July’s calendar is packed full of festivals, sport and live music which means summer is well and truly in full swing. There’s no shortage of things to do in Greater Manchester this month, whatever the weather July has in store for us.

This year marks a summer of sport with the final of the Euros taking place on July 14, Wimbledon once again returning to our screens and the Paris Olympics beginning on July 26. Luckily, there are lots of places you can gather to catch action in the coming weeks.

When it comes to festivals and celebrations, Greater Manchester has a fair few lined up. Stop by Depot Mayfield for the Craft Beer Festival, or venture into the city centre and join the celebrations for Manchester Day on July 27.

Should the weather turn, head inside for Batman Unmasked, an immersive exhibition packed full of memorabilia and props from the Warner Bros film. Read on for more amazing things to do in Greater Manchester this month.

Manchester Craft Beer Festival

Summer is synonymous with festivals of all shapes and sizes so why not head to Mayfield Depot for the Manchester Beer Festival on July 5 - 6? Returning for its fourth year it promises to be ‘bigger and better’ with extras this year including expert-led talks, tastings and tours.

Dedicated to celebrating craft beer, it will feature four sessions running across the two days. With over 65+ breweries from Manchester, the rest of the UK and the world lined up, and 500+ brews to taste, there’s something for every palate.

Standard entry tickets are priced at £57, and a group offer saves you £5 per ticket when you buy 4 together, reducing the cost to £52. The ticket includes all of your beer - so there’s no limit on the tipples you try – a special festival beer glass and access to the festival’s talks, tastings, tours, Food Block Party and live music.

Sounds of the City at Castlefield Bowl

Sounds of the City is back again at Castlefield Bowl with some of the biggest names in music performing over several nights in the heart of the city. It takes place across two weekends with Avril Lavigne kicking things off on July 3 and Hacienda Classical rounding it off on July 13.

The lineup also includes The National, Fatboy Slim, Jungle and Manic Street Preachers and Suede. There are still some tickets available, which you can find here on See Tickets.

The Hundred

Providing a fresh take on cricket, The Hundred returns to Emirates Old Trafford this summer offering “fast-paced, action packed” sport and an “electric atmosphere”. The 100-ball match ensures maximum excitement with both women's and men's teams playing.

Our home team the Manchester Originals will play at Old Trafford for four fixtures across July and August. There will be live music too, with performers at the Manchester fixtures including Darla Jade, Corella, Nxdia and Michael Aldag. Tickets are available here.

Manchester's First Cocktail Week

Whether you favour a Pina Colada or a daiquiri, we can all agree that a cocktail is perhaps the most summery drink there is. So it’s fitting that Manchester’s first cocktail week takes place this month from July 12 to July 21.

Cocktail enthusiasts can enjoy a blend of experiences and exclusive deals in a 10 day extravaganza, taking place across some of the city’s best bars, pubs and clubs including The Alchemist, Menagerie, Dirty Martini and Cloud 23, to name but a few.

Anyone with a Manchester Cocktail Week wristband will be able to take advantage of the several delicious discounts that will be available throughout. Some venues will offer cocktails from £5 while others will have discounts on food bills, two-for-one drinks and more. Early bird wristbands are priced from £5.95 plus a booking fee with the final release priced at £9.95 with booking fee. All wristbands can be purchased online here.

Classic Car Boot Sale

Hosting its first event north of London, the Classic Car Boot Sale will be at Media City on July 20 and 21, celebrating “classic vehicles, vintage and design second-hand fashion and homewares”. This isn’t just any old car boot though, as it will include street food served from classic vans and DJs playing everything from the rockabilly through to 60s Garage and Beat, to reggae and ska, Glam Rock, Northern Soul, Punk, Disco, 80s, Electronica, with a bit of cool easy listening and library thrown in for good measures.

Classic car enthusiasts will be displaying their vehicles, while there will also be daily ride ups from scooter and motorcycle clubs, and classic bicycles. As well as selling from cars, there will be a ‘suitcase sale’ section, where those with smaller collections can sell out of vintage suitcase across the weekend.

Celebrate Manchester Day

Manchester city centre is set to be transformed into the “biggest ever playground” for this year’s Manchester Day, a free, family-friendly event which sees the streets and squares filled with music, dancing and activities. Taking place on July 27, the theme this year will be “Let the Games Begin” inspired by the summer of sport.

Visitors can expect astounding acrobatics and pop-up performances in the most "unlikely of places" across the city in a full day of free events. People can participate too with a vintage fairground, a hook-a-duck challenge and an “actual reality” arcade with immersive games. There will be live music too and spotting challenges, including a pop-up athletic track.

Gigs at Robin Park

There’s no shortage of opportunities to experience live music outdoors in Greater Manchester this month, with Wigan’s Robin Park hosting a series of gigs from July 17 to 21. 2012 X-Factor winner James Arthur will open on Wednesday, July 17 supported by Gabrielle and Scouting for Girls.

On July 18 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will take to the stage while The Lathums will perform on July 19 with more special guests. Richard Ashcroft will round off the weekend with two nights along with other guest performers. There are still tickets available at Ticketmaster here.

Immerse yourself in the world of Batman

Fans of the iconic superhero Batman can immerse themselves in the character's cinematic world at a new exhibition opening hosted by Depot Mayfield. Featuring items from the Warner Bros archives, it will open on July 16 and will run until August 26, before heading to London’s Covent Garden in September.

Fans will get to explore an extensive collection of original props and costumes from Warner Bros films about the superhero, from the Batman movie in 1989 where Michael Keaton starred as the Caped Crusader, through to the most recent outing, The Batman, in 2022, where Robert Pattinson took on the iconic role.

Navigating through a series of themed rooms, visitors will venture into the fictional world of Gotham City. Guests will take in the awe-inspiring Batsuits worn by iconic actors including Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale and Michael Keaton, alongside original props, memorabilia and even vehicles. Tickets are available here.

Watch a summer of sport

2024 is a summer of sport with two more weeks of Euros fixtures taking place for the first half of July, along with Wimbledon. Then, at the end of the month, the Paris Olympics will begin, with the opening ceremony on July 26.

You can catch the Euros at numerous venues across the city, including at Diecast, the Refuge and Roxy Ballroom. The Lawn Club in Spinningfields is among the venues screening Wimbledon and the Olympics on its huge 13ft screen. There will be sharing food and drinks options available too.

Go to a gig and more at Co-op Live

After a bumpy start, Manchester’s news music venue is fully up and running with more incredible acts set to take to the stage at the Co-op Live this month. Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks will bring her solo tour on July 9, while Kings of Leon will perform on July 10.

American rapper Megan Thee Stallion will entertain Manchester audiences on July 14 while singing sensation Billie Eillish will perform over several nights. But on Saturday July 27 the venue will host something a bit different - it’s first-ever sporting event, UFC 304, with two UK champions defending their belt.

Welterweight champion Leon Edwards headlines against long-time rival Belal Muhammad in a highly anticipated rematch. The co-main event sees interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall go up against no.4 ranked Curtis Blaydes two years on from their first encounter. Tickets are available here.