Manchester has a really fantastic line-up of festivals and every month of the year has some kind of event of tourist value. Chief among these are the Lord Mayor's Parade in July, the gay-oriented Manchester Pride in August and the lively Manchester Irish Festival in March.

Selfridges Winter Sale: running from the end of December and into January, this popular clothes sale by one of the nation’s most popular department stores features four weeks of quality bargains in men's and ladies’ designer labels.

English Badminton Nationals: held at the popular and well equipped sporting venue of the Manchester Velodrome, the English Badminton Nationals is a really big event for those into badminton, with talent competing from all over the UK.

Manchester Irish Festival: in mid-March features the best of Irish culture with many fun events including concerts, parades, and street entertainers. The event goes on for two weeks and coincides with the ever popular St Patrick's Day.

¡Viva Spanish Film Festival: for a bit of European culture with a difference this fun annual event, held at the popular Cornerhouse - a centre for contemporary visual arts and film – features some excellent Spanish and Latin American cinema.

UCI Track Cycling World Cup: The Manchester Velodrome is once again host to a popular sporting event and one which it was mainly designed for. The Velodrome is one of a kind for the United Kingdom and plays host to world professionals in early April.

Festival Europa: held in late spring as the weather gets warmer, Festival Europa has some great live music in the city centre, as well as performance arts, specialist markets and lots of other fun entertainment.

The Great Manchester Run: although not marathon status or on par with London’s esteemed annual race, the Great Manchester Run in May is nonetheless a fun one covering six miles of the city, all the while taking in attractions and landmarks.

Twenty20 Cup: has revitalised cricket with this fast and furious version of the game. The event goes on for two weeks starting in mid-June at the Old Trafford County Cricket Ground and often has sell-out crowds on sunny days so get tickets early.

Lord Mayor's Parade: Albert Square is the setting for Manchester's annual Lord Mayor's Parade in late July, a fitting choice for this fun event. There are fairground rides, market stalls, and carnival floats galore, as well as much in the way of alternative street entertainment.

Manchester Jazz Festival: lovers of jazz will find the Manchester Jazz Festival one of the best events of its kind in Europe, and although perhaps not as prestigious as other jazz events in the big European cities, it is a good one nonetheless. Ducie House is the venue which is located in the very popular Castlefield area of the city centre.

Manchester International Caribbean Carnival: in Alexandra Park celebrates Manchester’s many different cultures and is extremely colourful and a great time to be in Manchester. There are street fairs, music, dancing and lots of frivolity for all.

Manchester Pride: is Manchester’s burgeoning gay event and one of the biggest such events in the whole of the UK. This late August event attracts around 150,000 gays and lesbians and features colourful carnival parades, extravagant dress, lots of drinking and some great music.

Proms in the Park: is inline with London’s Last Night of the Proms and features live performances from top classical musicians. The event is held in central Manchester in the middle of September.

Manchester Food and Drink Festival: goes off at venues all over central Manchester with some fine displays of cookery, barbecues, and workshops for those keen on learning how to cook some quality English dishes. Of course there is also much consumption and drinking to be done at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival.

Manchester Poetry Festival: this cultured mid-October event of poetry in Manchester’s Stevenson Square beings in famed writers and readers from all over the country. Venues all over central Manchester take part in the event.

Dazzle Jewellery Fair: takes in major cities all over the UK, including Manchester. The venue is the striking Town Hall and quality jewellery items include flashy modern jewellery, some fine classical numbers and other types of stylish craftworks. One or two local celebrities usually ensure the event is even more special.

Christmas Lights Switch-On: celebrates the arrival of ‘that time of the year’ with a fairly over-the-top but fun switching on of the Christmas lights. There is some fine live entertainment to go with the event as well as a spectacular fireworks display.

Manchester Storm Ice Hockey Games: the MEN Arena (Manchester Evening News Arena) in central Manchester is the venue for the fun Manchester Storm Ice Hockey Games in December. It surprisingly attracts large crowds and is the main sporting event in the city during the winter.

European and Speciality Christmas markets: early December sees the city centre squares of Manchester transformed into a European winter wonderland. Well-lit wooden chalets really set the scene and feature some continental goodies for the perfect Christmas gift.