There’ll be over 100 different games to play when a huge board game festival sets up shop right here in Manchester this weekend.
Run by the teams behind the Tabletop Gaming and Miniature Wargames magazines, and with games across the whole hobby, from must-see miniatures, to incredible indie RPGs and hot new board games, this epic two-day gaming convention gives the people of Greater Manchester and beyond the chance to play some of the most exciting games out right now.
The show is set to bring together gamers from across the country to our city centre for the first time.
Tabletop Gaming Live is taking over the historic Cotton Sheds at Victoria Warehouse on Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 September – which festival organisers say offers ample space for the 5000+ expected hobbyists and 100+ traders, publishers, and designers.
A huge board game festival is happening in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Tabletop Gaming
So, what can you expect to see this weekend then?
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Well, as Tabletop Gaming’s inaugural Manchester show is sponsored by local hobby titans Steamforged Games, they will be demoing Bardsung and showing-off upcoming titles, while Fanboy 3 – which has been at the heart of the Manchester gaming scene for years – will be presenting some of the biggest publishers from the US.
They are joined by Manchester indie legend Hall or Nothing – who will be showing new titles like the historical battler 1815: Scum of the Earth, and Manchester’s biggest gaming group Tabletop Manchester.
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Some of the other new games at the 2022 festival include – Amelia’s Secret (Hachette Board Games UK), Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side (Ravensburger), the new edition of Kingmaker, Call to Adventure: Epic Origins (Brotherwise Games), and CartaventuraCaravans (BLAM!).
There’ll be hands-on games demos and events happening all weekend at various different stands.
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You can also roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty with a variety of workshops too, including learning how to make your first game with James Wallis (The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen), create an RPG in an afternoon with Chris McDowall (Into The Odd Remastered), or even make your own miniature with Kit-bashing YouTube star Bill Making Stuff.
Tabletop Gaming Live is promising to bring a huge weekend of gaming where you can “get stuck into the hobby like you never have before”.
Fancy it then? There’s still time to grab tickets from £11 here.
Featured Image – Tabletop Gaming
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Manchester’s iconic Rylands building is being reborn – and the developers want to hear from you
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s iconic Rylands building, formerly home to the Debenhams department store, is being reborn.
And now the developers working on its new chapter want Mancunians to weigh in on which businesses we want to see in the landmark building.
The transformation of Rylands Manchester will honour the heritage character of the building, which dates back to 1932, but will introduce contemporary design and a list of residents that’s bang up to date for our modern city centre.
The plans include building a four-storey extension with panoramic city views and a bright, central atrium. When it completes, this Grade II-listed art deco building will bring together workspace, retail, and leisure, right at the beating heart of town between the Northern Quarter, Piccadilly, Manchester Arndale, and the central business district.
Standing proudly at the top of Market Street, this next era for Rylands will establish it as an exciting new destination in the heart of town when its phased completion begins from late 2026.
Already confirmed to be moving in is Market Place Food Hall with its first northern location, which has signed on for a 15 year lease to occupy the ground floor of Rylands.
Market Place Food Hall is already confirmed to be moving into RylandsRylands is entering a new era
But now Rylands are putting it back to locals to ask what shops, restaurants, or cafes we’d love to see moving in.
It could be a high street hero you’ve loved for years, an independent business you’ve fallen for, or a foodie spot you return to time and time again.
Your ideas could help to shape the future of this landmark building and make it a destination us Mancs can be proud of.
And if you submit your suggestions in the comments of THIS Instagram post, you could be in with a chance of winning a £100 Love2Shop voucher (make sure you’re following @Rylands_manchester for a chance to win).
Science and Industry Museum announces new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’
Emily Sergeant
A major new exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ is making its world premiere in Manchester next year.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will invite visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System when it launches at the Science and Industry Museum next February.
Fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition will encourage visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition will propel families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
Left teetering on the edge of our Solar System, explorers will then find themselves staring into the dark depths of space, on the lookout for any extra-terrestrial life that could be staring back.
Whether its sniffing astronauts’ smelly socks, dancing on an alien disco planet, feeling the tremors from a mysterious moonquake, or launching a space rocket, organisers say this new adventure will engage all the senses in a truly immersive experience.
This is the first time Horrible Science has been brought to life as a major exhibition.
The Science and Industry Museum has announced a new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ / Credit: BBC | Science Museum Group
Visitors will get to see familiar characters from the BBC series – like Dr Big Brain, in particular – on their mission to find out more about our fascinating Solar System through interactive experiments, playful challenges, and sensory exploration.
The exhibition is being developed by the Science and Industry Museum in collaboration with producers of the Horrible Science TV show, BBC Children’s and Education, and Lion Television, together with Scholastic, who are publishers of the much-loved Horrible Science book series by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles.
‘Unmissable’ objects from the Science Museum Group’s world-class space collection will also be on show when the exhibition premieres.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 13 February 2026 for an 11-month run before heading down to London, and tickets are now on sale priced at £10 – with family discounts available, and under-threes going free.
Emily Sergeant -
16th September 2022 
