What's Hot in Greater Manchester This Summer 2026 | Events, Openings & City Break Ideas

Greater Manchester is set for a standout summer with a wave of new openings and events that capture the region’s unmistakable cultural energy. From Ai Weiwei’s daring 24‑hour performance to LGBTQ+ film premieres and football themed exhibitions for all ages, the season is overflowing with reasons to visit. With new gardens, fresh tours, standout hotel openings, and a growing wave of food and drink arrivals, Greater Manchester shapes up as an unbeatable choice for a vibrant summer city break between July and September 2026.

Summer events

Ai Weiwei: Button Up! | 2 July - 6 September

Renowned artist Ai Weiwei re-enacts his secret detention in a unique 24-hour live performance that recreates his experiences under interrogation. The performance coincides with the new exhibition Ai Weiwei: Button Up!, a large-scale showcase featuring new works alongside some of the artist’s most celebrated illustrations, which will be displayed in the UK for the first time. Highlights include a reconstructed Ming-dynasty temple made from 1,500 wooden pieces, and a 47-meter-long inflatable migrant boat.

Manchester Day | 26 July

Manchester Day, the city’s annual celebration, returns with a vibrant Catalan twist — a nod to Manchester’s role as guest city at Barcelona’s La Mercè Festival last September. This year’s parade takes inspiration from the world of books, filling the streets with literary themed creations and recognising Manchester’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature. Throughout the day, the city will come alive with music, dance, and a packed programme of performances and walkabout acts from leading outdoor arts companies across the UK and Spain.

Rochdale Feel Good Festival | 8 August

The 15th edition of Rochdale Feel Good Festival takes place on 8 August with live music and entertainment at a reduced price. This year the festival is headlined by legendary musician Gabrielle, and will see food and drink stalls, and further live entertainment take over the square outside the newly restored Grade-I listed Rochdale Town Hall.

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Totally Stockport Krazy Races | 9 August

The UK’s largest touring soapbox derby, Krazy Races, returns to Stockport this summer, with teams racing handmade carts through the town centre alongside a classic car showcase from the Italian Auto Moto Club and a special RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast. The event is set to be one of the town’s biggest events of the year, combining high-speed racing, and live entertainment.

SCENE LGBTQ+ Film & TV Festival | 20-27 August

The third annual SCENE LGBTQ+ Film and TV Festival is returning to venues across Manchester from 20-27 August, celebrating local, UK and international LGBTQ+ cinema and TV. The festival starts one week before the newly launched Manchester Village Pride, which starts this year as a community-run, not-for-profit Pride celebration across the weekend of 28-31 August.

Bolton Food and Drink Festival | 28 – 31 August

Returning for the 21st edition, Bolton Food and Drink Festival features a packed programme of chefs, family activities, and entertainment. Celebrity cooks James Martin and Marco Pierre White will headline with live demonstrations, while visitors can enjoy everything from a guided alpaca walk to a chaotic, comedic Faulty Towers dining experience. Across the town centre visitors can find food and drink stalls, music, and plenty of family friendly fun — all just a short train ride from Manchester.

Exhibitions

The Victoria Wood Exhibition | Throughout Summer

Celebrating the much-loved comedian and writer Victoria Wood — born in Bury and known for dinnerladies, As Seen on TV, and her brilliantly witty songs — Bury Art Museum is showcasing a collection of personal items from her life and career. The exhibition features original scripts, song sheets, and her own notebooks, offering an intimate look at her creative process and the humour that made her a national treasure.

Manchester Open exhibition | Until 6 September

More than 420 artworks by Greater Manchester residents are now on display at HOME. The Manchester Open exhibition is free to attend, and features works by established artists, students, emerging talent and enthusiastic amateurs. Running until 6 September, visitors can expect everything from 3D-printed models to enormous paintings, and a variety of styles and mediums, with many artworks also available to purchase.

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Goals | Until 1 November

Kids and grown-ups alike can explore the connection between football and the human body in Head, Shoulders, Knees & Goals, a new exhibition at the National Football Museum.. Bringing together hands-on play, sensory experiences, and objects that uncover the science behind movement, performance, and fandom, the exhibition explores the impact of nutrition, clothing, sights, sounds, and smells to go behind the magic of matchday.

New tourism openings

UK’s first authentic classical Chinese garden expands

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Garden Bridgewater celebrates its 5th anniversary with the opening of the Yangzhou Scholars’ Garden on 25 September. The space forms the centrepiece of the Chinese Streamside Garden – the UK’s first authentic classical Chinese garden. Crafted by artisans from China using traditional materials and techniques, the garden features four pavilions celebrating the scholarly pursuits of music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

New football running tour launches

A new visitor experience combining running and football has been launched by local radio presenter and football commentator, Gaz Drinkwater. Gaz’s Manchester Football Running Tour , takes participants on a relaxed run through the city, stopping at locations that have shaped Manchester’s global football identity. Designed for all abilities, the tours offer a fresh perspective and a novel way to tour the city.

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New food and drink openings

GRUB Stretford

Manchester street food favourites GRUB bring their street food offer to a new space in Streford, just outside the city centre. An 18-month residency will see everything from fairs to beer festivals, hosted within a 300-capacity venue with bakery, coffee shop and pop-up bottle store, which by night transforms into a large-scale evening dining destination.

The Spinner’s Rest

Following a £1.8m refurbishment that preserves more than 200 years of history, The Spinner’s Rest has reopened with a fresh street food offering and a newly created beer garden. The pub — dating back to 1808 — is dog-friendly and perfectly placed in Ancoats, one of Manchester’s trendiest neighbourhoods. It’s set to become a favourite watering hole for both locals and visitors.

The Trof

Reopened in May, The Trof Pub and Dining Room has been fully refurbished by the team behind the highly reviewed restaurant Stow, emerging with a fresh look and a menu centred on British pub classics made with locally sourced produce. Set within its historic, quintessentially English pub setting, The Trof now also serves traditional Sunday roasts that anchor its new offering.

Places to Stay

Aloft by Marriott

The first Aloft property in Manchester, and its biggest in Europe, the 358-bed hotel opened in June in the Deansgate area of the city centre. Within the hotel, guests will find W XYZ Bar for craft cocktails, food, and live music, whilst families are catered for with a dedicated programme for kids. The hotel also offers a 24-hour fitness centre and is fully pet-friendly.

The Edwardian

60-years since the infamous Bob Dylan ‘Judas!’ gig, and 50 years from the Sex Pistols concert that kickstarted the British punk rock movement, The Edwardian hotel, formerly concert venue The Free Trade Hall, continues to nod to its music heritage with mementoes throughout the 5-star property. Featuring a spa with pool, and an award-winning restaurant in Peter Street Kitchen, the hotel makes a great base for any music fan looking for a touch of luxury in a hotel with Manchester’s music history in its bones.

Mollie’s

Newly opened in December 2025, Mollie’s has opened within the former Granada TV studios, which produced much of the UK’s beloved television between 1956 and 2013. The hotel offers 106 rooms and suites, alongside Mollie’s diner serving up classic comfort food, alongside a stylish cocktail bar, Studio IV Bar, with a heated terrace and a regular programme of live music.

Dakota Manchester

Newly opened on 1 July at Manchester Airport, the 154‑bedroom Dakota delivers contemporary luxury with the brand’s signature interiors, a brasserie‑style grill, and an elegant bar, offering a stylish new option for travellers using the UK’s third‑busiest airport. It follows the success of their Manchester city‑centre property, which continues to provide luxurious rooms, chauffeur services, and both a Champagne Room and a cigar terrace.