easter in manchester and the north
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Easter Bank Holiday Weekend in Manchester and the North

Creative Tourist

It’s Easter, lambs are lambing, daffodils are in bloom and there’s chocolate to be eaten. Whether you use the Easter bank holiday weekend to indulge or escape, there’s plenty to see and do in Manchester and the North over this blessed four-day bank holiday. Read on to find out where to go for top of the line food, booze, art and entertainment.

Keep up-to-date with all the unmissable things to do in Manchester and the North with our guides to cinema, exhibitions, music, literature, theatre, food and drink and family things to do.

Here are our picks

  • 1. Mughli Restaurant & Charcoal Pit

    Mughli Restaurant & Charcoal Pit, 30 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M14 5TQ - Visit now

    Speaking of craft beer, we checked in with Mughli recently, and in addition to being one of the most highly-acclaimed restaurants on the Curry Mile, the proprietors have teamed up with local brewers First Chop Brewing Arm to create a refreshing beer to complement their tasty, spicy food.

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  • 2. Lunya Manchester

    Image courtesy of Marketing Manchester

    Lunya Manchester, Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 2BB - Visit now

    Stock up on some indulgent Easter treats at this deli-extraordinare on Deansgate – or treat yourself to a meal of exemplary tapas in the upstairs restaurant. Who said all the cooking had to happen at home?

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  • 3. Craft Beer in Manchester

    Photo of fresh green hops
    Image courtesy of Beermoth.

    Manchester’s craft beer scene is vibrant and varied and a four day weekend means that there’s room for twice as many hangovers as usual…

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  • 4. The Alchemy of Colour at The John Rylands Library

    The Alchemy of Colour at The John Rylands Library
    The John Rylands Library/The University of Manchester

    The Alchemy of Colour at The John Rylands Library, City Centre, 15 March–27 August 2018, free entry - Visit now

    Did you know that the remarkable yellows of Turner’s sunsets came from the urine of mango-fed cows? Or that the reds of Raphael’s greatest masterpieces derived from cactus-dwelling bugs? The Alchemy of Colour at The John Rylands Library explores the unusual stories behind some of art history’s most dazzling hues. For more Easter explorations, have a look our exhibitions guide.

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  • 5. Top places to go rural (without leaving Manchester)

    Disley, home to Lyme Park. Image by Dave Dunford via Wikimedia Commons

    It’s spring, so why not get out of the city? We can’t guarantee the weather will hold out, but at least up North you don’t have to go too far to escape the urban sprawl.

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  • 6. Independent Shops in Liverpool

    Photo of the shop's front window
    Image courtesy Bluecoat Display Centre.

    A trip into Liverpool is always worthwhile, why not see the sights and support the local independents by buying a book, picking up a bottle or sourcing a piece from some of Britain and Europe’s best designer-makers.

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  • 7. Dunham Massey

    National Trust

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

    For a slice of the country that’s close to home. The National Trust’s most popular property, Dunham Massey, is just a few miles outside Altrincham, set in beautiful parkland, and close to favourite pub The Swan with Two Nicks.

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  • 8. Heaton Park

    Heaton Park, Middleton Road, Higher Blackley, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M25 2SW - Visit now

    Heaton Park’s Temple – a small circular structure with a breast-esque dome and Tuscan columns, designed in 1800 – was built on the highest point in Manchester. Scale the hill it sits on and you can see (and be seen) for quite a distance. It gives a unique view of the green fells that surround the city, as well as being an iconic spot: Heaton’s Temple was featured in none other than the 1981 TV series, Brideshead Revisited.

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