The first ever Manchester Christmas Parade will take place this weekend, with the promise of bringing festive sparkle and magic to the city centre. The parade is free to watch and will see brilliant artists and performers take to the streets of the city on Sunday.
It aims to build on the success of the city's Manchester Day Parade which, after starting small for its first parade back in 2010, now regularly sees thousands of people flock to the city centre every June. Now, in a festive first, the Christmas Parade will take place on Sunday 11 December at 1 pm.
It will see more than 200 parade participants take to the streets and weave their way through the city centre in a magical parade filled with all the sights, sounds and sparkle of Christmas. It will, naturally, be led by the big red man himself - Santa Claus.
Read more : Manchester Christmas Markets - map, times and guide to 2022 festive event
He will be joined by a very festive version of Manchester's iconic Town Hall Clock, and spectators can then expect to see a parade filled with "everyone's favourite festive things". It takes place around many of the zones of this year's popular Manchester Christmas Markets.
Visitors should look out for Candy Cane stilt walkers, Runaway Presents, Christmas Elves, and Dancing Snowmen. Add in some cheeky Cocky Robins, a Giant Reindeer, an Arctic Fox, Snowy Owl, silvery spikey Jacks of Frost, and an enchanting giant Snow Globe.
And making sure it's jingle bells all the way will be live music, moves, and sounds from the Bloco Band playing Santa's favourite Christmas songs to get everyone in the festive mood, along with dancers dressed in their sparkly best Christmas kit.
One of the highlights is set to be the Christmas Toy Procession which will bring up the rear. Created by outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank, the Toy Procession will include Sugar Plum fairies, toy soldiers and will also see a Fairy Mouse following the parade, squeaking its way around the streets, along with the biggest Christmas Crackers you've ever seen.
The Manchester Christmas Parade is expected to last up to an hour from start to finish. Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas spokesperson for Manchester City Council, said: "I can't tell if we're more excited about Manchester's first-ever Christmas Parade, or if Santa is.
"We really can't wait to welcome everyone into town for this festive first for the city. It's going to be wonderful to see everyone coming together to enjoy it, especially after the last few years - Manchester at its magical Merry Christmas best, and all for free!"
Businesses based in the city centre have also been working in partnership with the council throughout the festive season via Manchester BID (Business Improvement District) to help make sure Christmas is magical in Manchester this year.
This has included commissioning a series of six Festive Sundays, filled with sparkling street performances featuring illuminated bands, roaming puppets, stilt-walkers, and supersized penguins - as well as the Christmas Toy Procession - to delight and surprise families in the run-up to Christmas.
Where to watch the Parade
The Parade will set off at 1pm from Deansgate at the junction with Blackfriars Street. It will then set off on a circular route that will see it travel south along Deansgate, before turning left onto St Ann's Street, then left onto Cross Street.
It will then travel down Cross Street, past Boots and the Royal Exchange Theatre, before turning left onto Market Street, going past Marks and Spencer, and along St Mary's Gate to Deansgate - finishing where it started.
There will be an accessible viewing point for anyone who needs it outside Boots on Cross Street - with spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Parade route map
What time is it?
The main Christmas Parade starts at 1pm on Sunday, December 11 and is expected to run for an hour. But if you don't fancy the main event, families will also be able to catch the Toy Procession later in the day too.
The Toy Procession with its magical Sugar Plum Fairies and Toy Soldiers will parade later in the day on Sunday at 3 pm and 4 pm.
The Toy Procession will also be back to entertain families on Sunday 18 December at 12 noon, 2 pm and 4 pm, when it will be in and around Manchester Arndale and the pedestrianised areas of Market Street, and St Ann's Square.
How to get there
The nearest tram stop to the parade is at Exchange Square, and closest main line train station is Manchester Victoria.
For information on how to travel by public transport to watch the parade visit https://tfgm.com/plan-a-journey
Road closures
For anyone driving into town on Sunday, drivers should note there will be some road closures in place in the city centre on Sunday while the parade takes place. These roads will be closed for part of the day as listed.
10am to 4pm: Victoria Street
11am to 2.30pm:
- St Mary Gate (Cross Street to Deansgate)
- Deansgate ( Victoria Street to John Dalton)
- St Ann's Street (St Mary's Street to Cross Street)
- Cross Street (Albert Square to Market Street)
Access to the Marks and Spencer car park on Deansgate will be managed as much as possible via Victoria Bridge Street, but there will be two periods of approximately 20 minutes when it will be paused.
Read next:-
- Christmas pantomimes and shows in and around Manchester in 2022
- Manchester hotel named among "100 best places to stay in 2023"
- 20+ grottos and places to see Santa this Christmas
- Ambitious three-storey restaurant planned at iconic location in Manchester
- Famous London bakery Gail's to open first north west store
