MHF 2026 | Talks & Tours

Please note: each event listed is ticketed seperately, giving you the flexibility to book one or several sessions.

Tour: Heritage in Action

The Windrush Generation. With Historian Linford Sweeney

1.00pm–4:45pm

The tour around the residential areas of Moss Side and Hulme identifies links between Windrush generation, cotton, and the transatlantic slave trade. Meeting Point: Hulme Garden Centre, 28 Old Birley Street, Manchester M15 5RG

Tour: Heritage in Action

Wade in the Water. A Journey of Healing and Hope

11.00 am–12.30pm

A decolonial guided walk speaks to Manchester’s waterways, railways and connection to the transatlantic slave trade. Inspired by Robert Macfarlane’s book Is a River Alive?Wheelchair accessible (some cobbles). Meeting Point: Barberelli Square, The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley St, Manchester M2 3WS

Tour: Behind the Scenes

At 12:00 & 2:00pm

Go behind the scenes of Manchester Central Library, exploring spaces rarely open to the public. This tour reveals the building’s story and showcases selected archives and rare treasures celebrating civic pride. Wheelchair accessible. Meeting Point: Main entrance, Manchester Central Library.

Discussion: Heritage in Action

Performance Space. Manchester Central Library

13:30–15:30pm

Join us for a two-hour session of lively discussion and tasty Mancunian food. Keisha Thompson (Legacies of Enslavemnt Programme, The Guardian) and Yussuf M’Rabty (Project Manager, This Is Us - Manchester Histories) will host a series of mini-panel discussions with heritage tour guides, artists and historians. Audiences will get a flavour of Manchester and what it means to keep our shared heritage alive and active.

These events are part of Manchester Histories Festival 2026. #MHF2026

These events are part of many free events programmed at Manchester Histories Festival 2026. As a small charity we truly welcome any contribution you are able to make. Suggested donations of £3–£10 help us continue our work with local communities, create imaginative and inclusive programmes, and sustain the Manchester Histories Festival in celebrating Greater Manchester’s rich and diverse histories and heritage. Every donation, whatever the amount, makes a real difference. Thank you for supporting us.

Manchester Central Library is fully accessible. To help us make this event as inclusive as possible, we welcome you to contact us at least two weeks in advance regarding any specific access requirements, including BSL interpretation or other support needs. Thank you.

Email: [email protected]

Call: 0161 306 1982

We may contact you after the event with an event feedback form. We’d really appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes to fill it out. Your thoughts will help us improve future events and strengthen the case for more programmes like this.

Complete the feedback form for your chance to win some Manchester Histories merch and a copy of These Isles: A People’s History of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales by the brilliant author Brian Groom — available to Manchester Histories Festival 2026 attendees only!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Manchester Central Library, Saint Peter's Square, Manchester, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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