Last Updated on 5 January 2026 by Colette
Once your kids are done with Father Christmas and elves and flying reindeer, I think it can be harder to keep the magic of Christmas alive – so I wanted to put together a list of suggestions for things to do in Manchester with teenagers to help get them, and you, into the festive spirit!
This list of festive things to do with teens in Manchester this Christmas focuses heavily on nostalgia and food (which I think is pretty much what Christmas is about anyway!). I know my own children, like me, like to do the same things year in year out to make it feel like Christmas, but I’m also super conscious of trying to add in new things as they get older to keep the magic alive!
What can I do in Manchester with my teens this Christmas?
Hopefully this list of suggestions will give you a few ideas of how you can spend some quality time with your teenagers and get them into the festive spirit – I’ll be keeping this list updated as news of events is released so if you see something that you think should be on this list, please do let me know!
Check out these handy links to plan your next adventure …
Manchester Christmas Markets – Friday 7th November to Monday 22nd December 2025
Visiting the Manchester Christmas Markets with teens is definitely a lot easier than navigating them with a pushchair which I have vivid, painful memories of! There’s plenty of delicious food to choose from (though this could get expensive!) and they might well appreciate the nostalgia and tradition of having visited them when they were younger.
The Manchester Christmas Markets are some of the largest in the UK and are extremely popular. As such the Christmas Markets are heaving most nights and all day of a weekend but I think if you’re visiting with teens then that hustle and bustle is all part of building the festive atmosphere!
Steaming mugs of mulled wine or hot chocolate (for the younger ones!) and German sausage are the order of the day but you’ll find plenty of sweet treats and gifts to peruse as well.
Ice skating in Cathedral Gardens – Saturday 25th October 2025 to Sunday 4th January 2026
A visit to the ice rink in Cathedral Gardens is a long standing Christmas tradition for our family and one we’re keen to keep up with as the kids get older! The ice rink is always popular with teens who are typically either clinging to the side in fear or flinging themselves around the rink with wild abandon! (If you’re going skating with little ones, I’d definitely recommend going earlier in the day to avoid this!)
Last year’s Skate Manchester ice rink featured a covered ice rink as well as a new outdoor section allowing you to skate around an enormous 7 metre tall Christmas tree which is a popular photo opportunity!
Tickets are available on site on the day but it’s advisable to book in advance to guarantee your space: www.skatemanchester.com.
You can read more about visiting Skate Manchester here:
Tips for going ice skating at Skate Manchester this Christmas
Click through here for alternative places to go ice skating in Manchester this Christmas.
Dunham Massey Light Trail – Friday 14th November 2025 to Saturday 3rd January 2026
Christmas at Dunham Massey is a family-friendly one-mile magical festive trail of illuminations and is a popular festive family tradition for many (including my teens). The twinkling lights, Christmas music and delicious food are sure to put anyone in the festive mood!
Christmas at Dunham Massey typically sells out so you need to plan ahead for this one.
It is recommended that you book your tickets early to avoid disappointment. (National Trust members will receive free car parking this year but you must select this at the time of booking and show your membership card on the night. Non-National Trust members are advised to book their parking when purchasing tickets – this is priced at £8 per car.)
You can read more about visiting the Dunham Massey Christmas Light Trail here:
Christmas at Dunham Massey – Review & Tips [2024]
Christmas at Dunham Massey 2023
Christmas at Dunham Massey – Review & Tips [2021]
Northern Lights Manchester at Heaton Park – Thursday 20th November to Sunday 21st December 2025
Whilst Heaton Park is no stranger to a festive light trail, Lightopia went bust and Christmas at Heaton Park dropped off after only a year so I’m thrilled to see the creators of Kendal Calling and Bluedot, bring Northern Lights- a glowing mile-long trail of light, sound and festive magic to Manchester’s Heaton Park for the first time this Christmas.
Northern Lights is already well established in Newcastle, Leeds and Cardiff’s Bute Park – expect a 90-minute journey through immersive installations, firelit festive villages, mulled wine, marshmallows and vintage fairground fun.
Book tickets for Northern Lights Manchester with early bird discounts and super off-peak pricing available – tickets on sale 3rd June 2025
You can read more about Northern Lights Manchester here:
Northern Lights Manchester – Review & Tips
Enchanted Winter Walk at Quarry Bank – selected evenings from Thursday 27th November to Monday 22nd December 2025
With festive lighting and illuminated walkways, take a wander through the Upper Garden on the Enchanted Winter Walk at Quarry Bank. Keep an eye out for Mrs Claus preparing the sleigh for Christmas Eve!
Your ticket includes entry and hot drink. This experience should last around 30 minutes. Don’t forget to wrap up warm!
Book tickets for the Enchanted Winter Walk at Quarry Bank priced at £9.50. National Trust admission charges do not apply – both NT members and non-members need to purchase tickets for this event.
Lightwaves, Salford Quays – Thursday 4th December to Sunday 7th December 2025
Lightwaves is an annual 4-day interactive light festival presented at Salford Quays, home to Media City. The Lightwaves 2025 trail runs from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th December 2025.
(There’s also plenty of options for food and drink to keep your teens happy!)
This is a free event and tickets are not required to attend Lightwaves.
You can read more about Lightwaves here:
(For more free things to do in Manchester this Christmas, read this post next!)
Christmas Wreath Making at Quarry Bank Mill – Friday 5th / Saturday 6th / Sunday 7th December 2025 | SOLD OUT
Join the garden team at Quarry Bank Mill to design and create your own real Christmas wreath to decorate your home this festive season.
This activity is suitable for those aged 16+ and ideal for people with any level of craft experience.
Your ticket price includes all supplies to make your own wreath for you to take home, mince pie and luxury festive hot drink. Admission charges do not apply
Winter Island at Freight Island – Thursday 4th December to Tuesday 23rd December 2025
If your teens are anything like mine, then they are highly motivated by food so a trip to Winter Island is a win. This Christmas, Freight Island has been transformed into a full on winter festival with a whole host of Christmas events and seasonal activities – and whilst you might not be visiting Father Christmas, I definitely recommend getting stuck into the Christmas street food pop ups from Cocoa Cabana (these guys know how to do a fancy hot chocolate), Parmogeddon, Formaggi by Lazy Tony’s (I’ve tried their lasagne – drool!) and the Smoking Coal German BBQ – is it Christmas without a German Sausage?
Book a table at Winter Island at Freight Island.
Cosy Karaoke Hüttes at Barr Hutte, Manchester – from Wednesday 12th November 2025
This Christmas, get your teens in the festive spirit by belting out some Christmas classics in a cosy karaoke hütte, where you can enjoy apres ski vibes in the heart of Manchester!
There’s no specific age restrictions at Bar Hütte so your teens are welcome! Bar Hütte is family friendly – but the bar areas do tend to get fairly lively so they advise no kids around after 7pm.
Book your Christmas Kareoke at Bar Hütte priced at £60 for 1 hour, 40 mins.
Jack Off The Beanstalk at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester – Thursday 4th to Tuesday 23rd December 2025
Think your teens are too grown up for panto? Think again, Jack Off the Beanstalk at Hope Mill Theatre is a panto for grown ups and is recommended for age 18+!
“In this fabulously filthy twist, Dame Trott’s farm is in shambles… Desperate to rescue the farm, our hero Jack heads to the cattle market to save the day but is milked by the fiendish Fleshlight into handing over their beloved cow Daisy for a handful of “magic beans.”
Full of filthy innuendos, outrageous outuendos, laugh-out-loud routines and plenty of bean-tickling antics for you to join in with. Expect more naughty twists than you can shake your giant beanstalk at.”
This play comes with warnings about political correctness or a lack thereof!
Book tickets for Jack Off the Beanstalk
Indulge in a Festive Afternoon Tea
There are lots of places offering special Christmas afternoon tea menus this year so, for a grown up treat, why not book a festive afternoon tea for your teen. Prices start from £26 per person.
Check out this list of places to go for a festive afternoon tea in Manchester.
The Twilight Tales, Freight Island, Manchester – Thursday 13th November to Tuesday 23rd December 2025
The outside area of Freight Island has been transformed into a festive playground with a mixture of interactive installations and lights – this isn’t so much of a Christmas light trail as a space full of interactive light installations and activities from writing letters to Father Christmas (Chloe asked if it would be possible for him to arrange for her to stop growing) to elves to find, the most bonkers train carriage full of phones (our favourite was the complaints line) and containers of neon light strings, disco balls and, dry ice filled bubbles and then, continuing the theme of feeding your teens this Christmas, you could pop into Freight Island for a bite to eat and some festive drinks!
Tickets are available to book now.
You can read more about Twilight Tales at Freight Island here:
Twilight Trales at Frieght Island – Review and Tips
Below you’ll find a list of festive events which have previously taken place in Manchester but which are not currently expected to happen in 2025.
Christmas at Heaton Park – NO EVENT FOR 2025
The information below relates to a previous event – Christmas at Heaton Park will not be returning for 2025. In it’s place is a new festive light trail: Northern Lights.
New for 2023 the team behind Christmas at Dunham Massey and Christmas at Kew are bringing their special brand of twinkling seasonal lights to Heaton Park.
Whilst there are fairground rides at Christmas at Heaton Park- these are definitely aimed at the younger guests – for teens there’s just some dodgem and chair swing ride.
On the Heaton Park light trail you can expect to see colour-changing globes of light stretching out into the distance, larger-than-life flowers and neon strings that reach high into the sky. There is a laser garden filled with thousands of tiny beams of light and a giant twinkling tunnel that surrounds you with sparkle and makes for fantastic photo opportunities.
Personally I thought the food options were fairly limited but if you’re after a hot chocolate or mulled wine, you can grab those one the trail itself.
Tickets for Christmas at Heaton Park must be pre-booked online. Early bird pricing is in place until the 1st of October with tickets available from £12.
You can read more about Christmas at Heaton Park here:
Christmas at Heaton Park – Review
Cocktails with Santa Claus at Selfridges, Exchange Square – no details for Christmas 2025 as yet
The information below relates to a previous event
So this one is a bit different and for your older teens – this Santa Claus experience isn’t actually for the children but a treat for the adults instead! Join Selfridges for the ultimate festive evening of cocktails, small plates and merrymaking. Hosted by the one and only Santa, in partnership with the Eatwell MCR Collective, led by Mary-Ellen McTague and friends.
Tickets for Cocktails with Santa must be pre-booked online and are priced at £60 per person (with alcohol) or £50 per person (non-alcoholic). This includes up to four drinks and accompanying small plates. This event is strictly over 18s and Challenge 25 will be in place so do make sure you can prove your age!
For more ideas of things to do in Manchester this Christmas, check out these posts next:
The best places to see Father Christmas in Manchester
Christmas light trails in Manchester
Where to see the Grinch in Manchester
Festive theatre in Manchester this year
Christmassy things to do in Manchester
Where to buy a real Christmas tree in Manchester this year
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Love this! I think the Christmas Markets and Northern Lights at Heaton Park will be on our list.
We love a festive visit to Bents too. Their outdoor food venues are yummy too. (Weekday evenings are much quieter than weekends).