The end of summer is nigh, and we’re so ready to make the most of it before it disappears for another year. From fun festivals to brand new experiences, we’ve rounded up the very best things to do in Manchester this September. Without further ado…
1. Head to The Lowry for everyone’s favourite murder mystery Murder on the Orient Express
Following a sell-out tour of the best-selling crime novel of all time, And Then There Were None, Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of another Agatha Christie classic takes to the stage this year. Murder on the Orient Express will run at The Lowry from September 6 to 14, kicking off the mysterious UK and Ireland tour. Winter 1934 and an avalanche stops the Orient Express dead in its tracks. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed eight times, his door locked from the inside. Trapped in the snow with a killer still on board, can the world’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, crack the case before the train reaches its final destination?
2. Unwind at Manchester’s utterly relaxing candlelit sound bath experience
At the Mindful Glow candlelit sound bath experience, you and your inner peace take centre stage. Following a successful debut, the tranquil, meditation-style sessions have returned by popular demand bringing hundreds of candles and a whole lot of zen to Manchester. This candlelit sound bath will illuminate The Life Centre on Deansgate to let natural elements encourage a state of relaxation within you get ready to find true bliss.
3. Gorge on clucking good chicken at the world’s largest wing festival
The world’s largest chicken wing festival, Wing Fest is returning to the city once more, but at a new location, to pay homage to one of the top poultry dishes. Taking place on September 20, 21 and 22 at Victoria Baths for the very first time, the venue will be transformed into a poultry eating, music thumping, axe throwing, beer and bourbon drinking space of epic proportion. Manchester Wing Fest will showcase a range of restaurants, street food traders and pop-ups, who will display their culinary talents and compete against each other over a whopping 100,000 drums and flats to decide who really makes the best wings in the UK.
4. Let your hair down at the Buff Bingo bottomless brunch
Buff Bingo is back in town, with plenty of fun antics in store this September. Bringing four whole hours of live entertainment, guests can expect 1.5 hours of bottomless bubbles, tasty brunch dishes, hilarious drag performances, live DJs and, of course, butlers in the buff. It’s the perfect way to get together with friends, and naturally, tickets are selling pretty quick.
5. Roll on the floor laughing at this hilarious comedy festival at Castlefield Bowl
Comedy fans rejoice, because a hilarious festival is returning to Manchester – and the line-up is absolutely stellar. A welcome addition to the Manchester festival scene (which is currently dominated by food and music), Laughterama is set to bring some of the UK’s top talent to one place – many of which you’ll likely recognise from Netflix comedy specials and hit shows such as Taskmaster.
6. Watch the hit musical The Book of Mormon at Manchester’s Palace Theatre
Broadway’s smash-hit musical, The Book of Mormon, will be returning to the Manchester Palace Theatre this September. The Book of Mormon follows a pair of Mormon boys sent on a mission to Uganda, to spread ‘the word’ – a long way from their home in Salt Lake City. The resulting story is hilarious and jam-packed with catchy, witty songs, and has been celebrated the world over for its ingenuity and contribution to musical theatre.
7. Tuck into an unlimited Sunday roast at Manchester’s first city centre carvery
Giving our Toby a run for his money, food, drink and entertainment hub Freight Island is bringing back ‘Seconds’ – a carvery where guests can tuck into the ultimate Sunday roast with unlimited access to all the trimmings. That’s right, you can go back for seconds and fill your boots. This September, guests can order with the chef directly as they carve the mighty mains as well as be free to help themselves with an unlimited access of all the trimmings.
8. Celebrate Oktoberfest at at this beer-fuelled festival at Albert’s Schloss
9. Spring into September with a Candlelight tribute performance of Sleeping Beauty
Make your September magical at this captivating Candlelight tribute performance in Manchester inspired by Tchaikovsky’s classic, Sleeping Beauty. A band from the Bloomsbury Music Group is set to reacquaint audiences with some of the ballet’s most soul-stirring pieces. Fall under the spell of this famous fairy tale as it comes to life in the light of countless candles.
10. Party the night away as the Warehouse Project returns for 2024
The time has come once again when we gear up for one of the most exciting music events in the country here in Manchester: The Warehouse Project. As we inch towards autumn, an incredible line-up has been revealed for the first shows to grace Depot Mayfield from September, following the Repercussion announcement, and the 2024 season is shaping up to be the best yet. Welcome to the Warehouse is set to welcome heavy-hitter talents from the electronic music scene on September 28 featuring Joseph Capriati, Chris Stussy, TSHA, Max Dean b2b Luke Dean, Saoirse and more. Taking over five stages including Depot, Concourse, Archive, plus additional street party on Temperance Street hosted by Animal Crossing, and a Star & Garter pub takeover, it’s set to be a good ‘un.
11. Celebrate the best of Hungarian culture at the eighth Góbéfest
A huge Hungarian celebration of Székler people is coming to Manchester this September, shedding a spotlight on the little known culture of the Hungarians that reside in Transylvania. Taking place on September 20-22 at Cathedral Gardens – which was also home to the Manchester Food & Drink Festival and beloved Italian food festival, Festa Italiana – Góbéfest will combine food, drink, live folk music and dancing, bringing the very best of the Székler culture back to the city.
12. Make a cheeky splash at this adults-only neon painting workshop
This is not your average adult art class as Neon Brush is set to host an erotic edition. Colour outside the lines and create naughty neon artwork with glow-in-the-dark paints, as you’re given a playful card with a saucy shape or phrase to spark your imagination at the UV-lit studio. With an upbeat soundtrack and a charismatic host to guide you, you’re all set to unleash your wild side and this one-of-a-kind, cheeky painting workshop is the perfect way to spice up date night or let loose with friends.
13. Blow off some steam by hurling black puddings at Yorkshire puds
Forget wellie-wangling, it’s all about black pudding-lobbing. Taking place in Ramsbottom on September 8, the annual competition that is the ancient grudge between Yorkshire and Lancashire will play out. Hurling black puddings at a pile of Yorkshire puddings on a 20-foot high plinth, competitors have three turns in an attempt to knock down as many Yorkshire Puddings as possible (they are arranged in a pile of a dozen) and must throw underarm from a purpose built stand called the oche located on Bridge Street. Expect a lively, fun atmosphere and hundreds of puddings!
14. Get into formation at the Queen B bottomless brunch
All the single ladies (and not so single ladies!), it’s time to get into formation. Celebrating all things Beyoncé this month, Cara Melle and a collective of London and Manchester’s best drag artists will be taking over On Bar, in Manchester’s Gay Village, with tons of performances and Beyoncé hits to enjoy. Expect four hours of fun, alongside free-flowing booze, tasty brunch dishes and tons of opportunities to dance the day (or night) away.
15. Watch every serve, rally and volley at the Davis Cup live in Manchester
The Davis Cup, widely regarded as the men’s ‘World Cup of Tennis’, allows fans to see some of the world’s best players, with Britain to take on three other nations from September 10-15. Taking place at AO Arena in Manchester following on from last year when it was the first time the city will host the competition since July 1994 and it means Mancs can have the chance to watch all the action live. Each nation will play three times over the six-day competition. The top two nations from each of the four groups will advance to a quarterfinal ‘Final 8’ knock-out competition held in Malaga between November 19-24.
16. Dine at the new, glamorous New York-inspired restaurant, Louis
A new restaurant is bringing a bite of the Big Apple to the city and it’s giving swanky, classic New York vibes. Introducing a new style of dining in Manchester, Louis is a love letter to the Italian-American restaurants of New York and set against a backdrop of nightly musical performances.
17. Get into the spirit at Manchester’s first ever mezcal and tequila festival
This September, the city will play host to its first-ever Mezcal and Tequila Festival, a vibrant celebration of Mexico’s most iconic spirits. The Copita Mezcal and Tequila Festival is taking place on September 14 at Manchester Cathedral, which will be transformed into a massive agave spirits tasting floor, featuring over 100 varieties of premium tequilas and smoky mezcals from some of Mexico’s most renowned producers. With guided tastings and masterclasses led by industry experts, festival-goers will gain exclusive insights into the craftsmanship behind these distinctive spirits, along with the opportunity to sample dozens of stands from their very own limited edition clay tasting copita (included in the ticket price).
18. Enjoy music, art and food at this festival held in a Manchester garden centre
Celebrating all thing music and arts, Green Island Festival is small but mighty, presenting a three-part series of day festivals and afterparties in Manchester, with line-ups that place underground, underrepresented, emerging artists from across the UK and global sounds at the forefront. The 1,000-capacity festival will see Hulme Community Garden Centre’s flora paradise transformed into an arts mecca, housing several stages. The festival, which will see its final part take place this September, also announced an exciting expansion as they add cultural institution NIAMOS to the festival’s fabric.
19. Celebrate all things apples at this fruitful festival
NOMA’s first ever Apple themed festival, ‘An Apple Gathering’, is set to take place on September 7 at Sadler’s Yard, from 12pm to 9pm. NOMA’s growing neighbourhood may be a bustling hub today, but its original site was home to a peaceful apple orchard. The Apple Gathering Festival pays homage to the legend behind NOMA’s green roots, where the apple never falls far from the tree. Attendees are encouraged to sip the nation’s finest cider as well as make their own, enjoy folk-fuelled live music, feast on apple-based delicacies, unravel the spellbinding history of the NOMA neighbourhood, ripen their knowledge on the folklore behind apples and get hands-on with woodcraft, cooking, gardening, and pottery workshops.
20. Plunge into Manchester’s first ever sauna and ice bath cafe
Located a short walk from Victoria Station, Kontrast is a new sauna and ice bath cafe set to offer people an alternative way to unwind, connect, and rejuvenate, both day and night. Inspired by the success of similar concepts in Finland, Denmark, Taiwan and Japan, Kontrast is designed as a community hub to bring people together through the transformative power of contrast therapy, a wellness practice that involves alternating between hot and cold treatments to stimulate circulation, spike energy levels, reduce inflammation, deepen sleep, and boost overall mental and physical health.
21. Enjoy island-inspired creations and free cocktails at Tiki Hideaway
Tiki Hideaway is bringing the taste of summer with a new cocktail menu that features Tiki classics alongside brand-new island-inspired creations. To launch its new cocktail menu, Tiki Hideaway in the Northern Quarter is celebrating with a huge end-of-summer ‘Ticket to Paradise’ giveaway. Not only is the Manchester venue giving away complimentary cocktails for a month (August 30 to September 30) but there’s also the chance to win a Tiki night out in the Hideaway’s VIP Coconut Cabana space with up to £500 to spend behind the bar. Anyone who signs up to claim their Ticket to Paradise via the brand-new website from August 30 will receive a complimentary cocktail and entry into the prize draw to win the big night out too.
22. Experience the magic of Mid-Autumn Festival at Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum will be hosting a two-day celebration for the Mid-Autumn Festival on the weekend of September 14 and 15. The festival will give you an opportunity to enjoy the joy and community of this Chinese tradition, centred around the harvest and the moon. Lanterns will be hung in the Chinese Culture Gallery, lighting the path to prosperity and good fortune, and you’ll be able to learn more about Mid-Autumn Festival through a game of lantern riddle guessing. You can taste traditional Chinese mooncakes in the Main Hall or get stuck in to one of the drop-in family lantern workshops, between 11am and 3pm on both days in the Belonging Gallery. There will also be a huge paper sculpture created by artist Pui Lee and plenty more.
23. Explore the Festival of Flavours at RHS Garden Bridgewater
The popular Festival of Flavours is returning to RHS Garden Bridgewater, Salford from September 13 to 15 for a vibrant celebration of growing and cooking. Now in its third year, the festival offers visitors the chance to enjoy live cookery demonstrations, celebrity chef appearances, a food market, edible garden tours and family entertainment. The weekend will be filled with culinary inspiration, with the main stage hosting live demos from celebrity chef Ching-He Huang, Ben Chaplin from Salford’s The Black Friar, expert local producers and Great British Bake Off The Professionals stars Harwood’s Patisserie. Foodies can also look forward to talks from local producers offering top tips on everything plot-to-plate and edible tours of the Kitchen Garden. Browse the food stalls filled with food and drink from local producers and pick up ingredients to cook with at home.
24. Enjoy the last of the Manchester summer
Most importantly, if there’s one thing we should all do this month – its make the most of any sunshine we’re blessed with before it’s gone for another year!