You can explore the extremes of nature, human capability, and creativity at Manchester Science Festival next month.
In case you missed it, Manchester‘s massively-popular Science Festival confirmed back in January that it would be making a grand return for 2024 later this year, 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 when it did.
And now, the full programme for the exciting festival has been released this week – with loads of immersive experiences lined up.
📢 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, and the lineup for 2024 only goes to prove why that is the case, as there’s something for people of all ages to get stuck into.
This year, organisers say the festival is all about “tackling the extremes of our world”.
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Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about some of science’s most cutting-edge developments through multi-sensory experiences and hands-on family fun.
Manchester Science Festival has announced its jam-packed lineup for 2024 / Credit: Science Museum Group
Interactive events will take place throughout the 10 days of the festival, with the Science and Industry Museum itself playing host to a significant majority of them, but other city centre-based hubs like Manchester Arndale also involved.
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At the Science and Industry Museum, you can expect incredible immersive artworks with the new installation State of Mind by Squidsoup, which explores the impact of smartphones and apps on our brains, while the major exhibition Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine – which opened at the Museum back in July – considers the extreme challenges faced during the pandemic.
STEM champion, social entrepreneur, and computer scientist, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, will join forces with Libby Jackson OBE, who is the UK Space Agency’s Head of Space Exploration, for the first time for a special conversation around AI in Space.
The incredible Arachnobot, a giant spider puppet, will make its way through Manchester Arndale Centre in an “unmissable” and “enchanting” spectacle.
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The popular 10-day event is returning to the city next month / Credit: Science Museum Group
Families can also visit fun-filled activity zones at the Museum too, all of which will be looking at the extremes of human performance and our planet.
There’ll be loads of different activities to do throughout the week, including some from fesrtival partners including Natural History Museum, and the universities of Manchester and Salford.
And there’ll be a special science-themed BBC CBeebies Bedtime Story during your visit too.
Ella Wild, who is the Head of Festivals and Events as the Science and Industry Museum, said the Museum is “delighted” that Manchester Science Festival is back with “an unmissable programme packed full of fun” this year.
There’ll be loads of immersive experiences and hands-on activities for all the family / Credit: Science Museum Group
She added that there’ll be lots of “playful experiences designed to ignite curiosity about our world”.
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“The festival is a brilliant opportunity to bring together visitors of all ages and interests to be inspired by science in action,” Ella commented, “and it’s a wonderful way to showcase Manchester’s long-standing position as a leader in innovation, so we can’t wait to welcome everyone in October.”
Manchester Science Festival 2024 kicks off on Friday 18 October and runs right through to Sunday 27 October, and tickets are officially now on sale.
Find out more and grab yourself some tickets here.
Featured Image – Orbie Pullen (via Science Museum Group)
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A new festive light maze is heading to Cheshire for the first time this December
Thomas Melia
A brand new attraction is making its way to Cheshire for the first time ever this December with the hopes to get us all into the festive spirit.
Just outside of Manchester, titled‘Spectrum: A World of Illumination’, this spectacular never-seen-before trail is lighting up Cheshire with a month-long residency in Knutsford.
Running every day in December besides Christmas Day, plus a few extra dates in November, the spectacular display will be inviting guests along for 30 out of 31 days in the yuletide month.
The immersive maze will feature moving giant candy canes, overhead Christmas-inspired installations like a laser show, and tunnels of light.
Visitors are encouraged to get stuck in with hidden objects and handles and buttons which lead to secret rooms and festive treasures to be found and explored throughout the attraction.
You can even create a Christmas carol medley of your own and sing to your heart’s content with a section of the trail featuring sound tubes.
There’s a mostly open top too, so you can look up into the night sky as you explore the maze.
There’s not only a feast for your eyes but also for your Santa bellies too as a selection ofhand-picked food vendors will be supplying tons of festive goodies to warm your soul.
A new festive light maze is heading to Cheshire for the first time this December. Credit: Supplied
Spectrum: A World of Illumination caters to everyone offering spaces for guide dogs, quieter time slots for those wanting a calmer experience and accessibility all-round where possible.
This is expected to be one of the best Christmas activities of the year, designed by specialists Access Events, who have some impressive feats behind them.
The multi award winning company has had involvement and created some of the most impressive light features to date including the Weather Project at the Tate, the e-Sports arena build, and turning the Berlin TV Tower into a football.
They’re so certain this event will do well there’s already news and information about a 2025 event between Access Events and Royal Cheshire Show Grounds.
Tickets for ‘Spectrum: A World of Illumination’ are already on sale and those of you who are eager to start planning your Christmas calendar can get tickets from Eventbrite.
MTV is hosting a week-long venue takeover with some exciting artists to celebrate the EMAs coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
In case you haven’t heard, the MTV EMAs (European Music Awards) is coming to Manchester later this year, and to mark the massive occasion, they’re hosting a huge week-long takeover at some of the city’s best venues.
This may be a first for Manchester but this isn’t the only time the award ceremony has come to the UK, with London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast all having hosted it before, and with the world-leading Co-op Live now attracting endless global artists, the state-of-the-art venue was a no-brainer.
However, they’re no muppets, these MTV lot: they know that Manchester has one of if not the best music scenes on the planet and has some of the most influential venues to back it up, so they’ve decided to partner with several of them for a celebratory gig takeover.
Running from 5-9 November (Tuesday to Saturday), MTV Music Week will host a series of live music nights at some of the city’s best concert spots and nightlife destinations.
Showcasing both rising and well-established artists from Manchester and beyond, MTV‘s annual Music Week for the 2024 EMAs isn’t just sponsoring a few extra shows ahead of the awards do, they’ll also bespotlighting homegrown artists, hosting unforgettable performances as well as industry workshops.
With the likes of Rebellion, Band on the Wall and Soup Kitchen, as well as Depot Mayfield and Aviva Studios – home to The Warehouse Project and Factory International, respectively – all taking part, this is effectively a week-long tour of some Manc’s most magical music venues.
Acts that we’re excited to see include homegrown indie and alternative lads, Larkins; fast-rising electronic cult favourite, salute, as well as drum and bass duo Piri and Tommy, just to name a few.
Better still, with sub-brands like MTV Push Live, Club MTV and YO! MTV Raps hosting several of these stages, you can rest assured that there’s plenty of variety when it comes to genres.
Alongside MTV Music Week and the 2024 MTV EMAs, Paramount’s Creators House is also heading to Manchester that same week.
As part of their ‘Content for Change’ event series, this company-wide, social impact-led initiative will take place across between 7-9 November, with a packed slate of programming and networking opportunities aimed at Manchester’s creative community.
Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said of the event series: “Our music scene in Manchester is the stuff of legend and we’re known the world over for our brilliant musicians and iconic venues.
“Music Week will be a great showcase for our city and the stage is set for an incredible Manchester music takeover. A boost for the industry, our economy, and fantastic opportunities for some of our best homegrown artists as well as unforgettable performances for audiences to enjoy.”
The EMAs land on 10 November but before then, you can grab tickets for any of the 10 exciting events happening over MTV Music Week Manchester 2024 HERE. Catch you there!
Emily Sergeant -
11th September 2024 
