Need to know
It’s another busy weekend of events for people of all ages to enjoy
Homobloc returns to Manchester on Saturday night(Image: Jody Hartley)
Five things to do in Greater Manchester this weekend (September 25-27)
- Sankeys will kick off its Autumn/Winter season with a big opening party on Saturday. The revamped 500-capacity space will feature appearances from the likes of Low Steppa, Pirate Copy, and Mike Morrisey B2B Luca606. It will also be a chance to experience the new clanestine ‘Room 2’, designed for raw and intimate sets, as well as the expanded Room 1 with a new signature LED matrix. The venue continues on the strict no-VIP, no-phones policy it launched with last season. Last tickets here.
- Over in Salford, RHS Garden Bridgewater will be opening its new Yangzhou Scholars’ Garden this weekend. Over eight years in the making, it is the centrepiece of the seven-acre Chinese Streamside Garden, which is the the largest and most comprehensive classical Chinese garden in Europe. Designed by Chinese landscape architects, and will feature over 200 trees and shrubs, as well as a six-metre-tall Ginkgo biloba, conveying messages of good luck, health and happiness. Over the weekend, there will be family-friendly activities to mark its arrival including a traditional Chinese lion dance, lantern-making workshops, storytelling sessions, live music, and guided tours. More info here.
- Here ye, here ye! The Manchester Medieval Faire will be returning on Saturday, taking up residency in the city’s Medieval Quarter. There will be food, drink and craft stalls, birds of prey demonstrations, shield decoration workshops, live renactors, and music from the Manchester Troubadours, as well as the chance to partake in walking tours. There will be a chance to take part in a tour (£8.50) of the Chetham’s Library, which is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. The John Rylands Library will also host drop-in sessions. More details can be found here.
- It’s the last weekend to see Luke Jerram’s breathtaking seven-metre floating earth installation before it ends its run at Trafford Palazzo on October 2. Backed by an immersive surround-sound score by composer Dan Jones, the NASA-detailed ‘Gaia’ artwork is all created to evoke the feeling when astronaunts look down on Earth from Space. It’s worth the trip, and you can stop by at some of the other nearby attractions, shops and cafes whilst there to make a proper day of it!
- Homobloc, one of the biggest nightlife celebrations of the LGBTQ+ scene in Manchester, returns to Depot Mayfield on Saturday. It will feature the likes of Honey Dijon, Kim Petras, Cobrah, DJ Fat Tony, and Horse Meat Disco. There will also be a Hacienda celebration marking the 35th anniversary Manchester’s pioneering LGBTQ+ club night FLESH, with Kath McDermott, Tim Lennox, Guy Williams, Mike Hux, DJ Paulette and Adeva all set to appear. Runs from 5pm to 4am, tickets from £44.45. More information here. READ THE FULL STORY: Homobloc 2026 unveils ‘club-heavy’ line-up with Kim Petras and Hacienda club night celebration
