Struggling to plan a fun-filled weekend in Manchester? Come rain or shine (in this city’s case, mainly rain), we’ve got you covered when it comes to what’s on this weekend in Manchester. From brunches to gigs, there’s something for everyone, including some activities for the kids, on our list of things to do in Manchester this weekend.
Step inside the cosmos in this free-roam virtual reality journey, created in collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The experience transforms raw astronomical data from NASA, the ESA, and the Smithsonian into immersive 3D worlds, allowing you to walk through the birth of stars and the surfaces of alien planets. Guided by “Astro,” you begin on the summit of Mount Hopkins in Arizona before embarking on a tour of the galaxy. Highlights include witnessing solar flares from the Sun, exploring the lava-covered landscape of the “diamond planet” Janssen, observing the death of the red supergiant Betelgeuse, and standing at the edge of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way.
Internationally acclaimed Manchester artist Stanley Chow is taking over the Arndale this summer with a free art trail featuring 13 of his bold, minimalist portraits—blown up as giant inflatables suspended from the ceiling. The exhibition, titled ‘MCR Made’, transforms the shopping centre into a massive tribute to local icons across music, sport, science, politics, art, and culture. The six-metre installations depict familiar faces like Liam and Noel Gallagher, Marcus Rashford, Emmeline Pankhurst, and Alan Turing. The trail also debuts an exclusive new portrait of suffragette and pioneering MP Ellen Wilkinson.
Symphony Park will transform into an open-air dining and entertainment space centered around long communal picnic tables. You can grab food from Circle Square’s independent restaurants, including Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, and Half Dozen Other, to eat outdoors. The event features live DJs, roaming steel drum bands, and a silent disco. Activities include sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf, foot pool, and basketball shoot-outs. You can also pick up flowers at a seasonal bouquet bar, and there is a dedicated picnic area for dogs offering bespoke pup portraits.
Manchester Caribbean Carnival
Manchester Caribbean Carnival is taking over Alexandra Park for a vibrant weekend celebrating Caribbean heritage, music, and community. Expect a packed showcase featuring energetic sound systems, live stage acts, and traditional masquerade troupes representing the rich culture of the islands. The festivities kick off early at 7am on Saturday with the traditional J’ouvert morning celebration, filling the streets with paint, powder, and rhythm before the main carnival parade rolls through Whalley Range. Once inside the park, visitors can dive into a lively lineup of soca, calypso, reggae, dance, street food, and family entertainment across both days.
Pairing brilliant food with iconic on-screen moments, Taste Film is truly a feast for all the senses. Giving a whole new meaning to ‘watch what you eat’, the immersive experience combines two of life’s greatest joys: food and film. If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to reach out and grab the food from The Simpsons Movie, now is your chance. Think outrageous cheeseburgers, a stupid, sexy hot cocoa, donut sundaes, and so much more.
The UK’s largest touring soapbox derby takes over Stockport with a 350m downhill track packed with chicanes, water splashes, and obstacles. Local businesses, schools, and community groups launch their outrageous hand-crafted karts down the course, competing for speed alongside titles like Best Dressed and Best Showmanship. You can check out the racers up close in the Pit Area and grab a bite from the local street food traders. The Italian Auto Moto Club also joins the event with an extensive classic car display throughout the Marketplace, while a historic aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight provides a special flypast over the town.
Rochdale Feel Good Festival
Pop-soul singer Gabrielle headlines the main stage on Saturday, 8 August, bringing hits like “Dreams” and “Rise” to Rochdale Town Hall Square. Indie rock bands Ash and Starsailor join the main stage bill, alongside indoor venue gigs and an outdoor food and drink village. The live music kicks off the evening prior on Friday, 7 August with a headline set from synth-pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), supported by post-punk acts Peter Hook & The Light and A Certain Ratio.
International Beer Day at Pigeon Beer Wanderer
Following its early summer launch, the independent beer parlour, bottle shop and outdoor terrace on Sheffield Street, Pigeon Beer Wanderer, has introduced a growing programme of quizzes, music, games and creative events. Located behind Piccadilly Station, Pigeon sits within Manchester’s “Beermuda Triangle”, alongside Track, Cloudwater, Balance and Sureshot. To celebrate International Beer Day, Pigeon will be hosting a night of house and disco from DJs Four Four and Platespinna, alongside a specially curated selection of beers from around the world.
If you’re after a peaceful break from the city this weekend, RHS Garden Bridgewater spans 154 acres of botanical landscapes, featuring dense woodland trails, a lake, and cascading rocky waterfalls. The grounds house the 11-acre Weston Walled Garden, the largest publicly accessible working walled garden in the UK. The estate showcases diverse themed environments, including an exotic-inspired Paradise Garden with Asiatic and Mediterranean plant species, an Orchard Garden, and a Chinese Streamside Garden.
Manchester’s People’s History Museum has unveiled a rare jug commemorating the 1819 Peterloo Massacre. Arriving in time for the anniversary of the historic protest, the everyday object features a map of the exact site where cavalry charged into 60,000 peaceful demonstrators demanding parliamentary reform. Though originally produced on a commercial scale to channel the escalating public anger that followed the tragedy, it is the only known surviving example of its specific design. The piece joins the museum’s permanent Peterloo exhibition, sitting alongside yeomanry sabres, a commemorative handkerchief, and a cane carried by one of the original protestors.
Merseybay is bringing a giant free beach to Stockport town centre, saving little Mancs a trip to the coast. Children can dig, build sandcastles, and play classic beach games in the golden sand, while parents kick back in the deckchairs. You can grab seaside‑inspired snacks and drinks from the beach huts, or jump on returning pay‑for attractions like the Helter Skelter and surf simulator. This year also features a superhero makeover, hosting free themed events for young heroes.
The Trafford Centre is bringing back its budget-friendly Summer Fair for the school holidays, setting up a giant beach, a splash pool, fairground rides, and classic summer treats outside the Great Hall. Inside, the Orient Main Stage introduces the new Cosmic Carnival Show. The free circus performance features aerial acts and a Zero-Gravity Disco where kids learn dance routines and circus skills directly after the set.
Step into a surreal, spherical universe at Depot Mayfield as Bubble Planet invites you to explore ten themed rooms packed with soap bubbles, optical illusions, and virtual reality technology. Wander through fantastical landscapes designed to engage all your senses, from interactive installations to immersive simulators. Make sure to bring a pair of socks for the Bubble Bath room to dive straight into the fun.
I Am The Fly Exhibition
Step into Manchester’s early 1980s club scene at The Refuge, where you’ll find a new exhibition of original screen-printed gig and club posters. Artist and curator Matthew Rich produced these flyers back in 1982 to promote the artists, nights, and venues that defined the city’s nightlife, heavily featuring nods to FAC51 and the Hacienda era. Initially designed to be flyposted on walls and eventually torn down, the surviving prints capture a raw slice of local music history. You can browse the collection throughout the hotel, and selected works are also available to purchase.
The National Football Museum is featuring a collection of personal items from England captain Harry Kane as part of its ‘From Grassroots to Greatness’ exhibition. The display tracks his career path and includes his original debut shirt, match-worn boots, and his Ridgeway Rovers junior team shirt. Other summer features include an exploration of football through science and representation, plus an interactive street-football experience called Yard Ball.
Manchester Cathedral will host a large-scale multimedia art exhibition by Bulgarian artist Dian Kostov. The immersive display will combine 72 documentary photographs captured in Ukraine with 80 original icon-inspired artworks to explore themes of conflict, survival, and human resilience. Developed in collaboration with psychotherapist Milena Tashkova, the project examines the psychological relationship between internal personal struggles and collective global divisions. The historic venue will house several distinct centerpieces, including the Peace Globe, which features 59 candles representing active armed conflicts around the world.
Manchester’s street food collective, GRUB, is taking over the MediaCity waterfront for a massive summer residency. The open-air hub will feature a rotating lineup of independent food vendors alongside craft beers, cocktails, and a premium sake bar. Scheduled food operations include Sizzling Seoul, Umami Cartel, and Dukes Po Boys, alongside Caff, GRUB’s in-house nostalgic sandwich shop serving breakfast and lunch. The seasonal events calendar brings live big-screen sports broadcasts for the World Cup alongside open-air movie screenings from Cultplex. GRUB on the Docks runs throughout the summer, open Tuesday to Sunday weekly, 12pm-10pm.
The Manchester Clay Shooting Club is hosting an outdoor shooting experience designed to test reflexes against flying clay targets. The sessions will take place under the guidance of expert instructors, providing a structured and professional environment for individuals and private groups. The activity suits all skill levels, offering a direct, hands-on introduction to the sport or a refined practice session for experienced marksmen.
Campfield Market, a weekly artisan market in Manchester city centre, has expanded into St John’s, creating the biggest weekly artisan market in the UK. ‘Campfield Market at St John’s’ extends beyond the iconic Campfield building and out onto Grape Street, transforming the area into a one-kilometre loop of market stalls, street food and independent retail. Each week, visitors can expect over 100 independent traders spanning street food, local produce, artisan goods and makers, alongside an expanded food and drink line-up.
