Greater Manchester is open for business, with venues following strict guidelines and Covid-safe enhanced cleaning regimes. When out and about, please remember to follow Government guidelines around social distancing, wearing a face covering where required (unless exempt), wash your hands regularly, and seek open spaces with good ventilation where possible.  


 

1. Discover new art, music, exhibitions and more at Manchester International Festival 
 

Catch the final full week of Manchester International Festival (running until 18 July), with events continuing across the city and online, plus the popular Festival Square offering daily music, food and drink in Cathedral Gardens. 

Highlights of the festival this week include; Arcadia, a special installation inside the new Factory arts construction site, bringing nature into the city; Portrait of Black Britain – a photo exhibition at Manchester Arndale, profiling a range of Black people and their contributions to the UK; plus, look out for words and phrases across the city from Captioning a City, inviting us to experience our city in a new dimension with thought-provoking messages.   

There’s a huge variety of other events taking place across the festival in places such as Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester Central Library, HOME and The Whitworth - for a full list of events, visit the MIF website. 
 

2. Step back into Salford’s history at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery 
 

Salford Museum and Art Gallery will be reopening to the public on 15 July, with pre-booked tickets available free on its website. Visitors can expect an interesting collection of objects charting the social history of Salford, step back in time to explore Lark Hill Place, an impressive replica Victorian street recreated from a Salford street of the time, and discover a collection of Victorian Art, Pilkington Ceramics and modern art, as well as a Local History Library, a shop and café overlooking Peel Park.  
 

3. World record-breaker, music and dance come to Homeground  
 

Across the weekend and throughout the week, Homeground continues its programme of outdoor theatre, music and DJs, taking over a former car park and turning it into a wonderland of arts, food and drink. On 10 July, world-record-breaking beatboxer Schlomo takes to the stage for a kid-friendly show, and then in the evening, the UK’s leading Trans arts festival Trans Vegas, returns featuring trans dancers, artists and performers across a fabulous line-up. Plus, on the Bruntwood Stage, Untold Orchestra perform all afternoon and into the evening on Saturday and Sunday, with a mix of classical, rock, comedy and soul performances. 

Throughout the week, the future faces of music and performance from the University of Salford take over the stage with free music every night of the week, and of course the popular line-up of local food and drink vendors will continue to serve up grub across the site. 
 

4. Immersive art installation arrives at Manchester Jewish Museum 
 

The newly refurbished and extended Manchester Jewish Museum opened its doors on 3 July after two years of closure. As well as being open to visitors to view its permanent collection and stories of the Jewish communities around Manchester, the museum and its beautiful Portuguese and Spanish synagogue are also participating in Manchester International Festival with Turner Prize-winning artist Laure Prouvost transforming the 1874 synagogue into an immersive experience of film, sound and textiles, taking you back through the history of the building and the lives that lived there. Tickets to the MIF events are available here. 
 

5. Enjoy Sherlock Holmes with in-person theatre at Octagon Bolton 
 

Bolton’s Octagon Theatre is welcoming audiences once again for its first live theatre show in months with a brilliantly farcical adaption of Sherlock Holmes’ most popular case, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Tickets are now available with socially distanced performances running until 7 August at the newly extended and renovated theatre, who also recently announced their Autumn programme of events.  
 

6. Visit the popular Grayson Perry exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery 
 

With tickets selling out fast, Grayson’s Art Club at Manchester Art Gallery has been one of the most popular exhibitions of the year. Featuring a collection of artworks sent in by the public, the exhibition is a curation of artist Grayson Perry’s favourite pieces to reflect the past year and experiences of lockdown. Limited tickets are still available for this week, and to pre-book up until 31 August. Book for free online here. 
 

7. Celebrate England’s Euro 2020 success with a football tour 
 

The England Men’s team did us proud, and whilst football may not be coming home; you can still get a glimpse of the behind the scenes magic already happening in Greater Manchester with a tour at Manchester United or Manchester City football clubs. Both tours run daily, offering exclusive pitch side access, and previews of the team training areas and changing rooms. At Old Trafford you can take in the heritage of the team at its museum with legendary items on display, and at the Etihad Stadium expect an interactive museum experience with holograms and 360 screens. Now all that is left to decide is… Red or Blue? 

8. Visit the ‘Infinite Future’ exhibition at Native aparthotel 
 

A new body of works by artist Iain H Williams is on display at Ducie Street Warehouse and Native Manchester. The collection of 14 expressive paintings shows a series of linked abstract canvasses created by the Lancashire-based artist over the last eight months. The exhibition is open to visitors, who may also like to stop by the bar and café, or book a table at the popular terrace.  
 

9. New summer line-up at Escape to Freight Island 
 

The new summer line-up for Escape to Freight Island has now been released with free and ticketed events taking place at the recently expanded venue that takes up the cavernous space of the former Mayfield railway station. This week’s entertainment includes DJ’s every Sat, Sun, Thurs & Fri, including From Manchester with Love, featuring High Hoops and Will Tramp (11 July); and Disco Mums (16 July). The full listing of summer entertainment can be booked in advance here.  
 

10. Celebrate the arts at the start of Hope Mill Fest 
 

The first day of Hope Mill Theatre’s Hope Fest takes place on 16 July, running right through to 8 August taking over Electric Park in New Islington. On opening night, you can expect to see Jason Manford’s Comedy Club, followed by events across the weekend including music from Matt & Phred’s, Judy Garland and Liza Minelli tributes, and a dog festival with fancy dress competitions and DJs! Visitors can also expect an on-site bar and BBQ, with tickets for events now on sale here.