We’re all in need of some proper scrimping and saving after last night’s Euros festivities so, to help you out, we’ve rounded up five of the coolest things to do around the city that won’t hurt your wallet one bit.

From folk tale exhibitions down at the Portico Library to a street-wide festival in Stretford – here’s our rundown of the best free things to do in Manchester this week.

Weird as Folk | Portico Library | Fri 5 July | 6 pm - 7 pm

Get yourself over to the Portico Library this week to check out the all-new Weird As Folk exhibition, centred around exploring folk tales, dialect, sense of place and reimagining what folklore means to you.

From centuries-old boots found concealed in chimneys to witch-bottles and dastardly boggarts, the library has ventured all across the North-west to delve deep into the cloughs and unearthed Folk treasures so it could be brought to and displayed in Manchester.

57 Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3HY, Tel: 0161 236 6785
Kacper Pieta presents: UPLIFT YOUR SOUL | YES | Fri 5 July | 6 pm - 12 am

Start your weekend right at YES’ rooftop terrace for the first-ever edition of UPLIFT YOUR SOUL featuring two Manchester debut performances from Japanese DJ/Producer duo, Dazzle Drums alongside Balamii Radio and broken beat star, Joe Lo:fi.

Head over for some killer tunes, good vibes to pair and a proper good boogie.

38 Charles Street, Manchester M1 7BD, Tel: 0161 273 2725
The Healing Power of Music | Band on the Wall | Fri 5 July | 8 pm - 3 am

Band on the Wall is putting on a cracking free event this Friday night featuring the likes of Levi Love, Reform Radio, Save Our Scene, and Music & Mind.

All about aiming to fix the lack of mental health support by teaching music production as a means to remedy depression and anxiety, this is a great cause to throw your support behind.

27 Swan St, Manchester M4 5JZ, Tel: 0161 834 1786
StretFest | Various locations | Sat 6 July | 11 am - late

The first-ever StretFest, a free, neighbourhood-wide festival, is set to transform Stretford this Saturday afternoon.

All about celebrating Stretford’s vibrant culture and community, StretFest will feature a diverse array of music, art, dance, and interactive workshops, unfolding across Stretford’s favourite venues and public spaces.

The festival, which has been organised by the Stretford Town Centre Forum, will feature a whole bunch of activities including a kids craft trail, spoken word, storytime, and local history workshops and a host of other activities at Stretford library including a pop-up ‘wellness garden’ with activities and information around health and wellbeing, a brass band performance with cream teas and family fun in Victoria Park, local bands and DJs at Head Bar and everything from Silent Discos to choirs, circus workshops and a BBQ in the car park at Stretford Public Hall.

Various locations, Tel: 07895 268 715
Euros 2024 | Freight Island | Sat 6 July | 5 pm - 10 pm

After Jude Bellingham’s absolute belter of a goal on Sunday night, I’m sure we’re all buzzing for what’s to come when the next England match kicks off this Saturday.

Be sure to book in at Freight Island to catch England taking on Switzerland on one of Manchester’s largest sports screens and, fingers crossed, we’ll be seeing some Three Lions magic once again.

Depot Mayfield, 11 Baring St, Manchester M1 2PZ
Mon 1 Jul - Sun 7 Jul
Words:
Rhiannon Ingle
Published on:
Mon 1 Jul 2024