Jenna Campbell

The Cure will headline the opening event of this summer’s Live From Wythenshawe Park concert series on August 21, supported by Slowdive and The Slow Readers Club. Lewis Capaldi performs the following day, with Pulp, Courteeners and The Prodigy scheduled for the next weekend. Gates open at 4pm and the curfew is 10:30pm. Visitors are encouraged to use public transport, while several roads—including Rackhouse Road, Wythenshawe Road, Moor Road, Palatine Road and Greenpark Road—will close at specified times on event days.

The Cure will open the 2026 Live From Wythenshawe Park concert series in Manchester on 21 August, supported by Slowdive and The Slow Readers Club. Doors open at 4pm, with The Cure scheduled for 8:15pm and the concert ending by a 10:30pm curfew. Attendees are encouraged to use public transport, while tram services will be enhanced and Wythenshawe Road and Baguley tram stops will close from 9pm. The venue bans alcohol, liquids, food, large bags, weapons, aerosols, umbrellas, seating, bikes, professional cameras and numerous other items; only small A4-sized bags and clear plastic water bottles under 500ml are permitted.

Yotel Manchester Deansgate has closed bookings for June and July 2027 while awaiting possible Oasis tour dates, according to an email seen by the Manchester Evening News. Industry sources reportedly expect a major Oasis tour announcement in late August, potentially including a 12-night Etihad Stadium residency and shows at Knebworth, with tickets possibly released in September. A prospective customer criticised the hotel’s policy, while Yotel said it releases availability in stages before major events to manage expected demand and tailor the guest experience.

Cholmondeley, a small Cheshire village about an hour southwest of Manchester, attracts visitors to its historic estate, fairytale castle and 70 acres of gardens. Cholmondeley Castle and Gardens offer seasonal displays, themed gardens, nature trails, play areas and events including a classic-car festival and Halloween celebration. Visitors can also eat at the estate’s farm shop and café or at The Cholmondeley Arms, an award-winning pub in a converted Victorian schoolhouse known for its extensive gin collection, Sunday roasts, seasonal dishes and cosy interior.

Carmen André and business partner Claudio Vitale transformed a sandwich shop behind Manchester Piccadilly into Sicilian NQ, a restaurant and bar on Turner Street in the Northern Quarter. The venue, opened shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, showcases family recipes and authentic Sicilian dishes including arancini, cannoli, caponata, seafood, vegetarian and vegan options, cakes and gelato. Ingredients such as Bronte pistachios are imported from Sicily, while the restaurant adapts some recipes for local customers. Sicilian NQ is also raising money for an animal sanctuary in Sicily.

The Angel, a late-18th-century Grade II listed coaching inn in Knutsford near Tatton Park, has completed a £350,000 refurbishment that adds four bedrooms, increasing its accommodation from eight to 12 rooms. Owned by Manchester-based Joseph Holt brewery, the pub has also refreshed its dining and bar areas while retaining its historic character, offering food, drinks and dog-friendly spaces. The investment reflects growing visitor numbers in Cheshire and demand for traditional pub accommodation. The Angel is also associated with Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel Cranford, which was based on Knutsford.

The Swettenham Arms, a 16th-century country pub in Swettenham between Congleton and Holmes Chapel, offers extensive outdoor seating, a large beer garden and a lavender meadow overlooking St Peter's Church. The pub sits beside the 28-acre Lovell Quinta Arboretum, created by physicist Sir Bernard Lovell, and retains historic features including old beams and copper-hooded fireplaces. Reopened after a major Robinsons Brewery refurbishment in 2023, it serves small plates, pub classics, desserts, rotating Robinsons cask ales and Sunday roasts. The venue also provides free parking and hosts weddings and other events, although public transport is limited.

Equal Tea, a new café on Church Road in Urmston established by Trafford-based care provider Away Day Care, aims to create meaningful employment pathways for people with assessed needs. From September, it will offer up to 12 learners each year a 50-week programme combining hands-on café experience with training in hospitality, budgeting, travel, CV writing and interviews. The initiative is designed to lead to sustainable paid or voluntary work while helping employers make recruitment more accessible. Equal Tea has received local support and partnered with Pot Kettle Black, Half Dozen Other and Flour & Soul, offering coffee, fresh meals and baked goods alongside its inclusion mission.

Didsbury bakery La Chouquette has reopened after a major refit that expanded into an adjoining unit and created a wider counter, refreshed product displays and a redesigned interior with mosaic floors, brass fixtures and midnight-blue decor. Founded during the 2020 lockdown by professional bakers Catrina Deignan and Florent Verove, the business now also has a Poynton shop and a nearby sandwich shop. The refurbished bakery continues to sell breads, pastries, desserts and savoury bakes, while introducing products such as a truffle croque monsieur. It is open daily from 7am to 5pm at 812a Wilmslow Road.

The Pheasant Inn in Higher Burwardsley, Cheshire, is highlighted as a historic rural pub offering panoramic views across the Cheshire Plain, Welsh hills and surrounding countryside. The pub has earned an AA Rosette and recognition in the Michelin Good Pub Guide and the 2025 Marketing Cheshire Tourism Awards. It serves seasonal British gastropub food with European influences, including Sunday roasts, burgers, fish and chips, desserts and terrace dishes, alongside local ales, wines and cocktails. The inn has 12 rooms and a self-catering cottage, and provides a convenient base for exploring the Sandstone Trail, Tattenhall and nearby attractions such as The Ice Cream Farm.

Drinkwater Park in Prestwich is highlighted as a shaded summer destination within Greater Manchester, featuring woodland, meadows, wetlands, ponds, streams, the River Irwell and a reservoir. The park offers walking, running, cycling, horse riding, fishing and dog-walking opportunities, while its habitats support wildlife including kingfishers, herons, frogs, foxes and rabbits. The site also retains remnants of Irwell House, a former mansion and smallpox hospital that was damaged by fire and demolished. The park is accessible year-round through several routes and forms part of the wider Prestwich Forest Park network.

Maison Cafe has opened at Unit 1 of Manchester’s Corn Exchange, taking over the former Salvi’s site after the Italian restaurant’s sudden closure. The Liverpool-based cafe’s second location offers a fully halal menu of brunch, lunch, desserts, pastries, coffee, sandwiches, steak and pizzas, alongside a wide range of speciality matcha drinks. The venue is open daily from 8am to 8pm and is positioned as an elegant, Parisian-inspired addition to Manchester’s food scene.

Poynton, five miles from Stockport and 11 miles from Manchester, is presented as an accessible day-trip destination combining Cheshire countryside, canals, walking routes and local history. Attractions include the Macclesfield Canal, Poynton Park, Lyme Park, the 16-kilometre Middlewood Way and a six-mile route focused on the town’s coal-mining heritage. The town centre also offers independent shops, restaurants, pubs, beer gardens and live-music venues, making it suitable for outdoor activities and food-and-drink-focused visits.

Stockport’s Krazy Races soapbox derby will take place on Sunday, 9 August 2026, from 11am to 5pm. The free event will feature 40 teams, a classic car showcase and a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast involving a Douglas C-47 Dakota. The flypast is expected at around 2:45pm, but weather, route, timing and aircraft availability could cause changes, so attendees are advised to check Krazy Races’ social media updates.

Manchester Caribbean Carnival returns to Alexandra Park on August 8 and 9, 2026, with about 60,000 attendees expected across two days. The programme includes the J’Ouvert procession, a large parade, costume showcases, live music, food stalls and family entertainment. Temporary rolling and full road closures will affect Moss Side, Whalley Range and surrounding routes, including Moss Lane East, Upper Lloyd Street, Claremont Road and nearby streets, with additional closures during visitor departures. Drivers are advised to plan journeys and allow extra travel time.

Chef Tom Kerridge has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to maintain his previous support for cutting hospitality VAT from 20% to 10%. Kerridge praised the government’s 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, clubs and live-music venues, but said it does not address the wider pressures facing the sector, including food inflation, utility costs, national insurance, wages and business rates. The VAT campaign, backed by UKHospitality, has collected more than 300,000 signatures. Kerridge said Burnham’s experience as Greater Manchester mayor gives him an understanding of hospitality and expressed hope that the VAT reduction remains on the government’s agenda.

Styal, a historic village near Greater Manchester built for workers at Quarry Bank Mill, is home to The Ship, a pub dating back hundreds of years. The former cowshed retains original features and displays a 1900 notice from Henry P. Greg limiting customers to two alcoholic drinks at a time, a rule that no longer applies. The pub now serves cask ales, classic and contemporary dishes, and Sunday roasts, while nearby attractions include the National Trust-owned mill, community-run shop and café Earlams, and Spanish tapas restaurant El Bosc.

Roman Lakes in Marple, Stockport, is a historic leisure destination in the Goyt Valley featuring lakes, woodlands, walking trails, a waterside tearoom and a play area. Originally created as millponds to power Samuel Oldknow’s Mellor Mill, the site later became a leisure resort and is now used for events, weddings and monthly public open days. Visitors can enjoy refreshments, music, heritage attractions and access to nearby walking and cycling routes; entry is free on the last Sunday of each month, with tea dances held on the last Saturday.

Stanley Chow’s free MCR Made exhibition at Manchester Arndale features 13 large inflatable portraits of figures associated with Manchester’s music, sport, science, politics and culture, including Liam and Noel Gallagher, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ellen Wilkinson, Alan Turing, Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden. The exhibition also highlights Wilkinson’s legacy through the Arndale’s Ask for Ellen initiative, which provides free sanitary products to help address period poverty. Visitors can follow the exhibition trail and enter a draw for signed limited-edition prints. MCR Made runs from 3 August to 24 October 2026.

The Coach & Horses in Whitefield, dating from 1830, was once a staging post for the Burnley-to-Manchester mail coach. Landlady Sue Hawley took over in 2019 and used the Covid closure to refurbish its beer garden, adding themed ornaments, a stage, and a summer house for community events. The pub, voted Greater Manchester's favourite in Manchester Evening News' Love Your Local awards, serves Sunday roasts and features a mural of the Gallagher brothers linked to the nearby Heaton Park Oasis performances.

Reformer Pilates has grown rapidly, boosted by celebrity endorsements, boutique studios and social media. The method, developed by Joseph Pilates from his earlier “contrology” system, is presented as a low-impact workout that can improve strength, posture, body awareness and rehabilitation. Catherine Hebb, founder of Runway Pilates in Greater Manchester, says the boom is double-edged because the industry is unregulated, allowing poorly trained instructors and low-quality equipment to contribute to injuries. She recommends researching instructors’ qualifications, checking the machines used and ensuring classes teach proper Pilates principles, alignment and hands-on corrections rather than simply pursuing increasingly difficult social-media poses.

Five Guys will open a new restaurant at Manchester Fort Shopping Park on August 3, expanding its Greater Manchester presence. The venue will offer dine-in, takeaway and delivery, and will introduce the limited-time Big Kids Combo alongside the company’s new app-free Five Guys Rewards programme. The chain already operates several locations across the region and has more than 250,000 burger combinations and 1,000 milkshake customization options.

Etherow Country Park in Compstall, Stockport, is highlighted as a 200-acre destination featuring woodland, grassland, marshland, the River Etherow and a large lake used for sailing, boating and angling. Visitors can follow riverside trails to a weir and waterfall, enjoy picnic areas, and stop at cafés including Pure Coffee and The Potting Shed. Whitebottom Farm adds a bar beside the waterfall, Beers at the Weir, serving beers, spirits, sparkling wine and locally sourced smash burgers, alongside community events. The park is accessible by car, train and bus.

A detailed look at the Bowling Green pub in Chorlton highlights its two beer gardens, children’s play area, and proximity to the Chorlton Ees Nature Reserve. The pub offers extensive indoor and outdoor seating, a varied food menu including small plates, sandwiches, and kids’ meals, and a broad selection of ales and drinks. Additional features include six guest bedrooms, event space, and amenities for families.

Two Greater Manchester food businesses, Fat Pat's and Burgerism, have been shortlisted for the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year Awards. Fat Pat's is recognised for its viral growth, popular sandwiches, and community efforts, while Burgerism earns its nomination for its influential smashed-burger concept and expansion into dine-in service. Both compete in the North West category as public voting opens.

A recently refurbished Stockport pub, The Puss in Boots in Offerton, has been named a finalist for Best Pub for Families in the Great British Pub Awards 2026. Managed by Almond Family Pubs in partnership with Robinsons Brewery, the venue now features upgraded interiors, expanded dining options, a play area and a new summer menu. The pub offers daily carvery service, children’s meals, coffee from 10am and a wide selection of drinks including beers and seasonal cocktails.

A circular walking route at Alderley Edge in Cheshire offers panoramic views, wooded paths, historic mining remains and folklore landmarks, finishing at the outdoor Wizard Tea Room. The easy-access loop includes sites such as the Engine Vein, Armada Beacon, Druid’s Circle and Canyon Mine. Visitors can enjoy refreshments at the tea room, which now stocks Bidlea Dairy ice cream. The area is accessible by train via Alderley Edge station or by car using the nearby National Trust car park.