Things to do in Manchester this August bank holiday weekend

It’s only a matter of days until the August Bank Holiday is upon us, so we thought it was about time we offered up some inspiration for how to spend the long weekend. A guide to the three-day weekend wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Manchester Pride, which kicks off this Friday, but lucky for you we’ve rounded up plenty of free Pride events and a full event guide.

Elsewhere, there’s an Italian food festival, the Warehouse Party Opening Party and a massive food and drink festival to keep you busy. As well as special bank holiday events and activities, the usual calendar of exhibitions, club nights and gigs are on the cards to make this a bumper bank holiday weekend.

READ MORE:The bars and restaurants where you can celebrate Manchester Pride without a wristband

Bolton Food & Drink Festival

The North West's biggest food festival is returning for the bank holiday weekend for its 17th year, serving up some of the best food and drink in Greater Manchester. This year, festival-goers can expect to see a host of celebrity chefs, from Ainsley Harriott, The Hairy Bikers, James Martin and Michael Caines take to the stage for cookery demonstrations, plus live music acts and street entertainment.

Moovin Festival

This dance music festival rocks up at Etherow Country Park this weekend, with one of the biggest summer festival line-ups. This year, pioneering dance music legends Orbital take the headline slot and will be joined by a host of other top names at the boutique festival just half an hour out of the city. Also on the bill is jazz funk icon Roy Ayers, rap originators the Sugarhill Gang, bringer of dancehall vibes Sister Nancy and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Details on ticket options can be found on the Moovin website. It happens at the