The 12 Greater Manchester summer festivals you can still get tickets for

We're only a few months into the year and already we've been treated with a feast of cultural events and musical experiences. Homegrown acts like Liam Gallagher have treated fans to new music, while major music venues like Co-op Live have seen acts including Elbow, The Black Keys and Barry Manilow grace the stage.

And there's plenty more to come as far as gigs and concerts are concerned. Meanwhile, the festival season is only just getting started. For Greater Manchester, the beginning of summer is marked by 80,000 revellers pouring into Heaton Park in early June for Parklife Festival, closely followed by a string of city centre and borough events spanning music, comedy, food and drink and the arts.

Even though popular festivals like Bluedot and Neighbourhood Weekender in Warrington will take a year off for 2024, we've still readying ourselves for some stellar festivals including Parklife and Manchester Pride. And even though not all of Manchester's upcoming festivals have announced full details yet, here's what we know so far on some of those events taking place.

READ MORE: Popular family-friendly music festival less than an hour away from Manchester offering £15 tickets

Manchester Craft Beer Festival - 5-6 June

Taking over Depot Mayfield, the Manchester Craft Beer Festival will feature 65 breweries exhibiting more than 500 beers and ciders, from locals like Cloudwater, Track, Marble, Northern Monk, Bundobust, Sureshot and Seven Brothers.

The huge event will also feature tastings and tours with the likes of Channel 4’s Mark Dredge and live Euros screening. For something to soak all the tastings, ramen joint Bone Daddies will be on hand making their Manchester debut, sitting alongside Almost Famous, Bundobust, MorMor and Vooddoo Rays.

Standard entry tickets are priced at £57, and a group offer saves you £5 per ticket when you buy 4 together, reducing the cost to £52. The ticket includes all of your beer, a special festival beer glass and access to the festival’s talks, tastings, tours, Food Block Party and live music.

Parklife Festival - 8-9 June

The UK's largest metropolitan festivals returns in just a couple of weeks time as some of music industry’s biggest acts and stars descend on the Greater Manchester venue on June 9 and 10.

This year's Parklife festival will feature headliners including American rapper and singer Doja Cat - her first ever UK festival set - alongside electronic duo Disclosure and Mercury-nominated J-Hus. They'll be joined by pop royalty Sugababes, as well as producer Kaytranada, chart-topper Becky Hill and world-conquering DJ Peggy Gou, amongst others.

OAK FEST - 27 July

Ever so slightly off patch, OAK FEST, a family friendly music festival less than an hour from Manchester is back and it's offering £15 tickets for a limited time. Held at Oak Hill Park in Hyndburn in Accrington, it will feature a headline performance from Kate Nash and a DJ set from Happy Mondays legends Bez and Rowetta when it takes place on July 27, 2024.

Also joining the line-up across two stages will include Jessica Winter, New Orleans brass and 90s dance fusion Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, DJ Simba, Amsterdam indie pop powerhouse Pip Blom and a magical rendition of ABBA hits from the Untold Orchestra.

Until June 1, festival goers can get £15 tickets to the festival as part of a special early bird offer. Last year’s festival, which marked the first OAK FEST, was attended by more than 5,000 people.

Heaton Park Food & Drink Festival - 3-4 August

Returning to Heaton Park is the middle of summer, this year's event will feature a street food arena featuring an array of global cuisines, an artisan market showcasing 80 traders, and a plethora of bars.

From Mexican tacos and bao buns in the food arena, to a a variety of sweet treats and home-baked goods, plus beverages from a a host of independents there's already a lot in the works to pique even the most seasoned foodie's interest.

Rochdale Feel Good Festival - 10 August

Chart toppers Lottery Winners, Ocean Colour Scene and Heather Small are some of the headliners announced already announced for this year’s Rochdale Feel Good Festival.

This summer the main stage returns to its usual location on Rochdale Town Hall Square, after a five-year absence, along with live music across indoor venues, and a food and drink village. While early-bird tickets have sold out there's more available on the Rochdale Council website or in person at the Middleton Arena.

Manchester Pride - 23-26 August

The huge celebration that is Pride is not only a reason to be massively proud of our city, but a great opportunity to soak up the best of Manchester's music and nightlife. One of the biggest celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community will encompass the annual parade, a host of takeovers and the Gay Village Party featuring artists and performers.

Headlining the Gay Village Party, which will take place across various stages surrounding Canal Street, will be Jessie J and two-time Eurovision Song Contest winner Loreen, who represented Sweden in 2012 and 2023. Other confirmed acts include Katy B, DJ Paulette, Claire Richards from Steps, Louis III, Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton, Angie Brown and Chinchilla.

Festa Italiana - 23-25 August

Festa Italiana, UK’s biggest Italian festival, is coming back to Cathedral Garden, Manchester between 23-25 August for an epic 2024 edition. Created by the city’s family-run favourites Salvi’s, there will be a market, fresh music line-up and return of the Festa Italiana Della Donna (Women’s Day) following its debut in 2023.

As well as all the Italian food staples you can think of, there will be chef appearances and demos, a musical parade and some of Manchester's best food and drink vendors serving up pasta, pizza, arancini, cannoli, spritz and more.

Bolton Food & Drink Festival - 23-26 August

The August Bank Holiday is always a big one and in Greater Manchester we're lucky enough to have two food festivals keeping visitors fed, watered and entertained across the long weekend. After half a million people turned out to Bolton Food & Drink Festival last year, they're back and with some new additions.

As well as its strong roster of food and drink traders, chef talks and live entertainment, this year will also feature a 'Sheer Luck Holmes' murder mystery served up alongside a three-course meal, a Faulty Towers Dining Experience, and chef James Martin will be making his 14th appearance at the festival on Bank Holiday Monday.

Moovin Festival - 23-25 August

This hidden Greater Manchester festival nestled amongst serene lakes and a gorge returns this August bank holiday. Taking place at Whitebottom Farm, in the wonderfully picturesque Etherow Country Park, this should be quite the party.

Spanning a wide range of music genres - from reggae and drum and bass, to funk, house and soul, Moovin started out as a small barn party and gone on to become a sell-out bank holiday staple. Pitching up to play will be the likes of Leftfield, Laurent Garnier, hip-hop group Souls of Mischief and reggae legend David Rodigan, along with Afro beats pioneer and global star Sampa The Great.

Green Island Festival - June 15, September 7

This series of one-day festivals takes over the urban oasis of Hulme Garden Centre, with a variety of DJs, live acts and food traders across three dates in June, July and September.

The festival, will take place across three dates on June 15, July 27 and September 7, aims to ‘offer a peaceful sanctuary from a hectic urban lifestyle’. Heading down this year will be Senegal performers Def MaMa Def, dance music outfit Afriquoi and multi-instrumentalist David Walters.

There will also be a Selector Stage hidden away playing vinyl records through an elite sound system. Record label Apricot Ballrooms are amongst those hosting takeovers on the ‘secret’ stage. And Warwick Street will feature a range of food and drink stalls, with traders to be revealed closer to the date.

Laughterama - 4-8 September

If you're in need of a laugh fortunately there's an event on the horizon that's designed to do exactly that. Laughterama, Manchester’s biggest comedy festival, returns to Castlefield Bowl from 4-8 September with an incredible series of shows starring stand-up’s finest.

As summer draws to a close, you'll be able to Catch a compilation of comedy luminaries including 8 Out of 10 Cats team captain and stand-up master Jon Richardson, British Comedy Award-winner Stewart Lee and multi-award-winning Sara Pascoe, plus many more all-star names.

Góbéfest – 20-22 September

This September you can experience the food and culture of the Carpathian Basin without having to leave Manchester - or travel all the way to Transylvania. Góbéfest, the annual celebration of urban and European folk music and dance returns to Cathedral Gardens this September.

As well as being a feast for the ears, festival-goers will be able to enjoy a number of delicacies, from giant pans of goulash, to the fried flat breads known as lángos and Transylvanian barbecued chimney cakes. Alongside craft beer, there will also be a Hungarian wine stall, a cocktail bar and a palinka (Hungarian fruit brandy) bar.