The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 9 – 15 August 2021
With the year continuing to fly by, we’re now well into another new month.
There’s plenty in the calendar now that curbs have lifted, so we’ve put together a fresh edition of our ‘what’s on’ guide for the city of Manchester and beyond this week.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, others will set you back a few pounds, and many will need to be booked in advance – with plenty still taking COVID-safety measures to give you peace of mind.
Here’s a few of our top picks.
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Brainiac Live! Science Abuse
Homeground
Monday 9 August
Due to popular demand, science’s greatest and most outrageous live show is “returning with a vengeance” to Manchester this Monday.
Promising to be more mischievous than ever before, Brainiac Live! explodes on stage and will take you on a breathless ride through the wild world of the weird and wonderful while you watch from the safety of your set at HOME MCR’s brand-new, festival-style outdoor events hub, Homeground,
The Brainiacs will delve fearlessly into the mysteries of science and do all of those things on stage that you’re too scared to do at home.
You can find more information and grab tickets here.
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The Crisp Sandwich Cafe
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
Monday 9 – Wednesday 11 August
Award-winning contemporary dancer Matthew Rawcliffe has put together a heart-warming ‘crisp sandwich cafe’ show that will take place at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel this week.
Set inside a crisp butty venue, the show tells a story about the current state of our planet through the lens of crisp sandwiches so throughout the performance, issues like the climate crisis and Brexit are tackled through the medium of crisps. Guests will hear Boris Johnson talk about what Brexit means for the future of cheese and onion crisps, and learn about the climate crisis through an imaginary ‘crisis crackers’ crisp brand.
Adjacent to the performance, there will also be a quiet breakout space for autistic attendees if they need a second away.
You can find more information and grab tickets here.
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Dino Kingdom
Wythenshawe Park
Monday 9 – Sunday 15 August
An immersive family experience with a pre-historic twist has arrived at one of Manchester’s most popular parks – and this is your last week to make the most of it.
From the team behind the award-winning light and lantern festival Lightopia, which took over Heaton Park this past festive season, comes Dino Kingdom – an epic outdoor, prehistoric exploration that features more than 100 life-like moving and roaring dinosaurs and creatures to uncover, plus state-of-the-art 3D and AR technology.
Dino Kingdom is “bringing dinosaurs back to life” at Wythenshawe Park, with unforgettable interactive experiences and thrilling fairground rides for all the family.
There’s 70 life-sized dinosaurs dotted around the park, as well as some smaller dinosaurs to seek out and other interactive “beastly beings” amongst the woodland, such as crocodiles, frogs, bees, spiders and much more.
Tickets start at £13 – and you can find more information here.
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Box on the Docks
MediaCityUK
Monday 9 August – onwards
MediaCityUK’s popular outdoor dining concept Box on the Docks (BOTD) is welcoming customers to its waterside ‘pods’ this week, with the collection of 30 sheds and greenhouses having undergone renovation from local artists.
An exciting range of residents have moved into the neighbourhood for the summer, along with beloved local eateries from across the region such as The Spinn, Grandad’s Sausages, I Knead Pizza, Bada Bing Deli, and Batard Bakery.
You can find more information about Box on the Docks 2021 here.
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Wonderland: Summer Holiday Activities
RHS Garden Bridgewater
Monday 9 – 31 August
Families will be able to “tumble down the rabbit hole” and be transported to Alice’s Wonderland at RHS Garden Bridgewater this summer.
The Royal Horticultural Society is partnering with Macmillan Publishers to celebrate 150 years of Alice in Wonderland – bringing a series of themed events inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic novel to the new £44 million garden attraction in Worsley throughout August.
Visitors can view the new garden through the eyes of Alice, meet their favourite characters, and enjoy performances, storytelling, minibeast hunts, planting and craft workshops, and so much more.
You can find more information about the events on offer here.
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Summer Social
Trafford Centre
Monday 9 August – 5 September
An 8,000 sq ft beach, retro fairground rides, entertainment, and independent food and drink brands have all arrived at the Trafford Centre for the summer.
The region’s biggest shopping mall has announced the opening of its new ‘Summer Social’ event space – a vast new outdoor area that brings together all the fun of the fair, alongside a beach, live music, exciting pop-ups, and selfie-ready backdrops.
As well as several covered events spaces where people can safely relax, a number of independent food and drink brands will also be popping up over the summer, kicking off with Boujee Bar – the renowned, all-pink Instagrammer’s dream founded by Real Housewives of Cheshire star Lystra Adams.
Live musicians, street artists, and buskers will also be welcomed across the month at Summer Social.
You can find more information and grab your tickets here.
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I’m A Celebrity… Jungle Challenge
MediaCityUK
Monday 9 August – onwards
Did you see that the highly-anticipated Salford Quays adventure attraction based on ITV’s popular survival reality show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! has officially opened to visitors?
The I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge – which was first announced back in April – will welcome fans into the wilderness from this Saturday, inviting them to “navigate a series of fun-filled physical challenges inspired by the blockbuster ITV show”.
Located at MediaCityUK, the attraction features a variety of familiar vantage points and landmarks – including the Main Camp, the Throne and, of course, the Winner’s Bridge.
You can find more information and book tickets here.
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Platt Fields Park Story Trail
Fallowfield
Monday 9 August – onwards
A brand new interactive story trail has arrived at Platt Fields Park for the summer.
The trail – which is based on a story about elves in the Fallowfield park written by children’s author Rebecca Lewis-Oakes and illustrated by Aaron Cushley – is delivered by the National Literacy Trust as one of 12 story trails across the country that are part of the Hungry Little Minds campaign.
The campaign provides children with lots of simple and fun activities to easily slot into their daily routines, all whilst building speech and language skills at home.
As well as the story trail, there will also be an elf garden and elf-making activities to get involved with, and everyone will walk away with a free book thanks to Read Manchester’s Look for a Book partnership.
You can find more information about the Platt Fields Park Story Trail here.
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Use Hearing Protection
Science and Industry Museum
Wednesday 11 August – onwards
A special exhibition documenting the formation and early years of the iconic Factory Records has officially opened at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum.
Use Hearing Protection: The early years of Factory Records shines a light on the formative period for the Manchester label, disclosing lesser-told stories from family members, alternative voices and international collaborators.
The exhibition also examines the period 1978 to 1982, revealing how the label grew and thrived to give the city an authentic voice and distinctive identity, and visitors will be guided through the pre-Haçienda years to uncover the history of the label and how it earned its status as a catalyst for innovation through rarely or never-before-seen objects.
The first 50 artefacts from the official Factory Records catalogue are on display, including creations from Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, and so much more.
You can find more information here.
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Love Island in Beach Huts
Great Northern Beach Club
Wednesday 11 & Thursday 12 August
Great Northern Beach Club is screening episodes of the hugely-popular ITV2 reality show Love Island every Wednesday and Thursday this summer until the series ends.
Grab up to five mates and make your way to the mambo-style Sunset Lounge for “Balearic vibes and tropical banter” from the Love Island villa, and what better way than to watch the drama unfold than with a magnum of prosecco in your very-own private beach hut that comes complete with a TV screen and personal drinks host.
Each beach hut will set you back £50 for up to six people, and you can book here.
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Zog
Oldham Coliseum Theatre
Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 August
Based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the smash-hit stage adaptation of Zog is heading to Oldham’s Coliseum Theatre this week and it promises to be bigger, brighter and more roar-some than ever before.
Large in size and keen in nature, Zog is eager to win a golden star at Madam Dragon’s school, where dragons learn all the things that dragons need to know. Zog tries so very hard, perhaps too hard, and he bumps, burns and roars his way through years one, two and three. Luckily, the plucky Princess Pearl patches him up ready to face his biggest challenge yet – a duel with knight, Sir Gadabout the Great.
You can grab tickets from £12.50 here.
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Secret City
EventCity
Thursday 12 – Sunday 15 August
Park N Party – the team that delivered both the sell-out successes of ScareCity, ChristmasCity and a number of other outdoor live events throughout 2020 – has launched a new venture titled SecretCity, and there’s a whole host of immersive drive-in entertainment events happening this week.
There’s screenings of cinema favourites including Bridget Jones’ Diary, Frozen, The Smurfs, Friday The 13th, Shrek 2 and more all on show throughout the week.
Tickets must be booked in advance, and you can grab yours from £35 per car here.
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The Laughięnda Comedy Club
Lions Den
Thursday 14 August
If you’re looking to let your hair down for a mid-week laugh, then a selection of Manchester’s top new comedians assemble every Thursday night at the Lions Den bar at Great Northern Mews in the heart of the city centre for The Laughięnda Comedy Club.
With comedian lineups usually revealed closer to the time, you can find more information about what to expect here.
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World’s Strongest Man
AO Arena
Saturday 14 August
‘Giants Live’ is set to mark the grand reopening of the AO Arena this Saturday, as the Strongman World Open & World Deadlift Championships returns to the venue for the first time in nearly two years as part of the World’s Strongest Man Qualifying Tour.
$50,000 is being offered to any man who can lift 505kg and set a new Deadlift world record.
Following the deadlift event, the competition moves to Viking Press, Medley, Hammer Hold and the Atlas Stones competitions – with the eventual winner of the Giants Live World Open receiving an invite to The World’s Strongest Man 2022.
You can find more information and grab tickets here.
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Ancoats Pop-Up Market
Ancoats
Saturday 14 August
Nestled among the backstreets of Manchester and tucked into the courtyard of an old, red-brick historic mill, Ancoats Pop Up Market is a weekly-run market event which has teamed up with MUD (Manchester Urban Diggers) to supply the neighbourhood with a wealthy selection of fresh, organic and locally-grown fruit and veg, as well as dry goods.
The market also features Manchester-based stallholders serving speciality coffee, locally-brewed rum liquors, locally-sourced bakes and crafts, and more.
Street food and freshly-brewed coffee is also available while you browse.
You can find more information here.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens
Saturday 14 August
Shakespeare’s hilarious and fantastical comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream is being up-cycled and re-wired for the environmental generation, so pack your picnic, dress in weather-appropriate clothing, and head to the outdoor theatre arriving at Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens in Didsbury this Saturday.
Join Oberon, Titania, and the ever-playful Puck as they weave through this tale of tangled lovers, warring fairies, and hapless human beings.
You can find more information, and grab tickets starting at £11.50 here.
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Thank You, Manchester Weekender
Manchester City Centre
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 August
A two-day “fun-filled festival of thanks” is bringing fabulous free entertainment to the streets and in the squares of Manchester City Centre weekend.
As Manchester continues to welcome everyone back to its restaurants, galleries, shops, museums and other delights, there’ll be street theatre, music, dancing and colour popping up all around the city centre – from rainbow stilt walkers and giant flamingos, to human-sized pigeons, super-friendly special bees, and enchanting squirrels like you haven’t seen before.
With performances repeated over two days, there’ll be entertainment events happening in Cathedral Gardens, Piccadilly Gardens, Exchange Square, St Ann’s Square and more.
You can find more information here.
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Whittard of Chelsea Afternoon Tea
Timperley
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 August
It’s National Afternoon Tea Week, so the Timperley branch of Dobbies Garden Centre has partnered with iconic tea makers Whittard of Chelsea to host a twist on a traditional afternoon tea – with freshly prepared finger sandwiches, cherry scones with clotted cream & jam, a selection of delicious mini cakes, tarts and a Whittard of Chelsea summer berries biscuit.
You can also choose from a trio of Whittard of Chelsea teas – Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and English Rose – to enjoy one with your Afternoon Tea, or upgrade with a 200ml bottle of Prosecco for only £6.35 extra per adult.
You can find more information, and book here.
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StreamGM and The Manc have teamed up to show some some serious love and support to the region’s renowned theatres, nightclubs, and live-music venues with the launch of SeeGM – a digital campaign to shine a bright spotlight on many of the amazing events, club nights, gigs and shows in our region.
You can find out more here.
#SeeGM
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Featured Image – Giants Live | Dobbies Garden Centre