Chester Zoo is offering people the chance to visit for just £10 this summer.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now this summer, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price, as £10 tickets are now available to book for a limited time only.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Founded in 1931 by George Mottershead, Chester Zoo is the UK’s most popular wildlife attraction, and is home to more than 37,000 animals and 500 species across its 130-acre site.
The zoo also operates as a registered conservation charity and frequently ranks among the top zoos globally.
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It’s even more of a cause for celebration this year, as the zoo has claimed a record 11,666 ‘excellent’ ratings for the first time.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Afternoon tickets are only available online, and must be booked in advance if you want to claim the £10 offer this summer before it runs out.
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Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free, so it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you can.
Sharing the offer on social media last week, the zoo said: “Discover the zoo for just £10 with our new afternoon tickets. Perfect for after-school adventures, quick visits to see your favourite animals, or your first taste of Chester Zoo.”
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and tandard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
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Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
Kids & Family
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 10 – 16 August 2026
Emily Sergeant
Can you believe how quickly summer’s passing us by?
Actually, forget about that, let’s just make the most of it instead because there’s loads happening across Greater Manchester these next few weeks. If you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though, no worries, as we’ve chosen a few of the highlights for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
Both free things and those that’ll set you back a few pennies are featured.
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Summer in Space
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 10 August – onwards
Summer in Space / Credit: Science Museum Group
Get ready to spend the summer in space, as the Science and Industry Museum has announced its summer events programme and it’s full of free interactive events and activities to get involved with these next six weeks.
From live space shows and giant rockets, to tinkering activities Martian discovery trails, and the chance to visit the blockbuster exhibition Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos if you haven’t already, budding astronauts are in for a summer to remember.
By far one of the stand-out free events this summer is the arrival of 30-foot-tall rocket ship, Skybolt 2 – hosted by Manchester-based aerospace company, Starchaser.
Find out more and book tickets for your visit here.
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Forest Tubing
Zip World Manchester
Monday 10 August – onwards
Forest Tubing / Credit: Supplied
Thrill seekers, this one’s for you – as Zip World Manchester has launched its new Forest Tubing experience, and it’s bringing the UK’s longest outdoor tubing slide is coming to Heaton Park.
The new family‑friendly outdoor adventure gives visitors the chance to soar along two slides, winding through woodland at one of the largest parks in the North West.
Suitable for children aged four and above, visitors can book an hour-long session – with unlimited rides during that time slot – and either ride solo, or share the experience with fellow adventurers.
Chester Zoo is keeping its gates open late into the evening across two special weeks this summer.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo has announced the return of Afterglow, which is known and loved for offering visitors the rare opportunity to explore the zoo and its 30,000 animals after hours.
Unlike previous years, visitors will no longer need to leave Chester Zoo’s grounds and return with a separate event ticket. Instead, guests can spend the entire day exploring the zoo before enjoying Afterglow‘s evening programme, all as part of a standard admission ticket.
Manchester is bringing 14 weeks of free activities for children to parks across the city this summer.
Thanks to additional Council funding that was allocated earlier this year, Manchester’s biggest-ever Parktastic programme has now launched – expanding from the summer holidays alone to include after-school sessions before schools break up, activities throughout the holidays, and even sessions continuing into September.
Back by popular demand and aimed at children ages six-12, Parktastic offers sports, games, arts and crafts, dance, drama, nature activities, storytelling and messy play.
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Sessions are free, no booking is required, healthy snacks are provided, and children can simply turn up and join in.
National Trust x Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails
North West
Monday 10 August – onwards
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National Trust x Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails / Credit: James Dobson | Annapurna Mellor
National Trust and Pokémon have teamed up for an exclusive trading card game and immersive trail.
The partnership is set to bring together the places the National Trust cares for and Pokémon’s spirit of play and discovery.
Exclusively designed for the National Trust, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails are going to be running throughout summer at 14 National Trust places nationwide, combining ‘imaginative play’ with ‘gentle physical activity’ inspired by Mega Evolution Pokémon.
Find out where to get involved and book tickets here.
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On a budget and need somewhere to take the kids to eat for £1 or even FREE over the summer holidays?
In case the ongoing heatwave didn’t remind you, summer is in full swing and so are the school summer holidays.
If you’re after ways to enjoy some quality family time without having to break the bank, we’ve found lots of places where kids can eat for £1 or free – 15 of them, to be exact.
So, whether you’re in the mood for a hearty Italian, a bit of brekkie, or even a big Greek feast, just because you’re on a budget shouldn’t mean you have to limit your and your family’s taste buds.
It’s strawberry season, and Kenyon Hall Farm has officially opened up its strawberry fields (plus plenty of other pick-your-own produce) for the season for you to frolic amongst, with loads of summer treats in its cafe and award-winning farm shop too.
Strawberries have been growing at Kenyon Hall Farm for nearly 50 years now, and it’s proven as popular ever since.
Did you see that seven Manchester green spaces have been named some of the best in the UK?
Once again, seven of our city’s green spaces – including parks and cemeteries – have been named some of the best the UK has to offer. That’s because leading environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy, has handed out its coveted Green Flag Awards, which recognise accessible green spaces that set ‘an international benchmark for management’.
The awards shed light on the groups, volunteers, and staff who devote themselves year-round to the maintenance and upkeep of these areas.
Read more about this incredible honour and find out which green spaces have been chosen here.
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Or did you know that Go Ape now runs adult-only sessions?
We nipped over to Go Ape at Rivington as we heard you can now act like a big silly kid there without having to share anything with actual children.
It’s one of the region’s top attractions for good reason, giving you a chance to clamber and fly through the treetops on a sky-high obstacle course, and now every Thursday and Friday evening, you can escape your work inbox and switch it out for a maze of ziplines, ladders, swings, and more.
The huge new MCR Made exhibition by incredible local artist Stanley Chow has now taken over Manchester Arndale.
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Running through until the autumn, shoppers and locals will be able to admire 13 portraits of Manc icons, which measure up to six-metres in length – whether it’s Oasis legends or Suffragettes, football heroes or creative pioneers.
The gigantic inflatable portraits are suspended right across the iconic shopping centre for an art trail that celebrates the figures who have shaped the city.
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is currently hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this summer.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the year, East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Red Rose Diners’ are described as being ‘the ultimate first class foodie experience’, as they start with a glass of fizz and stretch over an almost three-hour steam train journey through the Irwell Valley.
The experience includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
Forbici is now open at the Trafford Centre, and of course, staying true to its name, every pizza is served with a pair of scissors for cutting.
Following the opening of its first site on Cross Street in the city centre last year, before expanding over to Sheffield, this new 7,000-capacity Trafford Centre space at The Orient is Forbici’s third restaurant in the UK and the second in Greater Manchester.
All pizzas are crafted with signature three-generation ‘biga dough’, slow fermented to create a light, airy crust, alongside carefully sourced Italian ingredients.
We’re deep in the school holidays now, and if you’re running out of things to do, don’t worry as we’ve got you covered. To make life even easier, all the activities are accessible by the Bee Network AND they’re tried and tested by us, so we can guarantee you’ll love them.
Featured Image – Artem Kniaz (via Unsplash) | The Manc Group
Kids & Family
Peter Kay at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Bolton-born comedian and entertainer Peter Kay is performing the final leg of his current UK arena tour with a series of charity shows.
Throughout his career, Kay has written and starred in various TV shows including Phoenix Nights, Max And Paddy’s Road To Nowhere and Peter Kay’s Car Share.
Alongside this, the Greater Manchester comedian has played a variety of arena shows across the UK, including at Manchester’s very own AO Arena with the likes of ‘Mum Wants a Bungalow Tour’ and the first raft of ‘Better Late Than Never’.
The latter came after the whole Co-op Live delays, if you can remember that.
And who can forget his successful venture as a recording artist collaborating with Tony Christie on ‘(Is This The Way To) Amarillo’ or alter-ego Geraldine’s string of singles ‘The Winner’s Song’ and ‘Once Upon A Christmas Song’? But let’s be honest, he’s back doing his garlic* bread and butter.
Gig guide | Peter Kay at AO Arena, Manchester
Credit: Press shots (supplied)/This Morning (screenshot via YouTube)
Peter Kay UK tour dates
Fri 24 July – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Sat 25 July – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 7 August – London, UK – The O2
Sat 8 August – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
And then, of course, we also have his slate of other charity shows set to be played back in his hometown at the famous Albert Halls – for which he recently added even more dates.
Are there any tickets left for Peter Kay at AO Arena?
Peter Kay is coming to Manchester city centre on Saturday 8 August, and luckily there’s a handful of tickets still up for grabs, although we expect this event to sell out. Tickets are available HERE.
And, the money from the tickets you purchase will be split between the 12 charities that the British comedy hero has chosen, such as Children With Cancer UK, Teenage Cancer Trust, Breast Cancer UK and more.
What are the stage times for Peter Kay in Manchester?
Anyone heading to the ‘Better Late Than Never; The Final Show’ can expect doors to open from 6pm with Peter Kay set to take to stage at 8pm.
Kicking off the night prompt and early, there’s no warm-up act; instead, the 53-year-old gives fans a usual interval between the first and second half of the show.
Simple as that.
AO Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can laugh your socks off and still get tucked up under the covers before the clock hits midnight.
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
The Last ̶D̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ Laugh*
It’s been well publicised that these will be the local comedy legend’s final ever live stand-up comedy shows, and while it still feels hard to believe, the time has now come upon us and we’re starting to accept that this really might be goodbye.
So, with that being said, if this is farewell, all we can say is thanks for the memories, the giggles, iconic quotes, and for all the smiles you put on faces up and down the country over the past few decades.
Emily Sergeant -
10th June 2026 
