Many of us will think of Manchester Pride Festival as the live music, parties, and general mischief taking place across the Gay Village – but there are so many family-friendly events for people of all ages to get stuck into.
This year’s event has just announced its line-up for Family Pride MCR 2023, with music, cabaret, workshops and discos for Pride-goers of all ages.
The completely free event will be held at the Great Northern Warehouse on Saturday 26 August, between midday and 6pm.
The programme includes music, crafting, party games and sing-a-longs, as well as a rainbow disco, showcasing performances and artists that champion love, self-expression and individuality.
It’s aimed to provide an exciting, inspiring and celebratory day for LGBTQ+ families, parents/carers, and children alike.
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Highlights include the return of the Fatt Project’s Palaver Party — a blend of cabaret and a mini Pride parade — with the star-studded line-up including performer Ginny Lemon, a known face of the Manchester Pride Festival, as well as Lady Bushra, shortlisted for the 2021 BBC New Comedy Awards.
Guinness World Records holder Symoné and Cyro from The Enby Show are also set to grace the stage which will be hosted by Fatt Butcher and Blu Romantic.
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There’ll also be a beach-inspired experience complete with the kids’ club, thanks to the festival’s headline sponsor, TUI.
Fatt Butcher at Family PrideThe family catwalk extravaganza.Family Pride is a big part of the Manchester Pride Festival 2023Credit: Supplied/Verity Mulligan
Family Pride MCR’s 2023 offering has been announced by Manchester Pride, supported by TUI and in partnership with Proud 2 b Parents.
This year’s Family Pride MCR event has been co-designed with Fatt Projects, a queer performance company renowned for its vibrant and joyful celebrations of diversity.
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Director of Fatt Projects Adam Carver said: “We are so excited to be back working with Manchester Pride this year to present a second fabulous Family Pride MCR.
“Fatt Project’s work for families is all about celebrating yourself, having a great time, and bringing the whole family together for an unforgettable party. It feels more important now than ever to ensure that children and families are a key part of pride celebrations, so we can let young people know that all kinds of families are loved, celebrated, and part of our community.
“We can’t wait to see everyone there; so get your dancing shoes out, stick on a sequin or ten, and come join us for a fantastic day”.
TUI’s beach experience will also feature the beloved Captain T from TUI’s kids’ clubs, and serene spaces for families to unwind.
“We can’t wait to celebrate our colleagues and show Manchester how much TUI values all their LGBTQ+ staff and crew.” — Toby Horry
Toby Horry, Head of Brand Marketing at TUI, said: “We’re so excited to be getting involved in the Manchester Pride Festival and sponsoring Family Pride MCR this year, since it’s such a hugely important date for our community up in the north.”
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In partnership with Proud 2 b Parents, an organisation supporting LGBTQ+ parents and their families, Manchester Pride is set to deliver an enriching Family Pride MCR experience.
Proud 2 b Parents will host an information stall, an LGBTQ+ children’s book stall, and guide families to various activities on site. They also offer a parade viewing area for LGBTQ+ families to enjoy the parade from a welcoming vantage point overlooking Deansgate.
Other activities available for children include baby sensory, baby noise making workshop, story time in Book Nook Library. The Great Northern Warehouse will host an indoor extended play space in the Atrium with lawn games, table tennis and a colouring. There will also be a quiet zone, feeding area, pram park and changing facilities.
Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, added: “Pride celebrations are for everyone and should not be bound by age or family structure. Our celebrations at Family Pride MCR provide a fun, enriching and empowering space where families of all kinds can express themselves freely.
“Family Pride MCR offers vital representation and visibility to families that don’t always see themselves reflected in heteronormative society, and we’re proud to offer children and families a friendly space to meet, connect and celebrate pride in a way that’s designed just for them.”
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Manchester Pride Festival, crowned the ‘Best Large Festival’ at the UK Festival Awards 2022, is set to take place this August Bank Holiday weekend (25-28 August). In partnership with Booking.com, the festival features an exciting line-up of local and international artists, advocating for LGBTQ+ equality.
For more information on Manchester Pride Festival and to purchase tickets for the Gay Village Party, visit www.manchesterpride.com. We’re always made up by how Greater Manchester comes together at this time of year and this year’s Stockport Pride was a great way to get warmed up.
This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024
Thomas Melia
An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.
Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.
The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.
But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.
Credit: The Manc Group
The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.
With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.
There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.
Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.
If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.
You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.
Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.
That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.
Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.
Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.
Manchester’s new real-life Pac-Man experience is coming soon and you can grab early bird tickets
Danny Jones
Manchester already boasts a whole host of interactive games bars and activity destinations to boast, but we feel pretty confident in saying that there are very places on the planet where you can find a place to play a real-life version of Pac-Man.
First announced back in October and now scheduled to debut in March 2025, the Pac-Man Live Experience is the newest addition to Manchester’s growing entertainment scene and it’s promising to be a popular one too.
This brand-new life-sized immersive experience plunges players into the nostalgic world of the iconic video game we all know and love, only instead of using joysticks on an old-school arcade machine, they’ll physically sprint, dodge, and chomp their way through a maze.
Although the launch itself is still a few months away, the team behind this ingenious idea are getting ready for the frenzy and putting early bird tickets on sale ahead of opening day.
Credit: Concept Image (supplied)
So how does it work?
Good question: participants can gear up in a PAC vest and step into the role of the instantly recognisable yellow chomper, collecting power pellets, dodging the classic ghost characters – BLINKY, PINKY, INKY, and CLYDE – and racking up points on their way to victory.
Guided through an epic 12-level adventure, players will be led by the ‘PAC-MASTER’: a lively gameshow host who serves as commentator and referee; players will also be accompanied by immersive in-game effects like sound bites, lighting, and haptic (vibration) feedback to elevate the experience. Cool, right?
The striking Arcade Arena will feature two massive PAC-MAN courts projected onto the floor, while dynamic visuals transform the walls, fully immersing participants in the retro arcade universe. There’s no need for headsets either, so players can embark on a multi-sensory adventure, seamlessly blending the real world with augmented reality.
Created by Tom Lionetti-Maguire, the CEO and Founder of Little Lion Entertainment – the same team behind The Crystal Maze Live Experience, Tomb Raider, and Chaos Karts to the likes of London and more recently Manchester –
The whole thing has been brought to life in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, lending the proper licensing to make the experience feel both fun and authentic. It’s the real deal.
Credit: Supplied
Early bird tickets for Pac-Man Live Manchester
If you’re not sold on playing a human-sized, real-life game of Pac-Man in a huge augmented-reality arena right here in Manchester then we don’t know what to tell you, to be honest – all we know is that we’ll be first in line when it arrives.
The Pac-Man Live Experience comes to the Arcade Arena on 22 March next year in line with the game’s 40th anniversary, and they’re inviting players of all ages and providing engaging gameplay for younger participants while delivering a nostalgic throwback that parents and grandparents will cherish.
Better yet, if you book during the early bird window, you can access discount ticket prices from just £25 per person too.
Early bird tickets go on sale at 12 noon today (Thursday, 21 November) – you can grab yours HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
15th August 2023 
