A free festival with a lineup packed full of interactive activities, workshops, live music, and more is coming to Manchester this summer.
Happening in the heart of the city centre in a couple of weeks time, just in time for schools to be out for the summer holidays, families across Greater Manchester are invited to head on down to the independent arts venue, HOME, and get stuck into everything from interactive theatre and circus skills workshops, to dance, hands-on crafts, and so much more.
The family-friendly Little HOMEfestival is set to pop up across two weekends in August – from Friday 2 through to Sunday 4 August, and the following weekend on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August.
A musical theatre production of the much-loved illustrated book by Nick Sharratt, Shark in the Park, will open the festival on Friday 2 August, with extra performances on the following two days, and tickets now available to book from £15 each on the HOME website.
A variety of free pop-up performances will be taking place in the spaces in and around HOME throughout Little HOME festival, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.
ADVERTISEMENT
Festivalgoers can expect to make friends with a pair of fantastical beasts, prepare to be charmed bya postman-themed puppetry production, come face-to-face with Dr Frankenstein at his work table, visit fortune teller Mystic Mog to find out the future, and meet a bunch of other mischievous madcap characters along the way.
A family-friendly festival full of free interactive activities is happening in Manchester this summer / Credit: HOME MCR
Not only will there be some special one-to-one theatrical encounters to experience, but there’ll also be an impressive choice of free creative crafts, workshops, and games to take part in too – which is ideal for those who like doing as well as seeing.
ADVERTISEMENT
Especially on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August, Skylight Circus Arts and their team of performers will not only be drawing gasps of amazement from festivalgoers for their special circus skills, but they’ll also be on hand to help little Mancs and their families master their own juggling, plate-spinning, and diabolo skills too.
And if the festival’s programme wasn’t already packed full of fun enough as it is, you can also expect to let off some steam through a range of interactive dance classes, and unwind by watching family-friendly films like includes Pete’s Dragon, Kung Fu Panda 4, and The Parent Trap inside HOME’s cinema.
All the activities that form part of Little HOME are free to take part in, and you can find more information ahead of the festival next month here.
Featured Image – HOME MCR
What's On
There’s a FREE Children in Need event coming to MediaCityUK
Thomas Melia
An all-new and completely free to enjoy Children in Need event is making its way to MediaCityUK later this November, and it’s bringing along some iconic brands.
Everyone’s favourite yellow bear is returning to Manchester to take over MediaCityUK and rename it Pudsey’s Piazza for one night only.
Pudsey Bear is heading down to MediaCityUK and he’s bringing all the best activities, games, famous food, live music and more for four hours of FREE family-oriented fun.
You can expect to see Pudsey and the team alongside a whole host of celebrities, brand partners and lots of friends when Children in Need hosts its celebration later this November.
Some of the brands which have been announced include staple high street bakery Greggs, a collaboration between McDonald’s and its sports counterpart, Fun Football UK.
DJ AG is just one of the special guests preparing to take over MediaCityUK this November for Children in Need (Credit: Supplied)
Also joining the bill is viral TikTok potato-loving duo Spud Bros, who will be serving up their famed jacket potatoes with an array of fillings to choose from inside their recognisable big red van.
Greggs will be bringing a huge double-decker bus to Pudsey’s Piazza at MediaCityUK with treats on hand throughout this evening celebration, as well as interactive games for you to play.
You’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of a replica Red Arrows jet, which will be situated on the piazza all night long courtesy of aerial experts Royal Air Force.
If that wasn’t enough for you, your night will be soundtracked by the one and only viral nomad music maker DJ AG, who’ll be playing out tunes as part of a charity livestream at the bandstand.
MediaCityUK is the home of BBC Children in Need, so it’s only fitting that Pudsey would throw one of his biggest parties yet right here in Greater Manchester.
Pudsey and his friends are transforming MediaCityUK into Pudsey’s Piazza on Friday, 14 November from 4pm to 8pm, and they’re encouraging anyone to come along, especially since it’s FREE.
Featured Images — David Dixon (via Geograph)/Supplied
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 3 – 9 November 2025
Emily Sergeant
November is here, and the festive season is on its way.
Can you believe we’ve left October behind last week? Now that spooky season has been and gone, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Greater Manchester – especially as the annual Manchester Christmas Markets get underway this week.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? No worries. We’ve chosen a few of the highlights for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
Both free things and those that’ll set you back a few pennies are featured.
___
Land of Lights 2025
Gulliver’s World
Monday 3 November – onwards
Land of Lights at Gulliver’s World / Credit: The Manc Group
The magical Land of Lights has returned to Gulliver’s World once again.
After proving to be a huge success the past two years, the one-mile trail showcases a huge array of lanterns and displays, creating a wondrous, wild, and magical atmosphere that’s suitable for all ages, and this year, there’s even some new additions.
Alongside returning favourites, visitors can now experience all-new lanterns filled with light and colour inspired by the wonders of nature.
Skate Manchester 2025 / Credit: Matt Eachus (via Supplied)
What’s a festive season in the city without Skate Manchester?
Back once again for 2025, ready for families, friends, and festive fun seekers to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas, Skate Manchester is festive staple in Cathedral Gardens, and skaters can expect to glide across a gleaming ice path and spin around a dazzling seven-metre Christmas tree taking centre stage in the middle of the rink for another year.
This year, there’s also a giant turbine by Octopus Energy that’s partially-powering the rink too, and you can skate around it while enjoying the ski scene in the globe.
The Oast House’s popular teepee draped in twinkling lights is back for the festive season.
Complete with two roaring fires, twinkling fairy lights, faux fur throws, The Teepee is made up of four tents joined together to create a huge open hub, complete with a stage area for guests to dance the night away in festive spirit.
It’s all sounding set to be a popular spot for locals and those who’ve finished a hard day at work during the autumn and winter months.
One of the greatest British sitcoms of all time is back, but this time, on stage.
50 years since it first graced our TV screens, Fawlty Towers is now a brand-new stage play adapted by comedy legend John Cleese and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, and it’s arriving in Manchester this week to take over the iconic Opera House stage.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fresh from a sold-out West End season, this laugh-out-loud production is set to bring sharp wit, chaos, and calamity at every turn.
Feeling brave? Halloween may be over but Scare City has returned to the North West with yet another ‘immersive’ horror experience, and you’ve just got one weekend left to visit.
Taking over the grounds of the abandoned Camelot Theme Park for ‘another year of terror’, just as it has done for the past four years, this year’s event features a selection of terrifying zones to weave your way through – some familiar, some brand new.
Tickets are now available to book for the last weekend at £29.50 for standard entry, or £44.50 for the ‘Gold Entry’ (both plus a booking free).
Find out more and grab tickets to this year’s event here.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 / Credit: Manchester City Council
It’s that time of year once again… Manchester Christmas Markets open for 2025 this week.
The iconic annual event is an absolute staple in Manchester’s festive events calendar, and always draws in thousands of visitors from all across the globe – with hundreds of stalls across several sites all set to line the streets of our city this year.
Visitors will be able to tuck into a wide range of festive foods and drinks, and shop for Christmas gifts from countless independent traders.
ADVERTISEMENT
Find out everything you need to know about Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 here.
Remembrance Sunday 2025 / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester is set to remember the fallen during this year’s annual Remembrance Sunday commemorations.
ADVERTISEMENT
Just as it does each year, Manchester City Council has revealed the details of how the city will mark this important occasion.
Proceedings will start on John Dalton Street at 10:30am, and run right through until midday – with the service itself being held at 11am.
Find out all the parade plans and road closures here.
___
Meet Dr Chris at Operation Ouch!
Science and Industry Museum
ADVERTISEMENT
Sunday 9 November
Meet Dr Chris at Operation Ouch! / Credit: The Manc Group | Science Museum Group
Got a curious kid on your hands? Well, you can take them to meet the star of one of their favourite TV shows at the Science and Industry Museum this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, Operation Ouch! is back in Manchester again with a fresh new experience for 2025, and this time around, visitors can journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
And now, Dr Chris Van Tulleken will be at the museum to meet visitors as part of his myth-busting mission to answer some of the public’s deepest questions about our senses.
Did you see that Manchester’s libraries are set to become ‘warm spaces’ with free hot drinks and WiFi this winter?
After millions of local residents have visited the ‘stigma-free safe spaces’ to escape and take refuge from the cold each year since they were first introduced in 2022, Manchester City Council has decided to reintroduce its popular ‘Warm Welcome Spaces’ scheme once again this year.
All 22 of Manchester’s public libraries are, once again, taking part in the scheme this time around.
Designed to ‘provide support to people who need it’ over some of the most challenging months of the year when temperatures drop, the Council’s scheme is offering a range of different services – and they’re all for free of charge.
Free hot drinks, WiFi and internet access, data SIM cards, and newspapers are just some of the things people can make the most of inside these ‘warm spaces’, as well as get access to information, advice, and extra signposting to other support services they made need in the city.
Just choose the base item you want to personalise, then go to town picking your favourite patches and designs from their huge selection. Once you’ve found your favourites, head over to the till to get your chosen patches ironed onto your item all ready for you to use.
This is perfect for gifting or a fun activity with friends.
___
Fancy a roast dinner? Tis the season, after all.
Summer may be over, but guess what? Now that autumn is well and truly here, that means we get to wear layers, cosy up in our favourite places, and eat heartwarming plates piled high with all the major food groups.
Whether you want the likes of Banyan’s bottomless Yorkshire puddings bigger than your head, or swapping your meat out for a pie (you heard us), we’ve got something to suit everyone… you can even get dog roasts too, if you ask The Refuge nicely.
Check out our top 25 best places to head to for a perfect roast in Greater Manchester here.
Roast dinners / Credit: The Manc Group
___
Roast dinner not your thing? Well how about an autumnal pizza menu instead.
The Northern Quarter’s legendary Neapolitan pizzeria Ciaooo has just released its autumn menu, and it’s everything we’ve been missing and more.
Think that signature thick crust, but topped with classic faves such as lasagne, boscaiola, and the spicy ‘King’ (which is one for the heat lovers out there). Also did we mention there’s a garlic bread fully-loaded with an entire wheel of camembert?
To make it even better, Ciaooo will be offering 30% off for the first week of November, so book in and get your pizza fix for less.
Emily Sergeant -
4th July 2024 
