October has arrived 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.
Here’s some of the things you could be getting up to this week:
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GRIMMFEST
Online
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Wednesday 7th – Sunday 11th October
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFwhJMiFyVb/
Manchester’s very own annual horror film festival – GRIMMFEST: Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Films – is becoming a virtual event for the very first time and will be taking place online from Wednesday to Sunday this week.
Horror films fans have can watch 20 feature films, two short film programmes, two special events – including world-first film premieres – and dozens of supporting events all from the comfort of their own home.
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You can find more information about GRIMMFEST here.
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.
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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.
There’ll be some very special visitors at SEA LIFE Manchester this Friday.
You are invited to explore the full Barton Square attraction after hours in this limited, intimate evening session and you’ll also get a rare chance to marvel at the real life mermaids in their natural habitat as they join SEA LIFE Manchester’s resident Sea Turtles – Cammy & Ernie – in the ocean tank.
These evening sessions are running from 4pm – 8pm, with last admission at 7pm.
Tickets are priced at £21.95 for adults and £16.95 for children. You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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Headstock Festival x Nodding Dog Comedy Night
Escape to Freight Island
Tuesday 6th October
Escape to Freight Island
Music and mental wellbeing festival, Headstock, has teamed up with Nodding Dog Comedy to bring a night of stand-up comedy to Piccadilly on Tuesday.
10 comedians – including Live at the Apollo and Britain’s Got Talent stars – will take the stage for the exclusive event at Escape To Freight Island and funds raised from ticket money will go towards Headstock’s partners, which include mental health support organisation Manchester Mind and music charity Help Musicians.
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Tickets must be booked in advance and will set you back £10 per person.
You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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Park N Party presents Scare City
Event City, Trafford
Friday 9th, Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th October
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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, you can watch Annabelle Comes Home on Friday 9th October, The Witches, Coco and Halloween (2018) on Saturday 10th October, and Hotel Transylvania and The Grudge on Sunday 11th October.
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.
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You can reserve your spot at Scare City online now via Eventbrite.
A brand new Roxy Ballroom has just opened up in Manchester city centre.
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Taking over the old 17,000sq ft Birdcage building on Withy Grove, Roxy Ball Room has half a dozen bowling lanes, beer pong tables, shuffleboard, and arcade machines have all been installed, as well as a 12-hole ‘crazy pool’ game on a mezzanine level, and has a wide range of booze, cocktails and American-style food available.
Bookings must be made in advance for households or support bubbles only, with Roxy operation 3pm-10pm during the week and 12pm-10pm at the weekend.
Players can order food and drink using a QR code on each gaming table.
You can book your slot and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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KBOM – Sem Fundo Sundays
Hatch
Sunday 11th October
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFesKGQgMyJ/
KBOM Bar & Kitchen – based at award-winning independent food, drink and retail destination HATCH on Oxford Road – merges the vibrant flavours of Brazil, with the traditional soul food of Portugal and hosts a very special ‘Sem Fundo’ – otherwise known as bottomless’ brunch – on Sundays.
It includes a starter, main and complimentary drinks during your 90 pre-booked slot, and all of this comes for only £22.95 per person too.
You can book your table for KBOM’s Sem Fundo ‘Bottomless’ Sundayshere.
More information about HATCH and the social distancing / COVID-safe precautions can be found here.
What's On
First wave of ‘Evening 4’ Ricky Hatton lineup in memory of the legendary Manc boxer announced
Danny Jones
Manchester is set to host a night of remembrance and celebration in honour of the late, great, local boxer, Ricky Hatton, and now the first wave of AO Arena’s lineup has dropped.
Coming this summer, the legendary Manchester arena – where Hatton enjoyed so many of his iconic moments – will be holding the first-ever ‘Evening4Ricky’ later this year.
Held at the legendary sports and live entertainment venue just in time for summer, we still only know bits and pieces about what’s in store, but a whole host of famous Manc names and figures from the world of sport have now been announced.
One thing’s for sure, this will be special.
TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR “AN EVENING4RICKY” – A SPECTACULAR CELEBRATION OF RICKY HATTON’S LIFE AND LEGACY
“I’m a Mancunian born and bred and I feel no different to the crowd” – Ricky Hatton
Sharing the news on social media, AO Arena said: “Join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment as Manchester comes together for Evening4Ricky.
“This will be a spectacular, unique celebration of the life, spirit and legacy of one of the city’s most beloved icons – Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.”
With seats priced at £25, fans are being encouraged to join the early bird sign-up to secure access to discounted tickets.
As you can see, now confirmed for the evening are the likes of Man United legend, Paul Scholes, darts icon Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, as well as fellow former boxers like Frank Bruno, Tony Bellew and more.
Local band The K’s have also been named as part of the in-person performances, with more live music and entertainment set to be revealed in the coming weeks.
They go on to add: “Hosted at the legendary AO Arena, home to so many of Ricky’s big fights, featuring a superstar cast of legends from the worlds of boxing, music, comedy and entertainment.”
So, we do at least know there’ll be some famous faces coming along to help make it a memorable Manc moment, just a few months on from the city and beyond uniting for his public funeral procession.
Ricky was beloved not only by the Greater Manchester community but was a popular figure and friend to many in the sporting and showbiz industries.
The homegrown ‘Pride of Hyde‘ tragically left us on 14 September 2025 at the age of just 46, but his passing has once again helped reassert the importance of having more conversations around wellbeing, suicide prevention, and most specifically, men’s mental health.
You can find more information and see how to grab tickets right HERE.
This isn’t the only charitable in memoriam event happening across the region in the coming weeks, either, as Mancs will be gathering to pay tribute to another fellow inspiring sportsman.
Rick Astley at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Pop hitmaker Rick Astley is playing a few UK shows and is treating Manchester to a night of live music as part of The Reflection Tour.
Newton-le-Willows-born singer Rick Astley has achieved worldwide success, most notably with his work in the 80s alongside songwriting and production duo Stock-Aitken and Waterman.
Astley’s album Whenever You Need Somebody has amassed 15 million sales across the globe and is a pivotal record that many would use to define 80s music.
On this LP is his huge hit ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, a.k.a. the famous ‘Rickrolling’ tune, but he’s gone to have a real renaissance in recent years, smashing Glastonbury, playing beloved covers with Blossoms, and so much more since turning 50 – case in point: playing Co-op Live for a SECOND time.
With that in mind, here’s all you need to know…
Gig guide | Rick Astley at Co-op Live, Manchester – all the info
Rick Astley brings his ‘The Reflection Tour’ to Manchester (Credit: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons)
Rick Astley UK tour dates 2026
We’ve kindly highlighted other shows in the North for you:
Fri 10 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Sat 11 April – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 13 April – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena
Tue 14 April – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Thu 16 April – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Fri 17 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 18 April – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Mon 20 April – Bournemouth, UK – Bournemouth International Centre
Tue 21 April – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Wed 22 April – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Fri 24 April – Birmingham, UK – BP Pulse Live
Sat 25 April – London, UK – The O2
Fri 5 June – Scarborough, UK – Scarborough Open Air Theatre
Fri 19 June – Newport, UK – Isle of Wight Festival
Wed 24 June – Llangollen, UK – Llangollen Pavilion
Thu 25 June – Lincoln, UK – Lincoln Castle
Sat 27 June – Gloucester, UK – Westonbirt Arboretum
Fri 24 July – Ludlow, UK – Ludlow Castle
Sat 25 July – Sheffield, UK – Tramlines
Sat 30 August – Silverstone, UK – Carfest
Are there any tickets left for Rick Astley in Manchester?
No need to ‘Cry For Help’, there’s plenty of tickets for Rick Astley’s Manchester show at Co-op Live, and you can grab yours HERE.
It’s been ‘Driving Me Crazy’ waiting for the right opportunity to do a little Rickrolling of my own – the actual tickets can be found HERE.
Rick Astley setlist for ‘Reflections’ tour
This year will mark Rick Astley’s first official headline tour since 2024, meaning a full setlist is yet to be confirmed.
Here is a setlist from 2024 when the 80s performer played a series of festival sets:
Stage times for Rick Astley and support act for Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Rick Astley’s The Reflection Tourare set to open from 6:30pm, with no official starting time listed as of yet.
Support for this show comes in the form of another celebrated UK performer who achieved prominence in the decade after Astley: Gabrielle.
This R&B-pop singer is recognised for her 1993 hit ‘Dreams’ and is known for soundtracking the 90s and noughties with multiple chart entries throughout the decades.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2020 
