Cucumber reunion, Beautiful Thing and Party Monster lead SCENE Festival 2025 lineup
In partnership with SCENE Festival
SCENE Festival returns to Manchester this August with a full city takeover celebrating LGBTQ+ storytelling across film, TV, music and more.
Running from 15 to 21 August 2025, this year’s programme includes anniversary screenings, cast conversations, documentary premieres and drag takeovers – all timed to coincide with Manchester Pride week.
Following a strong debut last year, the festival expands across venues including HOME, Aviva Studios, New Century Hall and Vue Printworks, with outdoor screenings at First Street and partnerships with organisations including Sheffield DocFest, GAZE, Iris Prize and CULTPLEX.
Tickets start at just £2.50, with many events free of charge. Profits from ticket sales, along with booking fees from the ticketing partner Skiddle, are being donated to Manchester Pride Charity.
Here’s our highlights of the SCENE Festival 2025 lineup.
Opening night film: Lesbian Space Princess
Friday 15 August | HOME
The festival opens with a genre-bending sci-fi romance that’s part fairy tale, part feminist space opera. Expect bold visuals, tender storytelling and a dose of intergalactic queer joy.
SCENE Outdoor Screen on First Street
Saturday 16 – Thursday 21 August | First Street
Six days of free outdoor screenings with a camp, cult and community flavour. Expect an Oz-themed celebration including The Wizard of Oz and a Wicked sing-along, alongside favourites like To Wong Foo, Mean Girls and more.
Jonathan Harvey in conversation + Beautiful Thing
Saturday 16 August | New Century Hall
The acclaimed writer of Gimme Gimme Gimme, Beautiful People and Coronation Street joins SCENE for a live retrospective. The evening includes personal reflections, career highlights and a screening of his iconic 1996 film Beautiful Thing.
Party Monster screening + WOW Presents Plus retrospective
Sunday 17 August | Aviva Studios
RuPaul’s Drag Race producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato reflect on queer storytelling, DIY platforms and honouring LGBTQ+ cultural history. Followed by a screening of their 2003 cult classic Party Monster, starring Macaulay Culkin as club kid Michael Alig.
Waterloo Road: Everyone Welcome
Sunday 17 August | New Century Hall
A live conversation exploring LGBTQ+ representation in school-based drama with Waterloo Road producer Adam Leatherland, director Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, and actors Miya Ocego and Sonya Nisa (Aleena and Lois). Hosted by Thomas Duke (@SteppingThroughFilm).
Best of Sheffield DocFest
Sunday 17 August | Vue, Printworks
A curated selection of standout queer documentaries from the 2025 Sheffield DocFest programme, brought to Manchester in collaboration with SCENE.
SCENE New Narrative
Monday 18 – Wednesday 20 August | Vue, Printworks
A showcase of new international LGBTQ+ fiction features, many screening in the north for the first time. Titles include Drive Back Home (starring Alan Cumming), Plainclothes (featuring Russell Tovey and Tom Blyth), and Dreams in Nightmares.
10 Years of Cucumber + In conversation with Russell T Davies & cast
Wednesday 20 August | New Century Hall
Celebrate a decade of Channel 4’s Cucumber with its creator Russell T Davies and stars Vincent Franklin and Cyril Nri. Featuring behind-the-scenes insight, audience Q&A and a selected episode screening. Additional guests to be announced.
Manchester Camerata presents LGBTQ+ composers in concert + Monk in Pieces
Thursday 21 August | Aviva Studios
An evening of live music spotlighting LGBTQ+ composers including Aaron Copland and Meredith Monk, performed by Manchester Camerata and Aaron Akugbo. Followed by a screening of Monk in Pieces, a documentary celebrating Monk’s radical creative life.
Showgirls 4K 30th anniversary screening + Drag takeover
Thursday 21 August | HOME
Celebrate the return of this gloriously over-the-top cult classic in equally glorious 4K. Expect drag queen performances inspired by Nomi Malone herself – live and in-screen.
Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot + SCENE’s Lesbian TV Quiz
Sunday 17 August | New Century Hall
Filmmaker Regan Latimer leads a witty, personal dive into lesbian TV tropes and queer survival strategies on screen. Followed by a sapphic pub quiz packed with niche trivia, prizes and bragging rights.
Getting there and staying over
SCENE Festival takes place across central Manchester, with key venues including HOME, Aviva Studios, New Century Hall and Vue Printworks all within easy reach of Manchester Piccadilly station and well connected by Metrolink and bus routes.
For those travelling in or making a weekend of it, the Scene & Stay programme offers exclusive hotel perks for festivalgoers. A wide range of Manchester hotels are taking part, with limited-time offers including:
- Up to 30% off your stay
- Drag breakfasts and brunches
- Limited-edition Pride cocktails
- Free gifts, party packages and surprise treats
Whether you’re after a glitter-fuelled brunch, a stylish city centre base, or just a good night’s sleep between events, there’s a package to suit every kind of Pride guest.
Explore all the offers at: www.scenefestival.com/scene-and-stay