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August Bank Holiday in Manchester and the North

Creative Tourist

Wondering what to get up to over the bank holiday weekend? Check out our handpicked list of things to do in Manchester and the North for a fun-packed three days.

The last bank holiday of the summer stretches from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 August, and while we can’t fix the weather, we can magic up ideas for keeping you busy inside as well as out.

Factory Square offers a bit of both, so grab a deckchair and hit the taco truck and coffee cart or head inside the Warehouse for an interactive storytelling adventure that mixes cinema and animation – this will be the penultimate weekend you can catch Sweet Dreams.

If the sun shines and you just want to kick back and drink it in, we’ve updated our guides to beer gardens and roof terraces; if you’d like food-related activities, including demos and talks, try the free Festa Italiana or Bolton Food & Drink Festival. Explore green spaces in the heart of the city such as Castlefield Viaduct or take in some outdoor art both near and a little farther.

Combine a park trip with an exhibition, taking in the John Lyons retrospective, Carnivalesque at the Whitworth or the Wild show down the road at the Manchester Museum, perfect for the whole family. The little’uns will also love the art-based events and activities going on at YSP and The Hepworth in Wakefield; the adults might like New Order and Blossoms in Wythenshawe Park.

For something a bit different, head to the Portico Library on the Saturday and learn about local myths in its Weird As Folk display or scare yourself silly with HOME’s Indie Horror Summer film programme.

Our top picks

Manchester Pride

It’s a double celebration as Manchester Pride Weekend falls over the bank holiday. Taking a look at our alternative guide to Pride, showcasing arts and cultural highlights from around the city, including exhibitions, live music and theatre.

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Knowing the oak tree by Soraya Thashima
Two women looking up at the camera, one is wearing sunglasses and a cap, holding a phone. The other has long wavy pastel hair.

Finders Keepers

Finders Keepers, 7 Keepers Quay, New Islington Marina, Manchester , M4 6GL - Visit now

Excitingly for Manchester’s bar scene, Salmon Guru Madrid (ranked 16th in World’s 50 Best Bars), is set to take over Finders Keepers in Ancoats on Sunday, 25th August. This Manchester-first collaboration also celebrates Finders Keepers’ first birthday.

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Festa Italiana at Cathedral Gardens

Festa Italiana at Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, 22–24 August 2025, Free entry - Find Out More

Festa Italiana Manchester is the country’s biggest festival dedicated to celebrating Italian food, drink and culture, and this seventh annual event takes place in Cathedral Gardens throughout the August bank holiday. What’s more, it’s free! Buon appetito!

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Beer Gardens in Manchester & Salford

We’ve updated our guide to places where you can enjoy an alfresco tipple or two in Manchester and Salford – and you never know, there might well be sunshine this bank holiday weekend, so grab a bev and head into the great outdoors with our suggestions.

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Society Manchester

Factory Square

Factory Square, Aviva Studios, Water St, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 4JQ - Visit now

The riverside suntrap outside Aviva Studios hosts some excellent food and drink traders this summer, including the Super Serve taco truck. Here’s where to get your Mexican food kicks, from handmade tacos to mouthwatering salted caramel churros. Of course, you need the perfect drink to go along with that sunkissed food – how does a Limoncello slushy sound? Feeling devil-may-care? Work your way through the carefully curated margarita menu. Oh and did we mention £4 pints?

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Manchester Factory international Festival - People enjoying Festival Square in the city centre
Factory International

Castlefield Viaduct

Castlefield Viaduct, Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester, M3 4PU - Visit now

Manchester’s first ‘sky park’ Castlefield Viaduct garden is designed to provide interest throughout the year, and the gardening team change the planting on a regular basis to make sure there’s plenty to see. During the summer months, the focus falls on densely planted ferns, grasses and herbaceous perennials, with plenty of colour through flower and foliage.

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Roof Terraces in Manchester

Best roof terrace in Manchester? We know the lot, and we’re willing to share our hard-earned information. From dive bars high up to swanky cocktail joints, this is our pick of the best places for booze with views.

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Roof Terraces in Manchester

Outdoor Art in the North

Often free and publicly accessible, outdoor art has a special relationship to community, cultural heritage and the landscape it’s situated in. It also makes for a really good excuse to go and explore a new place. Take a look at our guide to the best outdoor installations in the North and get planning your trip out.

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Seasonal Guides

Helen Chadwick posing with a sculpture called Piss Flowers taken during the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, held at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in 1994
Cultural Calendar 2025

Our editors’ biannually updated list of some of the best-looking arts and cultural events in Manchester and the North in 2025.
Festival-goers at Green Island
Festivals

Here’s our guide to the best summer festivals with experiences taking place in a field or on the streets near you.
The Jungle Book at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Open Air Theatre in Manchester and the North

Open air theatre shows are happening across the north over the next few months – we’ve collated our top picks into a neat guide for you.

Summer Holidays: the best things to do with kids
Summer Holidays: the best things to do with kids

Check out our definitive and regularly updated guide of things to do with the family over the summer holidays.
Outdoor Art in the North

Our guide to the North’s outdoor art, which has a special relationship to community, cultural heritage and the landscape it’s situated in.
Outdoor Activities

Get out and about with our guide to interesting, unusual and distinctly cultural outdoor events and outdoor activities.
FaleSaSacred House
Visual Arts at MIF25

From indigenous wisdom in paint and performance to immersive sound installations, MIF25 returns with a unique visual arts programme.

Destinations

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

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Culture Guides

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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.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

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.

European Poetry Festival European Camarade
Literature Events in the North

From tongue-twisters to twisty page-turners, we have all kinds of spoken word surprises in the latest literature round-up.