The carnival spirit returns to Manchester this June with the annual Manchester Day parade. Music, colour and sound will take over the city centre on 22^nd June, alongside an abundance of exciting activity in this yearly event commissioned by Manchester City Council.

Much like last year, the parade itself will be around one mile long. It will be leaving Liverpool Road at around 1pm, passing many of Manchester’s famous landmarks before reaching Exchange Square, where the parade will reach its end at around 3pm.

As well the famous city centre parade, led by enthusiastic mascot Gilly the Goldfish, this year sees the introduction of a brand new creative extravaganza, a global theme, celebrating the city’s round-the-world connections

Manchester will be hosting a number of new festivals and events in the run up to its special day.  St. Anne’s Square is playing host to a markets festival. Cocktails, cupcakes and afternoon tea in chic surroundings with a vintage feel will be available throughout the month thanks to Elsie May’s traditional tea room.

A large orangery will be erected in the city centre which will play host to stalls selling crafts, books, pottery, clothing and more. Homemade gifts and treats will be available for all. The events line up for the orangery marquee will change every week throughout the month, with a vintage fair taking place on June 4^th.

On 7^th of June avid readers can enjoy an independent book festival. For those of you after something a little fruitier, Mango Rays cocktails will be making an appearance to provide an assortment of cocktails, Pimms and Prosecco! This year’s Grillstock Festival will provide some much needed music and foodie entertainment too.

There will be all sorts to do this summer half term for the little ones, as well as a number of activities for sports enthusiasts. The Manchester Kelvin is a great way for members of the public to test their cycling sprinter speed, strength and skill. As well as this there will be an international swimming meet, sponsored by British Gas.

For details on all of these events and more, please visit our events page here . To learn more about Manchester Day itself, go to www.manchesterday.co.uk.