One of Manchester’s historic market halls has been revived for a new era, and a series of summer festivals are set to celebrate.
That’s right – an iconic Manchester building is rebirthed, and everyone is invited.
As part of the unveiling of the newly-revived Campfield Mega Campus, a grade II-listed building that will be returning to its original purpose as a bustling market hall for the first time this century, Department and GRUB has announced the return of The Weekender – a one-of-a-kind artisanal festival taking place on several dates.
After years of ‘transformative’ and ‘restorative’ work to turn the space into what it is today, this will be the first chance the public has had to step foot into the former market building that’s now repurposed as one of the UK’s most exciting creative and tech campuses.
Just as the name suggests, The Weekender will run exclusively on weekends, while during the week, the campus will become a ‘vibrant hub’ for innovation and entrepreneurship that houses Manchester’s flagship accelerator programme supporting the next generation of digital and creative businesses.
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Kicking off for the first time on Saturday 28 June from 10am-4pm, The Weekender at Campfield will host a curated makers market, live music, creative classes, kids activities, top street food, delicious beverages, and a few other creative surprises.
On the day, visitors will be able to browse from more than 30 hand-picked independent traders showcasing the very best from Manchester’s flourishing makers and producers scene.
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Free artisan festivals are coming to a revived iconic Manchester market hall this summer / Credit: Supplied
You can expect everything from bakers, brewers, and jewellers, to florists, bee keepers, distillers, crafters, printers, picklers, illustrators, chefs, and so many more, all trading under the magnificent skylights of Campfield.
DJs selected by award-winning broadcaster, Reform Radio, will also be playing throughout the day, alongside surprise big-name buskers.
Then beyond the markets and music, there’ll also be opportunities to try your hand at laughter yoga, life drawing, and other creative classes.
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You can expect everything from bakers and brewers, to jewellers, florists, and more / Credit: Supplied
“GRUB has always believed in creating spaces where people can come together to enjoy great food and local talent,” says Jason Bailey, who is the co-founder of GRUB
“We’re thrilled to be part of Campfield’s next chapter – it brings together everything we champion at GRUB independent makers, grass-roots culture, and community-led experiences, and we can’t wait to see this astounding Manchester building buzzing with that energy again.”
The Weekender is free to attend and everyone is welcome on Saturday 28 June, where doors will be open between 10am and 4pm – with a schedule of events happening and tickets to workshops available to book here.
The festival will also return to Campfield again on 26 July and 30 August with new events, activities, and traders, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
Jane McDonald at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
The lovely people of Manchester are ‘Living The Dream’ because Wakefield wonder-woman Jane McDonald is bringing her tour to AO Arena.
Making her British TV screen debut nearly 30 years ago on The Cruise, before joining the Loose Women panel and going on to present a whole host of travel shows including Cruising with Jane McDonald, now this Wakefield legend returns to AO Arena.
This latest tour, named after her 2026 LP Living The Dream, will see Jane singing hits from both past and present including a couple of covers too.
Earlier this year, Jane’s Mighty Hoopla performance went viral online after she commanded the stage in a red leather jacket, donning a singular rainbow hair extension while belting out RAYE’s ‘Where Is My Husband!’
Audio North even got the opportunity to interview this legendary lady when she visited her hometown HMV store in Wakefield for an exclusive album signing – Oh look, it’s me!
The Wakefield wonder-woman’s latest album Living The Dream was released in March and considering the tour is named after this impressive LP, we’re sure fans can expect to hear quite a few tracks from this album.
Living The Dream
I’ll Not Be Beaten
You Don’t Know What You Got
Don’t Mind If I Do
The Hand That Leads Me
Ain’t Gonna Beg
I Will Always Love You
Islands in the Stream
Jolene
9 to 5
You’re My World
Where Is My Husband!
Let the Light In
Cake by the Ocean
Jai Ho!
APT.
Right Where I Belong
How Do I Move On
Beautiful Soul
All By Myself
You Still Lead Me
Of course, Jane also loves to cover a tune or two, and we’ll never forget her renditions of ‘Cake By The Ocean’, ‘Jai Ho’ or ‘APT.’.
What are the stage times for Jane McDonald in Manchester?
The doors for Jane McDonald’s Living The Dream Tour in Manchester are set for 6.30pm with the event set to start at 7.30pm.
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you have enough time to dash home and eat ‘Cake by the (Sofa)’ before ringing in the new day.
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Chester Zoo’s popular FREE Nature Fest returns this weekend with its biggest event yet
Emily Sergeant
A free festival helping people connect to nature is returning for its 10th anniversary, and organisers say it will be their biggest event yet.
Nature Fest is returning to Chester Zoo this weekend, and is set to explore the relationship between nature and wellbeing, with lots of new activities designed to help festivalgoers experience the benefits of connecting with the natural world
Around 4,000 people, and lots of families, are expected to attend across the weekend.
Visitors can take part in animal yoga sessions, relax in a zen den, and explore an interactive nature adventure based around the five pathways to nature connection, traveling along tunnels and through a tree along the way.
There will also be live music, puppetry, crafts, workshops and talks, alongside opportunities to discover how conservationists work to protect wildlife.
Chester Zoo’s popular Nature Fest returns this weekend with its biggest event yet / Credit: Chester Zoo
On top of that, the festival will feature stands from various nature organisations and community groups across the North West, talks and tips from nature professionals, and wildlife-friendly gardening sessions with the zoo’s schools team.
Chester Zoo has also teamed up with Outside Lives Ltd on the festival, giving visitors the chance to take part in other activities like crazy golf, den building, and willow weaving.
“We’re hoping our 10th Nature Fest will be the biggest yet,” commented Chris Ablett, who is the Community Volunteer Assistant Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Chester Zoo is well known for supporting conservation across the world but protecting nature here in the UK is just as important.
“We want people to know there are simple things they can do to help wildlife at home, and Nature Fest is a great way to link up with people and learn new skills you can put into practice in your community, all while enjoying a great day out.”
Chester Zoo’s Nature Fest returns for 2026 this weekend on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September. It’s free to attend, parking is also free, and no booking is required.
Emily Sergeant -
17th June 2025 
