Manchester’s Festive Sunday series brings parades and Christmas cheer to the city centre

Plans for another series of Manchester Festive Sundays have been revealed, bringing captivating street performances, parades and other activities for the whole family to the city centre.

Organised by Manchester City Centre BID in partnership with Manchester City Council and Manchester Markets, Festive Sundays will see roaming performers and illuminated acts take to the shopping streets across St Ann’s Square, King Street, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square and Manchester Arndale.

Shoppers and families will be able to spot a variety of visitors, from a huge snow globe and Arctic fox puppet, to enchanted
walking trees and living lampposts.

Kicking off on Sun 26 Nov (12pm – 7pm) there will be a magical takeover across the city centre with towering roaming puppets, street performers, and live music. Expect bewitching woodland creatures: larger-than-life robins, the meandering arctic fox, a
snowy owl – and Handmade Parade’s beautiful, illuminated reindeer.

Meanwhile, a band of enchanted festive friends will bring a little magic to the city. There will be chances to meet living lampposts, talking Christmas trees, the wandering snow globe and the extraordinary puppet duo, Hodman Dodmanott and Sally Forth – two Christmas elf adventurers.

All of this will be accompanied by the vibrant sights and sound of the Fat Cat Brass Band and Bloco Band bringing Christmas cheer and tunes to the streets of Manchester.

On Sun 3 Dec, from 1pm, Manchester’s free Christmas Parade returns. Promising to be bigger and better than ever,  processions of spectacular characters, magical performances and extraordinary acts will weave their way through the city’s streets.

Then, on Sun 10 & Sun 17 Dec (12pm, 2pm, 4pm – St Ann’s Square) the final two Festive Sundays, will see a spectacular Toy Procession take to Manchester’s Christmas Markets. Created by Walk the Plank, the procession will feature giant stilt-walking acts including Christmas Crackers, Sugar Plum Fairies, Toy Soldiers, Christmas Elves, and a sparkling Fairy Mouse.

You can read more about Manchester’s Festive Sundays here.