August in Greater Manchester is already looking jam-packed with exciting activities.
A new month is here, summer is in full swing, schools across the region are now out for the six-week holidays, and the events calendar is packed with plenty to be getting up to once again, so we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
As always, some of the events we’re going to mention are completely free, while others will set you back a few pounds, and many will need to be booked in advance.
Here’s our top picks.
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The Manchester City Stadium Tour
Etihad Stadium
Monday 8 August – onwards
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The Manchester City Stadium Tour / Credit: Manchester City
Families can kick-off the summer by going behind the scenes at Manchester City’s Stadium to “experience the magic”.
Expertly-guided by City’s Tour Guides and filled with interesting stories, facts, and anecdotes from throughout the club’s history, Manchester City’s ever-popular immersive tours of the Etihad Stadium are running throughout the summer, and they have recently been rated in the top 1% of Tripadvisor experiences in 2022.
Tickets are now on sale, and will set adults back just £25 each, while it’s £15 for those under 18, and anyone under the age of five can go for free.
Manchester‘s New York-inspired ‘sky park’ at Castlefield Viaduct has finally opened to the public for the first time ever.
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After the National Trust announced its ambitious vision to create an urban green space in the heart of the city centre by tackling the challenge of “greening” the Grade II-listed Castlefield Viaduct and celebrate the history of this well-known landmark over half a year ago, visitors are now able to enjoy the park in all its glory.
Thousands of plants, shrubs, trees, and more have been planted to transform the giant 330-metre steel viaduct into an elevated park.
100 people a day are able to visit the Castlefield Viaduct, and entry onto the structure will be free, but a booking system will be in place to help manage numbers.
Remarkable Neighbourhood Cocktails & Events by Maker’s Mark
Manchester City Centre
Monday 8 August – onwards
Remarkable Neighbourhood / Credit: Supplied
A handful of Manchester’s most-popular hospitality names are joining forces to bring a series of entertainment events to neighbourhoods across the city this month.
To celebrate the launch of its ‘Remarkable Neighbourhood’ summer incentive, Kentucky handmade bourbon brand Maker’s Mark has rallied together some of Manchester’s best-loved bars and restaurants to head across the city and serve up their take on the brand’s signature Gold Rush Cocktail.
Cocktail masterclasses, live music nights, quiz nights, Kentucky food pairing events, and bar takeovers will also be on their way to the city’s residential hotspots over the next few weeks.
Box on the Docks has returned to the banks of Salford Quays for the summer, and there’s flowing beers, freshly-baked bagels, and boozy ice cream.
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Back for its third year in a row, MediaCity’s popular outdoor dining concept, Box on the Docks, is set for another busy summer on the waterside piazza – but for the first time, it has taken on a brand-new format, as this year’s event is in partnership with SEVEN BRO7HERS.
The Salford-based brewing company has been put in charge of operating a rotating residency of the region’s emerging and established independent food and drink pop ups.
There’s also an exciting lineup of live music and events for all ages.
The Stockport Collection / Credit: Heidi Alexander
A new photography exhibition that captures life in Stockport during the 1970s has now opened at a local museum.
After a successful run at one of the town’s most prestigious restaurants, Where The Light Gets In, back in June 2021, the exhibition – which is titled The Stockport Collection, and features the work of local photographer Heidi Alexander – has now opened to the public at Stockport Museum, and it’s free for everyone to visit.
The Stockport Collection documents the social history of a particular time, place, and way of life.
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The exhibition illustrates the human need for a sense of identity, and of belonging to a working community with a common purpose.
Looking for some new restaurants and bars to try out that have just opened in Manchester city centre this month?
As ever, there are a host of exciting new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this August.
From a brand new Withington venue from the team behind Cottonopolis and The Edinburgh Castle, to the first bricks-and-mortar site in six years for supper club favourite Stretford Canteen, we’ve got plenty of good things to shout about.
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SakkuSamba, Slice, and Yumcha | Credit: The Manc Group
Think kitchen residents, new street food stalls, and all-you-can-eat steak and sushi restaurant and loads more.
You can read our round-up to find out where to put on your list this month here.
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The Dino Adventure
East Lancashire Railway
Wednesday 10 August
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The Dino Adventure / Credit: ELR
One of the standout experiences on the 2022 East Lancashire Railway (ELR) events lineup has to be the chance to go on a “roarsome adventure” through the Greater Manchester countryside this summer holidays, where you can “get your teeth into some Jurassic Lark” and go on a prehistoric expedition on “a time-travelling steam train” to meet with a herd of adorable baby dinosaurs.
The Dino Adventure returns on Wednesday 10 August, and it means you can get up close with the cute cretaceous critters, and maybe even give the T-Rex a tickle under the chin.
Tickets are priced at £13.50 for children and £18 for adults – and you can grab yours here.
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Late Night Ancoats Pop-Up Markets
KAMPUS
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Thursday 11 August
Late Night Ancoats Pop-Up Market / Credit: KAMPUS & The Manc Group
A late-night market is returning to Manchester city centre’s new waterside neighbourhood KAMPUS this week, and it’s bringing with it a host of indie street food traders.
Much-loved artisan brands will packing out the garden and Little David Street for the perfect laid-back summer evening of food, drink, and music.
Open from 6-10pm on Thursday 11 August, you can expect Portuguese custard tard purveyors Just Natas, Japanese street food traders Osaka Local, and Afro-British fusion chefs Bon St Local, and there’ll also be art on display from local print artists, and a selection of drinks from local distillery Witch Kings Rum.
City centre bar, restaurant, nightlife destination, and live music venue Joshua Brooks is welcoming acclaimed house and techno DJ waFF – who has become one of the most engaging artists on the international circuit over the last two years – for an all-night-long set this Saturday 13 August.
Tickets are now available to buy online, setting you back just £14, and you must be 18 or over to gain entry to the venue.
Afternoon Tea with Perricone MD / Credit: King Street Townhouse
Did you know this week is national Afternoon Tea week?
To properly celebrate, King Street Townhouse is inviting you to spoil yourself from the outside in with an afternoon tea event – sponsored by beauty and skincare specialists, Perricone MD – that’s served up in style among Manchester’s skyline on the luxury hotel’s rooftop South Terrace.
All for just £27.54, you’ll get to indulge in plates of sweet treats all while sipping on a cocktail inspired by one of Perricone MD’s bestselling products, and you’ll get a goody bag to take home too.
Two of the most popular foodie favourite events are back at Manchester’s largest street food fair GRUB – which is currently based at the Red Bank Project just outside of the city centre in Cheetham Hill.
The GRUB Food Fair this week will see the likes of Rack MCR, Korean Club Club, Nina’s Taco Truck, Stardust Bakery, and Pud Club serve a wide range of mouthwatering delights for you to try, while on Sunday, whether you’re plant based or just curious, there’ll be big handful of the finest vegan food traders there for Plant Powered Sundays to show you what it’s all about.
Both events are free to attend, and you can find more information here.
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Manchester Carnival 2022
Alexandra Park
Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 August
Manchester Carnival 2022 / Credit: Supplied
All roads lead to Alexandra Park this weekend, as one of the biggest events in the city’s cultural calendar gears up to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Promising a star-studded musical line-up, tasty street food vendors and a host of family-friendly activities, Manchester Carnival 2022 will return to Moss Side in full this August to celebrate 50 years of parades in the city and 60 years of Jamaican Independence.
The parade will be an array of music colour dance and heritage in tribute to the years of carnival history and all are welcome to join the procession that will begin its journey from the park.
Find out more about Manchester Carnival 2022 here.
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Salford Red Devils v Huddersfield Giants
AJ Bell Stadium
Saturday 13 August
Salford Red Devils / Credit: Allan McKenzie / SWpix.com (via Salford Red Devils)
Salford Red Devils is gearing up to bring an end to a successful season with an unmissable ticket offer.
As one of the oldest teams in the Rugby Football League, and having been representing Greater Manchester for nearly 150 years now, the team has won several trophies and major titles over the years, including six Championships and one Challenge Cup, and has also got themselves a loyal fanbase too, who have been with them every step of the way.
Now, the team is giving locals the chance to take the kids to see one of their final home games in the 2022 rugby league Betfred Super League on Saturday 13 August at the AJ Bell Stadium for free when they grab an adult ticket for just £10 each.
Manchester Originals in The Hundred / Credit: Nathan Stirk & Ashley Allen (ECB via Getty Images)
Manchester Originals and The Hundred is back at Emirates Old Trafford this weekend.
Sports fans will get the chance to see some of the world’s best cricketers, watch a handful of the hottest music acts, and tuck into some amazing local street food, as the city’s 100-ball cricket franchise, Manchester Originals competes in another home game v Trent Rockets at Emirates Old Trafford in The Hundred tournament on Saturday.
The Hundred’s is one of the best sporting and entertainment events this summer, and it gives people the chance to watch the city’s very-own Manchester Originals live in action throughout the season.
Find out more about the return of The Hundred and Manchester Originals here.
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Featured Image – KAMPUS | The Manc Group
What's On
A ‘legacy walk’ in memory of the Joe Thompson is taking place across Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
The ‘Walk With Me for JT’, a.k.a Joe Thompson ‘Legacy Walk’, is back next month, and Greater Mancunians are being encouraged to take part.
Returning this year following his tragic passing last April, the now annual charity walk has already raised thousands for charity and is set for another big turnout.
Joe Thompson, an ex-Rochdale AFC and Bury FC player, sadly died at just 36 following a long battle with lymphoma, having been diagnosed three different times in 12 years.
While the young husband and father of two’s story is a heartbreaking one, it has also become a source of inspiration for so many across the North West and, indeed, across the UK, with people once again gearing up to complete a fundraising walk in his name.
Set to honour him by making the journey from his adopted home of Rochdale all the way to Old Trafford, with Thompson having come through Man United’s youth academy, the 15-mile trek will start at his former club’s Crown Oil Arena and stop at Bury’s Gigg Lane as well as Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium.
First held in 2024 under the ‘Walk With Me for JT’ banner, the initial legacy walk saw the Bath-born footballer and countless others complete 21 miles in an effort to raise money for treatment.
Gone but never forgotten, the charity walk survives not only in the hearts and souls of his family, friends and other people’s lives he touched, but in the community spirit that his struggle and immense bravery in the face of illness helped spur on throughout the region and beyond.
Writing on social media, the Thompson family and the Foundation in his memory said, “Last year, he walked beside us. This year, we walk for him. This isn’t just a walk… It’s a promise. A promise to carry his strength, his belief, his light forward.
For every family facing illness. For everyone experiencing loss or hardship. For anyone who needs hope right now. Every step matters. Every mile has meaning. Whether you’ve walked before or this is your first time. You won’t walk alone.”
Join the annual Joe Thompson legacy walk on Saturday 2nd May 💙
Departing from the Crown Oil Arena, the 15-mile walk will finish at Manchester United's Old Trafford 🏟️
They signed off by adding: “Be part of something bigger. Be part of Joe’s legacy. Be part of the movement. Get a team together, invite your friends, colleagues and family and let’s raise funds to support The Joe Thompson Foundation.”
With the event beginning at 11am on Saturday, 2 May, there have already been numerous sign-ups, and you can expect even more to lace up their shoes and pay tribute to a local hero.
If you want to join in the effort and help do your bit, you can register for the 2026 Joe Thompson Legacy Walk right HERE.
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 6 – 12 April 2026
Emily Sergeant
Schools are still out, and we’ve got one last bank holiday to make the most of.
Now that a new month has arrived and it’s officially spring in the UK, there’s obviously loads of events and activities to be getting up to across Greater Manchester this week… as long as those classic ‘April showers’ don’t show their face too much, that is.
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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Matilda The Musical
Manchester Palace Theatre
Monday 6 – Saturday 25 April
Matilda The Musical / Credit: The Manc | Supplied
Matilda The Musical has now arrived in Manchester.
The RSC’s smash-hit musical – which is based on Roald Dahl’s beloved book of the same name – is currently on a tour of the UK and Ireland, and this includes a special four-week run at Manchester’s iconic Palace Theatre.
Written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and developed and directed by Matthew Warchus, the beloved production about a determined heroine with a vivid imagination has won hearts all over the globe.
Find out more and see if you can grab yourself some last-minute tickets here.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos / Credit: Science Museum Group | BBC
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos has made its world premiere at the Science and Industry Museum, and is inviting visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System.
Fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition encouraging visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition propels families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
A new free exhibition by Pablo Picasso is currently open in Manchester, including works never-before seen on public display.
The new exhibition, titled Picasso: A Legacy, is comprised of more than 35 original works on paper and ceramics, all of which were created by the artist from the mid 1930s up until his death in 1973, and visitors will get to be guided through the last four decades of his life.
You’ll also get to encounter the artist’s lovers and muses, mythological alter egos, and playful zoomorphic ceramics, as well as feats of frantic artistic output that made up Picasso’s final decade.
NEW OPENING – Sticks n Sushi / Credit: The Manc Group
Welcome to Manchester, Sticks n Sushi.
It’s not every day we get a new restaurant that’ll stop you in your tracks, but this is one of them. Feast your eyes on Sticks n Sushi – the stunning new opening in the heart of Spinningfields, transforming the old Iberica site into a two-storey, Scandi-style spectacle.
The Really Wild Egg Trail is back at Chester Zoo for 2026.
Spring has arrived at Chester Zoo and there’s more than animals to discover this time, as visitors will need to keep their eyes peeled for giant hidden eggs as they make their way around the zoo as part of this fun seasonal trail.
Each giant egg has been beautifully decorated to resemble some of the incredible animals at the zoo.
From feathery friends to creatures big and small, you’ll discover interesting facts about these species along the way, and you might even spot the real animals nearby and learn more about how we’re helping wildlife survive and thrive.
Did you see that the spectacular 360° immersive experience that’s currently lighting up Manchester Cathedral has extended its run in our city?
That’s right – due to ‘overwhelming demand’ and following a roster of impressive reviews since making its UK debut earlier this year, LUMINISCENCE has now extended its run at Manchester Cathedral until the early summer.
LUMINISCENCE combines 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 invited to step into a ‘spellbinding fusion’ of light, sound, and storytelling. Find out more and get tickets here.
The sun has arrived in Manchester… and we’re not just referring to that one that’s popped up in the sky at long last.
We’re taking about Helios, the amazing installation that’s now shining bright inside Victoria Baths.
Created by renowned artist, Luke Jerram, the beautiful art piece measures a whopping seven-metres in diameter and has been created using images captured by NASA, all now dangling above the former swimming baths.
Helios will be lighting up this corner of Manchester until 6 April, so this is your last day to see it.
Works from legendary Japanese artists Hokusai and Hiroshige have now arrived in the city.
Opening the Whitworth’s first exhibition of Japanese print in more than a century, ‘Beneath the Great Wave’, features colourful woodblock ukiyo-e prints from Edo-period Japan, dating as far back as 1700s – including the iconic ‘Under the Wave off Kanagawa’.
It’s an easy shout if you fancy something different this week, oh and even better, it’s completely FREE to enter and look around.
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The Wizarding Adventure
East Lancashire Railway
Thursday 9 April
The Wizarding Adventure / Credit: ELR
The hugely popular wizard-themed steam train will be back travelling through Greater Manchester once again this week.
This is your chance to go on a ‘wizarding adventure’, where little Mancs can come together for a magical day of sharing spells and getting stuck into lots of magic-themed fun. Aspiring witches and wizards of all ages are invited to enrol in the spellbinding school of sorcery, as they take a ‘wacky and wonderful’ whistle stop tour through the ‘Irwell Valley of wonders’.
You’ll get to learn powerful incantations and perfect their wand-waving skills, all while using their imagination and learning how to soar through the skies on a broomstick.
Just like we do every month, we’ve rounded up some of the best things we got to eat in March, so if you’re on the hunt for somewhere new to eat in April, then we’ve absolutely got you covered as there’s plenty of places across the city region.
It’s been another jam-packed month of insanely delicious eats, and we’ve been lucky to have a bunch of new openings too. From mini tiramisu drawers, to Magnum-stuffed croissants, egg custard tarts, and more, we’ve been scoffing the lot.
Do you know about the ‘secret’ Italian produce cash-and-carry in Manchester city centre?
You’ve probably seen the grey trucks belonging to Amato Products all over Manchester, usually parked outside your favourite restaurants delivering premium ingredients to them, but this wholesaler has another trick up its sleeve… a miniature supermarket where you can pick up quality Italian produce for way less than your local Tesco.
Whether it’s guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, burrata, unusual pasta shapes, pizza dough, pre-filled pasta, or even octopus you’re after, you’ll find it here.
Ever seen a full menu of Scotch eggs? We’re gonna guess not.
But that’s exactly what you’ll find over at The Davenport Arms.
There’s no greater duo than a pint and a Scotch egg, and now you can find the perfect pairing at a pub in Stockport. Known locally as The Thief’s Neck, The Davenport Arms has launched a whole menu of different homemade Scotch eggs, each served with its own matched condiments.
Not only is there a wide selection of savoury options, just as you’d expect, but did we mention there’s a dessert one too.
Emily Sergeant -
5th August 2022 
