The new academic year is in full flow, which yes, means lots of studying ahead, but also a whole new year of opportunities beyond the classroom. Many of my favourite memories at university come from spending time with my friends attending festivals, gigs, events and exploring the city of Manchester.

Here’s some exciting events in and around Salford to add to your calendar for the year ahead.

Autumn

September is the start of the academic year, and this is when we hold our Welcome Week where you may have attended the Welcome Fair put on by our SU, or maybe you rode our Ferris Wheel.

If you didn’t manage to visit any of the stalls on campus, you might want to check out the Maker’s Market in MediaCity, taking place on the last weekend of every month selling arts, crafts, street food and even playing live music. It’s a great place to pick up a few bits for your student accommodation whilst supporting independent businesses.

One of my personal highlights of Autumn is Halloween. You could visit a nearby pumpkin patch with friends or attend a scare maze if you’re feeling brave. There’s also a Spookfest held every year at the Trafford Centre, where you can enter a haunted house, ride the ghost train and grab a hot chocolate too.

This is shortly followed by Bonfire night, which of course means fireworks! If you live in Peel Park Quarter you’ll probably get some amazing views from your room, but to get closer to the action look out for events held around Salford.

Winter

To me winter only means one thing… Christmas, so if you’re like me and are obsessed with anything festive, then you’ll love the Manchester Christmas Markets. Spread across the entire city centre, explore hundreds of stalls selling gifts, festive decor and delicious snacks. It’s a great activity to do both in the day and at night and you definitely won’t leave empty-handed!

Trafford Centre again is also the place to be in Winter as not only can you do your Christmas shopping, but they have their own Winter Wonderland. However, if you don’t want to travel that far the SU always put on an exciting Winter Fair right on our campus with music and games!

Spring

After a cold few months, we finally start to see some sun in the Spring so to make the most of it here’s a link to some of my favourite green spaces in and around Salford to take a stroll, or maybe have a picnic. These include Peel Park, Heaton Park, Castlefield Viaduct and Mayfield Park.

If you’re a runner then Sunday 27th April 2025 is the date you need to be training for as this is when the Manchester Marathon will be taking place. Good luck to anyone planning to take part, however I’ll be watching from the sidelines!

Summer

Lastly, Summer, the time to get outdoors, dance, sing, laugh, have fun with friends, and the best place to do that is at a festival. Manchester is home to so many festivals including Parklife, the Castlefield Bowl gigs, and Sounds From The Other City which takes place across pubs, bars and cafes in Salford, including a few on our campus! I went this year and had a great time if you want to find out more you can watch my video here.

My highlight of Summer 2024 was Manchester Pride, which takes place on the August Bank Holiday weekend, and there’s so much to do to celebrate LGBTQIA+ history and progression in the city of Manchester. My personal highlight was the parade through the city centre, so it’s definitely not to be missed next year!

As you can see living in Salford is going to provide you with so many chances to go out and have fun alongside your studies. It’s the best place to be at all times of the year!