Art & Culture

‘Breathtaking’ new 360° immersive dinosaurs exhibition to open in Manchester later this year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 25th June 2026

A ‘breathtaking’ new immersive dinosaurs exhibition is set to open in Manchester later this year.

Fresh off the back of announcing its programme of events for the upcoming autumn-winter season last week, Factory International has now revealed that another new Lightroom experience will be arriving later this year, and it’s one any budding paleontologist will want to keep an eye on.

Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs blends iconic moments from Apple TV’s Emmy nominated Prehistoric Planet with never-before seen content.

It’s set to take audiences back in time to experience dinosaurs closer than ever before. 

Narrated by critically acclaimed actor, Damian Lewis, the new 360° immersive experience is a celebration of our natural world told through captivating storytelling, breathtaking visuals, and groundbreaking technology, with visitors will be transported back in time, 66 million years ago, to experience dinosaurs up close.

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Damian Lewis guides audiences through the fascinating role dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures have played in shaping our world – from Ammonites and Mosasaurs, to the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Lightroom’s state-of-the-art 360 projections will allow viewers to see these majestic animals at an awe-inspiring scale and travel alongside them through volcanoes, soaring skies and the deep sea.

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As escapist as it is educational, audiences will not only experience some of the most beloved scenes from seasons one and two of Apple TV’s Prehistoric Planet, but they will also be immersed in exclusive extended CGI sequences and bespoke illustrations that bring the show to life in entirely new ways. 

And to make it even better, the experience is set to an original score by multi-Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, alongside Anže Rozman, and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.

The experience joins the previously announced David Bowie: You’re Not Alone, which gives audiences insight into the creative mind and performances of one of the world’s most visionary artists.

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Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs opens at Aviva Studios, and tickets go on public sale tomorrow (Friday 26 June).

Featured Image – Supplied

Art & Culture

Prestigious Edinburgh TV Festival to move to Manchester for first time in 50 years

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Greater Manchester will become the new host city for the TV Festival from 2027 onwards it was announced today.

For the first time in five decades, following an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process – which was launched in 2025 – the prestigious festival is set to move from its home in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh to our region from 2027 onwards, beating out other major northern cities like Newcastle in the process.

As part of a UK-wide strategic review into the event’s long-term future, the Festival’s board of directors say the review was undertaken in order to ‘examine how the TV Festival could continue to grow’ amid increasing challenges around accessibility, affordability, and sustainability across the television industry.

Greater Manchester‘s ‘successful and comprehensive’ bid included commitments around affordability, infrastructure, industry partnership, and long-term growth potential.

Plans include holding the Festival in locations in the newly developed St. John’s creative and cultural district.

“Greater Manchester presented a vision for the Festival that combined genuine creative ambition and future-facing energy with practical accessibility and affordability for delegates,” commented Campbell Glennie, who is the CEO of the TV Festival and The TV Foundation.

“This means we can radically reduce the costs associated with attending the Festival as well as the cost of passes.

“The city reflects the expanding ambition of the UK television industry, while still offering the scale, connectivity and unique cultural identity needed for an event of this significance – it gives us the strongest platform to grow the Festival’s reach and impact in the years ahead.”

Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, said being chosen as TV Festival hosts is ‘brilliant news’ for Greater Manchester, adding: “It speaks to the growth, success and strength of our screen sector in the city region and the strong partnerships and talent we have here.”

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The final Edinburgh edition of the TV Festival will take place this August, and dates and further details for the TV Festival in 2027 will be shared later this year.

Featured Image – PickPik

Art & Culture

Spend summer in space as 30ft rocket ship arrives at Science and Industry Museum next month

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Get ready to spend the summer in space, as Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has announced its summer events programme.

And it’s full of free interactive events and activities to get involved with.

As the temperatures rise, schools across Greater Manchester get ready to break up for summer, and parents and carers gear up to entertain the little ones, the Science and Industry Museum has just announced its summer events programme – with some new space-themed activities on the lineup for the first time.

It’s time to embark on an unforgettable adventure through the Solar System, as families can blast off on a journey packed with hands-on experiences and cosmic fun.

Science and Industry Museum has announced its summer events programme / Credit: Science Museum Group

From live space shows and giant rockets, to tinkering activities Martian discovery trails, and the chance to visit the blockbuster exhibition Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos if you haven’t already, budding astronauts are in for a summer to remember.

By far one of the stand-out free events this summer is the arrival of 30-foot-tall rocket ship, Skybolt 2 – hosted by Manchester-based aerospace company, Starchaser – giving visitors the chance to revel at the real-life space craft and meet the team behind the rocket. 

Designed to reach speeds of up to 3200mph, Skybolt 2 first flew in September 2017 and still displays some visible marks from its landing.

There’ll also be a new twist on the classic seaside puppet show, as artist Solar Sister brings space stories to life during interactive walkabout performances alongside an astronaut puppet companion.

Little Mancs can even get involved with draw-a-long workshops, take on space-inspired LEGO challenges, and even turn everyday items into instruments by joining a junk percussion jam inspired by space waste.

Then, on Wednesday 12 August, rocket activities will be swapped for a special event to mark the upcoming solar eclipse.

Expect live interactive shows, demonstrations, spectacular images of the Sun disappearing on giant screens, as well opportunities to discover more about this rare celestial event.

Science and Industry Museum’s Director, Sally MacDonald, said free and affordable experiences are ‘more essential than ever’ during the summer holidays.

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“Our summer programme will offer families memorable days out to enjoy together, giving them the opportunity to explore the universe without even leaving Manchester,” she added.

The summer events programme will be running at the Science and Industry Museum from Saturday 18 July through to Tuesday 1 September, and you can find out more here.

Featured Image – Science Museum Group

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