August Bank Holiday Weekend
Of course this weekend is a bank holiday – you all know this. It’s the last one before Christmas so you’re going to have to make it count, giving you warm fuzzy memories that will keep you going through the upcoming cold, dark winter months. Luckily for us all there’s an absolute shit ton of things happening all around the city – most notable of which is of course Manchester Pride. Don’t forget that there’s LOADS of Fringe Pride events knocking about too – of which many will be brilliant. Here’s a round-up of what’s happening throughout the city over the next few days…
25+ Things to do this August Bank Holiday 2019
Rochdale Uprising – International Street Art Festival
From Saturday 23rd – Monday 26th August
The internationally-acclaimed street art duo Nomad Clan have partnered up with Rochdale Council to present Rochdale Uprising; a 5-day street art festival taking place over the August Bank Holiday Weekend. The new festival will feature large scale murals, an exhibition, art fair, workshops, artists talks and much more, all accessible for FREE to the general public for all ages and cultures. As a man from Oldham I’m perfectly entitled to say this… don’t get too big for your boots you Rochdale lot. After this weekend your street art might be better than ours but we’ve still got better pubs, more attractive people and Philip Schofield – we’re still better.
An International Street Art Festival is coming to Rochdale!
Love Party @ Star & Garter
Saturday 24th August
The city’s biggest alt-queer/ Pride fringe event this year, the Love Party will be taking over the Star & Garter (cheekily located just on the edge of Mayfield Depot) this Saturday for what promises to be “a queer riot of a pride party!” What should you expect? Well, there will be plenty of DJ’s spinning the best in disco, pop, dance and RnB including the Kiss Me Again lot, Dave Haslam and more. There’ll also be some cabaret, a Vogue ball, drag queens, an indoor pride parade and the best bit? All profits go to LGBT charities Mermaids (supporting trans youth) and Lesbians & Gays Support The Migrants. Get your pay-what-you-feel ticket below…
Surco present A Guy Called Gerald @ South
Sunday 25th August
This looks set to be a massive celebration of a true music legend as the Surco gang present A Guy Called Gerald at South this Bank Holiday Sunday. Gerald has been described as a ‘self-written bible of dance music’, collaborating over the past 30-years with seminal artists like Frankie Knuckles and releasing notable remixes for The Stone Roses, David Bowie and others. He’ll be playing live for 4 bloody hours too – good on him!
Tattu Summer Screenings
Monday 26th August
Known throughout the land for their stunning Chinese dishes and THAT cherry blossom tree, Tattu are also pretty well known for putting on some belting events, and this Bank Holiday Monday they’ll be playing 3 top movies which you can watch on the big screen alongside a 3 course dinner. With the movies you’ve the choice of Grease at 1pm, Dirty Dancing at 4pm or American Pie at 7pm. Sitting in the private dining room, The Parlour, you’ll then be served a three-course feast from Tattu’s summer à la carte menu, as well as their new Asian Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert, accompanied by a refreshing welcome cocktail.
Quingo Harry Potter Special @ Electrik
Tuesday 27th August
I know NOTHING about Harry Potter except tiny bits of things that have accidentally entered my consciousness through the prism of general life. So let’s see if I’m right about any of these things. So he’s a wizard who didn’t know he was a wizard an he was living under some stairs with Uncle Monty. He then gets picked up by Fitz from Cracker and taken to wizard school where he then meets the Sheriff of Nottingham and something happens with an evil wizard who wants to kill him. In between all of this are a lot of gingers, Jim Broadbent and Gary Oldman. Right, that’s it. Think you know more? Get yourself down to this Bingo-Pub Quiz mash-up at Electrik on Tuesday because it’s a Harry Potter special and you can win some amazing (i.e. rubbish) prizes.
Salsa Social MCR @ Revolucion De Cuba
Wednesday 28th August
The Salsa Social at Revs de Cuba takes place every Wednesday and is the city’s biggest and busiest event of its kind. From 6.30pm you can take part in a FREE beginner’s taster class, with the more advanced classes taking place right after (and costing a fiver). The whole thing is finished off with a big Salsa/Cuban/Reggaeton party until 3am too – which might ruin your Thursday at work but will definitely be worth it. Supposedly learning salsa will make you better in bed so if you’re sick and tired of your other half being a lazy lover – get them down here so they can learn some sexy moves.
Make Emo Great Again @ The Deaf Institute
Friday 30th August
Errrrr….sorry. When was emo NOT great? Never. The people who named this night don’t know what they’re talking about. They do know how to make a good night though so I’ll let them off. The last one was a sell out so you should probably be quick and get a ticket. In the meantime, listen to this to get in the mood…
Alien 40th Anniversary Screening
Friday 30th August
It’s been 40 long years since Ridley Scott grabbed Sigourney Weaver, put a bloke in a black suit and shoved them both in a dark, damp corridor and shouted ‘FIGHT!’ whilst filming it all in glorious Cinemascope. Alien is one of the greatest and scariest films of all time and there are very few films out there that are more deserving of the big screen experience than this. Sitting in the dark as the Nostromo crew slowly get picked off one-by-one is a truly frightening experience and this Friday you can get involved down at the Odeon. The only problem with the film? The cat survives. Annoying little shit.
