Never bored of Festivals & Events

There's always a lot going on in Manchester, with every year dishing up a diverse selection of festivals, fairs, celebrations, concerts, community bits and bobs, seasonal stuff and special events at museums, galleries and attractions. I have put together a Manchester events calendar. So that I won't miss out, and get stuck in.

1. Manchester Day
Manchester Day was created in 2010 as a way of celebrating the great things about the city, particularly its creativity and diversity. It brings together artists, the public and local businesses in a day long event designed to make you feel proud. And so it does! It's produced by Salford based company Walk the Plank, well­known and well­loved local creators of the first ever theatre ship and originators of astonishingly crafted events for decades. The centrepiece of the event is a huge, mile­long parade through the city which creates such a lovely carnival atmosphere with its huge puppets and colourful costumes.

2. Parklife
The Parklife Weekender used to be at Platt Fields Park but now attracts over 70,000 people a day, so it had to find a new home in larger Heaton Park. Organised in association with the Warehouse Project, Parklife has ambitions to celebrate more than just music, so theatre events and other art forms raise it above some of its rivals. There's no camping, but there's no need, Heaton Park being on the tram route.

3. Manchester Jazz Festival
As well as championing the regions best jazz musicians, the Manchester Jazz Festival welcomes people from all over the world, its reputation now international. Most of the music is original too, which means that there's literally something new to see at every visit.

4. Manchester International Festival
This biennial event started in 2007 and has rapidly become one of the most significant events in the cultural calendar of Europe and beyond. As a commissioning, artist led festival, M.I.F. (never say 'mif'), transforms the city for 21 days into a magical place, where internationally renowned artists present brand new work alongside special events. And the work is often extraordinary.