Arts & culture

The multi award-winning Manchester Histories Festival is back for its tenth edition.

Celebrate our histories at this free three-day festival full of events for everyone. 

Civic Pride: Celebrating Community and Belonging across Greater Manchester 
Manchester Histories Festival 2026 celebrates the spirit of civic pride and community collaboration, inviting audiences, artists, academics, and local groups to contribute to a shared story of the city’s past, present, and future. 

Sheba Festival 2026: Still We Rise, a vibrant, week-long celebration of art, culture, and community in the heart of Longsight.

Join for a jam-packed programme of exhibitions, live music, performances, workshops, and delicious food, bringing people together through creativity and shared experiences.

Across the week, the festival will be hosting six unique events and workshops, each offering something special to explore and enjoy.

Sheba Festival 2026: Still We Rise Exhibition
13th June, 10am, Longsight Art Space
Free

Equality & Diversity UK’s Anti-Racism Leadership Book Club aims to explore and discuss literature that enriches our understanding of race equality, diversity, and inclusion. Through thought-provoking discussions, they aim to create a space for open dialogue and shared learning.

On Wednesday 17 June, they will be discussing We Were There: How Black Culture, Resistance and Community Shaped Modern Britain by Lanre Bakare

The Hour: Spotlight with Keith Jeffrey - a highly experienced cultural leader, social entrepreneur, and executive coach

Are you an aspiring arts or cultural leader?

Are you a working‑class creative navigating a system that wasn’t built for you?

Do you want to understand how power really works, and how to move through it?

Join the Manchester Lit&Phil and MACFEST for a vibrant evening celebrating the power of words to bridge cultures, spark understanding, and illuminate the rich tapestry of our city.

This event brings together a distinguished panel of poets, whose award-winning works span continents, traditions, and lived experiences.

European Community Day

Programme Highlights
Folk dance group Breza (Birmingham, UK)
Singing group Matica Slovenská Rijeka (Croatia)
Workshop stand for children
ASCOP UK meet-up
Seminar on returning to Slovakia (speakers from Slovakia) – 12pm-3pm
DJ Kenny Tomas Kenny Chromec
Stalls of international communities, organisations, and businesses

Traditional goulash stew cooked outside in the garden, with refreshments and a variety of food options available to purchase.

The Hour: Connect is a relaxed, informal session where cultural education practitioners come together to talk, share experiences, and spark new collaborations.

There’s no speaker this time. Just space for you and your peers to reflect, network, and explore what matters most in your work with children and young people.

Who’s it for?

Artists, educators, producers, freelancers, youth workers, policymakers anyone committed to creating inspiring and inclusive creative opportunities for children and young people.

Hear from the author of Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health.

What if art could save your life?

Join us for a morning conversation with Professor Daisy Fancourt, the world's leading expert on arts and health, as she reveals the life-changing power of creative engagement.

In her groundbreaking book Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health, Daisy shows us that the arts are not a luxury; they are essential to our health, happiness, and ability to flourish.

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) invites you to their Garden City Discovery Day Community Connector, a family friendly event celebrating gardening, creativity, and community in Wythenshawe.

This family-friendly Connector will bring together residents, local Community Groups, and organisations to champion community growing, sustainability and local pride.