What’s on in March?
27 Feb 2026
Welcome to March’s edition of ‘What’s on?’. Here you will find everything you can get involved in for free each month, ranging from cultural, extracurricular and celebratory events and activities.
Events
Social Responsibility public engagement session – partnerships in practice
Find out more about our public engagement practice across the University. We’ll share case studies featuring partnerships in public engagement.
- Book your place on Wednesday, 25 March, 12pm – 12.45pm (online)
NHS blood typing
Drop in to find out your blood type and register as a blood donor with NHS Blood and Transplant in Manchester this month.
- Find them from Monday, 2 to Sunday 8 March at Arndale Shopping Centre
Building China: People’s Infrastructure
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Manchester Confucius Institute, "Building China: People’s Infrastructure" invites audiences to encounter China from the kitchen table and the street corner rather than the skyline.
- Find them during March at Manchester Central Library
Confucius Institute Spring Open Day
Join the Confucius Institute at our Spring Open Day and take part in fun cultural activities, language tasters, a tea ceremony and a prize draw.
- Book your place on Saturday, 21 March at the Confucius Institute
Women's education history walking tours
Join us at the library for our 'Degrees of Change' showcase where you will meet the curator, tour significant sites on campus and learn more about the collections on display.
- Join your tour on Monday, 9 March 12pm to 1pm, or Tuesday, 10 March 1pm to 2pm starting at the Main Library reception desk
Our cultural institutions
Manchester Museum
Tuesday, 10 March (12.30pm to 2pm): Curating China, with Manchester China Institute
Tuesday, 10 March (12pm to 1pm): Shared Reading
Thursday, 12 March (1pm to 3pm): Talk English Circle
Thursday, 12 March (5pm to 8pm): Manchester Museum Celebrates Iftar
Until Sunday, 15 March: Name the Whale competition
Wednesday, 18 March (11am to 8pm): Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Sunday, 22 March (11am to 2pm): Words from the Willow presents Forest Folk
Tuesday, 24 March (12pm to 1pm): Shared Reading
Thursday, 26 March (1pm to 3pm): Talk English Circle
Whitworth Art Gallery
Thursday, 5 March (6pm to 8pm): Reframing Blackness - Talk and Q&A with Alayo Akinkugbe
Sunday, 15 March (3pm to 3.45pm): Friends of the Whitworth Sunday Concerts
Thursday, 19 March (11am to 11.45am): Neurodivergent Friendly Exhibition Tour of Delaine le Bas
Sunday, 22 March (1pm to 4pm): Still Care: Crochet & Chill
Thursday, 26 March (7pm to 7.45pm): Thursday Late: Neurodivergent Friendly Exhibition Tour of Delaine le Bas
Sunday, 29 March (1.30pm to 4pm): Still Parents: Pocket Bonds
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Thursday, 5 March (2pm to 3.30pm): International Women's Day Collection Encounter
Wednesday, 11 March (12.30pm to 2.30pm): Activating Archives and Collections for Local and Societal Impact
Our community
Religious celebrations and traditions
Fast of Esther (Judaism) Monday, 2 March
Purim (Judaism) Monday, 2 to Tuesday, 3 March
Magha Puja Day (Buddhism) Tuesday, 3 March
Holika Dahan (Hinduism) Tuesday, 3 March
Holi (Hinduism) Wednesday, 4 March
Hola Mohalla (Sikh) Wednesday, 4 to Friday, 6 March
Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) (Islam) Thursday, 19 to Friday, 20 March
Ostara (Spring Equinox) (Wheel of the Year) Friday, 20 March
Rohini Vrat (Jain) Tuesday, 24 March
Palm Sunday (Christianity) Sunday, 29 March
Mahavir Jayanti (Jain & Hinduism) Tuesday, 31 Sunday
Awareness days
St David’s Day – Sunday, 1 March
International Women’s Day – Sunday, 8 March
UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia – Sunday, 15 March
Sign Language Week – Monday, 16 March
Neurodiversity Celebration Week Begins – Tuesday, 17 March
St Patrick’s Day – Tuesday, 17 March
Nowruz - Persian New Year – Friday, 20 March
Transgender Day of Visibility – Tuesday, 31 March
Groups and societies
Book club
This month’s book is Flesh by David Szalay. We will also recap The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden.
You don't even need to have finished the book (although there will be spoilers!).
Why not head over to our Viva Engage (yammer) group for more reading inspiration. Looking forward to a good discussion!
Please contact Fiona.Lynch@manchester.ac.uk for the zoom link for Friday, 27 March 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Want to feature your event next month?
If your event is free and open to all colleagues at the University, you can advertise it here next month!
Submit your suggestion to uninews@manchester.ac.uk by 25 of each month to feature in the following month. Please send us a short description (max 30 words) and any relevant links you may have too.
Please note that we unfortunately cannot guarantee your submission will feature, but we will do our best to feature as many as we can.
The deadline to feature in April’s ‘What’s on?’ is 25 March. Any questions, just drop us an email!