There’s just days to go until Manchester will be filled with beautiful blooms as The Manchester Flower Show makes its return.
The huge event coincides with the Jubilee celebrations and the four-day bank holiday weekend.
This year, the popular flower displays will include a Jubilee Trail to celebrate the Queen’s 70-year reign.
10 specially-created, Royal-inspired installations will appear around town thanks to The Manchester Flower Show, brought to the city by Manchester BID.
The full map of the Jubilee Trail is below, so you can walk your way through all the photo opportunities and beautiful displays.
Beyond the official trail, shop windows, squares and statues will also be given botanical makeovers.
The Manchester Flower Show will take place between 2 and 5 June – you can find out more at themanchesterflowershow.com.
The 10 Jubilee Trail displays to look out for at The Manchester Flower Show
The Crown
This huge planter will be filled with a mix of tropical palms and jewel-like English flowers.
You’ll find the crown-shaped structure in the Arndale outside Next, designed by Decordia.
Changing of the Guard
This new display will transport you to London without leaving St Ann’s Square.
FROG Flowers will install a display near Watches of Switzerland that will feature a Buckingham Palace guard’s hut, Trafalgar Square lions, and a very British show of red, white and blue flowers.
Queen Bee
One of the bee sculptures from the Wild in Art Bee in the City art trail has been upcycled and covered in artificial flowers for The Manchester Flower Show.
A real flower crown on the bee’s head has been designed by local florist Frog Flowers. You’ll find it upstairs in the Arndale, near Wilko.
The Crown Jewels
A throne surrounded by fresh and dried flowers – including delphiniums, roses, peonies, hydrangeas, alliums and agapanthus – will appear at the Royal Exchange.
If you snap a photo with it, tagging @verdurefloraldesign and @royalexchangemanchester (make sure you’re following both accounts), you could win a £100 voucher to spend with Verdure Floral Design.
Queen of Pop
Heading outside the Arndale now to New Cathedral Street, which will be taken back to the 1960s for a real taste of flower power.
Step through the Pop Art arch to find planters and wheelbarrows overflowing with blooms, inspired by Andy Warhol’s portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.
Horse Play
The Queen’s passion for horses will be celebrated with another display, this time a horse made of twisted willow leaping over a gate.
Artist Sarah Hayes will also create flower-filled drinking troughs at its base – you can see it at the Cross Street End of King Street.
The Ju-bee-lee Garden
Purple is the colour of the Jubilee, but it’s also the colour that attracts bees.
So the Ju-bee-lee Garden will be filled with purple lupins, delphiniums, lavender, salvias and verbena to draw in our buzzing pals to the site on Upper King Street.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Urban Garden
St Ann’s Square will host a centrepiece of The Manchester Flower Show – an urban garden that’s both very now, and also very old.
With seven aged oak posts (one for each decade the Queen has been on the throne), cottage garden flowers, and three native trees, this garden invites you to explore its dappled shade and pretty colours.
The Jubilee Kiosk
Making a return this year will be The Manchester Flower Show’s red telephone box, which explodes with beautiful blooms.
It’s a perfect photo opportunity down on King Street, near Deansgate.
The Commonwealth Tuk-Tuk
As a nod to the Commonwealth, a tuk-tuk nicknamed Queenie will be adorned with blue and purple flowers, grown just across the border in Cheshire.
It will appear on New Cathedral Street, near the entrance to M&S and Selfridges.
Featured image: Manchester BID
Manchester
Major Co-op Live concert cancelled with fans already inside venue
Daisy Jackson
Major Co-op Live gig Jeff Lynne’s ELO has been cancelled this evening – after fans had already entered the venue.
Jeff Lynne’s ELO were set to perform the second of two nights at the huge Manchester venue tonight, as part of their final UK tour.
The Over and Out Tour should have been taking place on both the 9 and 10 July before heading to London’s BST Hyde Park Festival on Sunday.
But the show has been cancelled minutes before the legendary band were due to take to the stage.
Fans had already taken their seats inside the massive Co-op Live Arena when the news broke that the gig would not be able to take place ‘due to illness’.
77-year-old Jeff Lynne himself, who recently broke his hand in an accident, is said to be ‘devastated’ that he is unable to perform.
Jeff Lynne’s ELO has been cancelled at Co-op Live
A statement from the band said: “Unfortunately due to illness tonight’s (Thursday 10th July 2025) scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne’s ELO at the Co-Op Live will not be going ahead.
“Jeff is devastated he cannot perform this evening.
“More information will become available as soon as possible. For refunds please go to your point of purchase.”
According to fans, audiences inside Co-op Live were told the show was cancelled with just 45 minutes to go.
One person wrote: “The concert that never was. Cancelled with 45mins to go. Get well soon Jeff Lynne.”
Literally mins after this picture was taken Jeff Lynn cancelled 😞 @JeffLynnesELO Broke his hand a few days ago and has played the best he can and well done to you ! But then decides to cancel 2nd night n Manchester very last minute ! But it’s ok just ask for a refund !!! 😡 pic.twitter.com/wv1JfWPwk5
Andy Burnham reveals plans to build underground tram and train line in Manchester by 2050
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has announced some ambitious long-term plans to build an underground tram and train line in Manchester.
As Greater Manchester sets its sights on a new era of economic growth, on the way to becoming a ‘second city’ to rival any other on the planet by 2050, Mayor Andy Burnham shared the city region’s blueprint for a ‘greener, fairer future’ this week – with underground transport plans being right the heart of it.
Mr Burnham says his vision for the next decade is to create a ‘thriving’ city region where everyone can ‘live a good life’.
Andy Burnham reveals plans to build an underground tram and train line in Manchester / Credit: TfGM
But it’s public transport where it seems some of the most significant changes are set to be made before 2050 arrives.
The Mayor revealed plans for new bus routes, tramlines, and train stations to connect ‘thriving communities’ across the city region with an integrated lower-cost transport system that’ll help more people get out and access new opportunities.
Construction of a tram stop to service new homes at Victoria North will also start by 2028, it has been confirmed, while work to bring Metrolink to Stockport – which has already been announced to huge support – will begin by 2030.
Two commuter rail lines will join the Bee Network next December as well, with another six joining by 2028.
GM is growing fast.
We will expand @BeeNetwork over the next decade to meet the needs of our bigger economy.
BUT
There’s a limit to what we can do on a congested surface.
It’s why I am asking TfGM to start planning for an underground for GM around a remodelled Piccadilly. pic.twitter.com/k2ozNWw6Wj
The headline-grabbing announcement, though, has to be that Mr Burnham has also announced plans to unlock ‘transformative’ investment in transport infrastructure, so that by 2050, Manchester Piccadilly has an underground tram and train station with a high-speed rail link to Liverpool.
He’s also looking to boost regeneration of the surrounding area, effectively making it ‘the Kings Cross of the North’.
“We’re the UK’s fastest growing economy and stand on the cusp of what I believe could be our best decade since the Victorian era,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham, “and our task for the next decade is to build a platform for success for all our residents.
“Our vision is ambitious, but in my eight years as Mayor, I’ve learned that, when we pull together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
“There’s a long and proud tradition of collaboration in Greater Manchester. Devolution has turbocharged that and now we’re ready to deliver a new model of growth where no one is left behind.”
Daisy Jackson -
30th May 2022 
