Community event fund now open
Deadline: Monday 9 February 2026
What is the community event fund?
This grant supports large-scale events across Manchester. It helps groups deliver major celebrations, grow existing events, and make them more sustainable.
We fund events that:
- Celebrate Manchester’s culture and diversity
- Enhance the city’s global reputation
- Make Manchester a better place to live
Who can apply?
- Fully constituted, not-for-profit groups
- Events that welcome the whole community
- Events that show city-wide social and economic benefits
Your event should attract at least 5,000 people. Applicants must show:
- A track record of running large events
- Evidence of city-wide impact from previous events
Examples of funded events
- Caribbean Carnival of Manchester
- Chinese New Year
- Irish Festival Parade
- Manchester Mega Mela
- St George’s Day
For smaller, local events, try:
Make your event sustainable
Manchester aims to be a Zero Carbon city by 2038. Events we fund must follow sustainable practices.
Use our Sustainable Event Guide to plan your event. It includes checklists for:
- Energy
- Travel
- Waste
- Food and drink
- Water
When you apply, you must commit to sharing details of how you’ll reduce your event’s carbon footprint.
Application notes:
- Funding is generally available for up to 20% of the total event cost.
- Grants are available up to £20,000 per annum.
- The activity should take place between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027.
- The deadline for submission is 9 February 2026.
- Please see our terms and conditions
- Check your eligibility