Friday 8 March marks International Women’s Day, where we celebrate all the wonderful achievements of women, whilst also examining how we can support women further and fight for true equality. Manchester is often at the forefront of social change as the UK’s ‘second city’, with a rich history of pushing boundaries and supporting those who don’t conform to societal norms, so International Women’s Day is a must for Mancs.
The city was a huge part of the suffragette movement, with Emmeline Pankhurst having called Manchester home, and still upholds those values even now with the likes of the Pankhurst Trust and the People’s History Museum – so it only seems right to celebrate International Women’s Day here in Manchester. We’ve put together a guide of what’s going on and how you can get involved on March 8, on the theme ‘Inspire Inclusion‘.
1. The Pankhurst Centre
Firstly, The Pankhurst Centre has a day jam-packed with inspirational women. They’ll be in-conversation during the afternoon with the creators of the fabulous First In The Fight as they launch their brilliant book about inspirational women who helped to make Manchester the radical city we know and love − so get your questions ready for author and cover designer, Helen Antrobus and Jane Bowyer. Unleash your own creativity in a fun drop-in flag-making workshop during the morning run by one of the book’s illustrators, the Small Fry Collective.
The team will also be joined by the awesome She Choir, who’ll be singing a special lunch-time set of songs by and about amazing women. And, of course, walk in the footsteps of the incredible women who changed history, in the house where the suffragette movement began. Find more information and book free spaces here.
The Pankhurst Centre, 60-62 Nelson St, Manchester, M13 9WP.
2. RHS Garden Bridgewater
Following International Women’s Day on March 8, RHS Garden Bridgewater just outside of Manchester in Worsley, is celebrating women in horticulture. The event will include talks from women who have careers in horticulture, including Becky Searle, Steph Hafferty, Sharon Hockenhull as well as women in the RHS horticultural and curaturial teams. Meet Yaz, a local champion of ginnel gardening and Idle Women – an artist-led community interest company who are creating the first dedicated women’s physic garden in the UK, in Nelson, Lancashire. Spaces on all talks in the marquee are available on a first come, first served basis − you can find times and tickets here.
RHS Garden Bridgewater, Occupation Rd, Worsley, Manchester M28 2LJ.
3. Walk for Women
The annual Walk For Women will be held this Saturday 9 March in Manchester, organised by Manchester City Council. Women, their families and anyone supportive of women’s rights and equality are all welcome to walk the route from behind Manchester Central Library to Manchester Cathedral, to which you can officially sign up or just tag along on the day. Walkers are encouraged to bring anything they can bang and clang to bring as much attention to the walk as possible, as well as water bottles if they aren’t used to walking – no emergencies here!
You can find more information, where to sign up and the walking route here. Walk for Women 2024 will take place on Saturday 9 March from 12pm to 2.30pm.
4. Feel Good City
To mark International Women’s Day on Friday 8 March, Manchester City Women will be holding a special event to celebrate women in sport at Feel Good Club’s cafe in the Northern Quarter. Attendees will be able to hear from Karen Bardsley, former player and Girls Academy Manager, Charlotte O’Neill, Managing Director for Manchester City Women, Heather Leigh, Director of Product at Manchester City and more to be confirmed, on topics including working in football, mental health and the impact sport can have on physical and mental wellbeing.
Tickets cost £5 and all proceeds will go to Manchester City’s official charity, City in the Community, to help support its City Girls Programme, a project that engages female participants with free football training, leadership and mentoring opportunities. Tickets include a drink (beer, prosecco or nosecco) − find tickets here.
Feel Good Club, 26-28 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 2EH.
5. Ember & the Vixens Cabaret
Ember Travixen will be bringing a special spin on her ‘Ember & the Vixens’ cabaret to CULTPLEX at GRUB Manchester to celebrate International Women’s Day, on the day itself (Friday 8 March). This time leaning more into the circus world than ever before, Selina Helliwell’s lavish show will transform the gorgeous cinema room at GRUB into a night of female empowerment.
‘Ember’s International Women’s Day Special’ will feature live music, burlesque, circus and more, and the all-female cast are more than ready to entertain, empower and dazzle. The cabaret is part of Lass Fest, an annual festival at GRUB bursting with events to celebrate amazing women in Manchester and beyond – with an overarching theme of supporting and promoting feminist founders and female-owned businesses. Grab your tickets here.
6. Lass Fest
Speaking of Lass Fest at GRUB, the entire weekend is set to be a celebration for the ages. Expect food, drinks, music, art, shopping, comedy, cabaret, games, film and more celebrating amazing women in Manchester and beyond as the event takes over Fairfield Social Club, Cultplex and GRUB itself from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 March. All week long you’ll also be able to grab grub from local female-owned street food businesses including No Meat No Cry, Desert Island Dumplings, Rio Mex, Tiny Beast Bakes and Munchie Mummy’s. Grab tickets here.
GRUB, 50 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M4 4HF.
7. Female takeover at Brickhouse Social
Friday 8 March will see Brickhouse Social taken over by women – who wouldn’t love that? The special Manchester International Women’s Day Event will celebrate the power of female, with all female DJs and songwriters performing all night between 7pm-2am. From 9pm the main bar will host a giant party with a secret all female line up of the city’s finest DJ’s allowing guests to dance the night away until 2am curated by two of the very best selectors in Manchester, Miriam Vaughan and Beth Donovan.
Guests can also get their hands on classic bar food including piping hot pizza slices, and all proceeds will once again go to the Pankhurst Trust. Entry is free but you should book your spot ahead of time here.
Brickhouse Social, 11-13 New Wakefield St, Manchester, M1 5NP.
8. Stray IWD Menu
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Stray has collated a menu of cocktails showcasing the talent and passion of Manchester’s leading female bartenders, owners and operators. From March 4−10, ten cocktails will feature on the Stray menu, each of which has been created by one of the city’s incredible women leading the way in drinks, including Deana Ferguson (Founder of Red Light), Ava Plottu (Restaurant Manager at Erst) and, of course, Fran Cruse (Founder of Stray). Drop by anytime before March 10 and sample some of the best bits.
Stray, Mackie Mayor, Eagle St, Manchester M4 5BU.
12. Girls Run the Ducie Decks
Celebrate International Women’s Day in style on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 March with Ducie Street Warehouse‘s resident female DJs. We’re talking about Manchester’s finest female DJs dropping and spinning beats, bringing the warehouse down (not literally), with a mix of house, techno, disco and funk, you’ll dance and move into the night with the dazzlin’ disco divas. Both events will run ’til late, with Private Joy spinning on the Friday, and Esme Dee and Latoya take over on the Saturday − entry is free and on a walk-in basis.
Ducie Street Warehouse, Ducie St, Manchester, M1 2TP.
13. Below the Belt screening at Everyman
Join Everyman Altrincham and Holland and Barrett to celebrate International Women’s Day 2024 with exclusive screenings of the groundbreaking film Below the Belt, raising funds for Below the Belt’s Impact Campaign and Wellbeing of Women.
As four patients urgently search for answers to mysterious symptoms, the documentary Below the Belt exposes widespread problems in our healthcare systems that disproportionately affect women. From societal taboos and gender bias to misinformed doctors and financial barriers to care, the film reveals how millions are silenced and how, by fighting back, we can improve healthcare for everyone. Snap up tickets for this powerful film screening on Tuesday 5 March here.
14. EMPOWER: A Celebration of Women in Music & the Arts
The Anthony burgess Foundation will be celebrating women on Saturday 9 March with an inspiring evening, striving to empower and create the change they want to see within the industry. The free, informal drop in event is a safe and inclusive space for everyone to learn, share, and ultimately empower each other to want to make a positive difference to society, through the sharing of music and experiences.
There will feature a series of short musical performances, from string quintet to jazz ensemble to voice with electronics, showcasing of some the finest music written by female composers, alongside premieres of new works by students from the Royal Northern College of Music. At 8pm there will be a panel discussion, including some impressive musical guests, as well as refreshments – all with only the encouragement to donate towards the work of EMPOWER. Book your space for free here.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge St, Manchester, M1 5BY.
15. Red Light
On Thursday 7 March, Red Light, in association with Pernod, is proud to be hosting a spotlight event ahead of International Women’s Day to celebrate female, queer bartenders in Manchester from some of the city’s highest acclaimed cocktail bars, from 8pm to midnight.
Guest bartenders include Sexy Fish’s Assistant Bar Manager and host of Bartending Instagram series ‘The Pump Room’, Cressida Lawlor, highly experienced Lucia Porcellato, who is a bartender at the multi-award winning Hawksmoor, and Gracie Goggins, competitive mixologist and resident bartender at Project Halcyon Distillery. Book here to avoid disappointment on the night.
Red Light, 4-2 Little David St, Manchester M1 3GL.
16. Stories of Women, Work and Uncertain Futures Exhibition
To coincide with International Women’s Day, Manchester Art Gallery is opening the third concluding exhibition of Uncertain Futures, an immense five years collaborative work combining art, research and activism. Stories of Women, Work and Uncertain Futures explores paid and unpaid work by women over 50, focusing on gender, age, race, disability, class and migration. Created by women from Manchester’s diverse communities with the US artist Suzanne Lacy, a pioneer of social practice art and community organising, it aims to create civic change and affect social policy. Visit the exhibition for free from March 8 until January 2025.
Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley St, Manchester M2 3JL.