We’re now well into May – and our next opportunity for freedom is just a week away.
With ‘Step Two’ in the government’s roadmap to lifting England’s current national lockdown having already commenced from 12th April, and ‘Step Three’ – which crucially allows up to 30 people from different households to gather outdoors, hospitality to open indoors, indoor entertainment venues to reopen, indoor group sports / exercise classes to commence and more – set to be introduced from 17th May, pending official review, normality has been returning to Greater Manchester week on week.
And there’s plenty to be getting up to.
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 in order to keep you as safe as possible.
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Whatever you fancy doing though, there’s certainly no shortage of choice in our region, so here’s some of the things you can get stuck into.
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World of Music Choir
Band On The Wall (Virtual)
Tuesday 11th May
World of Music Choir
Think you’ve got a good singing voice? Love to sing regardless?
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Organised in Greater Manchester by the city’s iconic music venue, Band On The Wall, but happening every Tuesday at 6pm virtually all across the UK, World of Music Choir invites you to join award-winning folk singer Bella Hardy and the fantastic guest leaders for a workshop of song learning and harmony.
Workshop participants sing traditional and modern songs, three-part harmonies and rounds, all learned by ear, so you don’t have to be able to read music to take part.
The main aim is to enjoy yourself – there’s nothing scary, and no judgements are made.
Now that doors have finally reopened at Oxford Road’s award-winning food, drink and retail destination, Hatch, a brand new series of 60-minute, socially-distanced outdoor (but undercover) social yoga classes have been introduced, which are accompanied by the disco beats of live DJ, Hattie Pearson.
Absolutely everybody is welcome, whether you’ve practiced yoga before or whether you’re mostly coming for the music.
RESET is a studio where everyone has a place, whatever your motivation.
The first ever Chase The Sun 5k, 10k & 10 Mile runs are set to take place in Heaton Park this Wednesday 12th May, giving runners the chance to battle to the finish line before the sun goes down with each kilometre accurately marked out.
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You can play it safe and fly round the 5k, or go for the extra challenge of the 10k or 10 Mile.
There’ll be music, refreshments, a fantastic Heaton Park-themed medal, and a great opportunity for a chip-timed personal best.
Prices range from £22 – £24, and you can register here.
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BRUTAL Exhibition
The Saul Hay Gallery
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Saturday 15th – Sunday 30th May
BRUTAL / The Saul Hay Gallery
BRUTAL – the highly-anticipated exhibition of painting and sculpture reflecting on, celebrating and inspired by the built environment, which has sadly been delayed due to ongoing COVID restrictions – is finally set to open at the Saul Hay Gallery in Castlefield from Saturday 15th May until Sunday 30th May.
The free exhibition will include the works of some of the nation’s best artists specialising in Brutalism – including Mandy Payne, Emma Bennett, William Braithwaite, Dan Broughton and Jen Orpin.
You can find more information via the Saul Hay Gallery website here.
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Creative Makers Fair
Victoria Baths
Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th May
Victoria Baths
To celebrate the reopening of one of the city’s most iconic and historic venues, the Grade II-listed Victoria Baths will be hosting a Creative Makers Fair designed specifically to give some much-needed support to independent makers and businesses after a challenging 12 months and as lockdown begins to lift.
Ideas for the home, textiles, art, gifts and jewellery will be just some of the products being showcased by businesses from the North West.
You can find more information, COVID-safety procedures, and book tickets here.
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Manchester Cheese Crawl
Central Manchester
Saturday 15th May
Geograph / Ian S | Northern Soul Grilled Cheese
The Manchester Cheese Crawl will take you around some of the cheesiest spots the city has to offer for two hours of non-stop cheese-related fun, including everything from blue cheese tasting, to cheese quizzes, competitions and more.
Starting off in St Ann’s Square, the tour wanders across the city and gives you the chance to try the finest cheeses Manchester has to offer along the way.
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With tours taking place this Saturday 8th May, and happening every Saturday until 25th September, tickets cost just £25 each and include cheese samples, optional bread and crackers, and some red wine to complement.
Nestled among the backstreets of Manchester and tucked into the courtyard of an old, red-brick historic mill, Ancoats Pop Up Market is a COVID-safe 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, all throughout May.
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.
Manchester’s newest event space is back and it’s better than ever.
Cinemas and entertainment complexes may currently still be closed, but reopening is on the horizon.
If you’re far too eager to wait until mid-May though, Park N Party – the team that delivered both the sell-out successes of ScareCity and ChristmasCity, and a number of other outdoor live events throughout 2020 – has launched SecretCity, and there’s a whole host of immersive drive-in entertainment events happening this week.
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There’s screenings of cinema classics such as Mean Girls, Grease, The Greatest Showman, Dirty Dancing, 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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Totally Roarsome
Mottram Hall
Monday 10th – Sunday 16th May
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Totally Roarsome
Named by many as being one of the safest attractions for all the family in Greater Manchester, Totally Roarsome took the region by storm last summer after it opened to the public following the initial lifting of coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown restrictions in mid-2020, with visitors flocking from far and wide.
Now at the new location of Mottram Hall, just over the border into Cheshire, Totally Roarsome features everything from dinosaurs, jungle animals and Arctic creatures, to superheroes, pirates and cartoon characters.
Tickets are priced at £7.95 per ticket (+ £1.50 booking fee, per transaction), and must be booked in advance online from the Totally Roarsome Facebook page.
This is to manage and restrict the number of visitors / families being allowed around the attraction at any one at a time, with five minutes between slots, to allow for necessary COVID-safety precautions and social distancing measures to be upheld.
You can find out more information, and book your tickets here.
The OT Art Trail – which has been organised by OT Creative Space and is funded by Arts Council England – sees a number of local artists work together with members of the Manchester community to create six individual large scale murals which have been painted onto walls and building gable ends around the area, including in Seymour Park and Ayres Road.
The new murals have added to murals and artwork already seen around Old Trafford.
The several new street art sites will be linked together via a downloadable audio tour, which is suitable for people of all ages.
Each mural centres around the theme ‘community togetherness and diversity’.
You can find more information on The OT Art Trail via the OT creative SPACE website here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons / Matt Short
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 28 April – 4 May 2025
Daisy Jackson
Manchester is set for a week of utterly glorious sunshine as we head into May, so most of us will be wanting to escape our houses and get out and about over the coming week.
As always, there’s plenty happening around town to keep you busy, from family-friendly museum events to full-blown 10-hour-long raves.
This week will also see the return of the much-loved Sounds From The Other City festival in Salford, and more dates for two huge musicals that are in town.
There are some very fancy new openings to check out with your spare time too.
Have a look at our guide to the best things to do in Manchester this week below.
Sensory-friendly day at Museum of Illusions
58-66 Market Street, M1 1PW
Tuesday 29 April
There are loads of interactive exhibitions. Credit: The Manc Group
The mind-bending new attraction to Manchester, the Museum of Illusions, is going to be holding a full day sensory-friendly session this week dedicated to neurodivergent guests.
This will involve dimmed lights, lower sound levels and even complimentary sensory kits which include ear defenders and fidget toys.
There are more than 50 interactive exhibits to explore, from gravity-defying rooms to optical illusions, and with this new event to mark World Autism Month it’s become accessible to more people than ever.
Sounds From The Other City
Across Salford
Sunday 4 May
Always a highlight of Greater Manchester’s music calendar, Sounds From The Other City is a multi-venue festival that’s celebrating its 20th edition this year.
The festival lineup once again champions the best emerging artists and genres from across the UK, features Du Blonde, Gwenno, Grove, Astrid Sonne, Big Joanie, The Orielles, Tristwch Y Fenywod, and over 100 more acts.
As the grassroots music sector faces increasing challenges, SFTOC stands as one of the UK’s longest running independent festivals.
Ready to try something new this weekend? Whether it’s space travel, flying on a magic carpet or joining Alice in Wonderland, there’s a new VR experience at Trafford Palazzo bringing you whole new worlds through the power of XR – ‘extended reality’.
Immersia XR has brought walking theatre to life, an interactive experience that lets you step beyond reality.
And when you’re done, you can grab a milkshake, iced tea or matcha from the lovely @ai.tea.drinks and join the Mad Hatter’s tea party.
The brilliant Red Light cocktail bar, tucked down the cobbled streets of Kampus in the city centre, is bringing back its legendary quiz night this week.
The Quizzer Sisters brings a nice dose of midweek mayhem to town, with hosts Shanika Sunrise & Caoilí Crothers.
Entry is just £2 and classic cocktails are being served up for just £7 – and there’s a £50 bar tab for the winners.
Opening to the public this week for the first time is The Cut & Craft, a lavish new steak and seafood restaurant.
Here you’ll find seriously grand interiors including chandeliers and a ‘gossip room’, and a wine and champagne list as long as your arm.
There’s also a bottomless champagne brunch taking place over the upcoming bank holiday weekend – you can book your spot HERE.
Torvill & Dean
AO Arena
2-4 May
Torvill & Dean have announced a show in Manchester on their farewell tour
The legendary Torvill & Dean will be skating into Manchester on their final-ever tour this year, performing at the AO Arena as part of their ‘Torvill & Dean: Our Last Dance’ farewell tour – a poignant moment, as the duo were the arena’s first ever show back in 1995.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are record-breaking figure skaters, perhaps best-known for their gold medal winning performance at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics 1984.
Although the pair will continue to work together off the ice – they are the head judges on ITV’s Dancing on Ice – their 2025 tour marks the end of their 50-year skating partnership.
An event that will whisk you back to the glory days of the Madchester era is happening this weekend, bringing all the rave atmosphere of the 90s to 2025.
This event is going big or going home with a runtime of 10 hours, with four different ‘arenas’ at this rave all catering to different soundscapes of the 90s rave scene, from hardcore to classic DnB.
A Knight’s Tale has been turned into a comedy musical.
A Knight’s Tale may be one of Chaucer’s most well-known Canterbury Tales, but for most of us, we tend to be more familiar with Brian Helgeland’s iconic 2001 medieval action comedy film of the same name instead, which of course starred the late great Heath Ledger, alongside Paul Bettany, Rufus Sewell, Mark Addy, and more.
And its the latter that has now been reimagined for the modern day and turned into a brand-new comedy stage musical that’s charging into Manchester this month.
Mary Poppins / Credit: ATG Tickets | Daniel Boud (via Unsplash)
Mary Poppins is now back on stage in Manchester as part of its UK tour.
Two decades after the world premiere in Bristol, and subsequent record-breaking run of productions around the world ever since, one of the best-loved musicals of all time has flown back into our city and landed on the iconic Palace Theatre stage.
Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, the story of the world’s favourite nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is even more magical than ever before, featuring dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs.
Australian stars, Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers, are both reprising their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert.
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”.
Travel warning issued as Manchester braces for busiest day of the year so far
Daisy Jackson
A ‘plan ahead’ travel warning has been issued for this weekend as the Manchester Marathon brings the busiest day of the year so far on the tram network.
Tens of thousands of people will hit the streets to take part in the race itself, with thousands more cheering them on from the sidelines.
This year’s Manchester Marathon route takes 36,000 runners through Sale, Stretford and Timperley before finishing up at a new finish line on Oxford Road – and there’ll be some big changes to your usual travel routes to accommodate this.
TfGM has said that Bee Network trams will be very busy before, during and after the 26.2 mile race, especially in Manchester and Trafford, with a number of road closures in place too.
Taking place on Sunday 27 April, the Manchester Marathon will coincide with Manchester’s popular St George’s Day parade which starts and ends across town around Oldham Road and Great Ancoats Street.
People are being encouraged to plan their journeys carefully this weekend, as it’s expected to be the busiest day of the year on the Bee Network trams.
The Manchester Marathon last year set a new personal best for the tram network, with 175,000 tram journeys racked up – the highest ever recorded on a single Sunday.
Trams will be the best choice to get around the Manchester Marathon course with key stops along the route including Sale, Timperley and Chorlton.
Many road closures will also be in place but at different times of day, so make sure you check HERE for the latest.
This will impact bus services, which will be on diversion from 8am until the end of service on Sunday, with traffic and congestion expected on surrounding roads.
Runners heading to the start line will only be able to access the athletes’ village from Old Trafford and Trafford Bar tram stops up until 9am. Participants arriving after 9am should get off at Wharfside or Exchange Quay instead.
Metrolink is promising to deploy as many double trams as possible across the network, with additional services between Piccadilly and Timperley.
As for other modes of transport, those who wish to drive should make us of Park and Ride facilities where possible; and those on the train should note that Salford Central remains closed with bus replacements in place.
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Director at TfGM said: “The Manchester Marathon is a highlight of the Manchester city centre calendar and our job is to make sure everyone can get to and from the event as smoothly as possible.
“We want everyone to have a great day – whether they are taking on the run themselves or cheering on a friend or loved one – and would urge people to plan their journey in advance, leave plenty of time and check the Bee Network app or website for the most up-to-date information.
“The start and finish lines will be especially busy so if you are coming to watch you may be better off catching the tram to Sale, Timperley or Chorlton, grabbing a coffee and claiming afront row seat to cheer runners on.
“Using public transport is the best way to avoid congestion and delays – and with Tap and Go contactless payments it’s never been easier or more seamless to get around Greater Manchester by bus and tram.”
Passengers can now travel seamlessly between bus and tram and pay for their journey by tapping on when boarding a bus without the need for a ticket, making it the quickest and easiest way to pay for travel.
People travelling on Bee Network buses on Marathon Day can simply tap in and pay £5 for the day on as many buses as they need and just £4.90 on the tram. You can use all Bee Network buses as much as you want all day from just £5.40*.
Kirsty Wilde, Operations Director, from Manchester Marathon organisers A.S.O. UK, said: “The TfGM tram service is an invaluable part of our event, which allows thousands of participants and supporters to navigate around the city. With a record-breaking 36,000 participants set to take part on Sunday 27th April – and more exciting activities taking place over the weekend as a whole – we’re anticipating a rise in tram journeys, which will subsequently bring economic benefits to local vendors, the hospitality sector, and retail businesses.
“We’d like to thank Transport for Greater Manchester for its continued hard work helping to facilitate what will be the largest event yet, and would also like to say a big thank you to the residents and businesses across Greater Manchester for their understanding and support.”
Emily Sergeant -
6th May 2021 
