Kids & Family

All the family-friendly events put on as part of Manchester Pride Festival 2023

It's even got a beach.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th August 2023

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.

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.

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 Pride, part of the Manchester Pride Festival
Fatt Butcher at Family Pride
The family catwalk extravaganza at Family Pride, part of the Manchester Pride Festival
The family catwalk extravaganza.
Family Pride is part of the Manchester Pride Festival 2023
Family Pride is a big part of the Manchester Pride Festival 2023
Credit: 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.

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.

manchester pride family friendly events
“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.”

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. 

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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.”

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.

And for all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Image — Gemma Parker

Kids & Family

The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Forever Manchester charity work

There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.

Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.

This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.

Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.

Credit: Forever Manchester

The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.

This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.

The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.

This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.

Credit: Supplied

Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.

Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.

Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.

And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Forever Manchester (supplied)

Kids & Family

A candlelit concert and drone show is visiting Manchester later this year

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Candlelit concert drone show Manchester events

A drone show that doubles as a candlelit concert is stopping off in Manchester this autumn after visiting countries across the globe.

What’s better than a candlelit concert, I hear you ask? Well, how about a candlelit concert that also doubles as a drone show?

The masterminds at DroneArt Show have figured out a way to combine the two mesmerising experiences into one unforgettable night, and we are definitely not complaining.

You can expect to see visual displays in the sky of swans, parrots and even a ballerina, all of which will be synchronised to some of the greatest classical arrangements.

Candlelit concert drone show Manchester events
The DroneArt Show is visiting Manchester on 19 and 20 September.
manchester shows
You can watch a candlelit concert and a drone show all in one night.
Credit: DroneArtShow

While you sit back and gaze at these majestic illuminations, your ears will be delighted with the wonderful tunes and melodies of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’ and more.

As you watch this 65-minute-long show, your whole night will be soundtracked by a live string quartet as you’re surrounded by a 20,000 candlelit display and a synchronised team of 500 drones up above.

With this show expected to start at 8pm and run for just over an hour, families attending this event don’t have to worry about their child staying up past their usual bedtime.

And, you might not have to worry about the cost of an extra ticket, because if your little one is three or under, they get access to the candlelit concert and drone show for free.

candlelit concerts manchester
Expect a live string quartet paired with synchronised drones.
drone art show mcr
The DroneArt Show has travelled the world now stopping off in Manchester.
Just a few examples of what the Manchester drone show will look like. (Credit: Supplied)

The organisers are encouraging anyone attending to get there early in order to secure the best seats for the night and sample some of the delicacies that the on-site food vendors have to offer.

Anyone looking to start their music enrichment early can do so too, as the full DroneArt Show programme is readily available to view, as well as all the information you need to know before you go.

The DroneArt Show is coming to Barton Aerodrome in Manchester across two dates: Friday, 19 and 20 September, with doors expected to open at 6pm and a kick-off time of 8pm.

You can grab your tickets HERE.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)

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