Manchester City Council

Parks, leisure and the arts Manchester Day 2025

What's On

Here's what's going on:

  • Manchester Day, on Saturday 26 July 2025, starts with mini parade down Deansgate at 12pm. The parade is led by two fantastical creatures, followed by live bands, dancing birds, plenty of drummers, and some of Manchester’s many community groups in a riot of colour and sound

  • Sparks fly as the world’s largest dhol drum rolls into town, opening up to reveal dancers and drummers

  • English National Opera and Walk the Plank are teaming up with football fans and community choirs across the North West, to put on a PERFECT PITCH performance and a Three O’clock Kick Off surprise

  • Award winning dance company Levantes will be dressed to impress at their ‘High Tea with a Twist’, in Cathedral Gardens. Expect glittery cakes, outlandish costumes, daring dance, and acrobatics performed above a tastefully laid tea table

  • Join us in our wrestling ring stage for West End showtunes by Sam Buttery, mind boggling magic from Fay Presto, music from OneDa, Michael Aldag and Flat Pack Music, plus wrestling from Future Shock Wrestling

  • Baked a la Ska will be serving up original tunes, along with playful ska-infused covers of your favourite hits on the main stage, alongside synth pop star Michael Aldag. Enjoy world music from Manchester International Roots Orchestra, a unique ensemble of international musicians – including refugees- who are proud to call Manchester home

  • The Urban Playground Team will perform Zoo Humans, a parkour performance piece that blends movement and storytelling

  • The city will be filled with the sweet sound of strumming as performers from Wigan Ukes and Royton Ukes play classic songs and chart-topping numbers

  • Get on down to live acts on the Deansgate dancefloor, including Moroccan trance music, Bhangra dance, and Kemoy and the KYSO Collective

  • Marvel at the larger-than-life Birdcage Stage where a giant canary and two musical cats will defy the laws of gravity to try and outwit each other. Who will end up inside the cage at the end?

  • French street theatre company Stoptoï combine dance, drumming, and juggling in a brand-new, high-energy show

  • Enjoy music and performance from some of Manchester’s finest groups, including the Bridgewater Hall Singers, West End Musical Choir and Bury Fire Choir

  • Kick back and relax with a drink at the Capri Club beach bar, or follow one of the city-wide music trails

  • Keep your eyes peeled throughout the day for a majestic lion, a cheeky gorilla, giant seagulls, and a host of marvellous bees and butterflies. These are just a few of the weird and wonderful walkabout acts waiting to surprise you

  • There’ll also be heaps of free, have-a-go activities for kids. The activities include circus and drumming workshops, ukulele introduction sessions, craft activities, and our ever-popular sport pop ups

Manchester Day has been created in collaboration with outdoor arts specialists, Walk the Plank.

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