Bank holiday

May Bank Holiday 2017: Things to Do

Creative Tourist

With Salford’s premier music festival Sounds From the Other City, a nocturnal-themed adventure trail for families and the largest photography festival in the North all colliding beautifully around the first May Bank Holiday (29 April – 1 May), we thought we’d put together a guide to the very best things to do over the long weekend.

For more ideas, read our culture guides to exhibitions, music, cinema, theatre, literature and family events – and don’t miss our picks for the best beer gardens, spots for outdoor eating, our favourite roof terraces, hidden bars and afternoon tea haunts in Manchester.

Here are our picks

  • 1. [Re]construct at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

    Alex Chinneck A hole in a bag of nerves. Courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Photo Charles Emerson.

    [Re]construct: A National Partners Programme Exhibition from the Arts Council Collection at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 1 April–25 June 2017, free entry - Visit now

    As art destinations go, Yorkshire Sculpture Park is hard to beat: this internationally important centre for modern and contemporary sculpture occupies 500 acres of the 18th century-designed Bretton Estate in Yorkshire, and boasts an impressive cafe. Great for families, the stunning exhibitions currently on display here include [Re]construct, an exploration of art and architecture, Kaleidoscope, which examines the art of the 1960s and a showcase of portraits of sculptors by photographer Anne Purkiss.

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  • 2. The Sleep Walk at Little Moreton Hall

    Wild Rumpus

    The Sleep Walk at Little Moreton Hall, 28 April–27 September 2017, from £5.00 - Visit now

    Another good pick for families, The Sleep Walk by Wild Rumpus at Little Moreton Hall is an adventure trail around the hall and gardens, exploring a night’s kip Tudor style, including segmented sleep (they enjoyed two sleeps in a night) sleeping potions and “nightmare creatures”.

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