Manchester Day 2025

Shekina Rose, Families Editor

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Manchester Day

26 July 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Image courtesy of Manchester Day.
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Clear your calendar and warm up those vocal cords this July – Manchester Day is officially back. This year, the city’s most popular celebration of all things Mancunian is taking place on Saturday 26 July 2025, and the volume will be turned right up.

With 1.3 million music lovers expected come to Manchester this summer, it’s only fitting that this year’s Manchester Day is all about music. And if you thought this was just a small-scale Manchester-y knees-up with a few flags and face paint, think again. From noon to 5pm, the city centre will transform into a space packed with sound, colour, and Manchester energy.

Expect a musical mini-parade weaving from St Peter’s Square to Manchester Cathedral, led by two majestic Griffins, fantastical birds, and a sonic storm of Brazilian brass, giant Dhol drums, and community performers bringing beats from across the globe. Basically carnival-meets-gig-meets-giant-creatures – standard.

Beyond the parade, activities will stretch across Cathedral Gardens, St Ann’s Square, Deansgate, and beyond, promising everything from ukulele strum-alongs to spontaneous singalongs. Fancy learning to juggle while drumming? Prefer an operatic ode to your local football team? Manchester Day has got it all.

Add in steel pan bands, ska surprises, musical cats in birdcages, and the return of Walk the Plank’s outdoor arts magic, and you’ve got yourself a day that celebrates the city’s creativity, diversity, and deep-rooted musical soul. And did we mention it’s all free…?

So dust off your dancing shoes, and get ready to celebrate Manchester, the city that doesn’t just play music, it lives it.

All musical tastes and ages are welcome.

Where to go near Manchester Day 2025

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

RJC Dance Xmas Show
Leeds
RJC Dance

RJC Dance, based in Chapeltown, Leeds, champions youth and education, leading inclusive Black dance in the North through national partnerships.

texture logo
Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

The Beacon at Cliffe Castle Park
Bradford
Park
Cliffe Castle Park

Cliffe Castle Park hosts the Beacon, a stunning performance space that will be touring the district throughout Bradford UK City of Culture 2025.

Hern Food
Leeds
Restaurant
Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients and his headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams.

Indie Makers
Leeds
Shop
Indie Makers

Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
Leeds
Shop
Plant Point

Plant Point is designed to help you bring the jungle into your urban or suburban space. The home of beautiful plants in Leeds.

Leeds
Restaurant
Eat Your Greens

Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
Leeds
Restaurant
Sela Bar & Pizzeria

Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

What's on: Festivals

Creatures Comedy Festival
Until
ComedyManchester
Creatures Comedy Festival

Smart, sharp and seriously funny, Creatures Comedy Festival brings stand-up stars, rising talent and Edinburgh previews to Manchester this July.

From £6.00
Until
CinemaManchester
YANK at Cultplex

Thirteen movies to get to know the United States of America. Cultplex presents a season of film exploring America through its own lens.

From £7.50

Culture Guides

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Blondshell by Hannah Bon.
Music in the North

From Lyra Pramuk’s sacred synths to the sugar rush of YAANG, our latest music picks bring ritual, rebellion and ridiculous levels of fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Monumental sculptures, charcoal confessions and a show of two paintings only - all this and more in this month's exhibition picks.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.