Things To Do

Trafford Centre’s ‘unmissable’ summer fair is returning with a beach, fairground rides, and more

AND tickets are only £3 each.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 10th July 2025

A beach, splash park, fairground rides, and loads more family fun is returning to the Trafford Centre this summer.

After proving to be massively-popular over the past couple of years, with thousands of families travelling from across Greater Manchester and beyond to bask in the sunshine and make the most of all the fun and games, the Trafford Centre is getting ready to welcome back ‘the much-anticipated event of the summer’ in a couple of weeks time.

And this year, the beloved family event has got itself a new family activity zone, and it sounds set to be bigger and better than ever.

The best bit? Tickets will only set you back just £3 each.

A huge fairground, splash park, and beach are returning to Trafford Centre for the summer / Credit: Trafford Centre

Set to open from Saturday 19 July, and run right the way through until the end of August, the family-friendly event will see a massive beach ready for sunbathing and sandcastles pop up outside the shopping centre, alongside a splash park with lots of water jets perfect for cooling you off.

ADVERTISEMENT

From building sandcastles at the giant beach, to cooling off at the children’s splash park, there’s something for everyone.

Adrenaline junkies both young and old will also get to enjoy retro fairground rides, including ‘Star Flyer’, ‘Sea Storm’, while the event’s in town, as well a giant inflatable area, and loads more.

ADVERTISEMENT

New for 2025 is the Summer Activity Zone – an undercover tent area complete with free, hands-on crafting activities designed especially for kids.

Each week brings a new theme packed with imagination, colour, and fun, no matter whether it’s rain or shine, so if your little Mancs love painting, baking, building, or experimenting, then you’ll want to take them here to inspire their young minds.

There’s also a wide range of tasty treats available too, including burgers and hotdogs, and for those with a sweet tooth, Cheshire ice cream, Belgian waffles, chocolate covered fruit and marshmallows, and churros.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trafford Centre’s Summer Fair is popping up outside The Orient, opposite The Great Hall entrance, from Saturday 19 July right through until 31 August, and will be open every day from 12-8pm.

Read more:

Tickets are now on sale – with pre-booking ‘recommended to avoid disappointment’ – and will set you back just £3 per person if booked in advance (includes booking fee) and £3.50 on the gate, while ride tokens must be purchased separately for £1.

Featured Image – Trafford Centre

Things To Do

The Karate Kid – The Musical, inspired by the iconic 80s film, is coming to Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The Karate Kid - The Musical, inspired by the iconic 80s film, is coming to Manchester

Iconic 80s film The Karate Kid has now been reimagined as a stage musical – and it’s coming to Manchester next spring.

The Karate Kid – The Musical will be heading out on its UK premiere tour in 2026, including a run of dates at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

The musical follows the same themes as the original, legendary 1984 film, a coming-of-age story that follows the relationship and teachings between Daniel LaRusso and Mr Miyagi.

It’s not just about karate, it’s about resilience, mentorship, and the quiet strength that bridges generations, and on the stage you can expect movement, music, and energetic storytelling too.

The original blockbuster starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita and has gone down in history as one of cinema’s greatest films, earning Morita an Academy Award nomination.

It’s become a major global franchise, including three movie sequels, a remake with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, and a Netflix series (Cobra Kai).

The Karate Kid – The Musical made its world premiere in 2022, selling out theatres and earning rave reviews.

Those iconic cinematic moments are brought to life on the stage by a Tony Award-winning design team.

The Karate Kid – The Musical is heading on a major UK tour before it hits the West End and Broadway.

It’s written by Robert Mark Kamen, screenwriter of the original 1984 movie, with music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini.

Kamen says: “William Goldman said about Hollywood “No one knows anything.” He was right.

“Who knew that 43 years after I wrote the original script for THE KARATE KID, we would see these very same characters acting and singing on the British stage in a story that is as fresh and universally relevant as it was four decades ago.”

The Karate Kid – The Musical is at the Palace Theatre from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 23 May 2026, with tickets on sale now HERE.

Read more

Featured image: Supplied, ATG Tickets

Things To Do

Hardcastle Crags – the prettiest autumn walk in the North West with a great restaurant at the end

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group

This is the time of year where it’s particularly difficult to drag yourself off the sofa and into the great outdoors.

The weather isn’t quite crisp enough to feel festive and most of us (even the pumpkin spice latte, cardigan-clad crew) are missing the more reliable warmth of the summer months.

But autumn is here, like it or not, and it definitely has its perks.

One of which is the undeniable beauty the season brings.

It’s not just the blazing red, orange, yellow and brown leaves that suddenly take over the green spaces around the UK.

It’s also in the sunsets and sunrises that become so much easier to catch while the days are shorter (you have to admit, the commutes are prettier when they coincide with sunrise).

The riverside walk at Hardcastle Crags. Credit: Unsplash

And there aren’t many places better to soak in all the autumn beauty than Hardcastle Crags, just across the border in West Yorkshire.

The National Trust site sits between Leeds and Manchester and is a popular day trip destination for Mancs, given the trains that run regularly to Hebden Bridge.

A walking route around Hardcastle Crags at this time of year will take you through a landscape of blazing orange trees, babbling streams, and dappled sunlight.

When you catch a golden autumnal day the leaves will crunch underfoot, but even on a soggy day the leaf mulch has its own special kind of beauty here.

There are two walking routes between the main car park and Gibson Mill, a former 19th century cotton mill which is now home to a lovely cafe.

One will take you down to the river, where wooden boardwalks weave right along the water’s edge.

There are even stepping stones you can use to scamper across the river – a great Instagram pic, or just a way to keep the kids entertained for a few minutes.

A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group
A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group

The other route goes up through the upper woodland, where pine trees loom and you get a great view of the valley below.

For an easy loop, you can do both – a stroll through the trees, a stop for coffee and cake, then return along the river (or vice versa).

But with 15 miles of footpaths, you can explore way beyond that.

The National Trust’s list of walks includes everything from a wheelchair and pram-accessible estate track to peaceful woodland loops, to rocky scrambles and former railway lines.

And when you’re done with Hardcastle Crags itself, there’s a world-class restaurant in the gorgeous town centre itself.

Coin sits in the shell of the former Lloyd’s bank, with exposed brick and massive period windows, and specialises in natural wine and small plates.

When The Manc Eats visited, we found plates of freshly-cut meat and cheese served alongside ice-cold batched classic cocktails, where ‘quality is key, and it shines through on the plate’.

ADVERTISEMENT

Our reviewer said: “With its higgledy-piggledy stone mill houses, surrounding woodland, hidden waterfalls and treasure-trove charity shops, Hebden Bridge is a popular attraction all of its own for those wanting to venture beyond the city. Coin is simply the cherry on top.”

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

More Things To Do

Affiliate

HAIM at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist, and more for UK tour

free birthday food and drink offers manchester city centre

City Centre

The best foodie freebies you can get in Manchester on your birthday

Art & Culture

The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 20 – 26 October 2025

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches