Live music, a fun fair, extreme sports, and a huge beach are just some of the attractions kicking off summer in Manchester next month.
After a number of community action projects and events have been taking place across the region over the last few months now, Festival Manchester is set finally come together for one last huge celebration in Wythenshawe Park next month – and it’s free for everyone to attend.
Taking place on Friday 1 – Sunday 3 July, and organised by hundreds of churches, and businesses, as well as local charities The Message Trust and Luis Palau Association, Festival Manchester will also include a family fun zone, a high-tech gaming lobby, a mass children’s choir, and live music from a lineup of local acts.
Some of the artists on the musical lineup include Goodboys, Lecrae, Kingdom Choir, Matt Redman, LZ7, Saintz, Guvna B, OTC, Amongst Wolves, and SoulBox.
Festival Manchester is aiming to create “region-wide transformation across the North West”, according to festival organisers.
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It’ll be done so by bringing local churches, charities, and communities together to help address real societal problems amid the cost of living crisis – such as food poverty, homelessness, the environment, and the need for more safe and loving homes for children and teenagers in care.
Festival Manchester will take over Wythenshawe Park on Friday 1 – Sunday 3 July 2022 / Credit: Festival Manchester
The run-up to the event has also seen multiple ‘Love Where U Live’ community action projects launched to support communities across Manchester with a range of local issues.
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Speaking ahead of the arrival of Festival Manchester next month, Paul Dennett – Mayor of the City of Salford and Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester – said: “After a really difficult few years following the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is great to see community, voluntary and faith-based organisations coming together to celebrate the amazing work our residents and communities do all-year-round through a free family friendly music festival.
“Festival Manchester will be a real spectacle in celebrating our city-region’s rich and diverse talent and creativity, bringing people and communities together, whilst also providing many activities for residents of Greater Manchester and beyond to get involved in.”
Andy Hawthorne OBE – founder and CEO of The Message Trust – added: “We’re filling Wythenshawe Park with live music, a fun fair, extreme sports, huge beach, hi-tech gaming lobby, inflatables, kids zone and so much more that everyone across Greater Manchester and the North West can come and enjoy for free.
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“It’s all being put on by hundreds of churches from across our region who want to bring the community together and share a message of hope with people as they have fun.
“In the build-up to the festival weekend, you may see teams out clearing litter from streets, tidying up gardens or planting some of the 5,000 fruit trees we’re adding to the local environment.
“We can’t wait to welcome you to Festival Manchester.”
Live music, a fun fair, extreme sports, and a huge beach are just some of the attractions to make the most of / Credit: Festival Manchester
Festival Manchester will take over Wythenshawe Park on Friday 1 – Sunday 3 July 2022, and you can find more information here.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
An Interstellar Live in Concert show is coming to Manchester, with a live orchestra
Daisy Jackson
Arguably the most epic film of all time – with the most epic of soundtracks – is coming to Manchester as a live concert experience.
Interstellar Live will see the Manchester Camerata performing Hans Zimmer’s iconic score on stage, while Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film plays out behind them.
Demand has been so high for the show in London that there’ll be TWO performances at the Co-op Live in Manchester.
The sci-fi epic Interstellar will be presented on the big screen at the arena, accompanied by a live orchestral performance of the score.
Interstellar Live will have both a matinee and an evening performance on 9 May 2027.
The concert will bring together Manchester Camerata, acclaimed conductor Martin Gellner, as well as Roger Sayer, the organist personally selected by Zimmer to perform the original Interstellar soundtrack.
It’s set to be an arena-scale celebration of one of the most acclaimed films and film scores of the 21st century.
Interstellar Live. Credit: Supplied, Suzy Red
The plot follows Academy Award-winner Matthew McConaughey as ex-pilot-turned-farmer Cooper, as he leaves his family and planet Earth to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.
The film also stars Anne Hathaway, Sir Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck.
Interstellar was named one of the top ten movies of 2014 and received five Academy Award nominations including Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Score.
Interstellar Live will be at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Sunday 9 May 2027, with a matinee performance from 12.30pm and an evening performance from 6pm.
Tickets go on general sale this Friday 23 October HERE.
Manchester parks are hosting loads of FREE Halloween-themed activities this month
Emily Sergeant
Parks across Manchester are set to host loads of Halloween-themed activities this month.
With October half term right around the corner and Halloween not far off either, it won’t be long before parents and carers are looking for ways to keep little Mancs occupied… luckily, Manchester City Council has unveiled a programme of free ‘spooktacular’ activities that’ll be happening at parks across the borough this month.
Manchester’s parks will ‘come alive’ this October half-term with a packed programme community-focussed free activities for children – including a range of lantern making workshops delivered by the parks’ teams.
There will also be pumpkin carving throughout the week, with everything provided to create a suitably scary masterpiece to take home, as well ‘Hidden Horror’ trails across 13 parks with lots of spooky characters to be discovered.
Other highlights included guided walks, cycling along the Yellow Brick Road in Debdale Park, helping to create a giant haunted house using recycled materials at Alexandra Park, and a Halloween Party at Grounded Cafe in Cringle Park.
Manchester parks are hosting loads of free Halloween-themed activities this October half term/ Credit: Max Burchill | Pierre Bouyer (via Unsplash)
And fireworks won’t be the only attraction on Bonfire Night either.
Activities on the day begin from 3pm with the chance for little ones to enjoy magical storytelling experiences from Z Arts, with hands-on crafting inspired by the story.
Dazzling fire performers will light up the event with a mesmerising display of flames, fiery choreography, and captivating skills, and the Lantern Parade prior to the main fireworks display is not to be missed.
Emily Sergeant -
7th June 2022 
