What's on in Manchester this Easter

Ah, finally. The bank holiday weekends return after a long, cold winter! This year's first takes us off to a good start, with lots of Eastery goodness to sink your teeth into. Here's our pick of the best ways to lap up the long weekend in Manchester:

Partying

[A Love From Outer Space]

No doubt many of you will spend most of the bank holiday weekend holed up in a bar somewhere, so might as well make it a good'un, eh? The Refuge beds into its new basement party space (which launched recently with the return of the famed Electric Chair club night) with So Flute on Fri 14 and Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnson's A Love From Outer Space on Sat 15. Yes please to both.

Bank holiday specialists Zutekh and Tpot join forces for a collab at Hidden, bringing some of the best names in electronic music for a very special Easter Sunday blowout. Perlon mastermind Zip will be joined by labelmade Binh and UK acid dons Paranoid London, along with Hidden, Zutekh and Tpot residents.

Gorilla promises to meet "all your clubbing needs for Easter Weekend" with Midnight Riot on Thu 13 Apr, We Love Gorilla with Sidney Charles on Fri 14 Apr and a special Disco Brunch with Homoelectric on Sun 16 Apr before rounding the long weekend off with Back By Dope Demand that evening.

Meanwhile, their sister venue The Deaf Institute will be launching new night Disco Cultura with a Good Friday special, where you'll hear music from 70s New York, 60s Brazil, 80s Africa, 90s UK, 00s French pop and everything in between. Fri 14 Apr, The Deaf Institute, 11pm, £3-£5

Eglo Records will be returning to Soup as part of a mini UK tour celebrating eight years in the game, where Steve Spacek will be playing his only Manchester date of the year. Thu 13 Apr, Soup Kitchen, 11pm, £7

One of Manchester's most popular student club nights, Gold Teeth makes its Northern Quarter debut at Odd for a Easter bank holiday special on Sun 16 Apr; expect all the usual classic hip hop carnage. Sun 16 Apr, Odd, 8pm, free

Meanwhile, Common will be hosting a special bank holiday weekend party, which sees Generic Greeting team up with Heads Up for an evening of tunes spun by Szajna (Generic Greeting/Alga-Rhythms), Cutwerk (Heads Up/Ad Hoc), Big Peace (Generic Greeting/No White Tees) and Jon Bevan (Heads Up/Reform Radio). Sat 15 Apr, Common, 8pm, free

The Peek a Groove collective will be pitched up at Font in Chorlton for an Easter Jamboree and BBQ, with 18 of Manchester's finest selectors 'pon the decks for a 13-hour vinyl session, with guest beers also on tap at the bar. Sun 16 Apr, Font, 12pm, free

Go B.I.G or go home this bank hol, as Pen and Pencil host a B.I.G Easter Hip-Hop Party with Gareth Brooks spinning hip hop party tunes until 1am. There'll also be a bank holiday Bottomless Lunch, with unlimited food and drink for £35. Sun 16 Apr, Bottomless Lunch: 2pm, £35, Hip Hop party: 7pm, free

Music 

[Trans Am, photo: Mike Seely]

Fat Out Fest, obviously. Salford-based independent promoters (and all-round top gals, we might add) Fat Out will be throwing their annual weekender this Easter, welcoming the likes of Maryland post-rock polymaths Trans Am, reformed London noiseniks Part Chimp and Earth founder Dylan Carlson's ongoing collaboration with dubtronic producer The Bug to the Mill. Grab yourself a ticket, before finding out the top five acts we're looking forward to catching here. Fri 14-Sun 16 Apr, Islington Mill, Salford, times vary, £25-£65

Taking over The Castle, Gullivers, Night and Day and the Northern Quarter's newest gig venue Jimmy's, When in Manchester Festival returns for another all-dayer of rising UK talent, with headliners including Jordan Allen, The Tuts and Kashmere. Sat 15 Apr, various venues, 2.30pm, £14-£15

Odd Bar will be hosting a Bang the Drum live all-dayer, helping you round off the Easter weekend with live tunes from And The Hangnails, Baby Tooth, Ronald Raygun, The Avocets, Bishop and Jack Conman. Better still, entry's free, meaning that even if the long weekend's completely eaten up those funds, you'll still be able to get out of the house and enjoy the last day of freedom. Mon 17 Apr, Odd, 3pm, free

The Easter Vintage Swing Festival returns for its 14th consecutive year, taking us back to the old school with performances from Hackson Sloan, along with dancing, vintage stalls and cars, egg hunts and more to help complete the package. Sun 16 Apr, Printworks, 12pm, free

Alternatively, Heaton Park will be celebrating Easter with a series of special family-friendly concerts presentd by Feelgood Theatre, with classical tunes by Handel, Corelli, Gounod, Verdi, Medelssohn, Puccini, Gilbert and Sullivan and more. Sun 16-Mon 17 Apr, Heaton Park, times and prices vary

Families

[Photo: Elliot Moore]

Manchester Duck Race has become something of an Eastertime tradition for families, this year expecting around 25,000 visitors. It costs £1 to buy and enter a duck into the race, with all proceeds going to local children's charity Brainwave, with activities and attractions sprawling along the River Irwell, Spinningfields and New Bailey including fairground rides and a petting farm. Fri 14 Apr, Leftbank, Spinningfields and New Bailey, 11am, free (£1 to enter)

Head to Platt Fields for the annual Manchester Easter Fun Fair, promising over 20 rides and attractions including classics like dodgems, the waltzer and a fun house. Until Mon 17 Apr, Platt Fields Park,12pm, £8.99-£10.99

Films

On Easter Monday, Oddest in Chorlton will be screening the brilliantly blasphemous Life of Brian for their Monday Movie Club. Kick back with cocktails and free popcorn, while watching arguably the best work from the Monty Python boys. Mon 17 Apr, Oddest, 8pm, free

Think we've missed anything out? Email jess@theskinny.co.uk and we'll pop it in!