This May, the country will come together for the first Coronation in nearly 70 years.
The coronation of King Charles lll and Camilla, Queen Consort, is an event most of us will be witnessing for the first time in our lives, taking place on Saturday 6 May.
The ceremony will be at Westminster Abbey in London in the morning – but there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in during the bank holiday weekend here in Greater Manchester.
Street parties
A great way to get involved in this unique occasion is hosting or attending a street party.
Councils all over Greater Manchester have agreed to fund road closures for those who would like to hold their own coronation lunches or other celebrations this bank holiday. This includes Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.
Although some of the deadlines for applications for road closures have now passed, ask around your friends and family and see who’s hosting the party of the year this May.
Public screenings
All across the UK there will be huge screens showing all the action of the coronation.
Here in Greater Manchester there will be screenings in places including Piccadilly Gardens and Parliament Square in Oldham. Those are the only two public screenings funded by the government in the North West giving people the chance to come together and watch the ceremony.
Oldham says it’s planning ‘the biggest celebration of the coronation in Greater Manchester’.
Local festivals
As well as the public screening in Oldham, there will be a town centre festival on the Saturday of the coronation weekend where the ‘Best of British Music’ tribute acts will be playing, featuring artists such as Queen ll and Tania as Amy Winehouse. Alongside this there will be lots of family activities to get involved in and strolling street performers.
The Wigan Mayor will also host a party in the park on Monday 8 May, at Mesnes Park. There will be lots of Royal-themed fun with a mixture of family entertainment, games, fair rides and food stalls. This will be held between the hours of 11am and 4pm.
Free party preparations
Wigan council has also announced it will be providing toolkits and templates to help families get party ready ahead of the big day, whether you’re hosting a coronation street party or a fancy soirée.
Legoland’s coronation party
The Legoland Discovery Centre at Trafford Palazzo is hosting a coronation party of its own. There will be mocktails, crowns and blowers on arrival, a DJ, balloon modelling, face painting, a magic show and a meet-and-greet with the Legoland mascots. On top of the exclusive coronation fun there will be their usual rides, 4D cinema and much more. The party sessions are available from 9:30am to 12:30pm on both Saturday and Sunday of the coronation weekend and tickets are £25.
The Big Help Out
The Big Help Out is happening on 8 May, and is a national day of volunteering. It’s a day of inspiring new people to help out and volunteer for the first time.
Many organisations are coming together to help inspire people to make a difference in their community during a big weekend of fun. You can visit the Big Help Out website to find out how you can help and get involved this bank holiday weekend.
Manchester Cathedral’s coronation event
The Dean of Manchester has invited the public of Greater Manchester to the Cathedral to watch the action of the coronation live on big screens in the historic building. The entry to this event is free of charge and the doors will open to the community at 9:30am after morning prayer.
The Big Lunch in Leigh
On Sunday May 7, between 11am and 4pm a big coronation lunch will take place in Leigh Town Hall, Wigan. There will be local traders at this event but anyone is welcome to bring their own picnic. As well as a fun feast their will be fair rides, performers and much more. Alcohol will not be permitted at this coronation event.
Have a drink
If you do fancy letting your hair down and having a few drinks this bank holiday there are lots of other events you can get involved in.
From boozy afternoon teas to throwback dance parties, Manchester is a great place to be on the Coronation weekend. Here are just a few of the events that will be on:
- The Deaf Institutes 70s throwback event, Oxford Road
- Hip Hop Orchestra Brunch with bottomless drinks, Spinningfields
- Fight Club’s brunch social with darts, games, bubbles and pizza paddles, central Manchester
- The Comedy Store with live music, comedians and an after party, Printworks
There are loads more events on too – you can see the official map here.
You can share your Coronation fun with the rest of Manchester by using the hashtag #CoronationMcr this bank holiday.
Image by Kelly Mattison, 2022
