We all know that famous Ian Brown quote by now – “Manchester’s got everything except a beach”.
Well, Manchester might not have one, but Bolton does.
It may not be what you’d expect from an industrial, former mill town – but a ‘seaside experience’ complete with a giant sandpit and all the retro games you’d expect from a trip to the beach are arriving in Bolton town centre this August Bank Holiday weekend as part of the Bolton Food & Drink Festival.
With the festival having already kicked off today, and set to run for the next four days, Bolton Council and the town’s Library and Museum Services have taken to social media to share photos and spread the word of the new attraction.
The post has already amassed hundreds of interactions, shares, and eager comments.
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As well as a giant sandpit, which takes centre stage at the experience and surrounded by candy-striped deck chairs, there’s also a paddling pool with a hook-a-duck game.
There’s even a Victorian ‘strongman show’, face painting, a space hopper track, and so much more to make the most of.
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The Seaside Experience is free for all festival-goers to attend.
The retro seaside experience is popping up in the town as the hugely-popular Bolton Food & Drink Festival is finally returning this weekend after a year of postponement due to COVID-19 – which saw the annual festival go online for 2020.
The Seaside Experience is free for all festival-goers to attend over the Bank Holiday weekend / Credit: Bolton Museum and Library Services
World-renowned chefs will share their secrets during free cookery demonstrations, and a collection of outdoor bars, live music and street entertainment are creating the usual festival atmosphere that draws visitors from far and wide.
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Over the course of the four-day festival – which is designed to be COVID-secure with a thorough risk assessment in place – families will be able to enjoy a wide range of activities.
Visitors can also relax in the new picnic zone in the nearby Queens Park.
Keen to learn a little bit more about the food vendors, cooking demonstrations, and other activities happening this weekend?
You can find everything you need to know about Bolton Food & Drink Festival 2021 here.
Featured Image – Bolton Library and Museum Services
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‘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.
Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs opens at Aviva Studios, and tickets go on public sale tomorrow (Friday 26 June).
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
Prestigious Edinburgh TV Festival to move to Manchester for first time in 50 years
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester will become the new host city for the TV Festival from 2027 onwards it was announced today.
For the first time in five decades, following an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process – which was launched in 2025 – the prestigious festival is set to move from its home in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh to our region from 2027 onwards, beating out other major northern cities like Newcastle in the process.
As part of a UK-wide strategic review into the event’s long-term future, the Festival’s board of directors say the review was undertaken in order to ‘examine how the TV Festival could continue to grow’ amid increasing challenges around accessibility, affordability, and sustainability across the television industry.
Greater Manchester‘s ‘successful and comprehensive’ bid included commitments around affordability, infrastructure, industry partnership, and long-term growth potential.
Plans include holding the Festival in locations in the newly developed St. John’s creative and cultural district.
“Greater Manchester presented a vision for the Festival that combined genuine creative ambition and future-facing energy with practical accessibility and affordability for delegates,” commented Campbell Glennie, who is the CEO of the TV Festival and The TV Foundation.
“This means we can radically reduce the costs associated with attending the Festival as well as the cost of passes.
“The city reflects the expanding ambition of the UK television industry, while still offering the scale, connectivity and unique cultural identity needed for an event of this significance – it gives us the strongest platform to grow the Festival’s reach and impact in the years ahead.”
Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, said being chosen as TV Festival hosts is ‘brilliant news’ for Greater Manchester, adding: “It speaks to the growth, success and strength of our screen sector in the city region and the strong partnerships and talent we have here.”
The final Edinburgh edition of the TV Festival will take place this August, and dates and further details for the TV Festival in 2027 will be shared later this year.
Emily Sergeant -
27th August 2021 
