Manchester Day 2024

Shekina Rose, Families Editor
Image courtesy of Manchester Day.

27 July 2024 Entrance is free

People of Manchester, let’s get together to celebrate our amazing city!

Join fellow Mancunians for a free, fun-filled event on the 27 July, celebrating the culture, diversity and creativity of Manchester for one day only. Bigger and better than ever before, Manchester Day transforms the city centre into the ultimate playground, offering a variety of activities for the entire family to enjoy.

Get ready for surprises on every street corner for both children and adults, with live music, delicious food and drink, pop-up performances, immersive activities, art installations, crafts and market stalls. Inspired by a summer of international sport, this year’s Manchester Day is set to be packed with fun, sport-themed and energetic activities, including including Taekwondo classes, a pop-up athletics track and tennis and basketball. You may also even walk away with a medal.

You’ll also find a hip hop wrestling ring, breakdancing, opera and drag performances, a vintage fairground with duck-hooking and darts, and a reality arcade with larger-than life console games. You can also dance to DJ’s beats with the Global Grooves Procession and watch the award-winning dance company Motionhouse perform their hit show, Wild, with daring stunts on poles…

Enjoy more defying gravity at the No Fit State Circus and the Mimbre Acrobatic Theatre, as well as local music and performances from various artists in the city. You can also get into the summer groove at the Jubacana’s Cocobana Beach, perfect for chilling out.

Manchester Day is curated by the world-renowned outdoor arts producers Walk the Plank in collaboration with Manchester City Council and Tameside-based carnival arts company Global Grooves. On the day, some of the city centre roads will be closed, so there’s more space for wandering and having fun. Manchester is one of the world’s most iconic cities, and this event is an ideal opportunity to get together for a street party like no other, as we celebrate this fantastic place we are lucky enough to call home.

27 July 2024 Entrance is free

Where to go near Manchester Day 2024

Carden Park
Cheshire
Hotel
Carden Park

Huge luxury estate, featuring high-end restaurant, beautiful rooms, a fully-packed spa and much more.

We sell comics, graphic novels, manga, role playing games, board games, collectible card games, merchandise, apparel and much more besides!
Leeds
Shop
Travelling Man Leeds

A quirky little shop for comics, graphic novels, role-playing and board games, with frequent in-store events.

Further North
Leeds
Bar or Pub
Further North

Kind of like your front room, but with better beers and no television, Further North was one of the first microbars to open in Leeds and remains a staple today.

Wax Bar
Leeds
Bar or Pub
Wax Bar and JukeJoint

The Wax Bar and JukeJoint is a trendy, funky new bar with an old school theme running right through the middle from the Americana jukebox, to the vinyl records and player, old-style radio, 1980s ghetto blasters acting, quite effectively, as bar shelves and the lampshades on the walls that have been made out of classic cassette tapes.

House of Fu Leeds
City Centre
Restaurant
House of Fu Leeds

A Japanese-inspired restaurant speciaising in ramen and handmade dumplings, with a karaoke cocktail bar and lounge upstairs.

GET BAKED Opening Day
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
GET BAKED

Newly opened cakery in Stevensons Square, Northern Quarter Manchester. Get Baked brings all the Yorkshire charm and sweetness one of the city’s most popular squares.

Discover Lotherton, a country estate, historic hall and Wildlife World zoo. Our Edwardian estate is truly a great place for a family day out, with plenty to keep children and grown ups entertained! The expansive grounds and gardens are lovely walking spots, with or without four-legged companions. Each season brings new surprises including wild garlic in the spring, a sea of colourful blooms in summer in the formal gardens and stunning autumnal colours later on in the year. We have two playgrounds which means there's plenty of space for running about and letting off steam, with zip wires for older children to enjoy. Our evolving zoo, Wildlife World, is a real highlight of any visit and we'd highly recommend popping by to see the Humboldt penguins splash and swim in their pool. Other colourful characters include Arthur the tapir, our resident porcupines and a flamboyance of pink flamingos. Stop in at the shop on your way to pick up your very own version of one of our Lotherton
Café or Coffee Shop
Lotherton Hall and Estate

A truly great place for a family day out, discover Lotherton, a country estate, historic hall and Wildlife World Zoo.

Winsome
Manchester
Restaurant
Winsome

Winsome delivers modern British food, cooked beautifully by chef-owner Shaun Moffat and his team.

What's on: Festivals

FestivalsCity Centre
MIF25: Festival Square

Festival Square is the beating heart of Manchester International Festival 2025, returning to its riverside location once again.

free entry
The Herds, The Walk Productions
FestivalsManchester
MIF25: The Herds

Manchester International Festival 2025 kicks off with an awe-inspiring outdoor spectacle as The Herds take to the streets of Manchester, Rochdale, and Wigan.

free entry

Culture Guides

Poet Imtiaz Dharker. Photo by Ayesha Dharker
Literature Events in the North

It's like the Woolies pick'n'mix counter this month in live literature land – so much choice, we're not sure where to start digging in.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

DaDaFest’s 40th anniversary line-up, contemporary reimaginings and outlandish fringe, check out our top theatre picks for spring onwards.

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.

GROVE
Music in the North

We’re championing all things underground this month, with a selection of gigs and festivals that embrace the strange.

Mohair Man, 1991, by Dave Swindells
Exhibitions in the North

Cinematic sets, 90s nightclub photography and even new gallery - we have a great mix of exhibitions for you this month.

image shows pinned butterflies and pretty paper with frames
Tours and Activities in the North

Boozy tours, art workshops and a 'hobby house' that champions all things DIY, get the creative cogs whirring with our latest batch of tours and activities.