We’re saying goodbye to May, and giving a big Greater Manchester welcome to June this week.
Summer is (pretty much) here now, and not only does this week start off with yet another bank holiday, but schools are also for half term across the region, so that means we’ve got an events calendar thats jam-packed full of festivals, family-friendly activities, Spring fairs, museum exhibitions, immersive experiences, and so much more.
Once again, we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide, so here’s our top picks.
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The Manchester Flower Festival 2023
Manchester City Centre
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Monday 29 May
Manchester has become one of the most picturesque places in the UK as the city is all dressed up in celebration of the annual Flower Festival.
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Back by popular demand for its fifth year, the four-day festival – which is often dubbed the “most Instagramable event of the year” – has seen Manchester bloom to life and draped from head to toe in magnificent floral displays, with plants and flowers are covering landmark buildings, shop windows, doorways, balconies, statues, fountains, and more right across the city centre.
And today is your last day to catch all the colour.
Stephen Hawking at Work / Credit: Science Museum Group
Mancs now now get up close to rare personal items of Stephen Hawking’s in a new exhibition that’s now opened down at the Science and Industry Museum.
Stephen Hawking at Work explores the remarkable life of a world-renowned scientist, who passed away in 2018 – with significant objects from his office giving an insight into his life as a scientist, science communicator, and as a person who lived with motor neurone disease.
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Highlights include a rare copy of his PhD thesis, and a wager he made with his peers about whether things that fall into a black hole are lost forever, while there’s also a ‘time traveller’ party invitation that he sent to his peers after the party had taken place, to prove that time travel to the past is impossible.
Totally Jurassic / Credit: Totally Roarsome – North West
A new Jurassic-themed trail has opened in Greater Manchester, and you can go back in time to when “dinosaurs ruled Earth”.
Described as being “an immersive dino experience” where families can walk among huge static dinosaur models, all while learning lots of fun facts and snapping photos along the way, Totally Jurassic has now opened in Walkden town centre, and tickets are available from as little as £5 per person.
It’s the latest pop-up family attraction by Totally Roarsome – which is one of the North West’s best-loved immersive events companies.
Keen to escape the usual indoor activities and taking your family on a virtual adventure this half term instead? Fancy saving a few pennies while you’re at it too?
Manchester’s largest virtual reality arcade, DNA VR – which is suitable for thrill-seekers aged seven and over – is offering an extra 10% off all week, and there’s a gaming experience for everyone to get stuck into, with both arcade and longer escape-style challenges across a variety of themes available to choose from.
The critically-acclaimed venue perfect alternative day out in the city, and you can grab yourself 10% off with the code DNAVR10 when you book tickets here.
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Half Term at the Science and Industry Museum
Manchester City Centre
Monday 29 May – Sunday 4 June
Half Term at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
Curious Mancs can explore brand-new science displays, immersive exhibitions, decades of gaming, and more this May half term and beyond.
The Science and Industry Museum is hosting a half term “packed full of digital discovery” – with the unveiling of hotly-anticipated new display dedicated, an extension to one of its most successful world-first exhibitions, the chance to explore the world of gaming, discover groundbreaking ideas that “change the world”, and so much more.
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It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon immersed in science, look forward to the future of tech, or a journey back though Manchester’s industrial past.
Planet Shark: Predator or Prey / Credit: Chester Zoo
The world’s most innovative ‘out of water’ shark experience has now arrived at Cheater Zoo.
Visitors heading to the UK’s largest charity zoo will be some of the first in the country to get to make the most of the brand-new immersive exhibition known as Planet Shark: Predator or Prey – which aims to highlight “the wonder of sharks”.
Working with global creative company, Grande Experiences, the new exhibition at the zoo features an impressive 360-degree underwater digital display, as well as life-sized shark models.
A giant outdoor funfair full of vintage fairground rides and a circus is back at the Trafford Centre.
After several hugely-successful runs in both 2021 and 2022, the UK’s third largest shopping centre’s outdoor space has “sprung to life” once again, and is back with a whole host of thrilling rides, a glittering circus, and lots of delicious treats for the whole family to enjoy.
Spring Escape has popped up outside the Great Hall, and tickets are now available to buy for the wide range of events on offer.
A huge circus tent has been installed onto the roof of Depot Mayfield in Manchester, as the world-leading cabaret La Clique is in town.
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The trailblazing show is visiting the city for a limited six-week run, featuring the best circus and cabaret acts in the world.
Presented by live entertainment company Underbelly, La Clique is wowing audiences with its genre-defining cabaret show, and for its Manchester stint, performers will include tension strap artist LJ Marles, singer Chastity Belt, aerial contortion artist Miranda Menzies, comedy and stunt performer Sam Goodburn, and more artists to be announced.
The Wizarding Adventure / Credit: East Lancashire Railway
One of the East Lancashire Railway’s (ELR) fan-favourite events is back again this week, and it’s giving families the chance to go on a ‘wizarding adventure’ and ride a Harry Potter-themed train through Greater Manchester.
Aspiring witches and wizards can gather at the ELR for a day of sharing spells and magic-themed fun.
This interactive adventure will see visitors, both young and old, enjoy a range of performances from colourful characters and magical creatures, all before boarding the ‘Wizard Express’ for a two-hour round trip journey through the Irwell Valley of wonders.
Cheshire Oaks is staying up past its bed time for one night only this week, so late-night shoppers can head on down and fill up their baskets with some amazing deals.
On Thursday 1 June, over 50 brands at the Designer Outlet will be taking 20% off their original price tags, with some brands like All Saints and Puma being generous enough to raise it to 30% off.
You’ll get to discover on-trend seasonal essentials, like designer sunglasses, the latest summer dresses, and your go-to holiday essentials, or treat yourself to a timeless investment piece from the latest designer fashion lines at Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and more.
And if you can’t wait or want to get ahead of the line, McArthurGlen members will actually get 24 hour early access.
Keen to watch the Manchester derby FA Cup final in Manchester city centre this weekend?
The first-ever Manchester derby FA Cup final in the history of the competition is happening this weekend, and while not everyone is able to be there at Wembley for the momentous occasion, it’s still a massive day for the city.
Fans will be out in full force to watch the big fixture as Manchester United face Manchester City on Saturday 3 June at 3pm.
Town is going to be absolutely buzzing with big game atmosphere, not to mention everyone else out enjoying a weekend full of sun, so if you are wanting to go out and watch it in the pub, it’s worth having an idea of where you’re going rather than just rocking up half an hour before kick-off.
Read our round-up of where to watch the FA Cup final in Manchester city centre here.
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We Invented The Weekend 2023
MediaCity & Salford Quays
Saturday 3 – Sunday 4 June
We Invented The Weekend 2023 / Credit: WETW
We Invented the Weekend is back for 2023.
After a successful first outing last year, the two-day bold and imaginative culture-led festival is back by popular demand, and is set to take over both MediaCity and Salford Quays this Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 June Salford with a jam-packed lineup of events so festivalgoers of all ages can get involved in a wide range of activities for FREE.
Situated where the weekend was originally invented in Greater Manchester back in 1843, the festival celebrates the differences in how people spend their leisure time, free time, quality time, and me-time.
Some of the UK’s “most exciting” comedians are bringing their shows to a new mini comedy festival in Manchester city centre this week.
Taking over Manchester’s home of cult cinema, video games, and “cool nerdy events”, Cultplex – which is tucked away within the award-winning venue GRUB in Cheetham Hill – for one-day only this Saturday, A Lovely Day is a brand-new mini comedy festival that’s set to bring all the laughs.
A handful of the funniest and upcoming names on the comedy circuit will take to the stage to perform their new work-in-progress shows.
Featured Image – CityCo | We Invented The Weekend | ELR
What's On
Curious mini Mancs called on to help fix ‘special machine’ at Science and Industry Museum
Emily Sergeant
Curious mini Mancs are being called on to head down to one of Manchester’s most-visited museum’s to help fix a “special machine”.
With schools across Greater Manchester gearing up have two-weeks off over Easter very shortly, leaving many parents, carers, and guardians with the task of keeping the kids entertained and educated at the same time, the Science and Industry Museum has, thankfully, just announced a wide range of events and activities especially for the holidays.
And a good chunk of the events planned over the next couple of weeks are actually open to getting involved with for completely free of charge.
The museum, which is based right in the heart of Manchester city centre, is giving families the chance to “spring into action” as it hosts a full programme of “curious contraptions, dynamic demonstrations, and immersive experiences” over the next three weeks.
Kicking off this Friday (23 March) and running right through to 14 April, the Science and Industry Museum is inviting “inventors and tinkerers of all ages” down to explore the world of magnificent machines during the jam-packed half term.
Some of the activities on the lineup include creating a giant marble run, experiencing the thunderous sounds of Greater Manchester’s historic mill machinery, and venturing on a mission to explore mechanics around the museum, as well the opportunity to visit the two of its most talked-about exhibitions that are currently running – Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, and Power UP.
Machines are at the heart of many of the stories told at the Science and Industry Museum, which is why one of the most intriguing events on the Easter holidays lineup this year has to be the chance for young inventors to join the museum’s team of Explainers and “embark on a mission to mend a special machine” and search for pieces to help fix an engine.
Curious mini Mancs are being called on to help fix a ‘special machine’ at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
Visitors can also “turbo-charge their tinkering” by experimenting with a giant up-cycled marble run created by Wild Rumpus, and “combine their creativity with the forces of gravity and friction” to build their own circuits and mechanisms.
There’ll also be plenty of demonstrations of the museum’s historic textiles machinery over the next three weeks too, so visitors can be transported to the past and learn what life was like for Manchester’s factory workers in the Industrial Revolution and the roles that people of all ages played in the production of cotton.
And of course, if you still haven’t yet been able to make the most of the museum’s most-visited exhibitions, then this Easter is your chance to do just that.
There’s a jam-packed lineup of FREE events at the museum this Easter holidays / Credit: Science Museum Group
World-premiere exhibition, Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, will be taking visitors on a digestive journey over the next three weeks, while the ultimate gaming experience, Power UP will also be open every day, with five decades of games to explore.
Both FREE entry tickets to the museum, and charged-for tickets for Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You and Power UP, can be booked now on the Science and Industry Museum website.
Find more about all the activities taking place at the museum over the Easter holidays here.
Featured Image – Science Museum Group
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 18 – 24 March 2024
Emily Sergeant
Is everyone ready for another busy week? We certainly are.
March has already brought with it food festivals, cultural celebrations, annual events, and so much more – and thankfully, there’s absolutely no shortage of exciting activities in the Greater Manchester social calendar to be getting involved with throughout this week either.
If you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though, we’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide.
Here’s some of our recommendations.
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Manchester Film Festival 2024
Great Northern
Monday 18 – Sunday 24 March
Manchester Film Festival 2024 / Credit: MFF | A24
Manchester Film Festival is back for its 10th year, and it’s bigger and better than ever before.
The biggest annual film event in our city, Manchester Film Festival is known and loved for shining a cultural spotlight on the talents and creativity of independent filmmakers.
At this year’s highly-anticipated festival, there’s so many incredible films sourced from all over the world, as well as right here in the North West, to watch – including shorts, features, premieres, Q&As, red carpet glamour, and so much more.
Find out more about Manchester Film Festival 2024 here.
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Power UP
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 18 March – onwards
Power UP / Credit: Science Museum Group
Did you know there’s a huge gaming event currently happening in Manchester?
With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP is back for more in 2024 down at the Science and Industry Museum, and it’s taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming every weekend.
There’s everything from retro arcade games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality, and so much more to get stuck into, and each ticket includes unlimited play all day.
Fairfield Social Club has now reopened in Manchester once again.
After a successful winter pop-up at the end of last year, and a soft launch via Isit Kitchen’s Supper Club a couple of weeks back, Fairfield Social Club – which is from the same family as beloved street food and social hub, GRUB – is now back up and running at its brand-new venue on Irk Street in the heart of Manchester’s Green Quarter.
A special lineup of events has already been announced to take place throughout the month – with quiz nights, speed-dating events, and plenty more on the agenda.
Manchester Open Exhibition is back for the third time in our city.
Taking place every two years down at HOME, the Open Exhibition is the biggest celebration of Greater Manchester’s creative talent, and sees HOME’s Gallery walls filled with 480 artworks created by the people of our region that have been specially-selected by a panel consisting of art experts and community representatives.
Open to all, the Exhibition brings together artwork including paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, ceramics, digital and mixed media, video, audio, and so much more.
The Great British Spring Clean 2024 / Credit: Keep Manchester Tidy (via Facebook)
Greater Manchester is being urged to take part in a huge UK-wide ‘spring clean’.
Residents across the region are being encouraged to “roll up their sleeves” and join in with the annual UK-wide ‘Great British Spring Clean’ organised by Keep Britain Tidy, and supported by Manchester City Council, that’s now running right through to the end of the month.
The Great British Spring Clean is calling on locals to get stuck-in by helping to tidy up local parks, pathways, and other green spaces.
Find out more about how to join in this month here.
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Did you know that a new ‘hobby house’ has opened up in the heart of Manchester city centre?
It’s called ‘Altogether Otherwise’.
Having recently opened down at Manchester’s growing neighbourhood, NOMA, the innovative new concept is is setting out to provide the Greater Manchester public with a welcome relief from all the demands and fast-paced culture of city centre life that we’ve, sadly, all become so used to.
It’s been dubbed a “place to pursue creativity” and a chance to explore and get stuck into some new activities, all while bumping into like-minded people in an ever-changing gathering space.
There’s an exciting lineup of workshops and events that are free to attend.
Manchester’s landmark entertainment venue Printworks will be celebrating the completion of its £21 million refurbishment this week with a massive free party.
The huge new-look venue will have TikTok sensation DJ SUAT headlining the launch party on Thursday (21 March), and he’ll be joined for the evening by Bohemian House Choir, and a host of other performers and dancers too.
As part of the refurb, Printworks will be home to the largest digital ceiling in Europe, and launch partygoers will get to be the first to see it in all its glory.
After hours: Forward-Thinking Fashion / Credit: Science Museum Group
Manchester’s legendary Science and Industry Museum is celebrating sustainable fashion with an ‘after-hours’ event especially for adults this week.
Fashion, sustainability, and heritage are all set to come together for a unique event in the heart of Manchester city centre this Thursday, where visitors are encouraged to “journey through the past, present, and future of fashion” during an exclusive evening of entertainment.
Kicking off from 6:30pm and running right through to 9:30pm, the event – which is named After hours: Forward-Thinking Fashion – will showcase sustainable self-expression, offer nifty thrifting tips, and even unpick Manchester’s unique fashion history, all before shining a spotlight on the highlight of the night – a colourful cabaret catwalk.
Did you see that Chester Zoo is giving away 35,000 FREE tickets to children this year?
The UK’s largest charity zoo is on a mission to help nature to “survive and thrive”, and so, in a bid to do just that, has announced that it’s giving away tens of thousands of tickets to local schools in Greater Manchester and beyond for completely free of charge.
The free tickets are to help inspire a whole new generation of young conservationists.
Chester Zoo‘s free ticket scheme has been running since 2017, and has already seen more than 100,000 children get to experience all the wonders the zoo has to offer.
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this week.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 March right through to November this year, East Lancashire Railway’s Red Rose Diners are described as being “the ultimate first class foodie experience”, as they start with a glass of fizz and stretch over an almost three-hour steam train journey through the Irwell Valley.
The experience includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
Stockport Town of Culture Weekender / Credit: One Stockport (Supplied)
Stockport is coming together for a huge celebration to mark its current Town of Culture title this weekend.
In case you missed it, Stockport was named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2023 back in May of last year, so what better way to celebrate the coveted title than hosting a weekend packed full of cultural festivities for all the family, with access to some of the town’s must-visit venues? We can’t think of one.
More than 50 events and activities are set to take place over the two days, and the best part is, they’re all FREE to get involved with.
Spanish Bottomless Brunch / Credit: The Beeswing (via Instagram)
Popular Manchester wine bar The Beeswing down at Kampus has just launched a new ‘Spanish Bottomless Brunch’.
Called ‘Domingo’ – which means ‘Sunday’ in Spanish, and now running every Sunday until the summer and beyond – the brand-new event features a curated collection of classic Spanish brunch dishes to be served alongside free-flowing mimosas, sangria, and Bloody Marys for the pretty-impressive price of just £35 per person.
Hungry foodie fans can take their pick from a menu of Spanish-inspired brunch dishes like smoky shakshuka, and Ibérico eggs benedict, all while sipping on 90-minutes worth of drinks.