What's on North 22-29 Jun: Manchester Beer Week

Each week The Skinny team hand-pick a selection of the best events from the North's cultural calendar to provide you with this 'ere top ten guide to the most exciting goings-on for the week ahead. From gigs, plays and exhibitions to spoken word, pop-up foodie events and one-off film screenings, we give you the insider's guide to things to do in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds every Thursday morning.

Tis the Saison

For beer drinking, that is, thanks to Manchester Beer Week! Yaaaaay.

Following a launch party with GRUB food festival at Mayfield on Fri 23 Jun, you'll be able to drink (and eat) your way through a Blackjack Brewtap with Five Points, a Holy Crab supper club at Runaway Brewery, a Wild Beer Co taco takeover at The Beagle, a homebrew demo at Marble Beerhouse, a Black Lodge tap takeover at PLY, a debate on sexism in the beer industry with Melissa Cole and so much more. Like, absolutely shitloads more.

The festival will then draw to a close with Pilcrow's Summer Beer Thing next weekend, taking over the suntrap that is Sadler's Yard (just a few minute's walk from the Northern Quarter) with bars from local, UK and international breweries like Magic Rock, Cloudwater, Omnipollo, Mikkeller, North Brewing Co., Marble and Track, with 70 beers pouring at any one session (and a total of 200 lined up for the festival's duration). There'll also be street food from Latin American favourites Yakumama, Neapolitan pizza slingers Wood, Fire & Smoke and the kitchen at The Pilcrow's sister bar, Common.

You'll find, er, ale you need to know over on the Manchester Beer Week website. Happy bevvin'.

The Skinny North: The Final Fling

Alas, the rumours are true: The Skinny North is closing and the Jul/Aug issue will be our last. BUT we want to go out as we arrived – with a bang! We’re planning a super special blow-out on 14 July at the mighty Islington Mill to celebrate over four years of being a kickass magazine. The lineup is TBC, with more details to follow over the coming weeks, so simply click 'Attending' on the Facebook event to find out who'll be playing. Artwork: Ross Fraser McLean

Films of 2017: Mid-year report

It's time for our traditional mid-year look back at the best films of the year so far – love, sex, religion, comedy, satire and horror; 2017 has you covered!

Here Comes the Pride

Fun as it can be, LGBT Pride remains a contentious issue – one writer explains why he had his doubts, and a moment in Montréal that turned it all around... Photo: Xenia Latii

Also This Week:

Open Night for Big Ideas at the Mill
Islington Mill, Salford. Thu 22 Jun, 6pm

Following an incredible two-year curatorial residency, Islington Mill's ace event programmers Fat Out Till You Pass Out will be coming to the end of their run this August. That means the Mill are on the look-out for new things to do with the space, and you (yep, you) are invited to put forward bold new ideas. Get down to the open night to find out more about the space and its potential, with a chance to hear from Mill founder Bill Campbell. The Mill's ya oyster, baby; wild ideas welcome.

Super Retro Games Fest
Leeds University Union, Leeds. Sat 24 Jun, 11am

Wade through thousands of retro games, consoles, computers, artwork, imports, accessories, toys, bartop arcades and more at the Super Retro Games Fair, where big kids can relive their well-spent days of yore in the hands of Atari, Nintendo, Sega and co.

Disco Africa
Constellations, Liverpool. Fri 23 Jun, 6pm

After last week's incredible, sun-drenched Africa Oye, the festival is teaming up with Constellations for Disco Africa, a free party celebrating African synthesizer music from the 60s, 70s and 80s and paying homage to artists such as William Onyeabor, BLO, Francis Bebe, Assagai, Rob, Odion Iruoje, Ata Kak, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo and other greats. We're anticipating good vibes aplenty. Illustration: Andrew Denholm

Festa Italiana
Cathedral Gardens, Manchester. Fri 23-Sun 25 Jun, 11am

Enjoy la dolce vita this weekend with Manchester's free Italian festival, featuring its very own Italian food market, cookery masterclasses, pizza making, live music and DJs, along with a limoncello bar, a Prosecco bar, an Aperol Spritz bar (featuring hammocks, no less), a San Pellegrino bar and more.

Leeds Waterfront Festival
Various venues, Leeds. Sat 24-Sun 25 Jun

Whether you're after some good-hearted family-friendly action or just in need of a sunny waterside pint, Leeds Waterfront Festival will be bringing participating venues and locations – including The Tetley, Leeds Dock, Thwaite Mills, Leeds Industrial Museum and Castleton Mill – to life in celebration of the history and culture of Leeds' waterways. Photo: Tim Green

Looking ahead: Manchester Food and Drink Festival

There's lots to look forward to at this year's Manchester Food and Drink Festival, but in the meantime, the nominations for the festival's awards have also been announced. We've picked out our favourites from the shortlist, which you can check out here, before casting your own vote. Photo: Giles Smith