Manchester Day Prep Begins

This year’s Manchester Day (Sunday 18th June) will celebrate the city with this year’s theme ‘Abracadabra’ looking at the everyday magic of Manchester, as well as the amazing and charmed achievements by Manchester people through its history.

(All images credit Mark Waugh, Manchester Parade 2016)

Run by the Walk the Plank, the WoW Workshop is now open for business welcoming top artists from across the North West.

The artists will be joined by the hundreds of volunteers from community groups across the city who are ready to begin the mammoth task of creating the artworks, costumes and props that make Manchester Day the show of the year.

Expect an abundance of colour, sound and magic this June as hundreds of people from community groups from across the city come together in a parade full of celebration for the great city we live in. The parade will also spill over into the city centre squares for a full afternoon of entertainment, food and drink.

Councillor Pat Karney, Chair of Manchester Day, said:
“It’s a magical time to be in Manchester as we begin the countdown to the best event of the summer – where the streets and squares are transformed in to a huge open air stage and more than 2,000 people parade through the city centre. Now the hard work begins. The hundreds of artists, community groups and volunteers will be working tirelessly for the next two months to make our wildest imaginations come true before our very eyes.”

Pugh, Co-Founder of Walk the Plank and Manchester Day Executive Producer, said:
“Now in its eighth year we’re delighted to be working on another Manchester Day in partnership with the City Council. This annual celebration of all things Mancunian is not just a brilliant day out but a fantastic way in which a wide range of community groups can present their unique identity and culture to the people of Manchester.”

Manchester Day is now in its eighth outing taking on a different theme each year to celebrate the city, its history and our shared future. Each year thousands of structures, artworks, costumes, props and everything in between, are created at the Wow Workshop by an army of artists and volunteers from the city’s community groups.

With sustainability at its heart, the event tries to reuse and repurpose as much material as possible, saving structures and elements from previous Manchester Day celebrations to be used in future events. The keen eyed may be able to spot various bits and bobs that have been given a new lease of life from year to year… A key part of the green credentials of Manchester Day is that at no point during the parade will you see a combustion engine. Every large build, small float or prop is human powered to help reduce the carbon footprint of the event. They also encourage the thousands of people who visit the city centre for Manchester Day to travel by public transport, bicycle or on foot to help support the green ambitions of the event.