Japan Week – Manchester 2025

Manchester, get ready! The summer holidays may be over but September is brimming with culture, creativity and fun, starting with Japan Week on 4-9 September.

Japan Week brings a full week of free culture, fun and activities for the whole family to enjoy, as Manchester transforms into a Japanese wonderland to celebrate Japanese culture and creativity, the 200-year history and friendship between Manchester and Japan, and the 50th anniversary of this world-renowned festival.

Packed with an incredibly diverse array of workshops, exhibitions and interactive experiences hosted at iconic venues across the city, the week will give an insight into the beauty and culture of Japan. From soothing tea ceremonies (parents of toddlers may need those!), to calligraphy workshops, and fascinating live performances that make a lovely change from another episode of Bluey. 

The line-up includes everything from traditional arts to cutting-edge creativity, This includes the first UK performance of BLOOM, which fuses music, fashion and dance created by composer and DJ Afrodeutsche, dance company Company Chameleon, and queer-led fashion brand Belladonis. The live performance will also feature a string ensemble from the world-renowned Hallé orchestra, including virtuoso violinist Roberto Ruisi.

As well as BLOOM, you might want to head to the From Tokyo to Manchester weekend festival, which explores Japan’s genre-expanding contemporary culture through film, live music and other workshops.

Throughout the week, there are loads of hands-on workshops, family-friendly exhibitions, and interactive cultural activities across some of Manchester’s most popular venues like HOME, Aviva Studios, Manchester Museum, and Central Library. The week also includes a full day with the Hallé showcasing the Hallé Youth Orchestra, Japan Archives, and Japanese instruments.

What makes this festival even better, is it’s all free. Which means you can introduce your family to Japanese culture without breaking the bank. Just book ahead for certain activities to ensure you get a place.

So, bring the kids, the grandparents, the aunties, uncles, friends, siblings (anyone) or come by yourself, and leave with amazing memories, maybe some ink on your hands, and a sense of having done something really special!