What's On

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 27 January – 2 February 2025

Emily Sergeant - 23rd January 2025

It’s time to part ways with January and welcome in a new month.

Can you believe our first month of a new year is already coming to a close? February is here at the weekend, and not only does Greater Manchester‘s events calendar already seem very exciting over these next few weeks, but there’s also lots of things to look forward to in 2025 too, so it’s time to fill up your diaries.

Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? We’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide to help you out.

Here’s some of our recommendations.

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Wild

Manchester Museum

Monday 27 January – onwards

A groundbreaking new immersive exhibition exploring our relationship with the natural world is now open at Manchester Museum.

‘Wild’ look at how people are creating, rebuilding, and repairing connections with nature, and how the natural world has traditionally been presented and idealised through Western art, as well as looking at some unique approaches to environmental recovery too.

The exhibition will also crucially look at how we can tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by making the world more wild.

Find out more and grab your FREE tickets here.

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PUSH Festival 2025

HOME MCR

Monday 27 January – Saturday 8 February

PUSH Festival is set to return to Manchester from this week for its biennial celebration of North West creative talent.

Set over two weeks, the stages, screens, and spaces down at HOME MCR will be dedicated to showcasing fantastic works from around the region, as well as offering opportunities for creatives to meet industry professionals, share ideas and inspiration and develop their skills.

Find out more here.

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Fancy making the most of all the January dining deals before they end this week?

Manchester’s restaurants and bars have slashed 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 2025.

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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Six Nations Fanzone 2025

Freight Island

Friday 31 January – onwards

Freight Island’s Six Nations fanzone returns for 2025 at the end of this week.

The iconic international tournament gets underway on Friday, and so too does Freight Island’s fantastic fan experience, providing an unparalleled level of excitement beyond being inside the stadium.

Set to be even bigger and better than last year, it’s the largest of its kind anywhere in the country, promising everything from free pints and prosecco, live music, top-notch scran from Freight’s in-house vendors, and so much more.

Find out more here.

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Chinese New Year 2025

Manchester City Centre

Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 February

Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade will make its way through the city centre this weekend.

In case you’re unfamiliar with what the Dragon Parade is all about, it’s the focal point of the city’s annual Chinese New Year celebrations, known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region each year – and it’s a real spectacle, to say the least.

Aside from the Parade itself, there’ll also be even more cultural celebrations and activities to get involved with across the weekend over in Manchester’s popular Chinatown too.

Find out everything happening for Chinese New Year in Manchester here.

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LEGO Mini Master Model Builder Competition 2025

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester

Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 February

Is your child a LEGO super fan? Do they reckon they could build impressive LEGO creations in their sleep?

Well, if they’re feeling brave enough and are ready to put their skills to the test, then you’ll want to take them down to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester this weekend, as from now until the start of February, the hunt is one for a talented youngster to be crowned the UK’s – and the world’s – newest ‘Mini Master Model Builder’.

Up for the challenge? Find out more here.

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Power UP

Science and Industry Museum

Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 January

A huge gaming event is happening in Manchester this weekend.

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.

You can find more information here.

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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.

While the past couple of years amid and post-pandemic may have hit the theatre pretty hard, it’s a beloved industry that has now well and truly bounced-back – 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 2024.

And 2025 is set to be absolutely no different.

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 2025, so we’ve rounded up 10 of the best shows to see and grab tickets for this year.

Check out our top picks here.

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How about catching a gig instead?

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 2025 – with something for everyone, no matter your taste in music.

From world-famous pop and rock stars, to genre-bending artists, and a few comeback tours too, most-notably by one of Manchester – and the world’s – most famous bands of all time (they’re called Oasis… not sure if you’ve ever heard of them?), 2025 has got it all.

Read our picks for 13 of the best gigs happening in Manchester this year here.

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Featured Image – Freight Island | Chinese New Year MCR | The Manc Group