Christmas festivities are underway here in Manchester, and plenty of events are taking place across the city to celebrate the most magical time of the year.
We have compiled a list of the top activities to do and things to see in our ultimate guide to Christmas in Manchester.
We have compiled a list of the top activities to do and things to see in our ultimate guide to Christmas in Manchester.
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00:00 Christmas festivities are underway here in Manchester and plenty of events are taking
00:05 place across the city to celebrate the most magical time of the year. We have compiled
00:11 a list of the top activities to do and things to see in our Ultimate Guide to Christmas
00:16 in Manchester.
00:17 First up, the Trafford Centre has a number of festive events to take part in over Christmas,
00:23 including a very special trip to the Grotto. Wander through an immersive wonderland where
00:28 dreams come true as you journey through the Candy Cane Land and Enchanted Forest in search
00:34 of Santa's Merry Mailroom.
00:36 The Grotto can be found near the Dolphin Fountain on the ground floor of the centre until the
00:40 24th of December and there are festive treats to eat and drink and colourful face painting
00:46 to get you in the Christmassy spirit.
00:48 The Trafford Centre has also opened its annual Christmas Fairground, Tinseltown, with exhilarating
00:54 rides and tasty treats available until the 1st of January. From the exciting snow jets
01:00 to the thrilling Star Flyer and Don Sapo, as well as plenty of family-friendly rides
01:05 for the little ones, there's something for everyone.
01:08 Inside the fairground you can also find Skate at Tinseltown, where you can take to the ice
01:13 on a shimmering covered rink for a 45-minute skate session. There's twinkling lights and
01:18 festive music perfect for celebrating the Christmas season.
01:22 Next up, the Christmas markets are back again for their 25th year in nine areas of the city
01:27 centre and were recently voted Europe's number one Christmas markets.
01:32 Whether it's mulled wine and delicious pastries in Winter Gardens or bratwurst and festive
01:37 trinkets from King Street and St Anne's Square, there are plenty of stalls to wander around
01:42 this festive season.
01:44 Cathedral Gardens is yet again welcoming people onto the festive-themed ice rink at the heart
01:49 of the city centre.
01:50 The Christmassy Skating Wonderland will be open all the way up until the 2nd of January,
01:55 so there's plenty of time to get onto the ice and enjoy the lights and music and festive
02:00 food and drink.
02:02 Manchester's iconic and much-loved Big Santa has arrived back in front of Central Library
02:07 on St Peter's Square to oversee all things Christmas in his favourite festive city.
02:12 A whopping 12 metres high and weighing over 2.3 tonnes, Manchester's giant Santa is powered
02:18 by low-energy LED light bulbs and is a firm favourite of festive fun-seekers.
02:24 He will be keeping a watchful eye on everyone for his naughty and nice lists throughout
02:29 Christmas and into the new year.
02:31 And finally, Freight Island has been transformed into Winter Island, the UK's largest heated
02:36 indoor and outdoor winter festival, running until Sunday 24th December.
02:42 Next door and new for this year, Mayfield Park will be lit up with the Twilight Trail,
02:47 an enchanting winter light show taking place until Sunday 31st December.
02:52 The Twilight Trail is the first event of its kind at Mayfield Park and has been designed
02:56 for people of all ages, from families, couples, groups and everyone in between.
03:02 Manchester is full of events celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.
03:06 You can find out more about what's going on each week in our weekly What's On guides.