What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 7 – 13 July 2025
Emily Sergeant -
4th July 2025 
We’ve had a mixed bag when it comes to weather since July has arrived, but that’s not stopping us having fun.
With not long to go now before schools across Greater Manchester break up for the summer holidays, you can bet that the social calendar is absolutely packed full to the brim will all sorts of things to be getting up to.
We’re talking festivals, themed events, new foodie openings, family fun, and loads more on the horizon in the coming weeks.
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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MIF25
Manchester City Centre
Monday 7 – Sunday 20 July
MIF is back for 2025, and all the fun’s heading out to the boroughs too this year.
Manchester International Festival (MIF) is all about showcasing Manchester as a global hub of creative innovation, this year’s lineup presents some of the most exciting creative minds of our generation.
MIF25 is set to be a celebration of homegrown artists returning to the region, with many of the names on the lineup originally coming from, or having important ties to, Greater Manchester and the North West.
Eric Cantona, Juan Mata, The Royal Ballet, Blackhaine, Shilpa Gupta, Richard Russell, Edgar Davids, and Ella Toone are just a handful of the well-known names contributing to this extraordinary bi-annual celebration of creativity this summer.
See what’s on this year’s festival lineup here.
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Oasis Fans – 1994-1997
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
Monday 7 July – onwards
A new free photography exhibition showing never-before-seen pictures of Oasis fans from the 90s is opening in Manchester this week.
As Manchester gears up to welcome Oasis back home once again, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel’s new free exhibition is set to take music fans a trip down memory lane.
Oasis Fans – 1994-1997 will showcase a series of exclusive photographs by renowned photographer, Jon Shard, to the public for the first time ever, opening the door to a world before online sales, dynamic ticket pricing, and frantically refreshing a website to get the hottest ticket in town.
Find out more about the exhibition here.
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UEFA Women’s Euro 2025
National Football Museum
Monday 7 July – onwards
England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 matches are being shown on big screens for free in Manchester this summer.
As England women’s national football team look to retain their title and continue to build on their ever-growing success as one of the best national football teams in the world, Manchester’s National Football Museum is hosting a series of family-friendly watch parties after hours for the UEFA Women’s Euros this summer.
Not only are matches being shown in all their glory for free on a big screen, but there’s also an on-site bar, and even the option to pre-order pizza ahead of time to feast on while you’re watching the action.
Find out more about the viewing parties at the National Football Museum here.
Keen to catch the football somewhere else instead?
Manchester is a city synonymous with sport, and football is arguably what we’re best at, so of course there’s plenty of other places screening the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 this summer.
Check out our round-up here.
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Football not really your thing? How about a bit of tennis instead then?
Wimbledon, tennis’ greatest grass court tournament, is drawing to a close this week, with all the quarter and semi-finals happening throughout the weekend, leading up to the finals at the weekend to see how can be crowned Wimbledon champion 2025.
Manchester also has a good selection of places screening Wimbledon matches this summer too, so you have plenty to pick from on our round-up here.
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SmileyWorld® Art Trail
Stockport
Monday 7 July – onwards
Stockport has transformed into a playful outdoor gallery this summer as a colourful new art trail has taken over the town.
Visitors should get ready to explore a full spectrum of emotions this summer, as the SmileyWorld® Art Trail is making its North West debut and taking over the town centre with a colourful collection of quirky, fun, and exciting sculptures, each reimagined by a different artist to reflect the full range of human emotions including joy, pride, surprise, anxiety, and lots more.
The trail is created by trailblazing global arts producer, Wild in Art, in partnership with Totally Stockport BID and SmileyWorld.
Everything you need to know is here.
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Music for the Senses
Manchester City Centre
Monday 7 July – onwards
An all-new multi-sensory art exhibition is taking over the streets of the city centre this summer.
The new exhibition, which is titled Music for the Senses: an art arrangement for a musical city, is a collaboration between global art producer Wild in Art – the creators of the famous Bee in the City project – and Manchester City Council.
It’ll be running across the city centre until the end of August, and there’ll be more than 80 artworks, murals, mosaics, and installations to see.
Check out the full lineup here.
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MCR Live ’25
Manchester City Centre
Monday 7 July – onwards
A massive music-filled takeover of Manchester has now arrived ahead of 1.3 million music tourists descending on the city centre this summer.
MCR Live ’25 is celebrating what promises to be a sensational summer of sound.
There’s everything from a pop-up bar in Piccadilly Gardens with surprise live acts doing sets, and markets in St Peter’s Square selling vinyl and vintage goods, to block parties in the Northern Quarter, and the already-announced Music for the Senses art trail dotted around all the well-known city centre sights.
Find out everything happening here.
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Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 7 July – onwards
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Find out more here.
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Screen on the Square
New Jackson
Monday 7 July – onwards
A free open-air cinema has arrived Manchester city centre for the summer.
With a backdrop of the modern Manchester skyline, Screen on The Square the go-to hangout for Mancs this summer, as audiences can recline in deck chairs surrounded by one of the city’s best views, and watch everything from classic and family films, to music, sporting events, and so much more.
It’s launched down at New Jackson – Renaker’s world-class skyscraper district and thriving new neighbourhood that’s taken shape at the southern side of Manchester city centre.
Find out what’s being screened this week here.
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National Trust – Sky Gardening Challenge
Manchester
Monday 7 July – onwards
It’s time to get your green thumbs out, as the National Trust has challenged city dwellers to ‘green’ their balconies this summer.
We know the city is a little lacking in greenspace, so why not bring the greenspace to you? If you need some tips and tricks on how to get a little greener, and what plants would work best in your mini oasis, then you can grab yourself booklets, seeds.
Plus, they’re also running free workshops across Greater Manchester.
Oh and hey, if you think you’ve got a bloomin’ lovely balcony, then you can now enter the National Trust’s Sky Gardening Challenge and be in with the chance of winning some exciting prizes.
Find out more here.
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Stories – Brought To Life
MediaCityUK
Monday 7 July – 31 August
A major new National Portrait Gallery exhibition has arrived in Salford.
The ground-breaking new experience by FRAMELESS Creative has opened at MediaCity, bringing some of the world’s most famous portraits to life like never before.
Stories – Brought to Life will explore the fascinating lives of these figures, who have shaped the UK’s history and culture all the way since the Tudor period, and will combine the highest quality digital projection, Hollywood-style visual effects, and the latest audio technology, along with specially created musical scores and creative narratives to shine a new light on each individual.
Visitors will be able to step inside iconic portraits including Grayson Perry, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare.
Find out more here.
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Kargo on the Docks
MediaCityUK
Tuesday 8 July – onwards
Kargo on the Docks is back for the summer.
MediaCity’s al fresco dining pop-up has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester’s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
Find out more here.
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NEW OPENING – adidas Manchester
Market Street
adidas has made its big return to Manchester, and it’s back on Market Street where it belongs.
Spanning two floors, the new space delivers the best of both worlds, as downstairs is a full-on Oasis takeover with memorabilia, rare archive pieces, and custom shirt printing, but if you head upstairs, and it’s all about adidas Originals – terrace culture, football heritage, and iconic streetwear.
To mark the launch of their new flagship store, adidas has actually teamed up with Oasis for a one-off collab celebrating 30 years of iconic style, music, and legacy.
The limited-edition 26-piece drop brings together classic 90s silhouettes with a fresh twist including bucket hats, Firebird tracksuits, jerseys and more.
Find out more here.
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NEW OPENING – Pom Kitchen
Trafford Centre
From Sheffield to Selfridges, Greater Manchester has got its newest matcha spot, and we’re about to be spending all summer here.
Pom Kitchen is already known and loved over in the South Yorkshire city, but after several successful years, this aesthetic little indie has ventured over to Manchester and founds its next home inside Selfridges’ thriving food hall at the Trafford Centre.
Sitting pretty in pink, Pom is serving up a refreshing array of different flavoured drinks.
From banana crème brulee matcha to biscoffee lattes, and everything in between, it’s won’t be hard to find a drink that steals your heart at Pom Kitchen this summer.
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Oasis Live ’25
Heaton Park
Friday 11 & Saturday 12 July
Well well well, the time has come.
Like most people, we honestly never thought this day would arrive, but this Friday, Oasis are returning to Manchester for the first time in more than a decade, and the Gallagher brothers and co will be staging five nostalgia-drenched gigs in Heaton Park.
More than 300,000 thousand Oasis fans have scored tickets, which likely means a few of you reading this will be attending this upcoming Friday or Saturday.
For anyone lucky enough to go, a public transport ‘masterplan’ has been unvield here.
Stay tuned too, as later on this week we’ll be sharing our ULTIMATE Oasis gig guide with quite literally everything you’ll need to know if you’re heading to Heaton Park.
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The Classic Car Boot Sale
Quayside MediaCity
Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 July
Greater Manchester’s popular classic car boot sale is returning this weekend, and there’ll be loads of vintage gems.
After venturing to the North for the first time in its history last summer, proving to be a smash-hit success with retro fashion-loving crowds, the Classic Car Boot Sale is set to return to MediaCity once again this July, and it’s all sounding set to be a vintage, pre-loved, and classic car enthusiast’s ‘paradise’.
The hugely-popular event will be assembling more than 150 of the finest vintage and sustainable fashion, accessories, and homewares traders from across the UK in one location.
Find out more here.
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Featured Image – Classic Car Boot | Simon Emmett | The FA / England
