Thousands of free activities are planned ready for local families to take part in this summer.
With it only being a couple of weeks to go until schools right across Greater Manchester break up for the summer holidays, many parents, carers, and guardians will likely be looking for ways to keep the kids entertained for the six whole weeks before the new term starts – and even better if those ‘ways’ don’t break the bank too much, either.
Thankfully, Manchester City Councilhas relaunched its Holiday Activity and Food programme (HAF) to help keep little Mancs active during the summer break.
From arts and crafts, to sportingevents and plenty other physical activities, there is a whole host of entertaining things for everyone to get involved with, no matter your budget, making sure no one gets bored over the holidays.
The Council has organised thousands of free activities for Greater Manchester kids this summer / Credit: Senjuti Kundu (via Unsplash) | Yan Krukau (via Pexels)
If you’re unfamiliar with HAF’s long-term goal, it’s to ensure that some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Manchester, aged between 5-16 years old, get the support they need when the school term is over.
Last year alone, the Council says it was able to support a whopping 29,224 local children in accessing nearly 4,000 holiday sessions.
Although HAF is usually reserved for those eligible for free school meals, an extensive range of these free or low-cost activities taking place in Manchester this summer open for everyone to join in with.
There are thousands of FREE places for children’s activities over the school holidays.
PLUS each booked place will include a FREE meal during the day.
For those families who are eligible and a part of the HAF programme, a free and nutritious meal will also be provided at these free events, ensuring that no child has to endure holiday hunger.
“We know the holidays can be a real pinch point for families, which is why schemes such as the HAF programme are so important,” commented Councillor Julie Reid, who is the Executive Member for Early Years, Children, and Young People at Manchester City Council.
“Providing free activities can be a real boost for children of all ages throughout the holidays, allowing them to meet new friends and try out new things – both hugely significant in terms of their personal wellbeing and mental health.
“There’s lots of great events that will be running over the summer holidays with a free meal or snack included, so if you have not already been contacted to take part, I’d urge families to have a look at our Loads To Do website and see what they think their child would enjoy over the break.”
Check out all the free activities planned on the Loads To Do website here.
Featured Image – Artem Kniaz (via Unsplash)
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 8 – 14 September 2025
Emily Sergeant
We’re into our second week of September now, and the weather is really starting to hint to us that autumn’s on it’s way.
The sun isn’t showing itself as much, the rain is pouring, and the temperatures are dropping – but even though summer may be coming to an end, there’s still plenty of exciting activities to be getting up to in Greater Manchester in the coming weeks.
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.
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The Common Walls International Mural Festival
Rochdale
Monday 8 – Sunday 14 September
The Common Walls International Mural Festival / Credit: Supplied
The Common Walls International Mural Festival will give Rochdale locals and visitors a chance to see artworks being created up close by the world-renowned artists who’ll be in the Greater Manchester town bringing their masterpieces to life.
Set to run until 14 September, a collection of artists are descending onto the streets of Rochdale to give walls around the town centre a lick of paint that will not only brighten up the space, but also leave a lasting legacy.
10 of Rochdale’s notable town centre buildings will undergo a drastic change as part of this art-focused event, and each art piece will pay homage to moments in Rochdale’s captivating history.
A free open-air cinema has arrived Manchester city centre for the summer.
With a backdrop of the modern Manchester skyline, Screen on The Square the go-to hangout for Mancs this summer, as audiences can recline in deck chairs surrounded by one of the city’s best views, and watch everything from classic and family films, to music, sporting events, and so much more.
It’s launched down at New Jackson – Renaker’s world-class skyscraper district and thriving new neighbourhood that’s taken shape at the southern side of Manchester city centre.
Multi-sensory experience SUPERMASSIVE has made its way over to Depot Mayfield for a maze of interactive activities this summer.
Suitable for all ages – especially kids and families – and open for the next three weeks, there’s so much to get stuck into. Think puzzles where you connect various wires, a large sandpit with projections overhead, and even a retro arcade machine where you can practice creating your own DJ set.
There’s even timeslots dedicated to adults available from 7pm too, so you can bring your mates, have a pint or two, and wander around this huge indoor attraction.
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The Cat That Slept for a Thousand Years
Manchester Museum
Monday 8 – Sunday 14 September
The Cat That Slept for a Thousand Years / Credit: Supplied
You can step into the fantastical imaginary world of The Cat That Slept for a Thousand Years this summer.
This world-premiere exhibition, created in collaboration with robotics studio Air Giants, invites you to experience a playful blend of education, theatre, and dreamscape – and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen at Manchester Museum before.
Once you’ve met the 10-meter long sleepy cat, you’ll then find a series of fun, free, cat-inspired activities at the Museum throughout the summer, including an augmented reality trail.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Here & Now – The Steps Musical / Credit: ATG Tickets
Here & Now, a musical inspired by the music and story of beloved British pop group Steps, has arrived in Manchester.
Happiness is only a heartbeat away, as this hilarious and heart-warming new musical based on the songs Steps takes to the stage at Manchester’s legendary Opera House, so don’t miss this sparkling celebration of love and friendship as it embarks on a UK & Ireland tour after its record-breaking world premiere.
An event dedicated to all things Japan has made its way to Manchester.
Simply titled ‘Japan Week’, this cultural ceremony aims to package up all the things this East Asian country has to offer, such as music and theatre, compiling them into a fantastic five-day showcase with loads of free activities.
From interactive performances to hands-on experiences, there is loads to do for all ages across the city centre during the festival.
The SmileyWorld® Art Trail / Credit: Scott Kershaw Photography
Stockport has transformed into a playful outdoor gallery this summer as a colourful new art trail has taken over the town.
Visitors should get ready to explore a full spectrum of emotions this summer, as the SmileyWorld® Art Trail is making its North West debut and taking over the town centre with a colourful collection of quirky, fun, and exciting sculptures, each reimagined by a different artist to reflect the full range of human emotions including joy, pride, surprise, anxiety, and lots more.
The trail is created by trailblazing global arts producer, Wild in Art, in partnership with Totally Stockport BID and SmileyWorld.
Kargo on the Docks / Credit: Supplied | Mark Waugh
Summer is nearly over, but Kargo on the Docks is clinging on.
MediaCity’s al fresco dining pop-up has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester’s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
A pioneering production company is bringing immersive theatre inside shipping containers to Greater Manchester this week.
DARKFIELD has announced their first shows in Greater Manchester for seven years, and will present their three most critically-acclaimed experiences at iconic venues across the region as part of an ‘exciting’ collaboration.
Keen audiences will be able to head to The Lowry, Aviva Studios, and HOME this month to see theatre like they’ve never seen it before.
This is a stop-you-in-your-tracks addition to the city.
Mappin & Webb has opened the doors to its exclusive new store right in the heart of Manchester, and it’s two floors of jewellery paradise
The company has meticulously-restored this landmark pink building on St Ann’s Square and filled it with all things heritage and sparkly, with a luxury bar and lounge downstairs.
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NEW OPENING – Primark Home
Trafford Palazzo
NEW OPENING – Primark Home / Credit: The Manc Group
Home sweet (Primark) home.
New openings don’t get much bigger than this, both metaphorically and literally, as Great Britain’s first-ever dedicated Primark Home store has now opened its doors over at Trafford Palazzo, and it’s an absolute interior-lover’s paradise in there.
The huge new store is packed full of homewares and lifestyle items at Primark’s typical affordable price point so expect bathroom bits, kitchenware, soft furnishings, bedroom decor, and right now, LOADS of pumpkins.
Looking for a bite to eat in Manchester this month? We’ve got a few suggestions to share…
Ooh have we been eating good in August.
Even with the last of the warmer weather throughout August, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been having some right feasts – with plenty of cheese pulls, saucy drizzles, and for some reason, ANOTHER Labubu-themed dessert.
With the festive season soon approaching, we’re expecting the next month to get extra cosy and indulgent.
If you need some inspiration for where to eat in our region this month, we rounded up some of our best suggestions for you to pick from:
Everyone knows that brunch is better when the booze is bottomless, and there’s bangers blasting in the background, so if you’re on the hunt for a bottomless brunch that will truly get your night out started, Manchester’s The Blues Kitchen is the place to head to.
Endless mimosas, rum punch, and prosecco, banging brunch dishes like their legendary Buffalo wings and popcorn shrimp, and DJs spinning 90s and noughties tunes throughout.
The vibes of a Slow Jams Bottomless Brunch are truly unmatched.
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Nature Fest 2025
Chester Zoo
Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 September
Nature Fest 2025 / Credit: Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has announced that its Nature Fest is back by popular demand this weekend – with the two-day event boasting a jam-packed lineup of interactive events for all ages.
Taking place across the zoo’s six-hectare nature reserve, conservationists hope the weekend-long event will connect festivalgoers with nature, all while raising awareness of precious UK wildlife.
Open to everyone for free of charge, Nature Fest will have hands-on activities, workshops, talks, and performances – including the interactive Hedgehog Hideaway adventure, which teaches participants how to make their gardens more hedgehog friendly.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo | The Manc Group | Mihaela Bodlovic
What's On
A sneak peek at the first pour: Greater Manchester celebrates the return of Boddingtons
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has every reason to drink and jubilate this Friday and toast the perfect excuse for an early dart as the first fresh pours in a new chapter for Boddingtons beer have been sunk.
And by’eck if ain’t still bloody gorgeous.
That’s right, in case you didn’t hear the latest news about ‘Cream of Manchester’, we can now officially and ever-so gladly confirm that Boddingtons Bitter is properly back on draught in the region.
With the iconic cask ale making a glorious return decades on from its glory days in the 1990s, the new and improved Boddies beer is flowing from the taps – just in time for the weekend, no less.
Yes, with local brewery and pub chain J.W. Lees taking over the manufacturing and distribution, leaving the Budweiser Group to take over the licensing, the updated recipe Boddingtons – which clocks in at a 4.0% ABV – is about to be rolled out across the 10 boroughs.
Better yet, with five native pubs having already reinstalled honey yellow and black pumps, and with Lees looking to deliver it to the ale-loving masses across the North West, this could be the biggest Manc comeback since, well, those two lads from Burnage…
Speaking of: we were invited along to Founder’s Hall on Albert Square (formerly Duttons and now home to every one of the brand’s beers, not to mention serving as a tribute to John Lees himself), for a special ceremony to celebrate the inaugural public pints of Boddies being poured.
Let’s just say we were honoured to be part of the grand resurrection.
Obviously, there have been some holdouts hanging onto the classic Mancunian brew, and we certainly had fun trying to track them down over the past couple of years, but we’re just glad we don’t have to do as much work to find one now.
Managing Director of JW Lees, William Lees-Jones, said on the relaunch: “When I joined JW Lees in 1994, Boddingtons was ‘The Cream of Manchester’ and we were in awe of their position in leading the cask beer revolution.
“We’re proud to bring it back home, starting with Founder’s Hall, and we’re planning to restore Boddington’s as one of the UK’s leading premium cask beers, particularly here in the North West.” Well said, sir.
Available from Founder’s Hall, The Black Friar in Salford, Stables Tavern; Sams Chop House, The Circus Tavern, Oxford Road Tap, Piccadilly Tap and Victoria Tap from today, as well as Corbières and Stockport pubs like The Crown and The White Lion, we can’t wait to see Boddingtons take over the nation.
In the meantime, why not look back at the storied history behind one of our finest exports?
Emily Sergeant -
7th July 2025 
