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
JD to host exclusive Josh Baker set at massive World Cup watch party in Manchester
Danny Jones
JD x JB: The well-known British and Manchester-founded sports fashion brand is teaming up with local artist Josh Baker for an exclusive pop-up set at a massive World Cup screening in the city centre tonight.
The two Manchester icons are teaming up at an otherwise sold-out Castlefield Bowl, getting the matchday vibes going ahead of the England vs Argentina game this evening.
With all eyes on the semi-final, keeping nerves steady will be a tall task, but Baker will be helping play his part in getting the energy up ahead of kick-off.
No matter what happens with the scoreline, it’s set to be a proper party atmosphere beforehand.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Da0FDI3tp3I/?hl=en
Fresh off the plane from his White Isle residency over in Ibiza, the 30-year-old Manc musician will be taking to the stage from 6:15pm at none other than Castlefield Bowl, where nearly 9,000 people will be watching the big game.
In case you missed it, after wrapping up Sounds of the City ’26, the Bowl is now being taken over for Road to Victory’s outdoor fan zone.
Doors will be open from 5:30pm ahead of the 8pm kick-off, and you’ll want to get down there with plenty of time to make sure you get a good view of the action – and by that, we mean both the game and Josh’s exciting set.
Better still, not only are those at the venue in for a night of amazing music and incredible vibes, but they’ll be cheering on Thomas Tuchel’s men straight after, in a crucial clash that could see England reach a second consecutive final in the last two major tournaments.
There’ll be plenty of entertainment before, during and after the breaks.
We will, of course, be keeping our fingers crossed for you and the boys tonight; the only thing we’re certain of is that the man himself will deliver on the night.
We had the honour of chatting with JB ahead of the BRITs back in February, and he’s only looking to bigger and better things this year.
For those looking to go along for this special one-off, once again, tickets to the event are already sold out, so your only chance is to sign up for the waiting list HERE. Fingers crossed for you and a result at full-time!
Last but not least, keep your eyes peeled on the JD Sports Instagram page and their other socials for all other updates ahead of the huge night. We can feel it: it’s coming home…
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied via JD Sports)
What's On
The unsung Manchester pub serving beloved local pints for £3.35 that’s thrived during the World Cup
Danny Jones
Finding a pint for less than £5 in Manchester in 2026 is almost unheard of; combine that with a pub that’s truly levelled up as a go-to for the World Cup this summer, and this increasingly rowdy little corner of Castlefield is well worth writing home about.
We’re talking about The White Lion on Liverpool Road and just around from the city centre’s famous Roman fort, ‘Mamucium’, which has always been among the more reasonable places for a tipple in town and is no stranger to showing the football.
However, after a significant refurb just a few years ago and after gradually growing a refreshed crowd of regulars, the Manc boozer hasn’t just steadily repatronised local punters but rather it seems to have gained a whole new lease of life this summer.
The 2026 World Cup showings, complete with a new outside screen on their sizeable and sunny outdoor terrace, have certainly helped, but when you can get a drink for as little as £3.35 for a pint of Boddies, it’s not hard to see why more and more people are flocking here amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Part of us almost thought about trying to still gatekeep this one for ourselves, but the truth is, the place has become so popular over the past few months (at least that’s as long as we’ve noticed a significant increase) that the cat is very much out of the bag and it’s no one’s ‘best-kept secret’ anymore.
Yes, with Boddingtons, a.k.a. the recently reborn ‘Cream of Manchester’, on tap for the same cost as a half-decent coffee these days, not to mention various cheap draught beers and other offers on booze – whether it be shots, the growing Buzzball craze, or just a standard spirit and mixer – it’s a godsend.
We all know how expensive it can be going out for the night at present, but the no-nonsense bar prices and setup overseen by Craft Union, who specialise in community pubs and keeping the beating “heart of high streets and neighbourhoods across the country” alive and well, are nothing short of unsung heroes.
To clarify, we’re not pretending that no one knows about this gaff, far from it, but it does feel like one of those understated and underrated places that doesn’t get anywhere near enough props as it deserves.
Credit: The Manc Group
The private limited company, which operates as a subsidiary of the wider Stonegate Group, may be one of the largest in the UK, but one of the most impressive parts about their work at The White Lion is that it still feels like a local pub made for locals.
Better yet, they’ve also coincidentally filled a whole left by the much-loved Sir Ralph Abercromby: the Manchester United fan favourite and all-round footy pub who sadly lost their bustling beer garden (complete with a hot dog/burger van) amid the major St Michael’s development.
On the upside, what those who used to frequent that venue have somewhat lost as a result of the building works can now be found at the likes of White Lion, as it’s also often filled with Reds throughout the year – they’ve even added a little food hatch of their own in the corner of the shrubbery-lined patio.
And once again, with price points as reasonable as these, they’re not just undercutting most other venues in the vicinity by some distance, but they’re at least trying to do their bit in hopefully redressing the balance when it comes to combatting inflation within the hospitality industry.
Cheap shots, bombs 2-4-£6, and a good pour of Guinness for LESS than a fiver. (Credit: The Manc)
It’s also worth noting that the current landlords are also doing their bit to help minimise spending on gig nights, too.
With Sounds of the City 2026 now wrapped up, they had extra deals on drinks right throughout the duration of the multi-date festival down the road at Castlefield Bowl.
Put simply, they may not be reinventing the wheel here, but if we can’t shout about a place doing its best to keep things affordable while still offering a good time come the weekend or even just to reward yourself after work, we don’t know what is.
Here’s to all those in the food and drink sector fighting the good fight, and let’s hope the tide turns in everyone’s favour very soon.
Emily Sergeant -
25th August 2023 
