Things to do in Manchester this weekend (21-23 April) – including St George’s Day parade & Michael Buble

Music, theatre and a traditional, colourful parade are among the events taking place in Manchester this weekend. There’s no excuse not to get out and about.

The city will be celebrating St George’s Day in all its red and white glory this Sunday with a huge parade. There are also some great shows on at the Lowry and GRUB are taking over Wythenshawe with their travelling food festival.

If the nice weather this week has got you in the mood for some weekend fun, here are some events to look out for.

St George’s Day Parade

Miles Platting and city centre, Sunday 23 April

This weekend, Manchester will be celebrating St George, the patron saint of England. The annual parade will be taking place on Sunday 23 April, starting at Varley Street in Miles Platting, through the city centre and back again. Community groups and local dignitaries will be taking part, either walking or on floats. The parade is scheduled to set off at 12pm. More information, including how to register, can be found here.

GRUB Carnival - The Travelling Food Festival

Wythenshawe, Saturday 22 April

Manchester street food venue GRUB will be taking their food festival to Wythenshawe Civic Centre this Saturday, 12-6pm. Food stalls will include smashed burgers, pizza, wings, vegan Mediterranean cuisine and sweet treats like crepes and ice cream. There will also be “family fun, great booze and toe-tapping tunes.” Dogs are welcome at this event and the venue is also accessible. More information can be found by the event’s Facebook page.

Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror

Lowry Theatre, 20-22 April

This new musical by Extraordinary Bodies, an inclusive performance group, will be playing at the Lowry Theatre from Thursday to Saturday. The circus musical is set in Germany 1933, and follows a courageous company of outcasts, acrobats and aerialists. The story is based on historical research and the lives of real performers. Tickets start at £13 and can be purchased via the venue’s website.

The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Lowry Theatre, 18-22 April

Also showing at the Lowry this weekend is the stage adaptation of Christy Leftieri’s best-selling novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo. It tells the story of a beekeeper and his artist wife who lose everything when war ravages their home in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Tickets start at £23 and can be purchased via the venue’s website.

Hamsaz Ensemble – Blossoms of Freedom

Emmanuel Church, Didsbury, Friday 21 April

The Hamsaz Ensemble, a Manchester-based Persian music collective, will be presenting an evening of traditional music at Emmanuel Church in Didsbury on Friday evening. The group was founded by the Sahba Academy in Levenshulme and aims to keep Persian music alive in the region and bring together musicians of all backgrounds and abilities. They will be dedicating this concert to the people of Iran and the current uprising against the country’s theocratic regime under the slogan “women, life, liberty.” The concert starts at 7:30pm. Tickets cost £9.38 and can be purchased via Eventbrite. Tickets must be booked in advance.

Michael Buble

AO Arena, 21-22 April

Finally, Canadian crooner Michael Buble will be in Manchester this weekend performing at the AO Arena. Expect all of his pop hits as well as his renditions of classics from the great American Songbook. Tickets, available via Ticketmaster, are limited for the Friday performances, but there are plenty still available for the Saturday. Prices start at £64.95.