Staying in Manchester for the summer? Great choice! We’ve rounded up the best of what’s happening right on your doorstep for you to enjoy. So, if you’re looking for an adventure closer to home, then look no further.
Festival season is here!
For festivals in June, check out our What’s on in June blog
Music Festivals
Bluedot Festival, Jodrell Bank, 20-23 July
Hosted at Jodrell Bank, Bluedot Festival is sure to get you inspired! Spanning music, science and much more there’s something for everyone to enjoy. From the whole weekend to popping in for the day, take a look and discover more.
Sounds of the City, Castlefield Bowl, 29 June – 8 July
Sounds of the City is a concert series bringing some of rock, indie and pop’s most prominent names to Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl, an outdoor amphitheatre style venue in Manchester’s city centre.
Creamfields festival, Cheshire, 24-27 August
Creamfields has blazed the trail for electronic dance events since the late ’90s. Born in 1998, the original dance festival set out to provide the clubbing world with a bespoke large-scale outdoor event putting DJs centre stage for the first time.
Moovin Festival, Stockport, 25th – 27th August
Big names, booming basslines, boutique festival in a bull field…it can only mean one thing… Moovin Festival is back for 2023 and promises to get you dancing to a music lover’s mix of bass, funk, soul, reggae, house and d&b until the cows come home.
Food/Culture Festivals
GRUB Carnival Travelling Food Festival – Monthly in the summer
GRUB CARNIVAL is a new travelling food festival which will bring together the very best of GRUB’s top street food traders accompanied by pop up brewery bars, smashing take home produce stalls and a stacked stage of entertainment.
Summer Beer Thing, Krampus, 30th June – 2nd July
Summer Beer Thing is back at Kampus gardens for another 3 day celebration of all that is seasonal in the world of beer and beyond. 2023 promises to be even more adventurous and exciting than before, in amongst the plumage and greenery of Manchester’s best beer garden.
PlannerFest, Manchester Central, 1 July
If you are obsessed with planning, stationery or journalling, PlannerFest is not to be missed – a great opportunity to connect with like-minded planner lovers. PlannerFest celebrates our shared love of planners and stationery, all with a festival vibe. On 1st July three events will take place under one roof: StationeryFest, PlannerFest and JournalFest.
Manchester Craft Beer Festival, The Depot, 21st & 22nd July
What can you expect? Well, banging beers from the best breweries from Manchester and beyond. The Craft Beer Festival will be fixing up a feast with our fair city’s finest independent kitchens and culinary talent and making sure everyone is having a party with a curated line-up of live music. Beyond beer, we’ll have some select friends from across wine, cider and spirits.
Manchester International Festival, Factory International, 29 June – 16 July
A biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, run by Factory International. It is a global destination for arts, music and culture in Manchester.
Magic of Thailand Festival in Manchester, Platt Fields Park, 29 July – 30 July
Treat yourself to a weekend wonder and bring along your families and friends to feel a touch of Thai culture, where you can challenge your taste buds and feast your eyes on world class food and performances. Unwind with a traditional Thai massage and don’t miss the unique eating competition and Muay Thai boxing.
Heaton Park Food and Drink Festival, 12th – 13th August
A family friendly celebration of international influence and local talent, expressed through international food, independent drink, live music, arts and charity. All with a focus on local talent.
Festa Italiana, Manchester city centre, 25th – 27th August
The country’s most exiting and vibrant festival of Italian food, drink and culture. It is a free, weekend-long celebration of all things Italian taking place in Manchester city centre.
Celebrate your community
Fuse presents: A Summer Social, Seesaw, 15 June
Fuse is a global creative platform elevating the voices and work from creatives of colour – aiming to represent diverse individuals within the industry. There’ll be a bar, music, and loads of creatives to meet and chat with. Tickets are free and doors open at 7pm.
The Pink Picnic 2023, Peel Park, June 17
Salford’s annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Non-binary, plus pride celebration. The event takes place in Peel Park, Salford and is organised and delivered by Salford Pride. Their mission is to work to build a stronger, diverse community that celebrated inclusions and equality; where LGBT+ people are represented, thrive and live authentically, in our city and beyond.
Modelling Queer Utopias: a Blueprint for a Future, Islington Mill, 1 – 15 July
Friends and creatives from Islington Mill invite you to explore new ways of living and working together. Go beyond the scenes on a tour of their redeveloped building and encounter the creative practices and processes forming their queer utopia.
Sonics, Stories and Scenes of the Diaspora, Factory International, 1 July
SEEN Magazine and Manchester Museum shine a spotlight on the sound of the South Asian diaspora. Building on themes featured in the Manchester Museum’s ground-breaking new South Asia Gallery, the event features live performances, DJ sets, screenings and panel discussions.
50 Hours of Freedom, Factory International, 14 July
In celebration of International Non-Binary People’s Day on 14 July, Contact and Manchester International Festival are bringing together three local, non-binary artists to create a new piece of work – and you’re invited to the sharing! This year, Contact celebrates its 50-year anniversary. So, the artists will have 50 hours to make their new piece. During the 50-hour lock-in in the Contact building, our local non-binary trio will be given a brief from award-winning international artist, Danez Smith. They’ll then share this new work with a live audience.
Manchester Pride, 25-28 August
Jam-packed with lots of different events, there’s so many ways to get involved with Manchester Pride. Alongside the Gay Village Party, which you’ll need to buy a ticket for, there’s also lots of community focussed, free events for you to explore too. Including the Parade, Superbia Weekend, Human Rights Forum, Family Pride MCR, Youth Pride MCR and the Candlelit Vigil.
Get outdoors
We’ve got our fingers crossed for great weather this summer so you can explore all that Greater Manchester has to offer! From green spaces right around the corner, like Heaton Park or Fletcher Moss, to those a little further afield, like Sale Water Park or Reddish Vale Country Park, escape the city with some fresh air.
Why not take advantage of the long days and travel a little further afield to the Peak District? From walking to cycling to discovering villages and local history, there’s so much to explore! It’s important to remember to plan ahead before you go, check out this article for tips on how to plan your trip to the countryside safely.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our 100 day-trips to take from Manchester and keep an eye out for our monthly ‘What’s on’ blogs.