Guinness Six Nations: Manchester city centre fanzone to provide perfect place to watch rugby union tournament

The Guinness Six Nations is a highlight of any rugby union fan’s calendar - and a massive fanzone is coming to Manchester city centre to get supporters right to the heart of the action in this year’s tournament.

The fanzone on Baring Street, is set to be the largest outside of London and will provide the perfect place for fans to watch England, Wales, Ireland, France, Scotland and Italy do battle for northern hemisphere bragging rights. Supporters can select from free general tickets or pay for the best seats in the house and there will also be plenty of Guinness-related activities, entertainment and giveaways.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Guinness Six Nations fanzone coming to Manchester.

What is the Guinness Six Nations fanzone and when is it in Manchester?

The official Guinness Six Nations fanzone in Manchester is located on Baring Street, a short distance from Piccadilly station. As well as being somewhere for rugby union fans to watch the matches and enjoy a pint of the black stuff, there will also be interactive programming and live entertainment including Irish dancing and bagpipe playing.

Tickets are free for general admission and £10 to get you the best seats in the house, which includes a table reservation. The fanzone is open for every match of the tournament and will let fans in an hour before kick off.

Dedicated fans can also reserve their places for all five of their country’s matches with a Season Pass costing £25. This includes a special edition team jersey and access to the best seats in the house. The first 150 customers will also get a Guinness Six Nations tote bag which includes a beanie, cushions and foam fingers, as well as temporary tattoos and face paints.

Season Pass purchasers will also be in with a chance of securing some amazing, money-can’t-buy experiences. The main prize is four tickets to a Six Nations match from this year’s championship, including a dressing room tour and match flag bearer duty. The runner-up prizes are four tickets to a Six Nations match, two signed match-day balls and four shirts.

When are the matches and when does the Six Nations open?

The fixtures for this year’s Guinness Six Nations, and the times the fanzone opens for each match, are as follows:

Saturday 4 February: Wales vs Ireland. Kick off 2.15pm, doors open 1.15pm.

Saturday 4 February: England vs Scotland. Kick off 4.45pm, doors open 3.45pm.

Sunday 5 February: Italy vs France. Kick off 3pm, doors open 2pm.

Saturday 11 February: Ireland vs France. Kick off 2.15pm, doors open 1.15pm.

Saturday 11 February: Scotland vs Wales. Kick off 4.45pm, doors open 3.45pm.

Saturday 12 February: England vs Italy. Kick off 3pm, doors open 2pm.

Saturday 25 February: Italy vs Ireland. Kick off 2.15pm, doors open 1.15pm.

Saturday 25 February: Wales vs England. Kick off 4.45pm, doors open 3.45pm.

Saturday 26 February: France vs Scotland. Kick off 3pm, doors open 2pm.

Saturday 11 March: Italy vs Wales. Kick off 2.15pm, doors open 1.15pm.

Saturday 11 March: England vs France. Kick off 4.45pm, doors open 3.45pm.

Sunday 12 March: Scotland vs Ireland. Kick off 3pm, doors open 2pm.

Saturday 18 March: Italy vs Scotland. Kick off 12.30pm, doors open 11.30am.

Saturday 18 March: France vs Wales. Kick off 2.45pm, doors 1.45pm.

Saturday 18 March: Ireland vs England. Kick off 5pm, doors open 4pm.

Ticket booking for all the matches, as well as more information, can be found on the website for the Manchester fanzone here.