The Ultimate Guide to Christmas in Manchester
Christmas festivities are underway here in Manchester, and plenty of events are taking place across the city to celebrate the most magical time of the year.
We have compiled a list of the top activities to do and things to see in our ultimate guide to Christmas in Manchester.
We have compiled a list of the top activities to do and things to see in our ultimate guide to Christmas in Manchester.
Transcript
00:00 Christmas festivities are underway here in Manchester and plenty of events are taking
00:05 place across the city to celebrate the most magical time of the year. We have compiled
00:11 a list of the top activities to do and things to see in our Ultimate Guide to Christmas
00:16 in Manchester.
00:17 First up, the Trafford Centre has a number of festive events to take part in over Christmas,
00:23 including a very special trip to the Grotto. Wander through an immersive wonderland where
00:28 dreams come true as you journey through the Candy Cane Land and Enchanted Forest in search
00:34 of Santa's Merry Mailroom.
00:36 The Grotto can be found near the Dolphin Fountain on the ground floor of the centre until the
00:40 24th of December and there are festive treats to eat and drink and colourful face painting
00:46 to get you in the Christmassy spirit.
00:48 The Trafford Centre has also opened its annual Christmas Fairground, Tinseltown, with exhilarating
00:54 rides and tasty treats available until the 1st of January. From the exciting snow jets
01:00 to the thrilling Star Flyer and Don Sapo, as well as plenty of family-friendly rides
01:05 for the little ones, there's something for everyone.
01:08 Inside the fairground you can also find Skate at Tinseltown, where you can take to the ice
01:13 on a shimmering covered rink for a 45-minute skate session. There's twinkling lights and
01:18 festive music perfect for celebrating the Christmas season.
01:22 Next up, the Christmas markets are back again for their 25th year in nine areas of the city
01:27 centre and were recently voted Europe's number one Christmas markets.
01:32 Whether it's mulled wine and delicious pastries in Winter Gardens or bratwurst and festive
01:37 trinkets from King Street and St Anne's Square, there are plenty of stalls to wander around
01:42 this festive season.
01:44 Cathedral Gardens is yet again welcoming people onto the festive-themed ice rink at the heart
01:49 of the city centre.
01:50 The Christmassy Skating Wonderland will be open all the way up until the 2nd of January,
01:55 so there's plenty of time to get onto the ice and enjoy the lights and music and festive
02:00 food and drink.
02:02 Manchester's iconic and much-loved Big Santa has arrived back in front of Central Library
02:07 on St Peter's Square to oversee all things Christmas in his favourite festive city.
02:12 A whopping 12 metres high and weighing over 2.3 tonnes, Manchester's giant Santa is powered
02:18 by low-energy LED light bulbs and is a firm favourite of festive fun-seekers.
02:24 He will be keeping a watchful eye on everyone for his naughty and nice lists throughout
02:29 Christmas and into the new year.
02:31 And finally, Freight Island has been transformed into Winter Island, the UK's largest heated
02:36 indoor and outdoor winter festival, running until Sunday 24th December.
02:42 Next door and new for this year, Mayfield Park will be lit up with the Twilight Trail,
02:47 an enchanting winter light show taking place until Sunday 31st December.
02:52 The Twilight Trail is the first event of its kind at Mayfield Park and has been designed
02:56 for people of all ages, from families, couples, groups and everyone in between.
03:02 Manchester is full of events celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.
03:06 You can find out more about what's going on each week in our weekly What's On guides.