There will be free festivals, live music, and World Cup screenings over the next three months
The suntrap area of MediaCityUK, offering unrivalled waterfront views, will open up with a pop-up hub this summer(Image: Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd)
The waterfront views of Salford Quays are set to be elevated even further as a new hangout space with a bar, kitchen and events takeover arrives this week.
With the weather this week reaching record highs and leading to a May heatwave, it is hoped temperatures will continue throughout the week and will hopefully pave the way for a scorcher of a summer. With people looking to bask in the sunshine, MediaCityUK has already been hailed as a perfect sunny day spot due to its suntrap location and influx of visitors.
Home to a range of bars and restaurants, the area is also home to studios and production facilities from the likes of the BBC and ITV. It is also the location for the Quayside shopping centre, The Lowry theatre, the Imperial War Museum museum and the Coronation Street Studios tour.
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Inside the shopping centre, the Kargo.MKT food hall, which first opened its doors three years ago following a major £3.5m project, is home to a range of independent and local food kitchens and bars, including Bok Bok, Leopard Pie, Inamo Sukoshi and House of Habesha.
The waterfront also offers the unique opportunity to see open-water swimmers, canoeists and kayakers from Salford Watersports Centre and visitors on the Salford River Cruise all take up occupancy across Salford Quays’ three dock basins, which collectively span across 50 acres.
GRUB On The Docks will return to Salford Quays from May 28 to August 31(Image: GRUB)
Over the summer, the MediaCityUK space is typically opened up with deck chairs and pop-up bars screening big matches and sports games. Visitors to the dockside area on Salford Quays have made the likes of The Salmon of Knowledge, The Alchemist, Nell’s and the resident-only On The 7th all popular spots for food and drink.
Perfectly positioned right by the MediaCityUK tram stop, which connects to Eccles and Manchester via Ashton, the area will be at the centre of activities when a new pop-up residency by popular food, drink and events collective GRUB arrives later this week.
The collective will bring back their weekly GRUB On The Docks concept this Thursday (May 28) to MediaCity’s waterfront as it is transformed into a ‘vibrant, open-air destination’. The pop-up space will be open from 12pm to 10pm daily from Tuesdays to Sundays until the end of August.
The suntrap area of MediaCityUK, offering unrivalled waterfront views, will open up with a pop-up hub this summer(Image: Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd)
Featuring a rotating line-up of street food operators, including Sizzling Seoul, Umami Cartel, Dukes Po Boys, Lorys Tiramisu and Oppa Korean Dogs, the pop-up spot will also feature a new, dedicated Sazume Sake bar from the team behind the Michelin Guide-approved Manchester restaurant The Spärrows.
There will also be the nostalgia-fueled butty shop Caff, from the team behind ilovebrioche, who will be serving up breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes as well as plenty of fried chicken and waffles.
Outside of food and drink, the pop-up will also host live music and DJs, as well as World Cup screenings, and an open-air Cultplex Summer Blockbusters cinema. Across the summer, GRUB On The Docks will also host beer and wine festivals, wellness classes and a New Faces Comedy all dayer, as well as family-friendly events like Baby Mosh and Summer School Kids.
Ilovebrioche, with their popular fried chicken and waffles, will be one of the rotating food vendors at GRUB On The Docks
Jason Bailey, GRUB Director, said: “GRUB On The Docks is all about creating a space people want to spend time in. Summer by the water, great food, cold drinks and a proper atmosphere. MediaCity is a unique waterside location, and this is creating a pop-up for the summer months which reflects the energy of this creative campus. With the World Cup in the mix as well, it’s shaping up to be something really special.”
Joshua McAllister, Senior Events Manager at MediaCity, added: “GRUB On The Docks is back at MediaCity this summer, bringing seriously good indie street food, live entertainment and big-screen sport to the waterfront. With a packed line-up and a laid-back, feel-good atmosphere, it’s all about great food, good vibes and making the most of summer by the water.”
The We Invented The Weekend festival returns on June 6 and 7
Outside of GRUB On The Docks, the We Invented The Weekend festival will return on June 6 and 7 for its third iteration. The free two-day event will feature over 200 activities including a (North) West End Live showcase, aerial circus performances from Pirates of the Carabina, DJ day parties, takeovers from BBC Radio 6 Music, and a special opera meets football project from the English National Opera and Walk the Plank featuring over 400 singers, football fans and artists for a rejoicing of sport and music like no other.
From now throughout the summer, The Lowry will also be featuring a wide range of performances including the Northern Ballet’s rendition of Gentlemen Jack (June 4-6), and the Baile Sonoro Flamenco Festival from June 13 to 14 and June 30, the return of the Six musical (August 1 to 15) and a production of High School Musical from August 22 to September 19.
Kargo MKT, meanwhile, will also be heaving with events including Saturday morning yoga and wellness sessions, kid’s crafts activities, and DJ sessions. Upcoming highlights include a Mochi Making Workshop as part of the Dragon Boat Festival on June 14 and the BOOMCHIKABOOM! Summer Carnival on July 26.
GRUB On The Docks is on MediaCity, Salford M50 2EQ.