The 21st February 2026 is International Mother Language Day, a celebration of language diversity. Join us for a talk on Linguistic Landscapes and a familyfriendly language trail through Manchester Museum.
UNESCO International Mother Language Day (IMLD) 2026 takes place on Saturday 21 February, with an exciting programme of local celebrations announced by Manchester City of Literature and their partners.
This year will be the 10th International Mother Language Day observed in Greater Manchester, a celebration of the cultural diversity and vast number of languages spoken across the city region.
Creative Manchester , one of the University’s research platforms, will offer a series of events to mark the occasion in collaboration with partners and colleagues. All events are free to book, and all’are welcome.
19th February 2026 - International Language Exchange - Join the Language Society and the International Society in the Student’s Union to celebrate International Mother Language Day with an international language exchange! This event will be a great chance to meet new people whilst speaking together in a new or familiar language. There will be optional activities including zine making for you to join in with, centred around the theme of languages and the linguistic diversity of our community. The event will take place from 2pm in The Nest.
21st February 2026 - Linguistic Landscapes in Manchester and Beyond - Join the Linguistic Diversity Collective for a talk by Dr Serge Sagna, Prof. Tine Breban and Dr Simone de Cia to mark International Mother Language Day 2026. This talk centres around the multilingual public signs found across towns and cities, and what they tell us about language domination and language policy in Manchester and beyond. This event will be held in Manchester Museum from 11am - 12pm.
21st February 2026 - Looking for Languages - Family-friendly trail at Manchester Museum - The Linguistic Diversity Collective invites you to a free, family-friendly language themed trail around Manchester Museum to celebrate International Mother Language Day 2026. Grab your activity sheet and follow the language-themed trail around the museum’s enchanting collections, thinking about your own language(s) along the way.
To find out more about International Mother Language Day and the city’s celebrations, visit the Manchester City of Literature website .