Manchester will welcome Donald Trump and other G20 leaders in 2027 as the UK uses its presidency to focus on growth, investment and stability, reports Asian Lite News Desk
Manchester will host US President Donald Trump and other world leaders for the G20 leaders’ summit in November 2027, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham preparing to welcome the international gathering to his former political base.
The summit will take place at Manchester Central Convention Complex on 27 and 28 November 2027 as part of the UK’s year-long G20 presidency. The government says it will be the largest international summit ever held in the city, with preparations now expected to accelerate.
Burnham, who served as Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until becoming prime minister in July 2026, said he was “really pleased” that he would be welcoming Trump to Manchester.
The meeting will also bring Burnham face-to-face with the US president after a previously strained exchange over the status of Manchester.
Trump referred to Burnham as the “mayor of a town” in June, when Burnham was still mayor and was expected to become prime minister. Burnham said the pair subsequently discussed the remark during their first telephone conversation.
He told reporters that he had made clear that “Manchester isn’t ‘some town’… this is Manchester”, but said the appropriate response was to laugh about the exchange and move on.
The decision to hold the 2027 leaders’ meeting in Manchester reflects the government’s wider emphasis on shifting economic and political activity beyond Westminster.
Burnham had previously taken a more critical position towards Trump. As mayor, he said in 2019 that he would not welcome a visit by the US president to Manchester.
Now preparing to meet Trump as prime minister, Burnham said political figures could make different comments at different stages of their careers, adding that the priority was to focus on the current relationship.
The two leaders have already spoken several times since Burnham entered Downing Street. In their first call on 20 July, Burnham invited Trump to see what Manchester had to offer. In September, they discussed economic growth, Ukraine and the Middle East, including efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
UK takes G20 presidency
The Manchester summit will be the centrepiece of the UK’s G20 presidency in 2027, with events and meetings expected to take place across the country during the year.
The UK government has said its G20 presidency will focus on growth, economic stability, investment and opportunities for working people. The government has also highlighted the importance of the G20 to the UK economy, noting that members account for 85% of global GDP and 75% of international trade.
The G20 consists of 19 countries alongside the European Union and African Union. Its members include the world’s major advanced and emerging economies, including the UK, US, China, India, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, Indonesia, South Korea, Argentina and Russia.
The group was established in 1999 as a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors before being elevated to a leaders’ summit during the global financial crisis in 2008.
Its first leaders’ summit was held in Washington in 2008, followed by the London summit in 2009, when Gordon Brown’s government hosted talks aimed at coordinating the international response to the financial crisis.
The UK government has pointed to the 2009 meeting as an example of the G20’s ability to coordinate action during periods of global economic instability.
Manchester takes centre stage
The decision to hold the 2027 leaders’ meeting in Manchester reflects the government’s wider emphasis on shifting economic and political activity beyond Westminster.
Burnham’s government has already established No 10 North in Manchester as a base for parts of central government, with the prime minister saying he wants more national decision-making and economic policy work to take place outside London.
Hosting the G20 will bring heads of government, senior ministers, officials, business representatives and international delegations to the city.
Downing Street said hundreds of local people are expected to be involved in preparations and the wider programme of events during the UK’s presidency.
The summit will also place Manchester in the international spotlight at a time when the city-region is seeking to strengthen its position as a centre for investment, business, culture and international engagement.
The UK last hosted the G20 leaders’ summit in London in 2009. The government is expected to announce further details about the 2027 programme, including additional locations and events, as preparations develop.
For Burnham, the Manchester summit will carry an additional significance. He spent almost a decade as the city’s elected mayor before moving back into national politics and becoming Labour leader and prime minister in July.
His role in welcoming Trump and other G20 leaders will therefore bring together his former role as Greater Manchester’s political leader and his current position at the centre of the UK government.
