About
Dig the City is Manchester's summer garden festival.
Taking in Market Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, King Street and Greengate Square. With gardens galore, street food and fashion. A week’s worth of pop-up picnics, music, markets and masses to do – this is Manchester’s summer garden festival.
The 2015 event took place 31 July – 6 August. Thanks to all who came along and made it such a blooming brilliant week!
Download the 2015 Festival Highlights Guide and map here (PDF)
There were heaps of FREE events including:
- Spectacular Show Gardens and floral installations from Frog Flowers, RHS Tatton, Coronation Street The Tour and Manchester City Council, Kew Gardens, The Moss Cider Project, Incredible Edible, Hulme Community Garden Centre, IWM North, Reaseheath College, Andy Walker, Landscape Institute NW, Dreamscape, Sue Jeffries, Chorlton Post Box Cafe, Cabbages and Nettles, Geoff Fisher, Gorgeous Gorse Hill, Planit-IE and Pendleton Together, Real Food Wythenshawe, Sow the City, Turton Tower Kitchen Garden Group, University of Salford
- BBC gardening favourite Diarmuid Gavin
- After-work parties and giveaways from MCR’s top shops including Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser, Jigsaw, Manchester Arndale and Molton Brown
- One Big Shopping Weekend with a touring street fashion show (1 Aug), treats and discounts galore
- Fun for little ones with the National Trust, Cbeebies Mr Bloom (2 & 3 Aug) and a fantastical family finale by creators of Just So Festival, Wild Rumpus (6 Aug)
- The return of the Dig the City Disco, this year with Northern Soul & 1920s Speakeasy vibes
- Musical merriment and Bridgewater Hall Bandstand takeover by Manchester Jazz Festival
- Flower markets, horticultural stalls and talks
- Alfresco eating and drinking
Join our giant garden party
Follow future festivals on Twitter
Share your Dig the City and urban gardening snaps on #digthecitymcr
Behind the scenes
Dig the City is produced by CityCo on behalf of the city’s Heart of Manchester BID (Business Improvement District) – a consortium of over 380 city centre retailers.
Dig the City has so far been supported by Manchester City Council, Manchester Cathedral, Salford City Council, Visit Manchester, National Trust – alongside a host of event partners and sponsors including NCP, Metrolink, Astra Signs, Grono, Great Grass, Capital Properties, Gabriel Ash, Holler, Viridor, Recycle for Greater Manchester, Saige Decking, Clas Olhson, DoubleTree by Hilton, BDP, Groundwork, Manchester Evening News and Creative Tourist.
The 2014 festival won Level 5: Outstanding recognition at the 2014 RHS Britain in Bloom Awards and attracted £2.46 million-worth (AVE) of national and regional print, radio, TV and online media coverage.
The 2013 festival won a Commendation at the UK Event Awards and Gold at the RHS Britain in Bloom awards.
Take a look at the story so far here
Contact us
We’d love Dig the City to grow and grow.
Be part of it. Drop us a line at or call
Let’s go green Manchester!
