A new science and tech festival for all the family is coming to Cheshire next month to help “inspire young minds”.
And the best part? Tickets are only £5 each.
Set to descend on the grounds of Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park – a unique place where world-leading science, innovation, and stylish living all come together in the Cheshire countryside – SciTech Extravaganza will be a day filled full of fun science-themed shows, interactive activities, new skill-building opportunities, and more.
The brand-new family festival is designed to “spark curiosity” and “encourage engagement” through STEM-related learning.
Event highlights on the day include a programme of interactive shows in collaboration with the Royal Institution (Ri) for children aged between four and 14, which will dive deep into the science of cells and show how bacteria and viruses “invade our bodies” and what we can do to fight back.
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Balloon scientist, and Britain’s Got Talent star, David Crofts, will be hosting workshops to teach kids all about elasticity, aerodynamics, pressure, static electricity, and many other topics, all while creating larger-than-life balloon art for attendees to admire.
Then, for youngsters keen to enhance their tech skills, there’ll be crumble coding sessions and simple introductions to computing hosted by Cheshire-based STEM workshop creators, Skill Supply.
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Face painting, DJs, food and drink stalls, and more will also be there on the day.
A new family science festival is coming to Cheshire to ‘inspire young minds’ next month / Credit: Supplied
Event organisers say SciTech Extravaganza is promising to be an “unforgettable day” for aspiring little innovators.
“We’re so excited to be hosting SciTech Extravaganza at Alderley Park this September,” commented Dr Kath Mackay, who is the Chief Scientific Officer for Bruntwood SciTech, ahead of the new festival’s arrival.
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“We wanted to curate an event that inspires and nurtures the next generation of scientists, coders, mathematicians and engineers, and we’re really looking forward to opening up to the community and welcoming families to the park for an unforgettable day.”
SciTech Extravaganza is taking over Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park on Saturday 14 September.
Tickets are on sale now at just £5 each, while under-threes go free, and you can get your hands on them on the Alderley Park website here.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
Manchester rock and blues veterans Proud Mary announce handful of reunion shows in 2026
Danny Jones
Veteran Manchester rock and blues band Proud Mary recently announced a limited run of UK reunion shows, including a fairly intimate hometown show.
The seasoned Northern outfit may have seen plenty of lineup changes and a long hiatus of sorts, but now they’re returning for just a small handful of comeback gigs across the country.
Ahead of their seminal debut album turning 25 years old this year, 2026 also seems them steadily creeping up on the best part of three decades as a group in some form or another.
For anyone uninitiated, the native 90s and early noughties name was the first band signed to Noel Gallagher’s Sour Mash Records in 2001.
Their first-ever LP, The Same Old Blues, still remains their most revered work to this day.
Dubbed by the older Burnage brother and legendary Manc musician as “a lesson in songwriting” in an interview with the NME way back when, they started out as long-time friends and turned into fellow studio peers.
As well as supporting the likes of Oasis, Neil Young, The Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene, Ryan Adams, Noel’s High Flying Birds and more on various tours over the years, they also famously headlined Isle of Wight Festival in 2004.
Having collaborated with the likes of another Britpop legend, Gem Archer, as well as The Smiths’ Andy Rourke, not to mention gaining plaudits from so many other contemporaries, they’re likely one of your favourite bands’ old faithful bands.
It still sits as one of the biggest live highlights.
Moreover, in regional terms, rising local indie rock quintet Rosellas are also joining them on the road for all but one of the shows.
Unfortunately for us, it is their date at Manchester Academy 3 (sigh)…
However, we’re still getting a fairly nearby name, with fellow long-running Crewe icons The Train Set joining them here in 0161 on 16 May. You can grab your tickets HERE.
Both of the Manc bands have also featured in our artists of the month, by the way, in case you wanted to see who else was listed alongside them.
Featured Images — Proud Mary (press shots supplied via Sonic PR)
What's On
A Mamma Mia bottomless sing-along screening is coming to Manchester this Mother’s Day
Emily Sergeant
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and a bottomless Mamma Mia sing-along screening is coming to Manchester to celebrate.
Popular independent venue Fairfield Social Club will transform into a full blown ABBA-fuelled sing-along celebration this Mother’s Day, combining a themed quiz, bottomless drinks, and a screening of the beloved musical film Mamma Mia!, and is inviting all ‘Dancing Queens’ and ‘Super Troupers’ down to celebrate.
Taking place on Mother’s Day itself, the event begins with a Mamma Mia-themed quiz, before settling in for a sing-along screening of the film, complete with 110 minutes of bottomless drinks.
Guests are, of course, encouraged to dress up and sing, dance, and ‘fully embrace their inner Donna or Tanya’.
Released back in 2008 to universal acclaim, and becoming a cult-classic in the process, Mamma Mia! the film follows a young bride-to-be named Sophie who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her real father.
The jukebox musical film, featuring all the ABBA hits you could hope for, has an all-star cast of superstars like Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgard, and so many more.
Whether it’s celebrating with mums, step mums, chosen family, or friends, event organisers are hoping this bottomless screening will be an alternative to the traditional Mother’s Day plans.
On the day, there’ll a selection of themed cocktails inspired by the film to sip on – including the Honey Honey and Dancing Queen – alongside tasty Greek street food from the traders at Fairfield Social Club’s kitchen.
Fairfield Social Club has built a reputation as one of Manchester’s most exciting independent venues for community-led events, comedy, and culture, and this Mother’s Day celebration is no different.
Mother’s Day: Mamma Mia Bottomless is taking place on Mother’s Day this Sunday (15 March) at Fairfield Social Club from 2pm, and tickets are now on sale for £15 each and already selling fast, but there’s still time to book.
Emily Sergeant -
7th August 2024 
