Manchester Science Festival is back for 2024 later this week, and there’s loads of events on the lineup especially for adults.
In case you missed it, Manchester‘s massively-popular Science Festival confirmed that it would be making a grand return for 2024, and would be offering visitors the unique opportunity to become a genuine part of history through a wide range of hands-on events and activities – including getting to explore the extremes of nature, human capability, and creativity.
The full programme of immersive events for the exciting festival was released last month, and organisers say it’s all about “tackling the extremes of our world” this year.
📢 It’s here 📢
Our Festival line-up is officially here and it’s a packed one! We’ve got immersive installations, hands-on fun celebrating the extremes of science and exclusive adult-only events.
Manchester Science Festival – which is produced and staged at Manchester’s legendary Science and Industry Museum in the heart of the city centre every other year – is one of the UK’s largest and most popular science festivals.
The lineup for 2024 only goes to prove why that’s the case, as there’s something for people of all ages to get stuck into, but this time, we’re shining a spotlight on the events on the lineup that are only for the grown ups to get involved with.
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Here’s some of the stand-out events.
Manchester Science Festival is back for 2024 next week / Credit: Science Museum Group
Conversation: Does AI have a place in space?
Science and Industry Museum
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18 October – £7
This is your chance to join STEM champion, social entrepreneur, and computer scientist, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, and the UK Space Agency’s Head of Space Exploration, Libby Jackson OBE, as they discuss how their worlds collide, and explore important questions like can AI be applied to space exploration? What can you trust AI to do in space? and how will it better our lives back on Earth?.
The opportunities seem endless with the likes of rover navigation, satellite design and lasering space junk – but are we just talking science fiction? Or is this reality?
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Cosmic Quiz
Science and Industry Museum
19 October – £7
Fancy being the star of the Cosmic Quiz? As part of a weekend curated by Dr Anne Marie Imafidon MBE and Libby Jackson OBE, this is your chance to compete for the top prize in a dynamic evening of surprise rounds, pop-up performances, and ‘laid-back cosmic vibes’, where you’ll be challenged on all things space and artificial intelligence.
Compete on your own, or with a team of up to four, in an out-of-this world event produced in collaboration with The Quiz Team, featuring specially-commissioned content from The Poetry Place.
There’s lots of adults-only events on the lineup / Credit: Science Museum Group)
Museum After Hours
Science and Industry Museum
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26 October – £10
If you were hoping to explore everything on offer at the Science and Industry Museum without all the kids running around, then this is your chance, because one of the Museum’s most-popular events, Museum After Hours, is back for a special Manchester Science Festival edition, and it means you get to dive into a world of extremes and gain exclusive after-hours access to the headline experience, State of Mind.
You can explore Squidsoup’s immersive art installation set within the atmospheric 1830 Warehouse, move between rhythmic lights and sound in an abstract and playful representation of our digitised world, and even catch the premiere of new works from artists Liam Ashworth and Luca Agathogli, presented in partnership with Venture Arts.
The events bar will also be popping up on the night, and will be selling a range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to sip on while you explore.
Manchester Science Festival 2024 kicks off on Friday 18 October and runs right through to Sunday 27 October – with tickets now officially on sale, including to all of the adults-only events throughout the 10 days too.
Find out more and grab yourself some tickets here.
Featured Image – Drew Forsyth (via Science Museum Group)
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Rochdale’s incredible fire festival will bring blazing sculptures and fiery displays to town this month
Daisy Jackson
Rochdale will be filled with dazzling pyrotechnic displays later this month when the Ignite Fire Festival returns to town.
The spectacular free event will see the gardens opposite the Rochdale Town Hall – which reopened to the public earlier this year – transformed with fiery displays, blazing sculptures and illuminated installations.
The smash hit event debuted last year, attracting more than 10,500 people, and this year’s will be even bigger with three nights of magical family entertainment.
And the festival will culminate on the Sunday with the Rochdale Christmas lights switch-on.
Ignite Fire Festival comes from Walk the Plank, the outdoor arts specialists behind some of the UK’s biggest and best outdoor arts events, who have called upon artists and pyro technicians to create the many installations on show.
Between 5pm and 8pm each night, visitors will be able to walk past fire-based sculptures like goblets of fire, a daisy chain of flaming flowers, a fire bird with blazing eyes, and smaller birds circling a flaming nest – to name just a few.
There’ll also be sculptures that twist, flap and erupt with balls of fire, and ‘In The Balance’ will be a festival highlight, where rotating globes of flame seemingly defy the laws of physics.
Ignite Fire Festival is back in Rochdale this month. Credit: Supplied
Each evening, a fire drawing designed and made by local residents will be ignited alongside flaming hot performances from some of the UK’s top talent including Flame Oz – a thrilling fire dancing and juggling show.
There’ll also be performances from Liverpool’s Bring the Fire Project, local favourites Skylight Circus Arts, and street theatre and interactive arts group Travelling Light Circus.
Visitors should look out for Drum Machine, a 20-strong drumming collective, The Fire Man Dave performing a live fire show with fire eating and juggling, and Astro Aliens, a trio of cosmic beings that will entertain all ages.
The incredible event, sponsored by car supermarket The Trade Centre UK, is set to take place between Friday 22 and Sunday 24 November.
Ignite Fire Festival takes place in the gardens opposite the Rochdale Town HallThere’ll be performers as well as pyrotechnic sculptures. Credit; SuppliedIgnite Fire Festival is back for a second year. Credit: Supplied
After exploring the gardens, you’ll be able to pick up hot food, mulled wine and other seasonal drinks served each night.
On Sunday, Father Christmas will be in town to switch on the Christmas lights at 5.30pm in front of the town hall.
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council said: “Last year’s Ignite Fire Festival and Christmas Light’s Switch On was a fantastic event and an instant hit with audiences from across Greater Manchester.
“It’s an exciting and unique event and the perfect addition to our big switch-on, providing family entertainment across the weekend.”
Mark Bailey, founder and owner of sponsor Trade Centre UK added: “Our partnership with Ignite Fire Festival and the Rochdale Christmas Lights Switch On is a fantastic opportunity to give back to a community that has welcomed us so warmly.
“At Trade Centre UK, we believe in more than just selling cars; we believe in being part of the fabric of the local area. Supporting events like this, which bring people together to celebrate in the heart of Rochdale, aligns perfectly with our core values of community and connection.”
The event is free, and no tickets are required. Ignite is organised by Rochdale Borough Council in partnership with Walk the Plank and Culture Co-op, a ‘Creative People and Places’ programme, funded by Arts Council England.
Find out more and plan your visit to Ignite Fire Festival HERE.
Science and Industry Museum to transform into immersive ‘Light Lab’ as part of 2024 festive events programme
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most popular museums will be transformed into an immersive ‘Light Lab’ for the festive season.
As the temperatures begin to drop and Christmas creeps closer, this is your chance to escape the cold and brighten up the winter holidays with an adventure though light and colour, as the Science and Industry Museum has now unveiled its upcoming festive events programme.
You can also explore a gaming extravaganza, and be engrossed by festive-themed science shows at the city centre-based museum this December.
Back by popular demand, after enchanting visitors of all ages in previous years, the museum’s free Light Lab will be making a return for 2024 – with everyone invited to discover the secrets of light through illuminating activities, special shows, and immersive experiences.
The Science and Industry Museum will transform into immersive ‘Light Lab’ this winter / Credit: Jason Lock (via Science Museum Group)
As Greater Manchester is known for its grey winter days, a series of illuminating experiments will bring colour to your lives in the interactive Light Lab, where you can explore a hall of mirrors, discover how to bend light, and even take a dance break in the rave room, before taking a journey from the Sun back to the Earth during special science shows led by the museum’s team of expert Explainers.
You’ll be able to discover how light travels through our atmosphere, explore the science of solar flares, and even marvel at a mesmerising display of the Northern Lights – with real NASA footage of the Aurora Borealis.
If all that exploring has got you tired out, then you can slow things down in the Recharge Retreat and get comfortable with a picture book, or explore the relationship between colour and mood and why nature is so important to our health.
You can escape from the cold, and learn a thing or two while you’re at it / Credit: Science Museum Group
But if you’re looking for a change of pace, you can also enjoy the museum‘s ultimate gaming experience, Power Up, to immerse yourself in a whole host of different digital worlds by working your way through five decades of video games, or learn about how what we eat can have a huge effect on our brains and bodies at the Operation Ouch! exhibition.
Then, for something a little different all together this festive season, you can grab a ticket for the first of the 2024 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures being screened live at the museum on Tuesday 10 December, ahead of the broadcast on the BBC.
The Winter Holiday Programme at the Science and Industry Museum runs from 14 December 2024 through to 5 January 2025.
Emily Sergeant -
10th October 2024 
