Manchester landmark Victoria Baths is set to open as a swimming pool again this year.
The beautiful building hasn’t hosted a swimming session in three years but is planning a bumper event to make up for lost time.
The Big Splash will take place in September, complete with supper clubs, fancy dress and giant inflatables.
The Gala Pool at Victoria Baths dates back to 1906 but closed as a swimming baths in 1993.
Victoria Baths will reopen for a swimming event this September. Credit: Steve Allen
To refill and heat the pool now takes 96 hours, or four days, requiring the equivalent of 1500 baths-worth of water.
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Surrounding the Grade II-listed pool itself are 45 individual changing cubicles.
The Big Splash is the heritage venue’s biggest fundraising event of the year and all money raised from the swim tickets goes to protecting the building’s future.
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Inside Victoria Baths
Former swimming pool Victoria Baths
Credit: Steve Allen
For three days only, visitors will have a chance to see the space as it once was, thanks to United Utilities and a team of volunteers.
On the Friday night, there’ll be the chance to have a swim, then join in with a three-course supper club in one of the other former pools, hosted by The Sri Lankan Experience.
Tickets for the swim and supper club event cost £45.
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On the Saturday and Sunday, there will be lane swimming between 8am and 9am (£16 a session), with hot drinks and pastries served in the Tea Room.
Then the pool floats, including the Victoria Baths pink flamingos, will be back out from 9.30am until 4.15pm.
Elsewhere in the building there’ll be guided tours, exhibitions, access to the viewing gallery, choir performances, a kids’ art trail, a ‘Make, Do and Disco’ event, and talks.
Hip Hop Chip Shop will rock up with their food truck too.
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The Big Splash will take place on 9, 10 and 11 September. Tickets go on sale at 11am on Tuesday 5 July. Visit www.victoriabaths.org.uk for more information.
Featured image: Steve Allen
What's On
An ‘extraordinary’ new Live Aid musical is coming to Manchester on its UK tour
Emily Sergeant
An ‘extraordinary’ new musical based on Live Aid is coming to Manchester as part of an upcoming UK and Ireland tour.
Producers Jamie Wilson Productions say they’re ‘thrilled’ to announce that Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical will head out on a big UK and Ireland tour starting out in March 2027, and visiting loads of major cities along the way – including Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Nottingham, and plenty more.
The production take us back to 13 July 1985 – the day music united the world.
Live Aid was an unprecedented global music event that brought 1.5 billion people together, and they all have a story to tell about ‘the day rock ‘n’ roll changed the world’.
Now, more than 40 years on from that famous day, audiences in Manchester will get to discover the behind-the-scenes story of Live Aid in a whole new way, as Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical is the story behind the greatest gig in music history.
What makes Just For One Day special? Nostalgia, relevance to today and a message for the new generation 🤘 pic.twitter.com/wRBV4Ar1Hv
— Just For One Day | The Live Aid Musical (@liveaidmusical) June 9, 2025
With hit songs by Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, and more all featuring, these iconic artists made history at simultaneous charitable concerts in London and Philadelphia.
The musical is written by John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard, with musical supervision, arrangements and orchestration by Matthew Brind, choreography by Ebony Molina, and casting by Stuart Burt.
“Just For One Day brilliantly reimagines why Live Aid worked then and why the humanity of that day still matters now,” commented Bob Geldoff.
“I’m delighted that more of the UK and Ireland will finally get to see this extraordinary and compelling musical. The reaction the show gets continually surprises and amazes me, standing ovations and people come back time and again, introducing the Live Aid story to new generations.”
Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical will arrive at Manchester Opera House in May 2027.
Tickets went on general sale this morning (Wednesday 17 December) at 10am, and you can get your hands on them via ATG Tickets here.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
You can step inside a fashion show with Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ has arrived Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
Vogue: Inventing the Runway incorporates interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
Visitors will be surrounded by incredible visuals on all sides (including underfoot), fully stepping inside the world of high fashion.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
A glimpse inside Vogue: Inventing the Runway. Credit: The Manc Group
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
4th July 2022 
