Summer is feeling like it’s right around around the corner, and we’re being treated to yet another bank holiday this week.
After the historic coronation of King Charles III this past weekend, the UK has been given an extra bank holiday to make the most of, and that’s on top of what is already a week packed full of fun across Greater Manchester, so we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
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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Greater Manchester Walking Festival 2023
Greater Manchester
Monday 8 May – onwards
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Greater Manchester Walking Festival 2023 / Credit: GetLostMCR
Celebrating National Walking Month, there’ll be a range of free walks and activities organised by local residents and organisations across the region.
There are almost 250 walks as part of this year’s Greater Manchester Walking Festival, so there’s always plenty to choose from.
With the event having been created to celebrate the joy of walking and being outside with friends, family, neighbours, and other members of our communities, walks in this year’s festival also include photography strolls, age-friendly routes, and proper hikes.
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You can out more and discover walking routes on the GM Walking website here.
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Turn It Up: The power of music
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 8 May – onwards
Turn It Up: The power of music / Credit: Science Museum Group
Mancs can “unravel the secrets of sound” through experiments, play, and performance at the Science and Industry Museum’s new world-first exhibition.
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Fancy getting to march to the beat of your own drum? Turn It Up: The power of music gives visitors the chance to make music together, and play with beat, melody, and harmonies in a newly-commissioned musical playground, as well as find out how music can trigger emotions and memories, whether it can affect what you buy, and even what certain songs taste like.
You can even take part in a musical Turing test and see if you can tell the difference between songs written by humans and machines.
Italian Bottomless Brunch / Credit: The Manc Group
How does a three-course premium Italian bottomless brunch with 90 minutes of non-stop Aperol Spritz, prosecco, and bellinis sound?
Cibo Manchester – which has two city centre sites in Castlefield and Great Northern – has updated its bottomless brunch deal for spring, and now, pizza and pasta lovers can dig into three courses of classy Italian favourites alongside a free-flowing drinks menu – all for just for just £49.95 per person.
Diners can indulge in the likes of deep-fried mozzarella frittas, wild mushroom and truffle risotto, Cibo’s pistachio-topped four cheese pizza, and the absolute star of the show, a penne reggiano cooked inside a flaming parmesan cheese wheel at your table with added cognac and truffle oil.
A giant outdoor funfair full of vintage fairground rides and a circus is back at the Trafford Centre.
After several hugely-successful runs in both 2021 and 2022, the UK’s third largest shopping centre’s outdoor space has “sprung to life” once again, and is back with a whole host of thrilling rides, a glittering circus, and lots of delicious treats for the whole family to enjoy.
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Spring Escape has popped up outside the Great Hall, and tickets are now available to buy for the wide range of events on offer.
Corn Exchange has installed a book vending machine inside its stunning atrium space.
Whether you’re in need a book for your commute into the city, want to update your bookshelf at home, grab a page-turner for your holiday, or simply have a good read over a coffee or glass of something at Corn Exchange, the new vending machine has you covered.
Book lovers are invited to head on down with their old books, grab a token for the machine, and Read. Swap. Repeat.
With the aim to help the environment and reduce waste for book lovers, the machine includes a mix of pre-loved books of all genres, and you’ll just need to simply bring in a pre-loved book and swap it for a token with one of the Corn Exchange hosts to access the machine and choose your next read.
Fancy trying out some new bars, and restaurants that have opened in Greater Manchester this month?
We have some cracking new openings for you to check out this month.
A suntrap ice cream parlour, a Dutch pancake house, waterside beer gardens, a Malibu beach club, a new sushi and tonkotsu ramen spot, a boozy pasta restaurant, and a Hong Kong-style restaurant in Chinatown serving spam and noodles on its breakfast fry up, are just some of the things the Greater Manchester hospitality gods are delivering this month.
We think you’ll agree there’s a lot to look forward to, so if you’re looking for somewhere to grab a bite this week, we’ve rounded up some of the best new openings to try.
Didsbury’s very-own cookery school, Food Sorcery, is hosting a dedicated Sushi & Gyoza Making workshop this Wednesday.
Japanese cuisine is experiencing more love in the UK now than ever before, and sushi has became one of the world’s most well-known dishes, so, during this three-hour expert class, you will get to learn how to make a whole host of popular types of sushi, such as makizushi, uramaki, California rolls, sashimi, and so much more.
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All ingredients will be provided, and you will eat as you cook, as well as get to take home the additional dishes you make.
Find out more and book your spot on the class here.
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The Manchester Cat Extravaganza
BEC Arena
Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 May
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The Manchester Cat Extravaganza / Credit: Loving Cats Worldwide
A huge two-day event celebrating all things cats is coming Manchester this weekend.
The Manchester Cat Extravaganza and Rescue Awareness Event, which sounds a bit like Crufts for cats, will see “the most beautiful cats in the world” strut their stuff on an actual catwalk.
Being brought to Manchester by organisation Loving Cats Worldwide, and set to take over the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, there’ll be an international cat competition, an adoption event, a Best in Show, and a full shopping village to browse.
The Clone Roses: 25th Anniversary Celebration / Credit: The Clone Roses
The Clone Roses will be headlining Heaton Park this Saturday.
Cementing their place as the most successful, ambitious, and best-loved tribute to iconic Manchester band, The Stone Roses – and arguably, one of the best tribute bands there is – The Clone Roses are promising “an absolute feast of Manchester music” as they mark their 25th Anniversary with a momentus show at Heaton Park this Saturday 13 May.
Many other tribute bands will be playing on the day such as The Smiths Ltd, The Courtbetweeners, and Happy Mondaze, and not to mention, fellow legends Bez and Clint Boon will be there in the flesh.
CinemaLive Presents: Eurovision Grand Final 2023 / Credit: Eurovision
The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest is to be screened live in cinemas across the UK for the first time ever this Saturday.
With fans from across the globe set to descend on Liverpool as the UK hosts the 2023 edition of the world’s biggest song competition on behalf of last year’s winners Ukraine, those who weren’t lucky enough to secure tickets will instead by able to head to their nearest cinema to experience the action on the big screen.
Distributor CinemaLive has announced it will be broadcasting the Eurovision grand final show live in cinemas nationwide for the first time ever.
Cloudwater Brew Co is throwing a multi-venue party and beer festival this Saturday.
Collaborating and celebrating the Manchester beer mile alongside Sureshot, Balance, and Track, Cloudwater Block Party 2023 will see each taproom invite a guest brewery, an independent food vendor, and a handful of live DJS to celebrate Manchester’s thriving beer mile.
Featured Image – The Manc Group | Eurovision | National Trust
What's On
A massive vegan street food festival is back in Manchester later this month
Emily Sergeant
Giving Veganuary a go this year?
We know the end of the month can often bring a bit of food boredom and a lack of plant-based inspiration along with it, but luckily, Manchester’s very-own GRUB has got you covered, because for the tenth year running now, the legendary GRUB ExtraVEGANza is returning for the final weekend of the month.
GRUB – the street food market and social hub just outside the city centre – is known for hosting a jam-packed lineup of events all throughout the year, and the annual ExtraVEGANza is one of its best-loved each time it rolls around.
The popular venue will become a wall-to-wall vegan street food festival full of independent plant-based food traders.
On top of the venue’s weekly ‘Plant Powered Sundays’ vegan street food takeover days, the now-annual GRUB ExtraVEGANza is a celebration of all things plant-based food and drink.
Running from Friday 24 – Sunday 26 January this year, at 2025’s edition of the ExtraVEGANza, you can expect there to be plenty vegan treats from some of GRUB’s usual plant-based food traders, as well as loads more.
A full list of traders is set to be announced soon, so you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled.
A massive vegan street food festival is returning to Manchester later this month / Credit: GRUB
Wholesome Junkies, Desert Island Dumplings, Nina’s Taco Truck, Seitan’s Kebab, and Munchie Mummy’s Vegan Bakery are just some of the popular traders who have appeared at the festival in previous year, so this may give you some clues as to who to expect in 2025.
That’s not all either, as on top of food, there’ll also a 100% vegan bar offering wine, cocktails, spirits, mulled wine, soft drinks, and a wide range of beers from all the best local vegan-friendly breweries across Greater Manchester and the North West.
Basically, whether you’re a vegan newbie, a plant-based pro, or just looking to cut back on your animal product consumption where possible, you’ll probably want to get yourself down to GRUB, as there’s something for everyone.
Find out more about GRUB’s ExtraVEGANza 2025 and get booking your place here.
Featured Image – GRUB
What's On
A dozen of the best and most popular gyms in Manchester, ranked by price
Daisy Jackson
You do not need to wait for January to get your body moving again – there’s no time like the present.
The trick to sticking with your health kick is often to find the right routine for you, and when it comes to exercise, finding the gym that will make you feel supported as well as pushed physically is key.
There’s no shortage of brilliant gyms here in Manchester, from the do-it-yourself commercial gyms to the fitness facilities manned by highly qualified trainers who will guide you every step of the way.
Whether you’re a fancy girl who needs fancy facilities to coax you into the gym, or you’d rather get your head down and save some cash, we’ve got you covered.
Here are a dozen of the best gyms and health clubs to try in 2024 – and how much it’ll cost you.
12 of the best and most popular gyms in Manchester
12. Ultimate Performance – Spinningfields (bespoke prices available on request)
Ready to transform your body or lay the foundations for lifelong health, and feeling pretty serious about it? Ok, game on.
Ultimate Performance is the gym in Manchester to join if you want to stick to your plan and achieve whatever goals you set yourself, from fat loss to muscle building to general health, with some of the world’s best personal trainers coaching from here.
Barry’s is the gym loved by all the famous LA-dwelling beautiful types, and first opened here in Manchester in 2018.
Workouts take place in the ‘red room’, where rows of benches, dumbbells and treadmills promise a total body workout.
It’s now a global phenomenon, with gyms everywhere from the USA to the UAE to Australia to Mexico.
It ain’t cheap though: memberships start at £125 per month, which gets you eight classes, or you can book a drop-in class for £20. The most expensive membership will set you back £308. Check out all the offers here.
10. Blok – Piccadilly (£205/month for unlimited)
Blok in Manchester has a mix of classes and is one of the city’s best gyms. (Credit: Blok)
This gym is genuinely very beautiful, taking over a corner of the historic Ducie Street Warehouse.
It’s another one with three different studios to choose from – you can do pilates and yoga, take on full-body strength-focused or boxing workouts, or try out barre and cardio exercises.
There are top-notch changing rooms for getting refreshed in afterwards too.
Unlimited membership is £205 a month, but if you’re happy to commit to a set number of classes there are cheaper packs available too. Check it out HERE.
You will not find a nicer or more supportive group of trainers than the ones who work at FORM – you also won’t find any who take away your ability to walk up stairs quite so efficiently.
As well as one-to-one training, they offer their ‘reload’ programme with small groups training together at their New Bailey Street gym, and the best pilates and yoga classes in town at their Reset gym on Marble Street.
FORM promises a long-term change to your life – this is no flash-in-the-pan fitness phase.
Memberships start from £168 a month and we promise you get a lot of bang for your buck. Find out more on the FORM Manchester website.
First created in Australia, there are now more than 1,000 F45 studios all over the world, creating what it claims is the most innovative fitness gym on the planet.
Each 45-minute session blends cardio and HIIT-style workouts for ‘sweat-dripping, heart-pumping fun’.
The circuits in their Manchester gyms will kick your ass, in a good way.
It’s £165 a month if you commit to six months, otherwise you’re looking at £195 a month – check it out HERE.
7. Zeno Training Clubs – Angel Gardens (£99/month)
Hero/Zeno Training Club gym in Manchester. They even do protein/health smoothies to go.Credit: The Manc Group
With four different fitness studios to choose from, Zeno (formerly known as Hero) offers a little something for everyone.
You can seriously test your cardio in their spin studio or in the Athletic studio (where you can also take on boxing classes), push your strength in the Stronger studio (which is basically like small group PT sessions), or reset a bit in the Rejuvenate studio. There’s also an open gym upstairs.
Zeno has some of the best facilities in the city – seriously, there are more squat racks in here than in some of the biggest commercial gyms – and a bloody lovely group of trainers to guide your every move.
Memberships start from £99 a month, and there are class bundles available too. Find out more HERE.
This ‘next-level fitness studio’ follows a pretty similar model to V1BE, but factors in assault bikes (ouch) and has classes with a more tailored focus.
There are three different TRIB3 classes to choose from – upper body and core, lower body, and full body – broken down into three zones: treadmill, resistance and intensity.
It’s proving to be a very popular option for Mancs.
Unlimited memberships are £79/month but there are loads of other options too. Find out more online.
5. V1BE – Central (£39/month)
It’s all about the cardio at V1BE, Manchester’s boutique gym group that will literally display your heart rate on a giant screen for all to see.
Most workouts are spread between sprint sessions on the treadmills and weighted circuits on the floor, but they also have ‘STR1KE’ classes that factor in some intense boxing drills.
You will be sweaty, you will get competitive with yourself, and you’ll definitely love it (once the hill sprints are over).
Membership starts used to be £59 a month, but since they’ve reduced to just one site over on Mosley Street, prices are now just £39 for unlimited access to the gym and their range of classes. You can go find out more here.
4. The Y Club – Castlefield (starting from £35/month)
Over in Castlefield, you’ll find one of the most decked-out gyms and health clubs in Manchester city centre at one of the best value-for-money price points too. Put simply, it’s an old-school YMCA with plenty to offer.
The Y Club, which is attached to The Castlefield Hotel – where you also have access to 20% off food and drink with your membership – features a comprehensive range of gym equipment and facilities, as well as a large pool, five courts, football, badminton and more in the large sports hall, as well as studio classes.
There are also in-house personal trainer and physiotherapy sessions available; they even offer free health checks and lunchtime fitness classes as part of their corporate packages where employees can even get a 9.6% discount on selected memberships.
Standard prices start from £35 a month for a 12-month contract and full access to all facilities, but you can go cheaper with the £30 off-peak rate (6am-3:45pm). You can see the various tiers including reduced student rates HERE.
3. Nuffield Health – Printworks and Didsbury (£51/month)
Nuffield is one of Manchester’s biggest gyms, with its own pool.
What makes Nuffield Health so extraordinary of all the gyms in Manchester is that it has a real-life swimming pool, which is quite a luxury in a city centre as crammed as ours.
The gym has an army of treadmills and bikes, plus a functional fitness room, a free weights room, and several different studios.
There are also physiotherapists and personal trainers based here to help you build the healthiest body possible. They also have a Didsbury site too, if that helps.
It’s £51 per month, or you can go off-peak for £43 a month. You can sign up HERE.
2. JD Gyms – Central (£19.99/month)
Doesn’t need much of an intro this one (Credit: JD Gyms)
With a rapidly growing number of gyms nationwide, it’s easy to see why JD Gyms are becoming more and more popular – and it’s got a lot to do with the price.
Their refurbished gym in Manchester city centre over on Whitworth Street has more than 300 classes a month, a sauna, and literally hundreds of pieces of strength and cardio equipment.
There’s a large free weights zone, a sprint and sled track, boot camps, boxing, and personal trainers. They also have a smaller Salford outpost over on Regent Retail Park.
Basic membership is £19.99 a month – which includes classes – but for £25 a month, you can also get 10% off at JD Sports online and use any of their gyms nationwide – find out more HERE.
1. PureGym – Central and Salford (£14.99/month)
PureGym has several gyms around Manchester. (Credit: PureGym)
As one of the country’s biggest gym groups, they’re famed for being cheap and practical, with 24-hour opening times.
Facilities are very good for the price and there are four PureGym gyms in the city centre alone – make that 14 in Greater Manchester. You just have to get used to their weirdly futuristic ‘beam me up, Scotty’ entrance vestibules.
You can get a base membership for just £14.99 on average depending on which venue but you can find out exact details for each place online.
Emily Sergeant -
5th May 2023 
