We’ve officially waved goodbye to 2023, and welcomed a new year with open arms.
2024 is already well underway now, and while many see January as a month of rest and relaxation following the hustle and bustle of the festive season, the Greater Manchester social calendar still has a wide range of events and activities you can be getting up to over the next couple of weeks.
If you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though, luckily, we’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide this week.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
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Power UP
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 8 January – onwards
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Power UP / Credit: Science Museum Group
Did you know there’s a huge gaming event currently happening in Manchester?
With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP is back for more in 2024 down at the Science and Industry Museum, and it’s taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming every weekend.
There’s everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more to get stuck into, and each ticket includes unlimited play all day.
Turtle Feeding Experience / Credit: SEA LIFE Manchester
Fancy coming face to flipper with magnificent giant green sea turtles as you join them for a lunch date you’ll never forget?
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This is your chance to feed “Manchester’s friendliest and hungriest residents”, Ernie and Cammie the green sea turtles, as the SEA LIFE Manchester ‘Turtle Feeding Experience’ is a 15-minute feed with a knowledgeable trained Aquarist educating you about diets, habitats, and more.
You’ll then be able to explore all the other amazing creatures cared for in the centre before and after your feeding experience too.
Back by popular demand, The Black Friar’s ‘Pie Festival’ is returning for 2024.
There’s nothing that sounds more inviting on a cold January evening than a lovely warming pie, right? So when we heard that The Black Friar’s now-annual Pie Festival is making a 2024 comeback, we have no shame in admitting we did a little dance.
Now entering its third edition, the restaurant is bringing back the parade of meat and gravy, sweet and savoury, and all things pie and pastry-encrusted – with something for everyone on the menu.
Best of all, not only are there some enticing flavours on offer, but they’re also only £10 each.
‘Disco Bingo’ is one of GRUB’s best-loved events, and this week, it’s taking a foray into the all-singing, all-dancing world of musical theatre.
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If you find yourself at a loose end this Friday night, you might fancy nipping down to GRUB, as the Cheetham Hill-based street food market and social hub is hosting a musicals-themed edition of ‘Disco Bingo’, and it’ll be combining all your favourite musicals bangers with lyric challenges, karaoke, guess the intro, bottomless brunch, and classic bingo hall vibes.
There’s loads of exciting prizes up for grabs too.
Tickets will set you back £6 for ‘standard’ and £25 for ‘bottomless’, so you can find out more and grab yours here.
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Stockport Vinyl Record Fair
The Guildhall
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Sunday 14 January
Stockport Vinyl Record Fair / Credit: Facebook
The first Stockport Vinyl Record Fair of 2024 is happening this weekend.
Taking place inside the Greater Manchester town’s Guildhall several times a year, the Stockport Vinyl Record Fair is a celebration of all things vinyl, and is known for being a fantastic event for music fans, but more-specifically, music fans.
You’ll want to get yourself down to Stockport Guildhall this Sunday from 10am – 4pm if you want to see tonnes of traders with vinyl records and CDs in abundance.
Fancy making the most of all the January dining deals on offer over these next couple of weeks?
The time has come again for Manchester’s restaurants and bars to slash 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 2024.
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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Reckon 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 2023.
And 2024 is set to be absolutely no different.
10 of the best theatre shows to see in Greater Manchester in 2024 / Credit: ATG Tickets
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 2024, so we’ve rounded up 10 of the best shows to see and grab tickets for this year.
Did you also know that Manchester’s just been named one of the best places to visit in the UK in 2024?
Yes, that’s right.
Just like last year, Manchester once again been named one of the best UK cities to visit in 2024 by Time Out, thanks to some huge cultural openings last year – with our city having been praised for being a ‘cultural banquet’.
Local favourites like Mackie Mayor, Idle Hands, and Queer Lit have all been given shout outs, while the massive openings and reopenings like Aviva Studios, Manchester Museum, and The Snug earned us some cool points too.
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Find out more about why Manchester’s been given the honour here.
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Featured Image – Science Museum Group | The Manc Group | GRUB
What's On
The Good Clothes Show returns to Manchester next month for a weekend of ‘fashion, shopping, and creativity’
Emily Sergeant
A weekend of ‘fashion, shopping, and creativity’ is returning to Manchester next month.
Taking over Manchester Central in early November, The Good Clothes Show is set to make a return to our city for one of the most fashionable weekends of the year, and will bring together dozens of brilliant independent brands, vintage and pre-loved treasures, hands-on workshops, catwalks, expert talks, and more all under one roof.
Visitors can expect an extensive shopping lineup of independent fashion brands, local artisans, contemporary labels, vintage specialists and pre-loved sellers.
At the heart of the weekend is a huge programme of opportunities to ‘learn, make, mend, and transform.’
The Good Clothes Show returns to Manchester next month / Credit: Supplied
You’ll get to try everything from darning, sashiko, and crochet, to creating makeup bags, transforming shirts, and upcycling football tops. Or if you fancy something completely different, there’ll be a chance to make a fascinator from scrap materials, create a statement necklace, or give tired old shoes a spectacular new lease of life.
No matter whether you’re a complete beginner or already quite handy with a sewing needle, organisers say The Good Clothes Show it’s all about learning new skills and leaving inspired.
And this year, TV star Leigh Francis is joining the fun as the show’s special guest for the weekend too.
Get ready for a weekend of ‘fashion, shopping, and creativity’ / Credit: Supplied
There’s plenty happening beyond the shopping and workshops, as you can take a seat beside The Good Catwalk, get ideas and advice at The Style Stop, hear from fashion voices and changemakers, or simply stop for a glass of sparkling and compare shopping finds.
And it’s not just about the grown-ups either, as The Kids Club will encourage the next generation to discover design, textiles, and creativity through hands-on activities of their own.
The Good Clothes Show arrives at Manchester Central on Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 November 2026, and tickets are on sale here.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 5 – 11 October 2026
Emily Sergeant
It’s a new month and our first full week of October, so there’s loads happening across Greater Manchester.
If you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though, no worries, as 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, so take a look.
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Scare City
Camelot Theme Park
Monday 5 October – onwards
Scare City / Credit: Jason Roberts (Supplied)
Scare City will be back taking over the grounds of the abandoned Camelot Theme Park this spooky season.
And this year, there’s eight new chilling horror zones to discover.
There is no single story to survive. Instead, guests will be thrown from one nightmare into another – from a Victorian barber with blood on his hands, to a demonic orphanage, a cannibal settlement, a cursed forest, and a military bunker where the deceased are no longer dead.
Find out more about this year’s Scare City experience and book tickets here.
50% Off Kids Tickets at SEA LIFE / Credit: Supplied
Families looking for an affordable day out over the next couple of weeks can make the most of a new offer from a popular attraction, with 50% off child one-day tickets when purchased alongside a full-price adult ticket.
The offer gives families the chance to enjoy an underwater adventure for less at either SEA LIFE Manchester inside Trafford Palazzo, or even a tad further afield at SEA LIFE Blackpool.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos / Credit: BBC | Science Museum Group (Drew Forsyth)
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.
Grimmfest, also known as Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, is back this week with four fear-filled days showcasing the best in brand-new horror genre cinema.
You can expect some ferocious feature films, a savage selection of shorts, hair-raising horror classics back on the big screen, and more premieres than ever before.
Find out what’s on the lineup and get tickets here.
Salford is set to become the canvas for a spectacular celebration of its people when Salford Everywhere premieres this week.
Created by award-winning visual artist and filmmaker Matthew Rosier, the monumental artwork features more than 1,500 Salfordians, from NHS workers and builders to schoolchildren, supermarket teams, athletes, Royal Mail staff, dementia support groups and food bank volunteers.
Video artworks featuring the local contributors will be projected onto buildings across the city.
Stockport, you lucky lot – Prologue has now opened right on your doorstep.
This beautiful new bookshop is stuffed with the latest releases, award-winners, cult classics, and plenty more. And while you can cosy up with a coffee and a book in the daytime, by night, it’s all about fantastic cocktails and great wines.
Home is where the pudding is, as one of the city’s most-talked about dessert brands, Buttercup, has now officially opened the doors to its new home on Deansgate.
What started as a home-based baking project has now transformed into a gorgeous new cafe, where you can tuck into a range of puddings and load them up with all your favourite toppings.
Find out more about this glorious new opening here👇
There’s a lot happening inside New Century this autumn.
First up, there’s the new 450-capacity Locker, which is bringing grassroots live music to the ground floor space, while In Hand by New Century Kitchen is taking care of the all-important gig food with Detroit-style pizzas, chicken tenders, and more.
The two spaces are opening alongside a packed season of live shows, making this a pretty big new chapter for one of Manchester’s best-known music venues.
Autumn has officially arrived, and the pumpkin patches are finally opening their doors… or, should we say, fields.
Right across the region, there’s fields of pumpkins for you to pick for yourself, and many even have more inside in case it’s raining or if you don’t fancy heading into the field.
So, without further ado, here’s some of the best pumpkin patches in and around Greater Manchester for you to choose from👇
Just like we do every month, we’ve rounded up some of the best things we got to eat in September so if you’re on the hunt for somewhere new to eat this week, 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.
Did you hear that iconic Manchester music movie, 24 Hour Party People, is returning to UK cinemas this month?
If you’re a fan of Manchester’s music history, this one’s for you. 24 Hour Party People is returning to UK cinemas from this week – 24 years after it first hit the big screen, and this time, it’s been remastered in 4K.
The cult classic tells the story of Manchester’s legendary music scene from 1976 to 1992, following Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, played by none other than Middleton-born Steve Coogan, alongside the likes of Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays.
Emily Sergeant -
5th January 2024 
