Tuesday 22 – Wednesday 23 September 2026
We’re on a mission to bring more nature into our city! We’ve teamed up with a bunch of our friends to bring a truck load of nature, wellbeing, active travel and community activities to a couple of city centre streets which are being closed to traffic by Manchester City Council for just a few short days – Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 September.
Why not come along and get a FREE bike health check, learn more about e-bikes, how to get involved with city gardening, collect a FREE travel goody bag and we’ll be giving out bulbs and seeds to get your green space off to a flying start next spring.
Where is Walk on the Wildside happening?
Nicholas Street, just off Mosley Street and next to the Manchester Art Gallery and Tib Street in the heart of the Northern Quarter will host planting workshops, free bike checks, quizzes, seed and bulb give-aways as well as loads of information on how you can volunteer and get closer to nature and much more.
The programme
| Tuesday 22 September | |
| Nicholas Street | |
| Time | What to expect |
| 8am- 6pm | Take the “Green Space Quiz” and share your ideas for green spaces and projects with Nature Towns and Cities & CyanLines. |
| Find out about Manchester’s public parks and how you can help us look after them through their volunteering programme. | |
| Claim your free active travel goody bag from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and find out more about the Bee Network. | |
| Not used a Starling Bike yet? Now’s your chance to get up to speed on how they work, the network, the app and docking stations. | |
| Learn more about walking, wheeling and cycling in the region with the team from Walk Ride GM. | |
| 9am– 5pm | Visit the Plant stall to learn more about the city’s gardening activity and how you get involved. |
| TfGM’s Dr Bike pop-up mechanics will be with us to perform FREE bike health checks. | |
| 10am–2pm | Learn about all things e-bikes from TfGM. |
| 10am–6pm | Grab some seeds and bulbs and find out more about the RHS. |
| 11am– 12noon | Walking Mums will share information on how to reduce car use at schools and improving air quality. |
| 12noon–3pm | Take part in a taster session with Manchester Active of what an ‘Active Street’ could be and play some outdoor games – Giant Jenga, Guess who and Corn Dogs! |
| 1pm– 4pm | Help the Plant team plant new planters for CyanLines |
| Tib Street | |
| Time | What to expect |
| 8am- 6pm | Take this opportunity to find out about Friends of the Earth and sustainable transport. |
| Learn all about the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and how to get involved. | |
| 9am– 5pm | Visit the Plant stall to learn more about city gardening activity and how you can get involved. |
| Find out all about the local ‘Lets Go Family Walks’ and how you can help look after our canals and rivers through volunteering with the Canal & River Trust. | |
| 10am–6pm | Grab some seeds and bulbs and find out more about the RHS. |
| 10am–4pm | Take part in nature craft activities with City of Trees. |
| Discuss how you’d like to see improvements to our urban environment with the National Trust team. | |
| 1pm– 4pm | Help the Plant team plant new planters for CyanLines |
| Wednesday 23 September | |
| Nicholas Street | |
| Time | What to expect |
| 8am- 2pm | Take the “Green Space Quiz” and share your ideas for green spaces and projects with Nature Towns and Cities & CyanLines |
| 8am– 5pm | TfGM’s Dr Bike pop-up mechanics will be with us to perform FREE bike health checks. |
| 8am- 6pm | Find out more about Manchester’s public parks and how you can help look after them through the volunteering programme. |
| Claim your free active travel goody bag from TfGM and find out more about the Bee Network. | |
| Not used a Starling Bike yet? Now’s your chance to get up to speed on how they work, the app and docking stations. | |
| 9am– 5pm | Visit Plant’s stall to learn more about city gardening activity and how you get involved. |
| 9am– 5pm | Come to the Sow the City stall and taste apples from the community food growing projects while finding out about how you can volunteer at local community gardens and orchards. |
| 10am–2pm | Learn more about all things e-bikes with TfGM. |
| 10am–4pm | Find out more from the University of Manchester on sustainable travel and cleaner air engagement and we’ll be giving away seeds! |
| 10am–6pm | Grab some seeds and bulbs and find out more about the RHS. |
| 11am– 12 noon | Walking Mums will be with us to share information on reducing car use at schools and improving air quality. |
| 1pm– 4pm | Take part in Plant’s Urban Wildlife Workshop |
| Tib Street | |
| Time | What to expect |
| 8am- 6pm | Learn all about the RSPB and what they do. |
| Take this opportunity to find out about Friends of the Earth and sustainable transport. | |
| Visit the Plant stall to learn more about our gardening activity and how you get involved. | |
| 10am-2pm | Find out how NHS GM are supporting access to healthcare through more sustainable means |
| 10am–4pm | Discuss how you’d like to see our urban environments improved with the National Trust team. |
| 10am-6pm | Grab some seeds and bulbs and find out more about the RHS. |
| 1pm– 4pm | Take part in Plant’s Urban Wildlife Workshop |
What else is happening?
Manchester City Council has arranged for another couple of roads to be closed over 22 and 23 September and these are:
- Fountain Street from York Street to Church Street
- Paton Street from Back Piccadilly to Piccadilly
- Lena Street from Back Piccadilly to Piccadilly
Look out for our A-Boards and planters at those streets and why not take a minute to imagine what they could be like if we could add more trees, seats and spaces to connect!
Let us know your views
Let us know want you think about Walk on the Wildside here – https://www.manchester.gov.uk/green-spaces
