Circus skills workshops, climbing walls, den building, and bug hunts are just some of things Manchester youngsters can be getting up to at a new festival next week.
Just in time to kick-off the start of the school summer holidays across the region, and coinciding with Play Day 2022 – the national day for play, which is celebrated every year across the UK on the first Wednesday in August – Manchester City Council has organised a day jam-packed full of activities and opportunities for children to get stuck into.
Taking over Whitworth Park in the heart of the city centre on Wednesday 3 August, there’ll be everything from face-painting, storytelling, messy play, and other sensory activities for younger children, to a climbing wall, a DJ, circus skills workshops, and so much more for the big kids.
Manchester Play Day Festival promises to be be “filled with fun” from start to finish, with something for everyone to enjoy.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 27, 2022
On top of all the fun free activities planned throughout the day, families will also get the chance to say hello to TV stars Pip and Posy from Magic Light Pictures’ popular, award-winning animated pre-school series on Milkshake! and Sky Kids.
Pip and Posy will be bringing their “special brand of play” to Manchester Play Day Festival – with lots of entertaining activities lined up and goodies to take home.
Manchester Play Day Festival is part Our Year 2022 – a council initiative to create more activities, opportunities, experiences, and support for children and young people in the city, as the council says its recognises that play is “essential” for children.
Manchester Play Day Festival promises to be be “filled with fun” from start to finish / Credit: Senjuti Kundu | Katherine Hanlon (via Unsplash)
Running from 11am – 3pm, with no need to book in advance, the festival will allow young people to make friends, channel their creativity, and to feel connected to each other.
Professionals from Manchester’s youth and play sector will also be on hand with information and resources on how play can support your child’s development.
Refreshments will also be provided.
Manchester Play Day Festival is taking over Whitworth Park on Wednesday 3 August / Credit: Manchester City Council
“National Playday is a great day where we can celebrate the importance of coming together to play, and in true Manchester fashion, we are hosting a full day of exciting activities and entertainment,” said Cllr Garry Bridges – Executive Member for Early Years, Children & Young People at Manchester City Council.
“We’re hoping that young people from all over the city will come along and take part in the event, maybe uncover a new hobby, and even make some new friends.
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“It promises to be lots of fun, and it’s free.”
Find out more about Manchester Play Day Festival 2022here.
A candlelit Queen tribute concert is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
Yes, you read that right: a candlelit tribute concert to the one and only Queen is coming to Manchester city centre.
In fact, it’s coming home, as this wonderful event started right here in 0161 back in 2021.
Concerts by Candlelight themselves host concerts up and down the country at various points throughout the year, but their much-loved ‘Queen by Candlelight‘ special knows all about lighting up Manc venues.
Having since gone on to become an internationally acclaimed live concert experience, we’re glad we still get to see the ‘Princes of the Universe’ on our doorstep.
Credit: Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
With the likes of Bridgewater Hall and the magical Manchester Monastery all having played host to the promotion on many ocassions, this time Queen by Candlelight is coming to the legendary Manchester Opera House in the new year.
One of our most historic and legendary theatres, it’s only fitting, really, that they be chosen to welcome a night of equally iconic tunes.
But it’s worth reminding more casual fans that these aren’t just British rock and pop anthems; Queen‘s discography is one that still has global recognition to this day.
That’s why this specific show has been taken to virtually every corner of the world, with the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians delighting audiences in Dubai, Australia, New Zealand and New York, to domestic crowds here in town and down in London’s West End.
‘Queenies’ or ‘Darlings’, as Freddie Mercury used to call them, can expect all the big hits, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, to ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and plenty more from the back catalogue.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store this coming January:
With tickets already flying out fast, we really would recommend securing your seats early before they inevitably sell out.
To quote the promoters themselves, “this spectacular celebration of Queen’s biggest hits is guaranteed to rock you.”
Coming to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 6 January, you can book your tickets for Queen by Candlelight right HERE.
And if you’ve never been to one of their candlelit events before, you only need to see how much of a ball we had at their country event earlier this year to find out how much fun they are…
Featured Images — Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
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An ‘extraordinary’ new Live Aid musical is coming to Manchester on its UK tour
Emily Sergeant
An ‘extraordinary’ new musical based on Live Aid is coming to Manchester as part of an upcoming UK and Ireland tour.
Producers Jamie Wilson Productions say they’re ‘thrilled’ to announce that Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical will head out on a big UK and Ireland tour starting out in March 2027, and visiting loads of major cities along the way – including Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Nottingham, and plenty more.
The production take us back to 13 July 1985 – the day music united the world.
Live Aid was an unprecedented global music event that brought 1.5 billion people together, and they all have a story to tell about ‘the day rock ‘n’ roll changed the world’.
Now, more than 40 years on from that famous day, audiences in Manchester will get to discover the behind-the-scenes story of Live Aid in a whole new way, as Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical is the story behind the greatest gig in music history.
What makes Just For One Day special? Nostalgia, relevance to today and a message for the new generation 🤘 pic.twitter.com/wRBV4Ar1Hv
— Just For One Day | The Live Aid Musical (@liveaidmusical) June 9, 2025
With hit songs by Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, and more all featuring, these iconic artists made history at simultaneous charitable concerts in London and Philadelphia.
The musical is written by John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard, with musical supervision, arrangements and orchestration by Matthew Brind, choreography by Ebony Molina, and casting by Stuart Burt.
“Just For One Day brilliantly reimagines why Live Aid worked then and why the humanity of that day still matters now,” commented Bob Geldoff.
“I’m delighted that more of the UK and Ireland will finally get to see this extraordinary and compelling musical. The reaction the show gets continually surprises and amazes me, standing ovations and people come back time and again, introducing the Live Aid story to new generations.”
Emily Sergeant -
29th July 2022 
