The best: King’s Coronation celebrations around Manchester

Alongside two large screens live-streaming events from London over the weekend, Manchester City Council’s official Piccadilly Gardens Coronation Party features food stalls, drinks stands and coronation treats until 11pm on Sat 6 May, before the space transforms into a sprawling picnic area for Sunday’s Coronation Big Lunch and a showing of that night’s Coronation Concert.

Uniting Manchester in a celebration of local artists, creators and makers, King Street Manchester marks the occasion with three days of artisanal stalls, gallery spaces and children’s activities, as well as a country pub-themed bar serving boozed-up frozen slushes and royal cocktails.

Running until Sun 7 May, opulent contemporary Indian restaurant Asha’s invites guests to enjoy an array of elevated regional dishes with a one-off special Coronation Menu featuring The King Emperor’s Platter (£150 between 2), a lavish sharing tray which includes lobster served in its shell with Kerala chilli, garlic prawns, chicken malai kebab, aloo tikki, lamb chops, vegetable samosa and makhani sauce, and comes deservedly paired with a bottle of Moet and Chandon.

Kicking off on Fri 5 May with a late lounge party led by Disco Puss, Ducie Street Warehouse celebrates the coronation with an unmissable weekend of incendiary grooves, bottomless drinks and colossal Yorkshire puddings. On Sat 6 May, the Fire at The Disco Brunch Party returns with unlimited drinks and even more funk-soul classics, while the legendary Ducie Roast runs across Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday, with a special trio of Coronation Mini-Scones served as dessert.

Combining drag, audience participation, multimedia displays, puppetry and bountiful queer joy, Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story finds The People’s Princess in heaven, ready to share an ‘unashamedly batshit crazy’ (All That Dazzles) account of her extraordinary life. Created by ‘harbingers of theatrical chaos’ Awkward Productions, the show runs twice on Sat 6 May in CULTPLEX, the beloved indie cinema situated above GRUB at Red Bank.

Free to attend and family-friendly, Stretford Socials’ coronation-themed community day features live music, independent stalls, craft activities, children’s entertainment and more, as well as a big screen live stream of the ceremony and refreshments from beloved local institutions including coffee and cakes from Uplift cafe and a Coronation Cookie Workshop hosted by Beatties Bakery.

Launching on Fri 5 May, the team behind adult games bar Pong & Puck have joined forces with Malibu to offer a tropical bank holiday reprieve from the all-consuming monarchic mayhem across the city. Located on Great Northern Square, the brand new beach club features cocktails, live DJs, a Malibu rum-inspired shot menu, happy hours, bottomless brunch packages and, sensibly, a covered area under which the island party spirit can flourish whatever the weather.