Curious Mancs can explore brand-new science displays, immersive exhibitions, decades of gaming, and more this May half term and beyond.
With only a week to go now until schools right across Greater Manchester and the North West are out, the Science and Industry Museum in the heart of Manchester city centre is gearing up to host a half term “packed full of digital discovery”, as well as unveil a hotly-anticipated new display dedicated to the remarkable life of one of the most important theoretical physicists of all time.
Not only that, but one of its most successful world-first exhibitions has also been extended until the end of the month so more visitors can catch it before it closes, and there’ll also be the chance to explore the world of gaming and discover groundbreaking ideas that “change the world”.
No matter whether you’re after an engaging day out with the family, an afternoon spent immersed in science, a look forward to the future of tech, or a journey back though Manchester’s industrial past, the Science and Industry Museum has got you covered.
Here’s everything you can get involved in over the next few weeks.
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Stephen Hawking at Work
Thursday 25 May – onwards
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Stpehen Hawking at Work / Credit: Science Museum Group
Visitors will able to get up close to rare personal items of Stephen Hawking’s in the Science and Industry’s newest display opening next week.
Stephen Hawking at Work explores the remarkable life of a world-renowned scientist, who passed away in 2018 – with significant objects from his office giving an insight into his life as a scientist, science communicator, and as a person who lived with motor neurone disease.
Highlights include a rare copy of his PhD thesis, and a wager he made with his peers about whether things that fall into a black hole are lost forever, while there’s also a ‘time traveller’ party invitation that he sent to his peers after the party had taken place, to prove that time travel to the past is impossible.
Turn It Up: The power of music / Credit: Science Museum Group
This month is your last chance to join the over 30,000 visitors who have already been able to discover more about “the science of music’s mysterious hold over us”, and how it drives us to create, perform, feel and share.
Officially closing on Monday 29 May, you can experiment with beats, melodies, and harmonies in the exhibition’s Musical Playground, uncover how music influences our mood, shopping habits, and even the taste of food, or explore first-hand accounts from people pushing the boundaries of musical innovation.
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Turn It Up: The power of music is packed full of opportunities for visitors of all ages and interests to explore their inner music maker and determine what music means to them.
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Power UP
Open every weekend & school holiday
Power UP / Credit: Science Museum Group
If you haven’t had the chance to catch the “ultimate gaming experience” that is Power UP yet, then this May half term is the ideal time.
Open every weekend, and seven days a week throughout the school holidays, Power UP caters for gamers of all ages and skill level, and welcomes players to revel in the very-best video games from the past five decades, while getting hands-on with over 160 consoles.
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You’ll get to experience cutting edge technology and the latest developments in virtual reality, as well as rediscover childhood favourites played on classic consoles.
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Other special activities for May half term
Saturday 27 May – Sunday 4 June
May half herm at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
Especially for May half term, the Science and Industry Museum is hosting a programme of family fun themed around robotics, digital discovery, and tech, so visitors can meet and interact with real-life robots, practise programming to influence their movements and actions, and imagine what having a robot best friend might look like.
The team of expert Explainers will be on hand to help visitors “conquer digital coding”, while also helping you explore some of the museum’s historic objects and stories like the working replica of the Manchester Baby, and the 19th century invention that is the Jacquard Loom.
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There’ll even be a series of flying drone displays taking place inside the museum too.
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Featured Image – Science Museum Group
Art & Culture
Price of Manchester Village Pride 2026 tickets confirmed as wristbands go on sale
Emily Sergeant
Wristbands for Pride in Manchester this summer officially go on sale today.
Following last week’s announcement that the iconic Manchester Pride celebrations would, in fact, be returning in 2026 thanks to the creation of Manchester Village Pride CIC, today marks a ‘landmark’ moment as wristbands go on sale, helping to rebuild and reclaim what has always been once of the city’s most important events.
Early bird wristbands are now on sale at just £25, plus booking fee, offering community members access to four days of ‘safe and responsible’ celebrations.
This is set to include a ‘diverse’ programme of events that build on some of the best-loved elements of previous years – a Pride Parade, candle-lit vigil, party with performance and music across various stages, as well as talks, exhibitions, and community activities.
Manchester Pride is returning in 2026 / Credit: The Manc Group | Manchester Pride
Once early bird wristbands sell out, then general release wristbands will go on sale priced at £30 plus booking fee for the full weekend, or £20 plus booking fee for individual day passes.
Options for those on low-income, or those that require additional support, will also be available too.
Under the new direction of Manchester Village Pride CIC, all funds raised through the sale of wristbands and passes will enable the safe delivery of the Summer Bank Holiday Weekend event, and will support LGBTQ+ charities, grassroots organisations, and vital community services.
Any surplus funds will then be legally locked in for public benefit, and a ‘transparency dashboard’ on the Manchester Village Pride CIC website will be updated regularly to show ticket sales, costs, and projected charitable surplus.
Manchester Village Pride CIC has so far received £120,000 in loans from Village venues, which it says reflects the ‘determination’ of local LGBTQ+ businesses to safeguard Pride and ensure it remains rooted in the community that created it.
However, despite this, funds from wristband sales are now required to help start planning and organising the event properly.
“Naturally, given the failure of Manchester Pride Ltd and ongoing impact that this has had on charities, artists, and businesses within our community, we know that everything we do is going to be scrutinised,” admitted Carl Austin-Behan, who is one of the founding board members and spokesperson for Manchester Village Pride CIC.
“We are ready to meet that head on with clear open book management, direct and clear language when providing updates, and radical transparency about any funding.
Wristbands have officially gone on sale for 2026’s event this morning / Credit: Manchester Pride
“In the spirit of this transparency, we do need to be clear that we need people to purchase a wristband or day pass.
“Over Pride weekend, the Village becomes a large-scale live event space, with outdoor stages, performances, and street bars. A ticketed entry system allows us to meet essential safety, security, and government licensing requirements, manage crowd numbers responsibly, and provide appropriate stewarding, medical, and welfare support.
“Without this approach, venues would not be legally permitted to host stages or outdoor bars, and the Village simply couldn’t operate in the way people expect during Pride weekend.
“This is not about restricting access, it’s about keeping people safe, protecting our venues, and ensuring Manchester Village Pride can happen responsibly.”
Manchester Village Pride 2026 will take place over August Bank Holiday weekend between Friday 28 and Monday 31 August.
CBeebies is bringing its popular Bedtime Stories show live to Manchester for FREE this month
Emily Sergeant
CBeebies will be bringing a live version of its popular Bedtime Stories show to Manchester in a couple of weeks time.
With it not being long to go now until February half term arrives, it’s time to get ready for Manchester city centre to transform into a giant playground this month, as The Super Duper Family Festival brings four free days of fun.
The popular event will feature a series of pop-up play zones at a variety of outdoor spaces and popular venues across the city centre, all of which will be free to use and ready to explore.
Taking place from Wednesday 18 February through to Saturday 21 February, there’s set to be more immersive play areas than ever before at this year’s festival – with nine different zones providing unique experiences for all ages.
CBeebies is bringing its popular Bedtime Stories show live to Manchester for free / Credit: Supplied
Families can dive into high-energy challenges in The Sports Hall at Great Northern, level up in The Arcade at Printworks, whirl and twirl through The Carnival on St Ann’s Square, and get playful in The Playground with Waterloo Road on Exchange Square, just to name a few.
And now, two hugely popular CBeebies shows are adding live events into the mix.
First up, families are invited to snuggle down and enjoy the power of storytelling with CBeebies Bedtime Stories LIVE, as stars from CBeebies, alongside some special guests, host sessions filled with stories and songs at Manchester Central as part of The Story Den festival zone.
Four shows will run each day, with sessions lasting approximately 20 minutes, and to ensure the experience is accessible to as people as possible, a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter will be present at all sessions on Wednesday 18 February.
Then, for those who’ve always wondered what goes on behind the cameras, there’s exclusive access to one of the BBC’s most iconic programmes on the lineup too – with Blue Peter Behind the Scenes guided tours on Saturday 21 February at the legendary Blue Peter set at Versa Campfield Studio 2, where guests can enjoy surprise meet and greets with the Blue Peter team throughout the day.
You can also expect everything from gaming and crafts, to pop-up performances, hands-on workshops, fun children’s activities, and so much more over the course of the four-day event.
The Super Duper Family Festival is returning from 18-21 February 2026, and you can find more information about everything happening here.
With limited spaces available for both CBeebies experiences, families are encouraged to book their free tickets, which went live earlier today (Wednesday 4 February) at 11am, and you can get your hands on them here.
Emily Sergeant -
19th May 2023 
