Watching live wildlife shows, building dens, and creating your very-own bug houses are just some of the things you can get stuck into at Chester Zoo next weekend.
That’s because the UK’s biggest charity zoo’s free family festival is returning for another year.
Just as scientists have recently-revealed that more than half of all UK species are now in decline, including hedgehogs, butterflies, and wildflowers, Chester Zoo has announced that its Wildlife Connections Festival is back by popular demand next weekend – with the two-day event boasting a jam-packed lineup of interactive events for all ages.
Taking place across the zoo’s six-hectare nature reserve, and headlined by one of the UK’s best-known children’s TV presenters, Naomi Wilkinson, conservations hope the weekend-long event will connect festivalgoers with nature, all while raising awareness of precious UK wildlife.
There’s a free family festival happening at Chester Zoo next weekend / Credit: Chester Zoo
One of the highlight’s of the festival programme that’s bound to draw in crowds absolutely has to be Naomi Wilkinson’s interactive stage show that’s been created especially for the festival – which will be focused on how everyone can play their part in helping beautiful British wildlife to “survive and thrive”.
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As well as her presenting role, festivalgoers will also get the chance to meet and greet Naomi on both of the two days.
With no pre-booking for the festival required, and attendance free for all across the whole weekend, festivalgoers will also be able to get up-close-and-personal with a wide range of wildlife through an array of hands-on activities.
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These include bug hunting and bird spotting, as well as live music, workshops, and even a parade.
It’ll be headlined by one of the UK’s best-known children’s TV presenters, Naomi Wilkinson / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Our fabulous Wildlife Connections Festival will be bigger and better than ever before this year,” Chester Zoo’s Community Engagement Manager, Hannah Brooks, said ahead of the event’s return.
“We’re over the moon to have one of the UK’s best known children’s TV presenters, Naomi Wilkinson, headlining across both days, as she very much shares our passion for protecting all of the wonderful species found right here in the UK.
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“It promises to be a fun-filled weekend, packed with a whole host of activities”.
You can watch live wildlife shows, build dens, and create your very-own bug houses / Credit: Chester Zoo
Hannah also spoke a little more about the true meaning of the festival, and why it’s so important to the zoo, adding: “We’re in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis with species everywhere becoming ever more at risk of extinction, including here on our doorstep – but it’s not too late though to do something about it.
“There’s still hope and we can all make a difference, and we’ll therefore be giving our festivalgoers lots of ideas and inspiration on what they can do to help turn things around for nature.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone to what’s sure to be a fantastic, wildlife-inspired weekend.”
Busted and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man added to huge music series line-up in Delamere Forest
Thomas Melia
Pop-punk band Busted and pop/soul singer Rag ‘N’ Bone Man are the latest acts announced to headline a music-filled forest a short drive from Greater Manchester.
The new names have been added to the huge Forest Live 2025 gig series, which takes place at Delamere Forest as well as four other unique outdoor locations across the country.
In a setting that’s mostly greenery and acres of trees, one voice is guaranteed to travel through the dense landscape of the forest, and that’s Rag ‘N’ Bone Man.
Joining the bill with the impressive soloist is boyband and still-to-this-day heartthrobs Busted who are visiting AO Arena this year as well, for those who aren’t such big fans of the festival scene.
Busted have had worldwide and national acclaim soundtracking the early noughties by transporting people a thousand years into the future with ‘Year 3000’ and educating us on ‘What I Go To School For’.
Rag ‘N’ Bone Man has his fair share of chart topping too with notable songs like the hard-hitting drum-heavy ‘Human’ to the Calvin Harris link-up ‘Giant’ which is a flurry of flamboyant horns and EDM beats.
You could be like these lucky gig-goers, front row in Delamere Forest.Raise a glass to your favourite band at Forest Live 2025.Bringing music and green spaces together, Delamere Forest, Cheshire.Credit: Supplied
Stockport five-piece Blossoms will also be headlining and they might be bringing their latest member Gary, the infamous eight foot gorilla, on stage with them too.
There’s another Gary on the bill too, with Gary Barlow set to play in June.
Dundee legends Snow Patrol are another of the acts who are set to play at Forest Live this summer.
Situated in Cheshire, Delamere Forest has been hosting events and shows as part of ‘Forest Live’ in partnership with lots of other unique green spaces like Sherwood Forest and Cannock Chase Forest too.
This initiative is set to drive more people into these natural environments that they maybe wouldn’t visit if it wasn’t for the music and make them realise how brilliant these grounds truly are.
Rag ‘N’ Bone Man is headlining on Sunday 15 June while Busted are set to headline on Thursday 19 June, both events are taking place at Delamere Forest as part of Forest Live 2025, with tickets HERE.
Forest Live 2025 at Delamere Forest line-up
13 June – Snow Patrol
14 June – Gary Barlow
15 June – Rag n Bone Man
19 June – Busted (with Twin Atlantic and SOAP)
21 June – Blossoms (with Seb Lowe and The Guest List)
Indoor golf bar with state-of-the-art simulators to open in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A stylish new bar is heading to Manchester where you can play simulator golf and shuffleboard with late-night DJs soundtracking your swing.
Pitch will be branching up north from London in March, promising 10 state-of-the-art simulator bays, a TRENDYGOLF concept store and plenty more.
The brand is set to open at Goods Yard, alongside Caravan (another London export) and Fenix.
Pitch says its arrival to Manchester will ‘change the way the sport is played in the city centre’, making golf more diverse and accessible to all.
Visitors to the stylish space, which will be open seven days a week, will be able to recreate the experience of real golf through their high-tech simulator technology.
You’ll be able to virtually visit the world’s most famous courses, including the Old Course at St Andrews Links and Pebble Beach in California.
Inside Pitch, there’ll also be a sleek bar and kitchen with a wide range of cocktails and dishes, including an Asian-inspired ’18 Greens’ menu.
The new venue will also extend the brand’s academy for beginner women golfers, in partnership with Adidas, which has welcomed more than 1,000 golfers in London.
The on-site TRENDYGOLF Concept Store will be open six days a week stocking brands like Lindeberg, Hugo Boss, Manors, Malbon Golf, Ralph Lauren and G/FORE.
Pitch is opening its first bar in Manchester, with golf simulators and more
Pitch co-founder and CEO Elliot Godfrey said: “We’re very excited to open our first venue in Manchester at the start of 2025, giving Pitch a presence in one of the UK’s busiest cities and one with a special relationship with sport.
“When we began the process of expanding beyond London, Manchester was one of the first places we set our sights on, and it’s fitting to open our innovative concept somewhere that has always striven to be at the forefront of development and progress.
“Pitch venues are the perfect places for social gatherings, and it is a way of playing and engaging with the game that is open to everyone.”
Co-founder Chris Ingham added: “Enterprise City is the perfect setting for a Pitch venue and our new branch will become part of one of the UK’s best social and cultural hotspots when it opens.
“With a TRENDYGOLF Concept Store and no shortage of food and drink options, we envision this being a place where Mancunians can spend hours socialising, golfing and dining in style.”
Pitch Manchester will open its golf bar at Goods Yard in March 2025.
Emily Sergeant -
6th September 2023 
