With only a few weeks to go now until schools in Greater Manchester and the North West are out for October half term, the massively popular museum in the heart of Manchester city centre has unveiled a jam-packed lineup of free events, and is inviting families down to “transform into architects, engineers, and inventors” for a day.
That’s because it’s handing over its galleries and spaces to community groups and neighbours from right across the region.
The groups’ll be using their “unique outlooks” to help people explore all the ways the city is evolving.
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The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its lineup of events for October half term / Credit: Science Museum Group
Running from 21 October right through to 5 November, the museum’s half term events lineup has been created in partnership with friends and partners across the city-region as part of the Science and Industry Museum’s new City Sparks community programme.
Those heading down to the museum this half term can become architects for the day and reimagine the city’s high streets and iconic skyline, discover how to get their voices heard using arts and crafts, and explore Manchester’s industrial history through live performances.
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Highlights from the programme include a giant interactive model of Openshaw high street designed by architect, Laura Sanderson – with hands-on activities encouraging “placemakers of tomorrow” to create their vision of future communities by designing their own town centres through giant drawing challenges and model making.
The museum is handing over its galleries and spaces to the region’s community groups and neighbours / Credit: Science Museum Group
Local children from Armitage C of E and All Saints Primary Schools have also created a series of special workshops where visitors can “transform into engineers” and “rebuild Manchester” from viewpoints around the museum’s site.
Inspiring stories from the city’s community will also be shared during popup events – including Dukinfield Craft Café, who are using craft to explore the impact of the closure of their community swimming pool.
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Ruth Murray, who is the Community Partnerships Manager of the City Sparks programme, said they’re “so excited” to be bringing local people together for the events lineup.
“The Science and Industry Museum is home to ideas that change the world, from Manchester and beyond,” she commented, “and it’s our mission to inspire the next generation of creators, engineers and inventors, so we can’t wait to see our visitors’ ideas about the future of our amazing city.”
The museum’s other much-loved exhibitions will also be running throughout half term / Credit: Science Museum Group
As well as each of the activities and workshops guest-hosted by the community, all of the museum’s much-loved exhibitions that are currently running will also be open throughout half term, so if you haven’t had the chance to “travel like a poo” at Operation Ouch!, or take a trip down memory lane and play a whole host of retro games at Power UP, then now’s your chance.
General admission is free, but tickets to the museum’s exhibitions will set you back a couple of pounds and need to be booked in advance, either online or by calling 033 0058 0058.
Find out more about the October half term events lineup here.
Featured Image – Science Museum Group
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 19 – 25 May 2025
Emily Sergeant
Who’s ready for another week of wholesome fun in the sun?
May has been in full bloom for the last couple of weeks, with there being absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester – and this week is no different, especially as we have yet another bank holiday weekend coming up.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though? No worries.
We’ve chosen a few of the highlights for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide, both free things, and those that’ll set you back a few pennies too.
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Balcony Greening Workshops
Greater Manchester
Monday 19 May – Saturday 7 June
Balcony Greening Workshops / Credit: National Trust
Free balcony greening workshops are happening across Greater Manchester this spring to help people create their own ‘mini wildlife havens’.
The National Trust is on a mission to help city dwellers create their own green spaces through its ‘Sky Gardening Challenge’, with the conservation charity encouraging people with balconies to ‘grow and green’ the town or city they live in from skyline spaces in the hopes that it’ll enhance their connection to nature and improve their wellbeing, all while helping wildlife thrive at the same time.
City dwellers can get a free balcony gardening guide, free seeds, and free workshops in collaboration with lots of brilliant community organisations across the region.
Classes are happening across the borough on selected dates up until 7 June, and you can find out more and book here.
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LOWRY 360
The Lowry
Monday 19 May – onwards
LOWRY 360 / Credit: The Manc Group
L.S. Lowry’s iconic masterpiece ‘Going to the Match’ is being brought to life right before your eyes in this brand-new exhibition now open at The Lowry.
Lowry 360 is an immersive experience forming part of the legendary The Lowry theatre’s 25th anniversary programme, and it means that, for the first time ever, you can see one of Manchester’s most famous paintings by, arguably, the city’s most famous artist come to life through sight and sound.
Better yet, after you’ve immersed yourself in this incredible experience, then you can then see the actual painting in the full gallery – Modern Life: The LS Lowry Exhibition.
Legendary musical The Rocky Horror Show is back in Manchester this week.
Having been seen by over 35 million theatregoers since it first debuted, The Rocky Horror Show will be making a grand return to one of Manchester’s biggest stages this week, and it’s starring none other than Australian superstar, Jason Donovan.
The Rocky Horror Show tells the story of two squeaky clean college kids, who meet the charismatic Dr Frank-n-Furter when, by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor,
It’s described as being an adventure filled with fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity, and you can find out more and get last-minute tickets here.
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Manchester Jazz Festival 2025
Manchester City Centre
Monday 19 – Sunday 25 May
Manchester Jazz Festival 2025 / Credit: mjf
Manchester Jazz Festival is back with a bumper edition for 2025.
As the festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the much-loved musical celebration will be lighting up venues across the city and will see hundreds of northern, national, and international jazz musicians descend on Manchester.
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The festival is all about showcasing the jazz music genre’s leading lights, alongside its most exciting emerging talent.
The GM Walking Festival is back for 2025, and it’s bigger than ever.
Coordinated by Greater Manchester Moving, and organised in alignment with National Walking Month, the month-long celebratory festival invites people from all across the region to experience the joy of walking and wheeling throughout May.
The festival brings together more than 400 free organised group walks hosted by local organisations and community groups in every borough of Greater Manchester.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Stories – Brought To Life / Credit: The Manc Group
A major new National Portrait Gallery exhibition has arrived in Salford.
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The ground-breaking new experience by FRAMELESS Creative has opened at MediaCity, bringing some of the world’s most famous portraits to life like never before.
Stories – Brought to Life will explore the fascinating lives of these figures, who have shaped the UK’s history and culture all the way since the Tudor period, and will combine the highest quality digital projection, Hollywood-style visual effects, and the latest audio technology, along with specially created musical scores and creative narratives to shine a new light on each individual.
Visitors will be able to step inside iconic portraits including Grayson Perry, Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Emmeline Pankhurst, Queen Elizabeth I, and William Shakespeare.
Kargo on the Docks / Credit: Supplied | Mark Waugh
Kargo on the Docks is back for the summer.
MediaCity’s al fresco dining pop-up has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester’s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
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Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
Manchester Flower Festival 2025 / Credit: Manchester BID
Manchester will be blooming with colour once again as the city’s annual Flower Festival returns this late May bank holiday weekend.
Now in its eighth year, and always billed as being the city’s most Instagrammable event in the annual calendar, The Manchester Flower Festival is a fabulous floral spectacle that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors into Manchester city centre.
This year’s festival, which is organised annually by Manchester BID, will celebrate Manchester and other great cities around the world.
From the vibrant tulip fields of Amsterdam, to the urban energy of New York’s Statue of Liberty, and the high-tech influence of Singapore, this year’s theme is wide open for interpretation, and offers contributing gardeners the chance to showcase their designs which interpret the beauty of cities through iconic landmarks, floral heritage, or personal connections to global hotspots.
Neighbourhood Weekender 2025 / Credit: NBHD | Tom Martin (Supplied)
Neighbourhood Weekender returns for 2025 this weekend.
After a year hiatus to help fine-tweak what is already one of the best festivals in the North West, the Warrington-based music festival is officially back, and its bring music-lovers two fantastic days jam-packed with some of the best talent from all over the UK.
This year, headline sets come courtesy of legendary bands James and Stereophonics, while other big acts on the lineup include The Wombats, Inhaler, Dizzee Rascal, CMAT, and Wunderhorse, and some Manc names to check out include The Lathums and The Lottery Winners, among many others.
Deansgate Mews Festival is back by popular demand for its fifth year in Manchester this bank holiday weekend, and you can expect the popular outdoor festival to be three days full of food, drink, al-fresco dining, live music, market traders, and loads more.
Just as the name suggests, the festival will take over Deansgate Mews – a hidden street nestled just above the city’s main thoroughfare, Deansgate – and will celebrate all the eclectic independent businesses on the street.
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is taking a step back in time this bank holiday weekend.
The Greater Manchester public is invited down to East Lancashire Railway for an unforgettable weekend of ‘soulful tunes’ and ‘timeless classics’ – with music, food, events, and costumes inspired by the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.
The brand-new Vintage Vibes event is shaping up to be even bigger and better than ever before, all to celebrate the best of years gone by.
Along with previously confirmed headliners including The Real Thing, The Barron Soul DJ, Northern Soul Train, and Sixties Mania, seven new acts are hitting the stages at Bury Bolton Street, Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom, and Heywood Stations along the ELR route.
Featured Image – Manchester BID | Tom Martin | Wikimedia Commons
What's On
Great Manchester Run guide 2025 – everything you need to know
Danny Jones
The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run returns this month, and with more spectators and people taking part than ever, we thought it’d be handy to put together another little event guide for you.
Whether you’re running it or cheering your friends, family and complete strangers from the sidelines, it’s set to be a massive day that involves a lot of planning and logistics, so we’ll help however we can.
You only have to see the months of time and effort that went into making this year’s Manchester Marathon the incredible success that it was, and the Great Run Company are no different.
So, without further ado, here’s all the important information you need to know ahead of the 2025 Great Manchester Run.
2025 Great Manchester Run guide – all the key info
What is the Great Manchester Run route this year?
Where else better to start than with this year’s Great Manchester Run? Anyone who’s coming back for more will be glad to hear that it remains pretty much unchanged from the 2024 edition and years prior.
Starting once again along the busy Portland Street strip before the half-marathon runners head towards Mancunian Way, participants will pass along Chester Road and on towards Manchester United’s legendary stadium, Old Trafford, before heading back into the city for a grandstand finish on Deansgate.
The 10k route essentially takes out the section heading towards East Manchester and the loop in front of Man City’s equally iconic Etihad Stadium, but still capitalises on all the best and biggest spots for atmosphere. Here you can see the maps in more detail HERE.
The 2025 AJ Bell Great Manchester Run half-marathon route (Credit: Supplied)
Great Manchester Run waves and start times
In terms of when the action will be getting underway, as ever, the hordes of runners will be broken up into various coloured waves depending on their estimated finish time; these colours are clearly visible on your race bib.
You can see a full breakdown below:
8:10am – 10k Elite Wheelchair start
8:15am – Half Marathon Orange Wave start
8:40am – Half Marathon Green Wave start
11:30am – 10k Elite Women start
11:45am – 10k Elite Men start
11:45am – 10k Fast Paced and Orange Wave start
12:05am – 10k Green Wave start
12:50pm – 10k Purple Wave start
13:10pm – 10k Pink Wave start
Runners should have received said bibs in their race packs via the post by now, but if you need to pick up in person or source a replacement for whatever reason, they can be collected during race week.
You can find out where to do so, including other common FAQs, right HERE.
Great MCR Run travel info and road closures
Now, naturally, when such a huge event with more than 30,000 runners is set to take over the city, not to mention the 100k+ spectators that are expected to line the streets on the day, it’s always going to have an impact on travel.
Those watching on the sidelines are being urged to use public transport wherever possible, with extra trams being put on throughout the day and various other arms of the Bee Network helping people get around the event.
If you do end up driving into the region for the action, we would recommend you use one of Greater Manchester’s many park and ride sites and then use one of our many Metrolink services to travel into the city centre itself.
Meanwhile, the Bee Network also have an interactive traffic map for the event:
Cheer zones and support hubs: best spots to watch the Great Manchester Run
For those of you set to line the streets and provide your much-needed support on race day, there are some key sections where the atmosphere from the crowd will be injected into the runners.
As well as a Heart Radio pop-up station, drummers, local choirs and plenty more surprises to keep your energy pumping throughout, there’ll be some big corners to look out for your loved ones.
You can find some of the main supporter hotspots and where they are along the route down below, but we’d personally recommend the roundabout coming heading towards Chester Road, the small grassy mounts and central reservation either side of Cornbrook, and the corner of Deansgate-Castlefield.
St Peter’s Square – for the start line
Manchester Piccadilly – 2-mile marker
Etihad Campus/Velopark – 4/5-mile marker
Wharfside/Imperial War Museum – 10/11-mile marker
Cornbrook – 12-mile marker
Deansgate-Castlefield exchange – for the finish line
10k
St Peter’s Square – for the start line
Cornbrook – 2km marker
Old Trafford – 4km marker
Wharfside/Imperial War Museum – 6km marker
Cornbrook – 9km marker
Deansgate-Castlefield corner – for the finish line
Wherever you decide to watch, just make sure you bring the same kind of wholesome energy that these queens did…
Following the success of a new bag drop system at the Manchester Marathon, similar baggage buses will be available at Deansgate from 7am for half marathon runners and around Hardman Street and Jackson’s Row from 10am for those doing the 10k.
Once your tear-off label is fastened to your stuff, you will be able be collect after crossing the finish line.
As for toilets, there will be plenty of facilities to use before the starting run, as well as six locations throughout both distances. You’ll find multiple stations along both too.
One final message
Now, we’re not going to waste too much time reminding you to wash your race kit, stock up on safety pins and get all your other gear ready, but what we will do is remind you to go out there and have fun.
Make sure you fuel right in the morning and enjoy plenty of carbs and water in the week leading up; also, be sure to keep an eye out on the weather – we want you to be safe out there.
Whatever/whoever you’re doing the 2025 Great Manchester Run for, just know that we’re unbelievably proud of you all and no matter how the day goes, we want you to soak up every single cheer, bell and scream. We’ll see you at the finish line.
Now go put the great in Greater Manchester, we know you’re going to smash it!
Emily Sergeant -
11th October 2023 
