, red-brick historic mill, Ancoats Pop Up Market is a COVID-safe 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, all throughout May.
The market also features Manchester-based stallholders serving speciality coffee, locally-brewed rum liquors, locally-sourced bakes and crafts, and more.
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Street food and freshly-brewed coffee is also available while you browse.
The Manchester Cheese Crawl will take you around some of the cheesiest spots the city has to offer for two hours of non-stop cheese-related fun, including everything from blue cheese tasting, to cheese quizzes, competitions and more.
Starting off in St Ann’s Square, the tour wanders across the city and gives you the chance to try the finest cheeses Manchester has to offer along the way.
With tours taking place every Saturday until 25 September, tickets cost just £25 each and include cheese samples, optional bread and crackers, and some red wine to complement.
Manchester’s newest event space is back and it’s better than ever.
Park N Party – the team that delivered both the sell-out successes of ScareCity and ChristmasCity, and a number of other outdoor live events throughout 2020 – has launched SecretCity, and there’s a whole host of immersive drive-in entertainment events happening this week.
There’s screenings of cinema classics such as Pretty Woman, The Jungle Book, Grease, The Exorcist, Sinister 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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Totally Roarsome
Mottram Hall
Monday 24 – Sunday 30 May
Totally Roarsome
Named by many as being one of the safest attractions for all the family in Greater Manchester, Totally Roarsome took the region by storm last summer after it opened to the public following the initial lifting of coronavirus (COVID-19) 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.
This is to manage and restrict the number of visitors / families being allowed around the attraction at any one at a time, with five minutes between slots, to allow for necessary COVID-safety precautions and social distancing measures to be upheld.
You can find out more information, and book your tickets here.
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BBQ Cookery Class
Food Sorcery
Sunday 30 May
Didsbury’s very-own cookery school, Food Sorcery, is helping you to enhance your barbecue repertoire with a BBQ Cookery class this Sunday.
In this easy four-hour class catered to all ability levels, you’ll learn basic skills such as lighting the BBQ and temperature control, alongside creating six tasty dishes as this event is about enjoying the BBQ experience with a focus on preparing and cooking meat, fish, vegetables and sides.
The class will include welcome drinks, all ingredients, and access to a great bar with fantastic beers, wines and spirits to enjoy throughout the day.
You can find more information, and book your slot on the course here.
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 added to murals and artwork already seen around Old Trafford.
The several new street art sites will be 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
The Franco Manca ‘pizza run’ explained – it involves freebies
Danny Jones
If you’ve been wondering why you’re seeing a lot of free pizza lately – especially among any of your mates that happen to be runners – but just hadn’t bothered to actually ask, we’re here to explain the current Franco Manca pizza ‘run trend’.
And yes, we were the foolish ones enough to have not quizzed any of our jogging chums until now, meaning we’ve missed out on more money and free pizza. Sigh.
Nevermind, though, because at least we spotted it before the end of the month (this being Franco Manca’s main January deal), and we dare say that now you’ve heard about it, you’ll see plenty others popping up on social media with their free slices.
That’s right, it may be a very thin slice with a very long and thin slice, but that is as much of a pizza slice outline as we needed to qualify for the current deal.
Yes, we’re aware that the actual pepperonis on ours are more square than most – listen, we did our best, and we’ve certainly seen people pulling off better overall shaped pizzas than us; that’s part of the fun/and or challenge.
For instance, we didn’t mean for our picture to come out with one long crust running down either…
So, how does it work, you ask? Well, it’s quite simple, to be fair. All you have to do is run a pizza-shaped route (any pizza shape works, by the way), map your route on the likes of Strava or Apple Fitness, etc., then show your creation at your nearest and claim a quid off for every kilometre you run.
As advertised on the ‘Map My Pizza Run’ page on their website, the aim isn’t about putting pressure or hitting a strict target; you simply get rewarded the longer you go.
Here’s a handy example from a local running content creator for you:
In our case, we joined up with native run club, Manchester Road Runners, for one of their regular social ‘SLRs’ (Sunday Long Run), chalking off 19km, which meant £19 off your next pizza – i.e. FREE and then some, baby.
Not only did the local group give themselves the perfect motivation as part of their training for the 2026 Manchester Marathon, but we also found that the steadier, chatty pace was super helpful for getting through the whole thing.
There are some stipulations, such as not being used in conjunction with any other offer, one pizza map being valid per person, and the route has to have been run in January. You can find the full terms and conditions HERE.
Oh, and technically, you can do it however you like: run, walk, cycle – you name it. Other than that, we’ve pretty much given you all the info you need to know, so go and get yourself some free pizza.
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 19 – 25 January 2026
Emily Sergeant
Another winter week full of things to do is upon us.
Now that January is in full swing, we’re really not short of exciting activities and events to be getting up to right across Greater Manchester – with everything from smash-hit musicals to 360° walk-through projection shows happening this week.
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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LUMINISCENCE
Manchester Cathedral
Monday 19 January – 26 March
LUMINISCENCE / Credit: Supplied
Manchester Cathedral has been lit up with a ‘truly stunning’ new 360° walk-through projection show this winter.
Combining 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 now invited to step into a ‘spellbinding fusion’ of light, sound, and storytelling.
LUMINISCENCE pays tribute to Manchester’s rich cultural heritage through specially arranged orchestral renditions of iconic anthems – with the setlist including songs by Oasis, The Verve, Joy Division, and Elbow, just to name a few.
The award-winning smash-hit musical The Bodyguard is back.
Taking over the iconic Palace Theatre stage in Manchester this week, leading lady Sidonie Smith stars as Rachel Marron, Olivier Award nominee Adam Garcia as Frank Farmer, Sasha Monique as Nicki Marron, and Coronation Street and Hollyoaks stars as Matt Milburn as Sy Spector.
Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge, but what they don’t expect is to fall in love.
Looking to escape the elements and have your mind boggled this winter? Sounds like a trip to Museum of Illusions is on the cards then.
It’s time to let your competitive side out – get ready to experience the city’s most unique attraction like never before. Race through the vortex, create the best mirror image, and complete the brain gym the fastest to win the dazzling trophy at the end.
Whether you’re team building with your work lot, or taking your mates for a bit of healthy competition, it’s a great one to have a go at.
A huge gaming event is happening in Manchester at the moment.
With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP at the Science and Industry takes ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming, with everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more.
Power UP is taking place each weekend only throughout this month, with each ticket including unlimited play all day.
Did you know what Manchester Airport is currently hosting a HUGE January sale with up to 40% off travel essentials?
January is often considered one of the least-favourite months of the year, with many people dreaming of their next holiday, which is why Manchester Airport has decided to launch a big January sale – with up to 40% off everything from fast-track security to parking.
While you won’t be able to bag a couple of quid off flights unfortunately, tourists will be able to save on a range of other services instead.
That’s not all either, as Manchester Airport has also announced that it’s launching seven exciting new routes to destinations right across the world, and you can find out what they are and get booking your next holiday here👇
Fancy making the most of all the January dining deals on offer over these next couple of weeks?
The time has come again for Manchester’s restaurants and bars to slash their prices in a bid to entice customers to keep eating and drinking out all throughout January, and that means hundreds of places are offering up half-price scran, added freebies, or two-for-one offers this month.
There’s loads of offers beyond Manchester city centre too, as suburban gems are getting in on the action in 2026.
So whether you’re looking for a date night for less, an affordable family dinner, or a cheap eat after work with your mates, we’ve got you covered.
Read our massive round-up of January dining deals here.
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NEW OPENING – The Matcha Kyoto
Lincoln Square
The Matcha Kyoto has found a permanent city centre home.
There’s no denying that this viral matcha spot has gone crazy in Manchester, with pop-ups all over our city, but now, after huge fan demand, they’ve finally opened the doors to their very-own home, and are bringing a little slice of Japan to Lincoln Square.
Step inside their new cafe and you’ll find with traditional Kyoto details, as well as their famous matcha drinks topped with satisfying cream swirls and banana pudding.
They’ve even got a full food menu now, too. Think a range of sandwiches, including egg mayo, teriyaki chicken and black truffle mushroom, and delicious baked treats.
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Winter Beer Fest 2026
Fairfield Social Club
Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 January
Winter Beer Fest 2026 / Credit: Fairfield Social Club
Manchester’s popular Winter Beer Festival is back this weekend and tickets are only £5.
Running from Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 January at Fairfield Social Club, you can expect there to be plenty of local brews to taste test over the course of the four-day festival – with loads of pop-up brewery bars and more than 30 guest taps too.
Abyss, Brew York, GlassHouse, Pastore, and Vault City are just some of the breweries you can sample tipples from.
Could a trip to the theatre could be on the cards this year?
Greater Manchester has firmly earned itself a spot as a place for world-renowned touring theatre productions to make a stop off at.
This beloved industry has now well and truly bounced-back post pandemic – with the region’s three main theatres, Palace Theatre Manchester, Opera House Manchester, and The Lowry, all having welcomed some absolute show-stopping productions in 2025.
Our region’s theatre events calendar is already jam-packed with award-winning musicals, family-friendly plays, inventive dance productions, and so much more in 2026, so we’ve rounded up some of the best shows to see and grab tickets for this year.
If there’s one thing Manchester is known for across the world, it’s music.
Our region is not only a historic musical hub in and of itself, having been the birthplace of so many legendary famous names, but it’s also a major UK stopping point on many global artists’ tour schedules too, thanks to the city’s various sizes of stage and venues.
This means there’s a jam-packed schedule of gigs happening all throughout 2026 – with something for everyone, no matter your taste in music.
Read our picks for 10 of the best gigs happening in Manchester this year here.
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What else is there to look forward to in Greater Manchester in 2026?
Oh, so much. So so much.
The next 12 months are shaping up to be another monumental year for Manchester, with absolutely loads of huge developments, events, and reopenings on the horizon. Expect major global events like the BRITs and The MOBO Awards, huge openings like The Medlock Hotel at the expanded Etihad Stadium, and the relaunch of venues like Manchester’s popular Cat Cafe, and The Spinners Rest (formerly known as The Shamrock).
We’ve rounded up some of the best things to look forward to throughout the year here.
Emily Sergeant -
21st May 2021 
