Dippy on Tour is set to welcome visitors in Rochdale once again when it reopens to the public at the start of next month.
It’s been quite some time since Dippy last saw the people of Manchester.
It’s now been confirmed though that the Dippy on Tour exhibition – featuring the world-famous dinosaur cast from the Natural History Museum – is back at Number One Riverside and Touchstones Rochdale on Monday 7th September.
The Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure opened in Rochdale as the only North West stop on its national tour back in February this year and it proved a star attraction with almost 115,000 visitors coming to see the dinosaur cast, before lockdown was put in place.
Dippy On Tour was originally supposed to close in Rochdale on 28th June, but due to the months that visits were unfortunately halted amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Dippy’s stay has now been extended until 12th December 2020 to allow for as many people as possible to visit safely before moving to the next location.
ADVERTISEMENT
The exhibition will then travel Norwich for its final stop, before returning back home to London.
Dippy on Tour, Rochdale Council and Visit Rochdale have confirmed that a number of additional measures have been put in place at both venues in order to keep visitors safe.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cleaning will be significantly increased, numbers will be restricted to allow people to maintain a safe distance inside, hand sanitisers will be available throughout the venues, and ‘hands-on’ parts of the exhibitions, including the sensory room and the dino discovery lab, have been removed.
Visitors can drop in and see Dippy at Number One Riverside, but the Dippy exhibition at Touchstones will need to be booked in advance.
Councillor Janet Emsley – Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Community and Culture at Rochdale Borough Council – said: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome visitors once again and connect audiences across the region with this incredible piece of natural history.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We’ve made some changes to the exhibition to keep everybody safe, and both Number One Riverside and Touchstones Rochdale have been awarded the ‘We’re Good to Go’ COVID-19 industry standard and consumer mark by Visit Britain.
“The fact that the Dippy experience will be with us until December also gives people plenty to time to see him, so we can support social distancing and keep everybody safe – people absolutely don’t need to come at once.
“To help keep people safe, we’re also asking visitors to only attend with members of their own household, as per government guidelines currently covering most of Greater Manchester, and for visitors to follow government guidance on face coverings.”
Opening Hours – Dippy at Number One Riverside from 7th September:
Monday to Friday – 9am to 5pm
Saturdays – 9.30am to 5pm
Opening Hours – Dippy Exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale from 7th September:
ADVERTISEMENT
Monday to Saturday – 9.30am to 4.30pm
Freya Stannard – Head of National Programmes at The Natural History Museum – added: “We are thrilled that Dippy on Tour is now able to welcome back visitors [and] we have worked with Rochdale Borough Council to implement new measures and extend the exhibition to allow plenty of time for people to visit when they feel confident in doing so.
“We look forward to Dippy doing what he does best once again, inspiring people and encouraging a love for the natural world that we hope people will carry with them long after their visit.”
You can find more information and book in advance for the Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure via the Visit Rochdale website here.
What's On
Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour
Danny Jones
Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.
As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.
The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.
David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.
Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.
In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.
For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.
You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.
Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.
But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.
Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.
There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.
Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.
A unique Manchester attraction is offering FREE entry to anyone who shares its ‘birthday’ month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most unique attractions is offering free entry for two weeks to celebrate its first birthday.
But there’s a catch… free entry is only granted to people born in one specific month.
Museum of Illusions – which is is one of the largest and fastest-growing private museum chains – is celebrating the first birthday of its debut UK attraction in Manchester this September by giving away free tickets to anyone who shares its birthday month.
Since opening on Market Street in 2024, Museum of Illusions has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors through its doors to experience the dozens of mind-bending illusions and interactive exhibits inside, and has quickly established itself as one of the city’s top attractions in what is a very competitive market.
Manchester’s Museum of Illusions is celebrating its first birthday / Credit: Supplied
Loved by locals and tourists alike, the museum blends fun and education for visitors of all ages, and is fully-accessible too, ensuring everyone can enjoy the fun.
Manchester‘s Museum of Illusions is not only the first in the UK, but it’s also the second-largest in Europe, just behind Copenhagen – so yes, it’s a pretty big deal.
To mark the milestone and celebrate its first anniversary, visitors born in September can enjoy free entry to the museum from Monday 22 September through to Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
All they need to do to access this offer is show a valid ID when they arrive.
The museum will also be dressed for the occasion too, adding a birthday touch to its already-captivating mix of optical illusions and immersive exhibits.
“Manchester has truly embraced the Museum of Illusions, and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve had in our first year,” commented Steve Buchan, who is the General Manager at the Museum of Illusions in Manchester.
The unique attraction is offering free entry to anyone who shares its birthday month / Credit: Supplied
“Welcoming over 200,000 visitors in just 12 months has been incredible.
“Free tickets to anyone celebrating their birthday in September feels like the perfect way to give something back. It’s our way of saying thank you for the incredible support, and of course, to invite even more people to experience the fun, curiosity, and wonder the museum brings.”
Is your birthday in September? You can visit the Museum of Illusions in Manchester anytime from Monday 22 September – Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
Emily Sergeant -
27th August 2020 
