The King Street Festival returns to Manchester’s most fashionable shopping street next month.
The annual festival celebrates King Street’s timeless architecture and rich history with a glorious weekend filled with alfresco dining, live music, a pop-up gin bar, lawn games and family activities, tours, VIP shopping experiences and the return of the prestigious Manchester Flower Show.
You can get into the festival spirit with a whole host of events, exclusive discounts and competitions throughout the weekend from King Street stores, restaurants and bars including alfresco dining at Tast and El Gato Negro.
The popular King Street Cocktail Trail will be back with a range of summer cocktails created especially for the festival by King Street’s best bars and restaurants, priced at £5 each.
And the festival will see the official launch of I Love MCR® Strawberry Jam Gin. A mixologist will be serving gin cocktails made from the new product at the I Love MCR® bespoke mobile cocktail bar and stall near El Gato Negro produced by experts Dovetail Drinks. The new gin will be on sale behind the bar to buy by the bottle or you can buy online.
Doubling in size this year and supported by RHS Bridgewater, the Manchester Flower Show pays homage to the original Manchester Flower Show which began in 1955 and returned to the city last year after a 15 year break.
Transforming King Street into a botanical paradise for the festival weekend, the Manchester Flower Show will see balconies, lamp posts, bus stops, shop windows and parking bays bloom with flower power themed floral installations from the region’s best floristry, produce and gardening talent, alongside a market of gardening products, outdoor accessories and flowers.
King Street is home to over 50 stores, restaurants and hotels including Boodles, DKNY, Belstaff, Virgin Money Lounge, Jigsaw, Kiehls, Cath Kidston, Rosso, King Street Townhouse and this year’s festival travel sponsor, Kuoni, who will be giving away a luxury 5* holiday to Mexico.
With a big focus on family-friendly activities for 2019, there’s lots to keep little – and big – kids busy. Fit for mini kings and queens, RHS Bridgewater’s floral crown making workshops will ensure everyone’s festival look is complete, plus there’s lawn games aplenty including giant chess, giant Connect 4 and jenga.
This year’s festival also includes a special focus on Peterloo two hundred years on, with tours by Jonathan Schofield and talks courtesy of Manchester’s Histories Festival.
Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd June 2019. Follow @kingstfestival for event updates.
King Street festival is organised by Manchester’s Business Improvement District (Manchester BID).