Manchester is set to cement its status as a major centre for urban sports and culture when it launches the first ever MCR Drop next summer.

Showcasing the best of urban sports, including BMX, skateboarding and 3×3 basketball, alongside art, music and culture, MCR Drop will take place from August 5-8, 2027 at locations around the city centre.

Over four days, this brand-new event for the city will bring together elite and rising sports stars, alongside a specially curated cultural programme that includes musicians and artists. The thrilling juxtaposition of skills and creativity presented against the backdrop of Manchester’s dynamic urbanism will bring a whole new dimension to the city’s world-renowned buzz.

A partnership between Manchester City Council and UK Sport, the event builds on Manchester’s international reputation as one of the world’s most vibrant cities for urban sports, arts, and culture. UKEL has been appointed to deliver the event.

Councillor Shazia Butt, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Libraries, Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester is a city renowned for its creativity, culture and sporting excellence, and MCR Drop brings those strengths together in an exciting new way. This ambitious new festival will transform iconic city spaces into a stage for world-class urban sport, music, art and culture, while showcasing the incredible talent and energy that exists across our communities.

“MCR Drop is about more than delivering a spectacular event. It reflects our ambition to position Manchester as the UK’s capital of urban sport and culture, creating opportunities for residents, inspiring the next generation, growing participation and showcasing our city on a global stage. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the country and beyond to what promises to be one of the highlights of summer 2027.”

Esther Britten MBE, head of events and external affairs at UK Sport, said: “MCR Drop is exactly the kind of bold, innovative event we’re passionate about creating in the UK. Bringing urban sport, music, art and culture together gives people new ways to connect with Olympic and Paralympic sport, while helping us reach younger and more diverse audiences that traditional formats don’t always reach.

“We’re delighted to be supporting Manchester as it brings this ambitious vision to life in 2027, and we’re grateful to National Lottery players for helping make this investment possible.”

The cultural programme that will sit alongside the sporting action at next summer’s event will be overseen by Factory International who have worked with the city council over the last few months to help develop and shape the MCR Drop concept.