October is well under way now and there’s plenty to be getting up to in Manchester.
If you’re stuck for something to do, then this is your go-to guide for what’s on and what’s happening in 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 most will need to be booked in advance, but all are COVID-secure and socially-distanced in order to keep you as safe as possible during these trying times.
Whatever you fancy doing though, there’s certainly no shortage of choice in our region.
The pumpkins are still here, in case you missed them.
If you’re looking to get in the mood for Halloween early, but keep things a little on the cheaper side this week, then you need look no further than up above in the city centre as the annual decorative pumpkin lanterns are back once again and they’re here all month.
Going on a little tour to see the lanterns in the trees in St Ann’s Square, Market Street and beyond is the perfect activity for all the family, easy to plan and great for pictures.
Scare City officially kicked off last week and it’s not for the faint hearted.
This immersive drive-in cinema event – organised by Park N Party – sees terrifying performers swarming on unsuspecting viewers’ during each evening of car park entertainment at Event City in Trafford.
Horror flicks for all film fans will be showing throughout the month of October.
From the comfort of your own car this week, you can watch films including Insidious, Get Out, and The Blaire Witch Project for the brave, and also Frankenweenie, Goosebumps, and Beetlejuice if you’d rather keep your wits about you.
Tickets are priced at £35 per vehicle.
Food and drink is also available to purchase on site, and will be served and distributed in compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions.
You can reserve your spot at Scare City online now via Eventbrite.
This October, you can take your little monsters to LEGOLAND Discovery Centre at Barton Square and get into the spirit at the ultimate Halloween party, with so many “fang-tastic activities” and “spook-tacular activities”, plus access to two rides, LEGO build & play zones, and a 4D cinema at the ultimate indoor LEGO playground.
All of this COVID-safe fun is included within the price of an admission ticket too.
The fun doesn’t stop at intu Trafford Centre, as Ascarium is arriving at SEA LIFE Manchester once again this year and it’s an experience like no other.
You are invited to follow the immersive trail through the site – which will adhere to all necessary COVID-19 safety measures – to find missing potion ingredients hidden throughout displays of the creepiest creatures of the deep and once you’ve spotted all of the missing items, see if you can solve the riddle at the end of the trail to complete the spell and claim your free Cadbury reward for your Halloween bravery.
Totally Gruesome is a 100% socially distanced and COVID-safe Halloween attraction aimed at Primary School-aged children in Ashton-under-Lyne..
In your pre-booked time slot, you’ll get five minutes to spend in each of the 10 themed rooms – which range from ‘Spiders Cave’ and ‘Clown Graveyard’, to ‘Egyptian Tomb’ and ‘Witches Forest’ – to crack the code. Follow the clues to uncover a letter of the alphabet in each themed room and once you have all the letters, you can then solve the anagram to be entered into the weekly sweetie prize draw.
It’s basically a kids version of break-out rooms, crossed with the crystal maze.
Tickets are priced at £7 each.
You can discover more information about the event and book your tickets here.
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Murder Mystery 2020
East Lancashire Railway, Bury
Saturday 17th October
Dining With Distinction
Fancy a bit of Poirot to get you in the mood for Halloween?
This week’s Murder Mystery 2020 theme at East Lancashire Railway in Bury is ‘Trouble at Tower Terrors’.
The description for the event reads: “They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky and one of them is also a killer. The residents of Terror Towers are out for revenge on the oldest and deadliest member of the clan and it’s up to you to dig up the evidence and discover who is the worst monster of all before the witching hour strikes.”
Tickets are priced at £75.
This includes a beautiful 2 1/3 hour steam train ride through the Irwell Valley, a welcome glass of fizz, a four course meal – with everything from Chorizo, Halloumi & Cucumber salad, to Raspberry & White Chocolate Meringue on the menu – followed by tea or coffee and after dinner chocolates, and of course award-winning Murder Mystery entertainment.
After something that isn’t so spooky and Halloween-themed this week?
The GM ‘Let’s Walk Festival’ is taking place in a completely COVID-safe and virtually this year, so no matter whether you’re a “stroller, roamer, shuffler, moocher or a marcher”, you’re welcome to join in with this two-week-long festival.
It’s a great opportunity to set yourself (or your family) a walking goal and discover the simple joys and benefits of walking with an option to raise money for local causes too.
You can find out more information and register onto the event here.
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Escape to Freight Island
Depot Mayfield
Thursday 15th, Friday 16th, Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October
Escape to Freight Island
There’s plenty going on at Escape to Freight Island this week.
If you haven’t had chance to make your way down to Manchester’s newest social experience and one of the hottest tickets in town yet – which is housed at Depot Mayfield in the heart of the city centre – then this is definitely a good week to make that happen.
On the agenda this extended weekend is regular act Reform Radio Presents on Thursday, a special showing by Band on the Wall Presents on Friday – with exciting acts yet to be announced – Mr. Scruff, MC Kwasi, Annabel Fraser, and Lee Andrews taking over for 10 hours on Saturday, and finally From Manchester With Love taking to the stage on Sunday.
Tickets to all events must be booked in advance.
You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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Higher Ground
Ducie Street Warehouse, Northern Quarter
Friday 16th & Saturday 17th October
Higher Ground x Ducie Street Warehouse
Higher Ground is taking over Ducie Street Warehouse for the full month of October.
The innovative pop-up restaurant – which prides itself on offering dishes with the best North West ingredients, Manchester brewed beer and natural wine – began its residency at the popular Northern Quarter hangout at at the start of the month, where an incredible five-course sharing menu will be served and an optional wine pairing, consisting of three glasses is available to add-on.
Tickets at £45 per head and prepaid reservations must be made for party sizes of two – six people.
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 15 – 21 September 2025
Emily Sergeant
September, you’ve been treating us well so far.
Now that September is really in full swing, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the fact that autumn is nearly here – but even though summer may be coming to an end, there’s still plenty of exciting activities to be getting up to in Greater Manchester 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.
A pioneering production company is bringing immersive theatre inside shipping containers to Greater Manchester this week.
DARKFIELD has announced their first shows in Greater Manchester for seven years, and will present their three most critically-acclaimed experiences at iconic venues across the region as part of an ‘exciting’ collaboration.
Keen audiences will be able to head to The Lowry, Aviva Studios, and HOME this month to see theatre like they’ve never seen it before.
The UK’s largest festival of history and culture has returned, and there’s thousands of free events on the lineup this week.
Always proving to be a smash-hit success, both here in Greater Manchester and nationwide, over the last 30 years, the National Trust’s Heritage Open Days are back by popular demand for the next couple of weeks, and this means loads of the UK’s top attractions will be open to visit for free.
You can explore historic houses, factories, museums, music halls, and countless of other places and spaces – some that are normally closed to the public.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
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”.
Kargo on the Docks / Credit: Supplied | Mark Waugh
Summer is nearly over, but Kargo on the Docks is clinging on.
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.
This is a stop-you-in-your-tracks addition to the city.
Mappin & Webb has opened the doors to its exclusive new store right in the heart of Manchester, and it’s two floors of jewellery paradise
The company has meticulously-restored this landmark pink building on St Ann’s Square and filled it with all things heritage and sparkly, with a luxury bar and lounge downstairs.
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NEW OPENING – Primark Home
Trafford Palazzo
NEW OPENING – Primark Home / Credit: The Manc Group
Home sweet (Primark) home.
New openings don’t get much bigger than this, both metaphorically and literally, as Great Britain’s first-ever dedicated Primark Home store has now opened its doors over at Trafford Palazzo, and it’s an absolute interior-lover’s paradise in there.
The huge new store is packed full of homewares and lifestyle items at Primark’s typical affordable price point so expect bathroom bits, kitchenware, soft furnishings, bedroom decor, and right now, LOADS of pumpkins.
Looking for a bite to eat in Manchester this month? We’ve got a few suggestions to share…
Ooh we were eating good in August.
Even with the last of the warmer weather throughout August, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been having some right feasts – with plenty of cheese pulls, saucy drizzles, and for some reason, ANOTHER Labubu-themed dessert.
With the festive season soon approaching, we’re expecting the next month to get extra cosy and indulgent.
If you need some inspiration for where to eat in our region this month, we rounded up some of our best suggestions for you to pick from:
Everyone knows that brunch is better when the booze is bottomless, and there’s bangers blasting in the background, so if you’re on the hunt for a bottomless brunch that will truly get your night out started, Manchester’s The Blues Kitchen is the place to head to.
Endless mimosas, rum punch, and prosecco, banging brunch dishes like their legendary Buffalo wings and popcorn shrimp, and DJs spinning 90s and noughties tunes throughout.
The vibes of a Slow Jams Bottomless Brunch are truly unmatched.
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Manchester Wing Fest 2025
Victoria Baths
Friday 19 – Sunday 21 September
Manchester Wing Fest 2025 / Credit: Supplied | The Manc Group
The ultimate chicken wing showdown is back.
Wing Fest, the world’s largest chicken wing festival, will return to Manchester this weekend, taking over the city’s historic Victoria Baths and promising to be the ‘biggest and boldest’ event yet – with over 100,000 drums and flats served across the weekend.
As always, the festival will champion independent food traders, showcasing their skills as they compete for the coveted titles of Best Buffalo Wing, Best Wild Wing, and Best BBQ Wing.
Manchester Wing Fest will run across four sessions – Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and evening, and a Sunday afternoon finale, and tickets are now on sale here.
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SciTech Extravaganza 2025
Alderley Park
Saturday 20 September
SciTech Extravaganza 2025 / Credit: Supplied
SciTech Extravaganza is back for 2025 this weekend.
Set to descend on the grounds of Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park – a unique place where world-leading science, innovation, and stylish living all come together in the Cheshire countryside – SciTech Extravaganza will be a day filled full of fun science-themed shows, interactive activities, new skill-building opportunities, and more.
The popular family festival is designed to ‘spark curiosity’ and ‘encourage engagement’ through STEM-related learning.
Last-minute tickets are on sale now at just £8.50 each, and you can get them here.
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Featured Image – Paul Harris | The Manc Group | Science Museum Group
What's On
Strictly Come Dancing favourite Oti Mabuse is hosting a free dance class in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
One of Strictly Come Dancing’s best-loved professionals, Oti Mabuse, is going to be hosting a free family dance class in Printworks this month.
The two-time Strictly champion will be getting Mancs jiving and waltzing with a fun and inclusive workshop, geared towards all ages and abilities.
Whether you’ve got a little one desperate to boogie or have two left feet yourself but love to dance, this event is for you.
Oti will be bringing her world-class moves and infectious energy to Printworks, dancing beneath Europe’s largest digital ceiling just in time for the show’s glittering premiere, screened on the huge gaming screen.
After your own dancing workshop you can watch Strictly Come Dancing’s first show as the new cast of celebs and professionals hit the famous dance floor.
The evening will kick off at 6.10pm on Saturday 20 September, with a dance class led by Oti followed by the launch episode screened on the giant Printworks gaming screen.
Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse. Credit: Michael WharleyOti will lead a dance class beneath the digital ceiling at Printworks
Ahead of the event, Oti Mabuse said: “I’m so excited to be coming to Manchester’s Printworks! It’s such an iconic venue, and I can’t wait to feel everyone’s energy and see how the city comes alive here – show me what you’ve got!”
Kristian Brennan, Marketing Manager at Printworks, said: “Printworks is the ultimate city centre destination for anyone ready to catch the Strictly fever.
“Europe’s largest digital ceiling will feature bold, bright and energy-inducing content to compliment the unique dance class led by the dancing queen herself Oti Mabuse, it’s set to be an unforgettable experience.”
Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of the UK’s most celebrated (and twice-decorated with the glitterball trophy) performers – book your spot HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
9th October 2020 
