Manchester Day 2022: first look at floats in spectacular parade in free city centre celebration plus what’s on

Manchester Day 2022 is just around the corner - and residents have been given a sneak preview of some of the floats which will make up the spectacular city centre parade.

The procession will wind its way through the city on Sunday (19 June) in what organisers hope will be a riot of music, colour and dance.

It’s all being put together by creative director Dan Potra, whose past work includes the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony, work on three Commonwealth Games and well as production design for the opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Manchester Day visitors will be able to look out for highlights including a Queen Bee resplendent on an upcycled gondola, floats recreating the city’s railway arches and the town hall clock, horses in a train carriage pulled by a pedal-powered engine and more.

The parade will start at 1pm from the corner of Deansgate and the Beetham Tower, making its way down Deansgate, along St Mary’s Gate, up Cross Street, and onto John Dalton Street, before re-joining Deansgate and ending at the Beetham Tower around an hour and a half later.

Little Amal, the 3.4 metre high puppet of a Syrian girl refugee who arrived in Manchester last summer, will also be out and about in the city centre during the day including happening on the parade in spectacular fashion.

Outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank have been working with community groups and local artists throughout the past few months to help them perfect their parade routines and make the fabulous parade floats that Manchester Day is famous for.

An event space in Piccadilly Gardens will have a packed programme put together by young people, including street dance, acoustic music, rapping, an Instagram wall, face painting, a climbing wall and sports and games put on by MCR Active.

Cathedral Gardens will have free entertainment for all ages from 11 am to 5 pm, with an opportunity to try out circus skills, enjoy live dance and music and eat and drink from the stalls. The Climate Change Mythbuster will also be helping debunk some popular myths about what we can do in the face of the climate emergency.

Over in Exchange Square there will also be activities as well as the Manchester Letters, an installation of human-sized love letters to the city created by three local artists and Manchester people in 2021 as part of the Thank You Manchester Weekender.

Councillor Pat Karney, chair of Manchester Day, said:“We’ve got tons of things going on all day right across the city centre, including of course the return of our legendary Manchester Day parade.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for Manchester’s favourite free day out - it’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally here and Manchester Day 2022 promises to be the best - magnificently Mancunian and utterly unmissable. Come on down!”