When spring hits, festival season starts in Manchester and the atmosphere in the city centre goes up a few gears.
Head into town on any weekend between May and October and there’ll likely be something going on with niche music festivals, flower festivals, beer festivals, library festivals and horror festivals all part of our annual calendar of celebrations.
Here we’ve gathered together the seven biggest events to hit the city every year (or every two years in the case of MIF). These are the ones that bring audiences and artists from far and wide to our city, and light up the calendar for locals too. Which ones will you be going to?
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ManchesterManchester International Festival
More detailsManchester International Festival, or MIF, is the city’s biennial arts festival. It’s two weeks of the year where you’re never quite sure what you might stumble across in the city’s parks, squares and unused spaces.
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Manchester City CentreManchester Jazz Festival
More detailsManchester Jazz Festival brings the best new emerging jazz artists, homegrown talent, and living jazz legends to the city centre every May for ten days of live performances, many of which are free.
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Manchester City CentreManchester Literature Festival
More detailsManchester Literature Festival has grown considerably in size and stature since it debuted back in 2006. Held annually in October, it’s now known as one of the north’s leading festivals for book-lovers.
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Gay VillageManchester Pride
More detailsHeld annually over the August Bank Holiday weekend, Manchester Pride is a joyful, loud and proud celebration of queer identity and expression. The festival is one of the most important LGBTQ+ events in the country – but it isn’t just one sun-soaked weekend. Manchester Pride is also a charity that supports all areas of LGBTQ+ lives in the city all year round.
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PrestwichParklife Festival
More detailsIt’s the big one, at least for the under-25s amongst us. Parklife is a huge two-day music festival held every June at Heaton Park. Featuring top artists across the worlds of electronic, dance, rap and pop, it brings a massive number of music fans to the city in all their neon-wearing, glitter-loving glory.
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Media CityWe Invented The Weekend
More detailsWe Invented the Weekend festival is a massive, free, two-day celebration of all the cool stuff people do in their free time. After a successful launch in 2023, it’s back at Salford Quays and Media City on 15 and 16 June 2024.
