Our first full week of August is here, and there’s so much happening.
Not only have little Mancs across the region broken up for the school holidays, but the sunshine has even been showing its face over the past couple of weeks too, so it’s pretty hard to deny that summer is here now.
And Greater Manchester‘s social calendar is packed full of festivals, celebrations, and free wholesome family-friendly events to celebrate, but if you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do, 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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Jurassic World: The Exhibition
Trafford Centre
Monday 5 August – onwards
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Jurassic World: The Exhibition / Credit: Supplied
A major Jurassic World exhibition that’s been mesmerising visitors all over the world has now arrived here in Greater Manchester for the summer.
Based on the beloved blockbuster film franchise, this official award-winning experience is one of the fastest-selling exhibitions in history.
Manc visitors will be able to walk through the iconic Jurassic World gates, explore some richly-themed environments, and encounter a life-sized Brachiosaurus, Velociraptors, and the most fearsome dinosaur of all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.
101 Dalmatians The Musical / Credit: Phil Tragen (via Supplied)
Beloved classic Disney film, 101 Dalmatians, has been turned into a spectacular musical production, and it’s currently on stage here in Manchester.
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With a book by Johnny McKnight, and music and lyrics composed and written by Douglas Hodge, this new musical comes from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris that has been reimagined from what was the critically-acclaimed Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production back in 2022, and it stars Kym Marsh as Cruella De Vil.
The story is brought to life on stage with spectacular puppetry, show-stopping choreography, hilarious songs, and, of course, irresistible puppies.
Did you see that a huge Batman experience has now swooped into Manchester?
Having taken over Depot Mayfield in the city centre, and offering fans a chance to see real jaw-dropping props and costumes from the actual Warner Bros. archives, this exclusive event brings the cinematic world of Batman to life.
Through a series of themed rooms, exhibitions, and a comic book and gaming area, Batman Unmasked is packed full of items from this iconic character’s film history.
The Trafford Centre’s massively-popular summer celebration is back, and tickets are only £2.50 each.
Back by popular demand for plenty of family fun, only this time with a new name, Bright Lights, Big Fun has seen a retro fairground and a massive 600sqm beach perfect for sunbathing and sandcastles pop up outside the Greater Manchester shopping centre, alongside a splash park with loads of water jets, and so much more.
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There’s also a yummy selection of food and drink traders on site to take your pick from if you’re feeling peckish after getting stuck into some fun and games.
Find out more and get yourself some £2.50 tickets here.
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Wild
Manchester Museum
Monday 5 August – onwards
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Wild / Credit: Manchester Museum
A groundbreaking new immersive exhibition exploring our relationship with the natural world is now open at Manchester Museum.
‘Wild’ look at how people are creating, rebuilding, and repairing connections with nature, and how the natural world has traditionally been presented and idealised through Western art, as well as looking at some unique approaches to environmental recovery too.
The exhibition will also crucially look at how we can tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis by making the world more wild.
Injecting Hope: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine / Credit: Science Museum Group
More than 100 objects and stories collected during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic are now on display as part of a new exhibition at the Science and Industry Museum.
The groundbreaking new exhibition, titled Injecting Hope: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine, explores the worldwide effort to develop vaccines at pandemic speed, while uncovering the inspiring stories of scientists and innovators around the globe who collaborated to tackle the worldwide COVID-19 challenge along the way.
Did you see that Warburtons and Morrisons have teamed up to give away 100,000 crumpets for FREE this summer?
In a bid to help “alleviate holiday hunger” and ease the additional financial strain often put on parents, carers, and guardians when children are not at school, the supermarket chain and Boltonn-based bakery are relaunching their popular ‘Ask for Ellen’ initiative.
The ‘Ask for Ellen’ initiative is running throughout the summer / Credit: Morrisons | Warburtons
This means that anyone and everyone who ‘asks for Ellen’ at one of the 395 Morrisons cafes across the UK will be given toasted crumpets with a choice of topping, completely for free with “no questions asked”.
The offer will be available all day every day from 5-25 August, while stock lasts.
Cheshire Oaks has brought its popular The Great Summer Social event back for another year, and there’s currently loads to get involved with while schools are out.
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Not only is there a bunch of retail offers and promotions to make the most of, as well as free family-friendly interactive activities to get involved with too, but there’s also a big wheel, a mini golf course, a big screen showing sporting events, DJs blasting out tunes, and a wide variety of street food and drink vendors across the Designer Outlet.
Smash-hit live theatre show Bluey’s Big Play has made its way over to the UK from Down Under for the first time ever, and it’s currently on stage here in Greater Manchester to entertain local families for the summer.
Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new stage adaptation of the BAFTA and Emmy award-winning Australian TV series on CBeebies and Disney+ that’s loved by millions of children worldwide.
The family-friendly show features brilliantly-created puppets, live actors, and iconic sets to give audiences of all ages the chance to see title character Bluey, her younger sister Bingo, and their parents Bandit and Chilli “as they’ve never seen them before”.
One of Greater Manchester’s best-loved outdoor dining concepts has returned for 2024, and there’s a proper tasty lineup of traders.
‘Kargo on the Docks’ – which is MediaCity‘s al fresco dining pop-up, in place of the former Box On The Docks – has had itself a bit of a “glow up” and has taken over the waterfront and gardens 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.
Did you see that legendary pizzeria Rudy’s has opened its seventh Greater Manchester site over in Altrincham at the end of last month?
NEW OPENING – Rudy’s Altrincham / Credit: The Manc Group
The wildly popular Manchester-born brand has taken over the former OneCentral food court in the heart of the town, and the new site’s been kitted out in classic Rudy’s style, filled with hanging plants, exposed brick, chalkboard menus, and colourful wooden tables.
And of course, the menu shows off classic Neapolitan pizzas.
Favourites include classics like Marinara, Margherita and Calabrese, plus more modern combos like triple pepperoni with burrata and hot honey, as well as rotating specials.
This means that, for the next couple of weeks, sports lovers in the city centre are able to tuck into an all-day food and drinks lineup, all while they watch the Games surrounded by other equally-enthusiastic fans.
Slice Fest / Credit: FSC | Sarah Elizabeth (via Unsplash)
Fancy a slice of pizza? How about a slab of lasagne, and some tiramisu to finish things off on a sweeter note?
There’s a Slice Fest happening in Manchester this weekend.
Taking over the newly-opened social space, Fairfield Social Club over in the Green Quarter, this Saturday and Sunday, Slice Fest is a weekend-long celebration of the best food served in slices, and there’ll be a feast served by local independent traders, Pizza Mutt and Bonnie & Clyde Italian Street Food, as well as special Italian inspired cocktails.
A free festival with a lineup packed full of activities, workshops, live music, and more is happening again at HOME this weekend.
The independent arts venue in the heart of Manchester city centre is inviting families to the second of its two weekend-long festivals this Saturday and Sunday to get stuck into everything from interactive theatre and circus skills workshops, to dance, hands-on crafts, and so much more.
Featured Image – HOME | Bluey | Science Museum Group
What's On
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 29 June – 5 July 2026
Emily Sergeant
Our final few days of June are here this week before we welcome July and the ‘proper’ British summertime.
Although, I’m not pretty sure we can say June has been a ‘proper’ summer month too considering the heatwave we’ve had last week.
Because it’s summer, there are, of course, loads of things happening across Greater Manchester this week, but if you’re finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do, no worries, as 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 are featured.
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Looking for somewhere to watch the World Cup in Greater Manchester?
We couldn’t really start this list off with anything else, could we?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is currently well underway, but if you didn’t grab tickets to catch a game in person over in North America or Mexico, and you don’t fancy sitting at home watching on your own, then thankfully, our region is filled with places where you can catch all the action surrounded by hundreds of other football fans.
FIFA World Cup 2026 / Credit: Road to Victory
You’re absolutely spoiled for choice this year, as there’s plenty of places in Manchester city centre and beyond screening all the games.
Will England bring football home though? Only time will tell.
Check out our round-up list of all the best places to watch the World Cup in Greater Manchester here👇
World Cup Playground / Credit: Sophia J Carey (Supplied)
A massive World Cup ‘playground’ has now opened in Greater Manchester.
MediaCity has announced its biggest programme of events to date to celebrate, from a baller league-style football pitch, to big name creator takeovers, and much more – but at the heart of all the action is the new World Cup ‘playground’, where football fans will be able to play five-a-side on a bespoke pitch, while watching matches on giant screens.
As the home of the BBC’s World Cup coverage, MediaCity says it’s ‘going big’ this summer, and that includes bringing some of the UK’s biggest Gen Z creators down for full takeovers and tournaments, and even getting the BBC pundits involved in the action too.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos / Credit: BBC | Science Museum Group (Drew Forsyth)
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos has made its world premiere at the Science and Industry Museum, and is inviting visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System.
Fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition encouraging visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition propels families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
Thrill seekers, this one’s for you – as Zip World Manchester has launched its new Forest Tubing experience, and it’s bringing the UK’s longest outdoor tubing slide is coming to Heaton Park.
The new family‑friendly outdoor adventure gives visitors the chance to soar along two slides, winding through woodland at one of the largest parks in the North West.
Suitable for children aged four and above, visitors can book an hour-long session – with unlimited rides during that time slot – and either ride solo, or share the experience with fellow adventurers.
National Trust x Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails
North West
Monday 29 June – onwards
National Trust x Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails / Credit: James Dobson | Annapurna Mellor
National Trust and Pokémon have teamed up for an exclusive trading card game and immersive trail.
The partnership is set to bring together the places the National Trust cares for and Pokémon’s spirit of play and discovery.
Exclusively designed for the National Trust, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Trails are going to be running throughout summer at 14 National Trust places nationwide, combining ‘imaginative play’ with ‘gentle physical activity’ inspired by Mega Evolution Pokémon.
Find out where to get involved and book tickets here.
Kuki is the newest cookie shop on this leafy suburban block.
Serving up everything from stuffed Biscoff and double chocolate, to even a brookie salted caramel sundae for the proper sweet treat fiends out there.
Get your cookie to-go, or enjoy it at their hatch with an ice cold pint of milk, which is perfect during the summer weather.
Put this spot at the top of your list for your next cookie fix.
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Fancy a wholesome summer activity?
It’s strawberry season, and Kenyon Hall Farm has officially opened up its strawberry fields (plus plenty of other pick-your-own produce) for the season for you to frolic amongst, with loads of summer treats in its cafe and award-winning farm shop too.
Strawberries have been growing at Kenyon Hall Farm for nearly 50 years now, and it’s proven as popular ever since.
At long last, Patel’s Pies has got its very own site, and we couldn’t be happier about it.
The business is already a familiar name (to the blue half of the city, of course) thanks to its matchday spot outside the Etihad Stadium, but now, Patel’s Pies will be serving its delicious savoury bakes to the people of the Heatons too – with its brand-new pie shop now opene at Heaton Chapel train station.
Manchester is bringing 14 weeks of free activities for children to parks across the city this summer.
Thanks to additional Council funding that was allocated earlier this year, Manchester’s biggest-ever Parktastic programme has now launched – expanding from the summer holidays alone to include after-school sessions before schools break up, activities throughout the holidays, and even sessions continuing into September.
Back by popular demand and aimed at children ages six-12, Parktastic offers sports, games, arts and crafts, dance, drama, nature activities, storytelling and messy play.
Sessions are free, no booking is required, healthy snacks are provided, and children can simply turn up and join in.
MediaCity’s waterfront site has been transformed into a vibrant open-air destination built for warm weather and big moments across the season, as GRUB On The Docks returns later this week.
Running across the summer months, you can expect some of Greater Manchester’s best street food traders to be serving up global flavours and summer-ready drinks, alongside live music, DJs, and just an all round laid-back atmosphere turning daytime hangouts into evening sessions.
Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is currently hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this summer.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the 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.
Travelling pop-up festival The Wagon Train is coming to Middlewood Locks this weekend, as part of the free Middlewood Locks festival.
Visitors can expect a jam-packed programme of family activities, including music, kayaking, children’s workshops, makers’ markets, a brass band performance, DJ sets, street food vendors, face painting and arts and crafts, before a sunset light and fire finale at 9pm.
The event is open to all, brought on by the Scarborough Group, Get Living, and Walk the Plank, and is supported by Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Society and The Canal & River Trust.
There’s free entry, and no booking is necessary.
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Did you know you can visit Chester Zoo for just £10 this summer?
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now this summer, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price, as £10 tickets are now available to book for a limited time only.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
You can visit Chester Zoo for just £10 this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, so it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you can.
Find out more and book your tickets in advance here.
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Stuck for somewhere to have a bite to eat?
Just like we do every month, we’ve rounded up some of the best things we got to eat in May, so if you’re on the hunt for somewhere new to eat in June, then we’ve absolutely got you covered as there’s plenty of places across the city region.
It’s been another jam-packed month of insanely delicious eats, and we’ve been lucky to have a bunch of new openings too.
Featured Image – Artem Kniaz (via Unsplash) | The Manc Group | Supplied
What's On
‘Breathtaking’ new 360° immersive dinosaurs exhibition to open in Manchester later this year
Emily Sergeant
A ‘breathtaking’ new immersive dinosaurs exhibition is set to open in Manchester later this year.
Fresh off the back of announcing its programme of events for the upcoming autumn-winter season last week, Factory International has now revealed that another new Lightroom experience will be arriving later this year, and it’s one any budding paleontologist will want to keep an eye on.
Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs blends iconic moments from Apple TV’s Emmy nominated Prehistoric Planet with never-before seen content.
It’s set to take audiences back in time to experience dinosaurs closer than ever before.
Narrated by critically acclaimed actor, Damian Lewis, the new 360° immersive experience is a celebration of our natural world told through captivating storytelling, breathtaking visuals, and groundbreaking technology, with visitors will be transported back in time, 66 million years ago, to experience dinosaurs up close.
Damian Lewis guides audiences through the fascinating role dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures have played in shaping our world – from Ammonites and Mosasaurs, to the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Lightroom’s state-of-the-art 360 projections will allow viewers to see these majestic animals at an awe-inspiring scale and travel alongside them through volcanoes, soaring skies and the deep sea.
As escapist as it is educational, audiences will not only experience some of the most beloved scenes from seasons one and two of Apple TV’s Prehistoric Planet, but they will also be immersed in exclusive extended CGI sequences and bespoke illustrations that bring the show to life in entirely new ways.
And to make it even better, the experience is set to an original score by multi-Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, alongside Anže Rozman, and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.
Emily Sergeant -
1st August 2024 
