Five things to do in Greater Manchester this weekend from music festivals to boxing legend celebrations

Five fun things to do across Greater Manchester this weekend (June 6-7) As we enter the summer, festival season gets well underway. This weekend, Salford Quays and MediaCity will be buzzing with more than 200 free activities. This will be the 3rd iteration of We Invented the Weekend, the free festival that invites communities from across Greater Manchester and beyond to celebrate the variety of ways in which we love to spend our weekends. Highlights include an epic World Cup inspired performance by English National Opera and Walk the Plank with hundreds of singers from local choirs and football clubs; f ree boat parties sailing through the weekend with on-board DJs playing everything from funk to house to Northern Soul; and Storytelling and talks -from CBeebies Bedtime Stories to thought-provoking talks including Salford legend Peter Hook.

More information and a full schedule can be found here . On Sunday night (June 7), musicians , comedians, sports stars, boxers past and present, will all join together to celebrate Ricky Hatton's career. The ‘Las Vegas-style’ celebration will take place at the AO Arena and organises have said that the Evening4Ricky show will feature a reimagined boxing stage as a line-up of artists and performers take part in a series of 12 entertainment ‘rounds’. The headline artist for the tribute show will be Manchester music legend Bugzy Malone, while other artists announced to be performing at the show include Tinie Tempah, John Newman, Paddy McGuiness, The Ks, Prince Naz, Jason Manford, DJ Spoony and Steph Houghton.

Manchester poet Tony Walsh will also be performing a new poem called 4Ricky too. Tickets are priced at £25 and be purchased via the AO Arena website. READ THE FULL STORY: Headline artist for massive Ricky Hatton tribute show at AO Arena revealed . If you're after a bit of thrill-seeking then look no further than Heaton Park, where the UK's longest outdoor tubing slide has opened at the park's Zip World attraction, letting visitors soar along two slides measuring 77 metres and 88 metres in length.

The new family‑friendly outdoor adventure lets people ride solo or together, winding through the woodland of what is the largest municipal park in Europe inside a donut ring. Forest Tubing is suitable for children aged four and above, with adventurers allowed unlimited rides during an hour-long session. Tickets start at £20 per person, but those booking in advance can save 15% through Zip World’s Early Bird offer bringing the cost down to £17. READ THE FULL STORY: UK's longest outdoor tubing slide is coming to Heaton Park .

To celebrate 125 years of local transit history, The Museum of Transport is opening the doors of its Queens Road Garage for a two-day event. Opened by Manchester Corporation Tramways in 1901 to operate the city’s first electric tram services, it now provides Bee Network bus services to the people of Greater Manchester. On Saturday, the open day takes place from 11am until 3:30pm and features guided tours of the garage, free heritage bus services, a chance to see the engineering workshop, plus food & drink, displays & family activities. Sunday will feature free heritage bus services to Heaton Park Tramway Museum, plus much more.

The Museum of Transport is located at Boyle Street, Cheetham, Manchester M8 8UW. More information can be found here . The 2026 edition of Green Island Festival will return in its usual three-chapter format, kicking off with its first event on Saturday, June 6 within the sanctuary that is Hulme Garden Centre and the cultural institution NIAMOS. Now in its sixth year, the festival will continue its commitment to showcasing sounds of the globe, community-led programming, accessibility, inclusivity and the championing of grassroots music culture in the heart of Hulme.

June headliners, Azamiah draw on jazz roots while touching on everything from electronica to dubby low-end, while Karma Sheen will headline - blending Hindustani classical music, 60s-inspired rock, and Sufi lyricism. Manchester’s own Meme Gold will join the Street Stage party too, in addition to Oriki and Ense B2B The House of Acid House. Tickets can be purchased on the Green Island festival website .