Diwali, the Festival of Lights, will be celebrated across Greater Manchester from Friday, November 6 to Wednesday, November 11, with Sunday, November 8 considered the main day of the celebration for 2026. A range of events, including feasting buffets, club nights, film screenings and kids crafting sessions, will take place across the city-region over the next week.
Club Nights and Buffets
The MCR Lounge, in Printworks, will host a Diwali Special Desi Night on Saturday, November 7, from 10pm until 3am. The event will feature top DJs playing music from bhangra and bollywood to dancehall and afrobeats. Early bird tickets start from £6, standard entry is £10, and VIP is from £25.
On Tuesday, November 10, Ashton-under-Lyne vegetarian restaurant Lily's will host a special Diwali buffet priced at £14.99 per person, or £9.99 for children under the age of ten. The buffet will be available from 12pm to 8pm, with the last sitting at 7pm, and bookings are required. Options include sweetcorn tikki, paneer lababdar, khadi, vegetable samosas and lentil kachori. Bookings can be made by calling 0161 339 4774.
Crafting and Film Screenings
On Saturday, November 7, Kargo MKT in Salford Quays will host free kids crafting sessions from 10am to 12pm, where participants can create their own colourful Diwali lanterns. The sessions are free to attend, but reserving a spot online is recommended.
Four VUE cinemas across Greater Manchester - Printworks, Quayside, Bury and Bolton - will hold special screenings of South Asian films over the next week. Screenings include Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, from the visual effects team behind Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, Dune, Interstellar and Inception. Tamil sequel Mookuthi Amman 2, Tamil action-comedy Scene, and Malayalam action film Disco will also screen. Tickets cost from £4.99 when booked online.
Humberto Michelacci, Screen Content Manager at Vue, said: "We're thrilled to be celebrating the Festival of Lights with a fantastic selection of South Asian films this November, offering something for everyone to enjoy on the big screen."
Restaurant Specials and Balls
Indian restaurant Dishoom, on Bridge Street in the city centre, has partnered with Michelin-starred chef and Bungalow restaurateur Vikas Khanna, from New York, on a special menu. The Dishoom x Bungalow Diwali Feast features vegetarian or vegan plates designed to be shared, including Jackfruit Berry Pulao and Goan Vegetable Curry, priced at £30 per person. During Diwali, Bungalow's Spice Roasted Pineapple and Dishoom Makhani Kofta will also appear on the All Day menu as limited specials. The celebrations run until November 15, from 12pm, with bookings recommended.
Manchester nightclub MN1, on Whitworth Street West, will celebrate with its Bollywood vs Bhangra night on November 7, running from 11pm to 3am. Tickets start from £6 online, with final release tickets costing £12, and tables can also be bought.
The Diwali Ball will be held at the Stanley Hotel near Manchester Airport on November 14. The black tie event will feature live music from DJ VJ Roadshow and Sahara UK, as well as Diwali-themed decor and food included with the ticket. Tickets are priced from £47 for adults, and from £26 for children aged 3-12, with family tickets also available.
