The time has finally come to wave goodbye to August – and summer along with it – and welcome September with open arms.
The busiest and most jam-packed month may have been and gone in the blink of an eye, but we still have one more bank holiday to make the most of it and there’s a wide range of events happening in Greater Manchester to get stuck into – from festivals and family-friendly activities, to foodie feasts, immersive experiences, exhibitions, and so much more.
If you’re stuck for choice, we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide this week.
Here’s our top picks.
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Manchester Pride Festival 2023
Manchester City Centre
Monday 28 August
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Manchester Pride Festival 2023 / Credit: Manchester Pride
The 2023 Manchester Pride Festival celebrations continue this bank holiday Monday.
Manchester Pride Festival is undoubtedly one of the most colourful, energetic, accepting, and highly-anticipated events in the Manchester social calendar, and 2023 has been absolutely no different so far – with this year’s event having been championing “representation, inclusivity, and community celebration” over the four-day extravaganza.
Find out more about some about the Manchester Pride Festival lineup here, or take a look at some of the family-friendly Pride-themed fringe events happening here.
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Keen to learn about this year’s Pride theme and what it means? Find out more here.
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Bolton Food & Drink Festival 2023
Bolton
Monday 28 August
Bolton Food & Drink Festival 2023 / Credit: BFDF
There’s still one more day 2023’s Bolton Food and Drink Festival to make the most of.
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The award-winning festival is the biggest of its kind in the North West, and has been celebrating 18 years in the town this year by bringing together celebrity and regional chefs, cooking demos, live music, street entertainment, special events, and over 200 market traders all weekend.
On the last day of this internationally-acclaimed event, foodies can roam freely as they explore stalls, bars, two dedicated music stages, and plenty more.
Find out everything you need to know about Bolton Food & Drink Festival 2023 here.
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The Capri Beach Club
Exchange Square
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Monday 28 August
The Capri Beach Club / Credit: The Manc Group
This is your last day to make the most of the pop-up beach club that’s appeared right in the heart of Manchester city centre.
Transporting you straight to the Mediterranean, the Capri Beach Club – which has appeared at Exchange Square outside Selfridges – has been kitted out with cabanas, boardwalks, swing chairs, and even real sand, and it promises to recreate the ambience of a real Capri beach club.
There’s a DJ playing chilled-out beats from the 80s up to the latest chart-toppers, plus resident saxophonist Elliot Slater, who has graced the stages at some of the biggest clubs in Ibiza.
As you lounge back on luxury seating, you can work your way through the summer cocktail list that includes Aperol spritzes, margaritas, bellinis, and espresso martinis, and then grab a bite to eat from the range of street food vendors.
A brand-new exhibition is currently having its world premiere at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, and it’s giving families the chance to “dive headfirst into the digestive system” and “travel like a poo”.
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The new blockbuster exhibition, Operation Ouch!, is based on and will see the award-winning CBBC children’s TV series brought to life.
Visitors can expect interactive experiences, amazing objects from the Science Museum Group’s collection, and appearances from world-renowned doctors who will be on hand to guide audiences through this “lively, interactive, and playful adventure to better understand our brilliant bodies”.
This is your last week to head on down to Summer Daze at the Trafford Centre.
Having been running all summer long, but set to be packed away this Sunday, Summer Daze is home to a massive 600sqm beach for sunbathing and sandcastles, and not one but two “thrilling splash parks” with loads of water jets outside the shopping centre.
Not only that, but there’s also a retro funfair with over 20 fairground rides, and you can also take part in crafting workshops and face painting, and catch costume characters, live music, and entertainment.
The Great Frogtastic Invention Trail / Credit: Totally Stockport
Stockport’s beloved giant colourful frog sculptures have returned.
Following the undeniable success of previous art trails in both 2019 and 2021, the Stockport Frogs are back for a brand-new adventure this summer, with 19 multi-coloured amphibians having hopped onto podiums across the town centre.
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This year’s trail is themed all around ‘Frogtastic Inventions’, and will see frog-spotters of all ages get to make their way around the town centre on what’s set to be an “educational, engaging and vibrant” outdoor adventure.
Backyard Cinema and its Miami Beach rooftop experience that’s been transporting people back to the 1980s all summer long is ready to say goodbye to Manchester this week.
The immersive cinema experience had taken over the roof of Depot Mayfield and transformed the industrial space into Miami Beach – using 30 tonnes of sand and signature palm tree cocktails to create the UK’s largest pop-up beach.
This final week sees cinematic parties and screenings of major summer blockbusters, plus sing-alongs and loads more, all with sand between your toes and ultra-comfy seats.
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region.
Running every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday right through the summer until September, ELR’s Red Rose Diners are described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, as they start with a glass of fizz and stretch over an almost three-hour steam train journey through the Irwell Valley.
The experience includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
The Tour of Britain 2023 – Grand Départ / Credit: Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is back for 2023, and this year, the international sporting event will be starting in Altrincham.
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With the Altrincham hosting the start line for the second time the 73-year history of the competition – which is the biggest cycling race in the UK ,and one of the biggest in Europe – the Tour of Britain and its massive crowds will be treated to some proper Manc hospitality this Sunday.
This year's Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 will begin in the award-winning market town of Altrincham on Sunday 3 September.#TourOfBritain 🔴🔵⚪
— Lloyds Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) July 27, 2023
The peloton will roll out from Market Street, which is close to the famous Altrincham Market right in the heart of the town centre.
Featured Image – Tour of Britain | Manchester Pride | BFDF
What's On
Stockport County are hosting huge World Cup screenings at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County are set to host one of the biggest World Cup screenings in Greater Manchester this year, with the nearby football club opening up their very own ground at Edgeley Park to host some huge watchalong parties.
And before you ask, no – you won’t be watching from the pitch, sorry.
Still, a dozen large TVs, loads of great street food and free-flowing drinks, not to mention plenty of stadium-level atmosphere, we’d absolutely call this the next best thing.
With the 2026 World Cup and a whole summer packed with sporting tournaments coming up, ‘The Hatters’ will be creating their own home camp to help cheer on the national squad.
As you can see, while you won’t quite be out of their on the turf for yourselves, and outrageous ‘scam’ ticket prices mean even fewer England supporters will likely be flying out to watch the boys in person, the Stockport side will be doing their best to create a proper good crowd.
Taking over the County Courtyard – the team’s dedicated social hub for before and after games, which opened back in 2022 – the local League One side will be turning this into a Three Lions fan zone for each and every game they play in the tournament.
Fingers crossed they give us plenty of rounds to witness, eh?…
Anyone who’s been to Edgeley Park‘s County Courtyard or simply even seen the scenes online will know how busy this place can get on a matchday, so just imagine what it will be like with the big screens showing the all-important games.
With resident cult figure ‘Chef John’ cooking up street food scran inspired by the cuisine and cultures that will be hosting this year’s World Cup, and a special, not to mention brand-new, US-inspired beer in collaboration with natives Runaway Brewery, it’s a great lineup – we just pray Thomas Tuchel matches it.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied via Stockport County Football Club)
Doors open at 6pm for all fixtures, and The Courtyard will remain open until midnight; with tickets starting from just a fiver for the group stage, you’d be foolish not to at least consider it.
If England do make it through to the knockouts, each following fixture will obviously be shown on the box, too, with tickets then rising to £10 per game (Edgeley Park is also a fully cashless venue).
You can find out more information about what will be on offer and find the ticket link right HERE.
As for Stopfordians and regular season ticket-holders, they’ll no doubt be gutted to hear that manager Dave Challinor has now departed SK3 after a hugely productive five-year stint – here’s hoping a great World Cup can help lift some spirits.
Memories that will last a lifetime 💙
We wish Dave and his family every success in the future – they will always be welcome back at Edgeley Park 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZxcH5Keag9
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) June 1, 2026
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Stockport County FC (supplied)
What's On
Stockport’s dedicated live music festival for people with complex needs is back for 2026
Danny Jones
A music festival designed specifically for people with complex needs and learning difficulties is returning to Stockport for 2026.
Marking more than half a decade of this important push for accessibility across the local and live entertainment sector, we couldn’t be prouder to hear stuff like this coming out of Greater Manchester.
Created by the Stopfordian-born charity, Pure Innovations – which has various arms, from their multiple cafes across the region, to Pure College in the town centre, events like this and more – this particular initiative is celebrating its sixth edition this year.
But it certainly doesn’t run itself, and it takes a lot of time and effort, not to mention truly admirable levels of commitment from volunteers, to put this thing on; with that in mind, we’re doing our little bit.
Whether it be helping spread the word, getting involved with sponsorship, volunteering yourselves, or offering other kinds of contributions on the day, it all goes a long way.
The organisation as a whole has been around for more than two decades now, and some of us and you may know it well (this particular writer used to work there as a teen, in fact), and their now annual ‘Access Festival’ has become a much-anticipated date on the calendar for so many.
Emily, who has overseen the festival’s growth for more than five years now, said in a statement to The Manc, “After going to a festival a few years ago, I realised that it wasn’t just the music that stayed with me; it was everything around it.”
She went on to add: “The excitement beforehand, choosing what to wear, planning the day, and then sharing photos and memories afterwards. It made me realise that many of the people we support at Pure had never had that experience.
“Access Festival is a space where everyone feels comfortable, included and able to enjoy themselves. For most people, going out to a gig or a festival is no big deal, but for many of our clients, this is the highlight of their year, a chance to connect and simply enjoy live music.”
Highlighting the charity’s long-standing commitment to ensuring that people with learning difficulties, autism and other disabilities are not denied access to everyday experiences, they’re now calling on fellow nearby businesses to help bring the festival to life.
We spoke to Emily and the rest of the team when we visited Pure’s in-house kitchen, bakery and workshop earlier this year – safe to say this is the kind of stuff that warms the cockles.
Taking place at Stockport’s Guildhall, the one-day festival is a powerful example of the difference Pure can make in their clients’ lives, supporting them to live full, independent and connected lives, with several securing paid employment thanks to skills and support gained during their time with the team.
Designed specifically for adults with learning disabilities, autism and other complex needs, the Access Festival creates a space where people can enjoy live music, socialise and celebrate in a way that works for them, something lots are sadly still routinely excluded from.
With live music, DJs, not to mention plenty of singing and dancing, karaoke, raffles, plenty of food and drink, not to mention serving as a key social outlet, it matters way more to many of these attendees, carers, families and local organisations than you’ll probably ever know.
It’s grown from a small passionate project hosting around 30 people to a heartwarming local event that now welcomes more than 300 guests every year, and it’s only getting bigger and better as time goes on.
Whether you want to help out or go along for yourselves, you can register for Access Fest 2026 on Friday, July 17, right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
25th August 2023 
