A landmark building in Manchester has been brought back to life this week, as the Edwardian swimming pool at Victoria Baths is refilled for a public swimming weekend.
The Grade II*-listed building hasn’t operated as a public baths since it was closed by the council in 1993, but has been restored to its former glory for a one-off weekend of events.
While many of us will have visited Victoria Baths for local events including pop-up cinemas, raves, and beer festivals, few will have seen it filled with colourful inflatables and happy swimmers.
But The Big Splash event will change all that, and as it’s the first in three years, they’re going all out.
It’s the heritage venue’s biggest fundraising event of the year and all money raised from the swim tickets goes to protecting the building’s future.
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Victoria Baths as the swimming pool was refilled this week. Credit: The Manc Group
This week, work has begun to bring water back to Victoria Baths – the swimming pool of which will take 96 hours (or four days) to fill.
For three days only, visitors will have a chance to see the space as it once was, thanks to United Utilities and a team of volunteers.
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Victoria Baths will whip out the inflatables – including its signature pink flamingos – and throw open the doors to the historic changing cubicles that line the poolside.
Elsewhere in the building there’ll be guided tours, exhibitions, access to the viewing gallery, choir performances, a kids’ art trail, a ‘Make, Do and Disco’ event, and talks.
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Hip Hop Chip Shop will rock up with their food truck too.
The Big Splash will take place on 9, 10 and 11 September. Final tickets are on sale now at www.victoriabaths.org.uk.
Featured image: The Manc Group
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Tickets go on sale for massively popular pumpkin festival near Greater Manchester this autumn
Emily Sergeant
Tickets for one of the North West’s most popular pumpkin festivals with thousands of pumpkins to pick have now officially gone on sale.
We know it’s still technically summer and the sun is still shining, but in just over a month’s time, Kenyon Hall Farm’s popular Pumpkin Festival will be back up and running for 2026.
This is an ideal autumnal activity for when the leaves start turning golden, and is always popular with families every year.
Think fields full of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, where you can grab yourself a wheelbarrow and get searching for your perfect gourd – whether it’s a classic round orange one, or a weird and wonderful wonky one.
Kenyon Hall Farm’s popular Pumpkin Festival will be back from next month / Credit: The Manc Group | Concetta Huffa (via Unsplash)
As well as the pumpkin picking itself, Kenyon Hall Farm also has loads of photo opportunities dotted around, like a house built of pumpkins, a giant throne, a vintage tractor, a love heart frame, and even a Hollywood sign-style sign screaming ‘PUMPKINS’ as you enter.
This year, the owners are also teasing some brand-new displays for 2026, so stay tuned for what’s in store.
While you’re at the farm, you can also browse a pop-up market packed with autumnal treats, including more pumpkins, novelty homewares, and seasonal goodies, and then head on into the gorgeous on-site cafe for some pumpkin-inspired specials like spiced lattes, scones, and soup.
What could be more a perfect autumn activity than rummaging around in a field picking your perfect pumpkin with your pals?
Kenyon Hall Farm’s Pumpkin Festival officially returns from Saturday 26 September, and tickets are now on sale at £3.95 each, so make sure to book yours soon as they’re already selling fast.
Tame Impala announces another HUGE Manchester gig after chart-topping success
Emily Sergeant
Tame Impala has announced another UK and EU tour in 2027 to celebrate recent chart-topping success.
Following sold-out runs across the globe in 2025 and 2026 – including here in Manchester – and currently in the midst of a North American arena tour, Tame Impala has announced a new run of dates for next year – with a mix of headline and festival appearances.
The announcement arrives as Kevin Parker – better known by his project name, Tame Impala – continues an extraordinary run with his latest studio album Deadbeat, released last year.
On Deadbeat, Parker aimed to sculpt a collection of ‘wickedly potent’ club-psych explorations as a vehicle for some of his most direct, ear-wormy songwriting to date.
Tame Impala has announced another huge Manchester gig after chart-topping success / Credit: Julian Klincewicz (Supplied)
After recently being featured in the new Marvel film, Spiderman: Brand New Day, the lead single from the album, ‘Loser’, has just hit number one on the Global Spotify chart.
Not only that, but the remix of the hit song ‘Dracula’, featuring JENNIE, also remains in the top 10 on various global charts, and the original version has also nominated for Best Alternative at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
Critics described this most recent run of gigs as ‘one of the best live shows of the year’, so it only makes sense that he’d be back for more.
Kicking off on 28 May 2027 in here in Manchester, Tame Impala will be taking to the Co-op Live stage once again, before heading down to the capital for two nights at The O2 on 1 and 2 June, and then popping over to Paris, Rotterdam, and Cologne to.
Wet Leg will open all headlining dates next year, including here in Manchester.
Tickets go on sale this week, with Co-op Member Presale kicking off at 9am on Wednesday (26 August), followed by General Sale also at 9am on Friday (28 August).
Daisy Jackson -
7th September 2022 
