England is once again on the verge of football greatness with the Lionesses storming through to the finals of the Women’s Euros.
We’ll be facing Germany at Wembley Stadium on Sunday after England defeated Sweden 4-0 in the semi-finals.
As with all great sporting events, the best place to soak up the atmosphere (without forking out for a ticket to the actual game) is going to be in one of Manchester’s many brilliant pubs.
Plenty of venues across the city centre will be wheeling out the bunting and the big screens for the occasion.
We’ve picked out some of the best and the biggest places to watch the Women’s Euro final.
The massive expanse of decking from the Christmas Markets has now been reimagined as a fan-zone for the Women’s Euros.
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Ahead of the big final, Manchester City Council is adding in a second screen and doubling the crowd capacity, with people admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Box
Manchester’s new-ish giant sports bar Box is, of course, screening the final this Sunday.
The huge venue has screens all over the place, so you’ll never be far from the action if you pick the Deansgate bar to watch the Women’s Euro final.
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Escape to Freight Island
The massive screen at Escape to Freight Island will be taken over by the footie this weekend.
The huge street food venue near Piccadilly will show the match at the Platform space, with free tables available to book here.
Electrik Bar, Chorlton
You can watch the Lionesses bring it home over in Chorlton at beloved neighbourhood spot Electrik Bar.
The space is headed up by the Unabombers, aka Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford and will serve up Four Side Vegan Pizza, beers and ales, and cocktails alongside all the action.
Pen & Pencil
The Northern Quarter’s Pen & Pencil is going to have the Women’s Euros final on its big screen too.
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Perfect if you fancy sipping cocktails instead of pints while you watch the footie (though there are PLENTY of pints on offer too.
The Brotherhood
The Brotherhood will screen the Women’s Euro final. Credit: The Manc Group
The Brotherhood is rebranding itself as The Sisterhood this summer in its commitment to celebrate women’s sport.
The sports bar, which is female-owned, will be screening the game right through its bars in Manchester and Leeds.
Common
Nell’s at Kampus has been one of our go-tos for the Women’s Euro games up to now, but it’s closed this Sunday for a private event – so it’s over to their sister site at Common we go!
Kick off is at 5pm in the Kestrel Suite. You can book, but walk ups will be available too.
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Grub
You can watch the Women’s Euro final at Grub’s in-house cinema.
The lovely people at Grub will be handing their cinema space over to football fans this weekend.
You can watch England vs Germany next to a fully-stocked bar, with ace street food downstairs.
Featured image: Arc Inspirations / England Football
What's On
The shop where people queue OVERNIGHT for viral toys is coming to Trafford Centre
Thomas Melia
There’s a viral shop in Manchester where people queue for hours to get their hands on viral toys, and it’s now making its way to the Trafford Centre.
After already taking Manchester by storm when it initially opened back in March this year, viral toy shop Pop Mart now has its sights set on another new spot in one of the North West’s most iconic and popular shopping malls.
Known for stocking all the latest viral collectable crazes, Pop Mart is set to open its second Manchester site at none other than the Trafford Centre (TC) and will definitely bring in the same queues as its Market Street predecessor.
The Chinese toy and collectable shop has become in high demand for stocking just one certain toy character: Labubu
This cheeky toy character is quite a marmite topic for some, with many finding the plush toys to be cute and cuddly, while others deem Labubu ‘monsters’ to be a bit creepy and off-putting.
Are we pulling from an internal office debate? Maybe…
Regardless, Labubu are widely recognisable around the world, famed for their bunny-like ears and big, wide eyes; soft, shiny fur and, most notably, a large smile with their teeth on display.
It seems everyone is after one of these Labubu character toys, with Mancs making their commute to work through the city centre, startled by the sheer length of the queues at Pop Mart.
There’s a huge amount of Labubu characters to collect.Labubu has blown up online and will now be stocked across two Pop Mart locations across Greater Manchester.Credit: Pop Mart
One social media user even commented, “I went past on the tram at 7.30 this morning and there were half a dozen people in the queue already!”
Trends may come and go, but it seems this latest viral craze is here to stay as it’s now having a second resurgence thanks to lots of celebrity endorsements, including Love Island star Olivia Attwood.
We’re sure the Trafford Centre venue will be just as healthily stocked.
At present, there’s no official opening date for Pop Mart’s Trafford Centre store besides the ‘Coming Soon’ signage outside the shop front, but we’re sure it won’t be too long before you can get your next Labubu fix – we wouldn’t be surprised to see even more Greater Manchester locations follow.
Popular outdoor dining event returns to MediaCity waterfront this summer
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s popular outdoor dining concept is back again this summer, and there’s a proper tasty lineup of traders.
Kargo on the Docks, which is 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.
Loads of local indie food vendors have taken over the Salford Quays waterfront for the summer / Credit: Supplied
Afro Shack – the sister brand to Kargo.MKT favourite House of Habesha – will be serving fusion food combining East African flavours with indulgent American fast food, while new kids on the block Wok Bros will deliver sizzling, wok-tossed Pan-Asian street food and 100% halal dishes inspired by authentic flavours and fresh ingredients.
Iconic Jamaican dishes will also be on offer from Sunrise Caribbean, while Quiero Tacos will bring slow-cooked Birria tacos, cheesy quesadillas, and vibrant rice bowls packed with the spirit of Mexico.
Last but not least, Mediterranean food lovers can expect juicy lamb koftas, golden halloumi, and richly spiced chicken shawarma from Habibs.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours / Credit: Mark Waugh (via Supplied)
As well as the tasty food on offer, as mentioned, Kargo on the Docks also features a range of artwork and installations from local independent talent – with each container adorned with murals from creatives including Fernandes Makes, Kelly Ma, and Caroline Daly, bringing a feel-good summer vibe to the MediaCity Gardens.
Visitors can also enjoy an art trail display through the gardens, featuring structures designed by, A Studio Called Jane, Luke Passey, and Tasha Whittle.
There will also be a range of pop-up events hosted at the venue throughout the summer, with more announcements to be made very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Daisy Jackson -
29th July 2022 
