Be part of the Greater Manchester Walking Festival every May
The GM Walking Festival is a celebration of walking and wheeling, as part of May’s National Walking Month.
It’s an opportunity for everyone, whatever role you play in Greater Manchester, to celebrate the many benefits of walking and wheeling more as a fundamental part of daily life.
Walking and wheeling (meaning to moving at walking pace e.g. pushchairs, wheelchairs, and other forms of mobility aids) has many benefits including meeting new people, getting outdoors, and discovering new places, which are shown to improve health and wellbeing and reduce social isolation.
Each year, GM Moving works with partners, communities, and groups, to develop a programme of free, organised group walks across Greater Manchester which are open to all.
GM Walking Festival 2026
The GM Walking Festival will return in May 2026 with a focus on Celebrating Connected Communities.
Our 2026 programme of activities, organised and shaped by local people and organisations, will spread the joy of walking and wheeling, and celebrate connecting hundreds of people to each other and their local places.
We’ll be sharing more details soon, so make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter via the form at the bottom of this page.
See what the GM Walking Festival is all about:
Who organises The GM Walking Festival?
The GM Walking Festival is built and shaped by local people, and is overseen by a Festival Steering Group which is convened by GM Moving.
The steering group includes previous festival walk organisers, members of GM Walking Voice, and representatives involved in coordinating local walking schemes, programs, and services. All of them bring their expertise and knowledge to support less active people in walking and wheeling more often as part of everyday life.
