Thousands of people turned out at Heaton Park for a special concert to remember those who died at the Battle of the Somme.
A total of 19,240 tickets were made available for the event - the same as the number of men who died on the first day of the bloody First World War battle on 1 July 1916 - at the park which served as a training ground for recruits.
They were all snapped up in advance and despite the torrential rain and muddy conditions those present witnessed a poignant tribute to those who lost their lives a century ago.
They were treated to performances from Manchester’s own Halle Orchestra, who played a mixture of songs from 1916 and classical pieces.
They were supported by a 300-strong choir of schoolchildren from across the UK, with moving stories of individual soldiers and military workers read out in between songs.
More than 350 people volunteered to be part of PALS - a special dance piece inspired by the Pals Battalions which saw groups of friends and neighbours join the forces together.
The ceremony, attended by veterans and dignitaries as well as members of the public, also saw a passionate reading of a specially-commissioned piece by Wigan-born poet Lemn Sissay.
It concluded with the playing of Last Post, which rounded a packed day of events to honour those who fell including a military parade and service at Manchester Cathedral attended by the Duke of York Prince Andrew and the Chancellor George Osborne.
Alan Lane, artistic director of the evening concert, said: "The concert brought with it a huge sense of responsibility to both honour and respect what has gone before and the price paid by so many at that time, whilst also looking beyond the past to the future and our hopes about what this might bring.
"The enthusiasm and determination of the volunteer dancers, performing alongside our dance professionals will stay with me from these last few weeks, as will Lemn's performance of his new poem that looked insightfully to our past whilst also providing a clarion call to a collective, hopeful future."
Councillor Sue Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “As a city we have been proud and honoured to host the national commemoration and to remember and pay our own respects to those who died were wounded, or were otherwise involved in the Somme.
"The huge crowds today in Heaton Park and across the city are testament to the enduring sense of both gratitude and loss that we still have and must continue to have as we remember all those involved in what was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the First World War."
