After a successful launch in 2023, the UK’s best-loved pregnancy, baby and parenting event, The Baby Show with Lidl GB, is heading back to Manchester Central this week, 7-9 June.
The enormous event will be a one-stop-shop for everything tiny human-related, from feeding equipment to car seats to baby-grows to buggies.
There’ll be live talks, a chance to meet brands from across the industry, and even a buggy testing track where you can put your new wheels through their paces on a range of terrains.
Exhibitors will be offering fantastic prices on products too, with those appearing at The Baby Show including MAM, Obaby, Venicci, iCandy, Cybex, Egg, BabyBjörn, Mamas & Papas, Maxi-Cosi and more.
Plus, a New Kids on the Block area will give start-ups, emerging businesses and boutique brands the opportunity to showcase their goods, such as MarBra, Baby Sensor, Ruffle + Romper and Bubble Tots.
ADVERTISEMENT
Over on the Live Talks Stage you can expect to hear insights from names like health and fitness expert and Baby2Body CEO Melinda Nicci; Jenni Dunman from Daisy First Aid; Lucy Shrimpton, founder of The Sleep Nanny; and Rober Titzer, infant researcher at The Infant Learning Company.
All talks across the three-day event will provide expert advice on subjects all new and expectant parents face, such as birth, sleep, feeding, child development, weaning, health and fitness, and what to buy, and will all be completely free of charge.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’ll be a buggy testing track at The Baby Show by Lidl GBParents and expectant parents can browse essential itemsThere’ll be loads of different brands taking part in The Baby Show with Lidl GBThe buggy testing track in actionCredit: Supplied
The Lupilu Changing Area, proudly sponsored by Lidl GB, will allow visitors to try out award-winning nappies and wipes for free – and the brand was recently crowned the Best Family Brand in the 2024 Loved By Parents awards.
There’ll be complimentary baby food, provided by Lupilu, in The Baby Feeding Café as well as bottle-warmers and microwaves, and a private area for those who wish to breastfeed in private.
Mallory Reynolds-Trout, show manager at The Baby Show with Lidl GB says:
ADVERTISEMENT
“Last year we launched the show in Manchester to huge crowds of new and expectant parents who travelled far and wide to shop for their impending arrivals – showing a huge appetite for more.
“The Baby Show is the biggest parenting event in the country, and we’re thrilled that it was such a big success in 2023 and this year it’ll be even bigger.
“We’ll have a buggy testing track, a stage where visitors can listen to expert advice, a baby feeding café and over 250 exhibitors showcasing their latest products, along with some great offers.”
We have 100 pairs of complimentary tickets* to give away to the show. Use code “MANCSCOMP” to claim yours now.
Visitors can also add-on a Baby Show goody bag for only £6, containing goodies worth over £75. For more information, visit www.thebabyshow.co.uk/manchester.
ADVERTISEMENT
*T&Cs apply. A £2 transaction fee is applied to every order.
Featured image: Supplied
Sponsored
Thanks to Terminal 2’s major upgrade, now holidays really do start at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
It’s a phrase that’s almost as old as air travel itself, but luckily, Manchester Airport are well and truly getting your holidays started early, courtesy of the new and improved Terminal 2.
T2‘s massive upgrade technically finished in 2025, but with other bits debuting already this year and even more to come in 2026, Manchester’s biggest terminal is a more fully-fledged travel hub than ever.
Complete everything from the essentials and a healthy supply of food and drink, to lots of luxuries and plenty of ways to unwind and kill time between both before and after flights, you can feel extra smug about getting to the airport early.
As part of their latest ‘Terminal Explorer’ campaign, we recently paid a visit to see just how much fun we could get up to in and around T2. Spoilers: quite a lot.
With a little help from their wayfinding screens dotted around the various areas, from the World Duty Free section and ever-growing internal shopping district, to all the bars and restaurants that have opened since the big refurb, we took ourselves on a very fun day out.
And that was without even having an actual holiday booked to look forward to, so just imagine how good it must feel to top all this off with a real trip away.
In fact, you don’t even need to think that hard about it; roughly 80% of all passengers heading in and out of Manchester Airport now come through T2, and with the experience improving all the time, they’re seeing a serious uptick in visitors and their time spent enjoying some leisure before their getaway.
From additions like the LEGO store to keep the kids entertained, as well as numerous places to grab a brew, a bite, or even your first adult beverage of the holiday, it’s up to you how you choose to explore – they’ve just given you plenty of options.
There’s no bigger testament to the latest hospitality offerings in Terminal 2 than the recently opened Great Northern Market, which brings a rather big taste of the Mackie Mayor vibe to Manchester Airport.
A VERY comfortable place to wind down any wait times before you fly.
You’ll be blown away by the amount of choice on offer in here – we certainly were – and, of course, the multi-vendor culinary destination epicentre is just one of many fantastic food and drink offerings now boasted by the T2 ‘2.0.’
For instance, we could happily spend most of the time before our next hypothetical flight just chilling in the super stylish Fever-Tree Bar, which includes a wonderful range of breakfast and light bites, charcuterie boards, small plates, sandwiches and so on – plus a cocktail menu perfect for any occasion.
Put simply, you’ve now been given all the tools and means to turn downtime of almost any duration into an excuse to explore Manchester Airport at its best; in fact, scratch that: it’s an opportunity to go for a wander and make the most of it – and it’s one you don’t want to waste.
Whether it’s stocking up pre-flight or kicking back with your first drink of many, don’t just be another person sitting watching the departures board, be a terminal explorer.
Sensory-friendly Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Emily Sergeant
This week marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference, according to the most recent statistics, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026) highlighting the importance of championing, raising awareness of, and accommodating neurodiverse people.
And Printworks is marking the occasion in its own special way, with a series of new initiatives designed to create a more ‘inclusive’ and ‘sensory-friendly’ environment.
You may already know that the popular indoor entertainment complex in the heart of Manchester city centre is home to more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and leisure activities – including one of the largest IMAX screens on the continent – and Europe’s largest digital ceiling too, of course, but this week’s experience is unlike anything the venue has welcomed before.
Throughout the week, Printworks will be transforming its digital ceiling with calming Northern Lights and constellations which have been specifically designed to create a relaxed, sensory-friendly atmosphere for visitors with additional sensory needs.
Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week / Credit: Supplied
As part of a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Printworks is also introducing a weekly sensory-friendly hour every Sunday too, where lighting throughout the venue will be dimmed, and music and SFX volumes reduced for a reduced-stimulus environment.
200 free sensory packs – which can be collected at Vue cinema – with a pair of ear defenders and sensory-friendly toys, designed to support visitors who may benefit from sensory tools while enjoying the venue, are also on offer throughout the course of the week.
On top of this, there’s also a range of autism-friendly cinema screenings taking place on the last Sunday of every month at 10:30am.
An additional autism-friendly screening will be taking place with a showing of Hoppers this Sunday 22 March at 10:30am, with tickets now available from Vue’s website.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an important time for brands and venues to recognise and support the diverse ways visitors and audiences experience the world,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks.