Easter Bank Holiday Weekend in Manchester and the North

Creative Tourist

Easter Bank Holiday rolls into the calendar a little late this year, with Good Friday landing on 18 April. 

There are plenty of events to get involved in. DJ sets at The Blues Kitchen, a Full Fat Fest at Freight Island, film festivals, you name it. What’s more, long days and the promise of some sunshine means it is officially beer garden season. And when the sun sets, time for a cocktail

Read on for some of our top picks on things to do and places to go this Easter Weekend, taking in music, film, exhibitions, theatre and a healthy amount of booze. 

Looking for more family-friendly picks? Check out guide of things to do with kids over the Easter Holidays.

Our top picks

David Lynch Season: American Dreams and Nightmares at HOME

David Lynch Season: American Dreams and Nightmares at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 16 May 2025, from £9.15 - Book now

On Saturday 19 April, HOME’s David Lynch season brings you Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, the film prequel to the lauded late US director’s groundbreaking 1990s television series Twin Peaks.

A woman with black curly hair sings on stage in front of a red curtain
n/a

Renae

Renae, 45-47 Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1NA - Visit now

The Northern Quarter’s anticipated new bar/shop/music venue has just opened its doors. Fresh out of the box, Renae has taken over their section of Thomas Street with tables and chairs stretching right out to the pavement on the other side. Check it out this Easter Bank Holiday weekend and enjoy a fresh beer in the sun.

Freight Island

Freight Island, Mayfield Depot, 11 Baring St, Manchester, M1 2PY - Visit now

Fat Tony’s Full Fat Fest is coming to Manchester! Said to be the biggest show outside of London to date. On the 19th April, Fat Tony and the whole crew will be joined on stage by Catz n dogz for an unforgettable evening. Tickets are on sale now via the website.

GRUB Manchester

GRUB Manchester, 50 Red Bank, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M4 4HF - Visit now

Bottomless Board Game Brunch at Grub this Easter Sunday. Go alone or with a group of friends and choose from the 200+ board game library. Crack on with the game and enjoy the bottomlessness. Fizz, Beer or Cider? Whatever your drink of choice, just don’t forgot to pair it with some of Grubs famous street food. Easter Sunday from 1-5pm, tickets available via the website.

GET BAKED

GET BAKED, 1 Stevenson Square, Manchester, M1 1DN - Visit now

Your mates are all talking about it. The famous Yorkshire Cakery has landed in Northern Quarter. If you haven’t check it out yet, be sure to head over. Try the flagship Bertha Cake (a thing of gargantuan beauty) or new Mr Pistachio Sundae, sit out in the bustling Stevenson Square and dig in on your extended weekend.

GET BAKED Opening Day
Demi Sheridan

CANVAS: a community arts festival at Wellington Place

CANVAS: a community arts festival at Wellington Place at Wellington Place, Leeds, Until 6 May 2025, free entry - Visit now

CANVAS is a new community festival taking place in Leeds’ Wellington Place. During the Easter Weekend, you can bring your family to the PLAY tent: a place for even the youngest visitors to have fun with materials and take part in creative activities inspired by the exhibition themes.

A street vendor standing behind a table selling arts and crafts.
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

Ego Death

Ego Death, 12 Thomas St, Northern Quarter, Manchester , M4 1DH - Visit now

When in doubt, make the Easter weekend cocktail focused. Ego Death isn’t your average bar. For starters, you get to it through the store cupboard of a fast food restaurant, stepping over mop buckets and cardboard boxes. Think of it as a grown-up Easter egg hunt.

Ego Death
Ian Jones

Speak In Code

Speak In Code, 7 Jackson's Row, Manchester , M2 5ND - Visit now

Hidden away, drinking carefully crafted cocktails in low lighting… is there a better way to enjoy a Bank Holiday weekend? If you go out in Manchester, you’ll almost certainly have heard of Speak In Code. This hidden-away bar has a solid reputation as one of the city’s best bars, and for good reason.

Speak In Code
Ian Jones

Tatton Park

Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN - Visit now

Easter is in full swing at Tatton Park, with an egg hunt in the Gardens, a fun family trail with the Easter Bunny in the Mansion and new arrivals in the Farmyard – including bouncing bunnies, cheeping chicks and leaping lambs. Chocolate rewards will be given at the end (18 to 21 April only, subject to availability).

Percy the Park Keeper - The Secret Path in the Gardens, Tatton Park
Courtesy of the venue.

Altogether Otherwise

Altogether Otherwise, 6-10 Hanover Street, NOMA, Manchester, M44BB - Visit now

A haven for creatives in NOMA-land, Altogether Otherwise’s Happening Two takes Sowing and Growing as its theme, with a “plant co-operative wildlife gardening session” on Thursday 17 April and “food tastes good – eat in the garden” on Monday 21 April (keep an eye on their website for tickets).

Image of the outside of Altogether Otherwise at night with people inside
Altogether Otherwise

The Shoegaze Cafe

The Shoegaze Cafe, 108 Tib St, Manchester, M4 1LR - Visit now

The Northern Quarter’s Shoegaze Cafe might not be here for a long time, but it’s certainly here for a good time. That is if your idea of a good time involves My Bloody Valentine, Tarkovsky and Ostalgie. And if those terms mean nothing to you, move on, square.

Richmond Tea Rooms

Richmond Tea Rooms, 46 Sackville Street, Manchester, Manchester, M1 3WF - Visit now

Where better to kick back and while away some of those extra hours off than an Alice In Wonderland-themed gaff that features an Easter icon in the form of the White Rabbit, and serves up dainty afternoon teas and perfectly crafted cocktails.

Beer Gardens in Manchester & Salford

Spring is springing, so fingers crossed we might be able to sneak in an alfresco pint over Easter.

Society Manchester

Russell Wilson: A Spring Table

Russell Wilson: A Spring Table, Until 29 June 2025, from £0.00 - Book now

Be uplifted by seasonal blooms and joyful scenes with Derbyshire-based artist Russell Wilson’s A Spring Table exhibition, inspired by nature and the perfect starting point for a day out at YSP.

Country landscape
Russell Wilson, YSP Landscape, 2024. Image © the artist, courtesy of Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts

Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts, Manchester, Until 11 April 2026, from £12.00 - Book now

Rally the family and tumble down the rabbit hole and into a world of imagination at Z-arts this Easter. The White Rabbit and all your favourite Wonderland characters await in an interactive play adventure, created in partnership with Macmillan Children’s Books.

Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts
Image courtesy of Z-arts.

Dunham Massey

Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, WA14 4SJ - Visit now

Dunham Massey’s Easter Adventures trail encourages families to have fun and connect with nature, exploring the fascinating world of pollinators from bees to butterflies. Pick up your Easter Adventures pack (£3.50), complete with a chocolate egg (vegan ‘Free-From’ chocolate eggs available), bunny ears and a trail booklet, from the Welcome Desk in the Visitor Centre.

Path winding through the garden at Dunham Massey, Cheshire
National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Mayfield Park

Mayfield Park, Mayfield Park, Manchester, M1 2PY - Visit now

Manchester’s newest green space is well worth checking out as the days get a little longer and hopefully a little warmer. Tucked away behind Mayfield Depot, with its bars and oft-changing eateries, there are play facilities for the little’uns plus the chance to spot dippers and other wildlife on the newly daylighted River Medlock.

Mayfield Park (Map location 13) - Manchester Bloomtown Map photos
National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Treehouse Manchester

Treehouse Manchester, Blackfriars Street, Manchester, M3 2EQ - Visit now

Spring is springing, so head to a treehouse… we’re hearing good things about Bury-born chef’s Mary-Ellen McTague’s new venture Pip, celebrating seasonal, low-waste cooking and the bountiful produce of the North West.

Cocoa Cabana Ancoats

Cocoa Cabana Ancoats, 7 Murray St, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6HS - Visit now

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate, and where better to head than one of the two Cocoa Cabana outlets – award-winning chocolatiers serving up sweet treats and decadent cocktails for over ten years. There’s the Ancoats outlet for city centre choc fans, or head south to the OG on Didsbury’s Burton Road.

Cocoa Cabana Ancoats
Image by Jonathan Schofield.
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