Culture Guides
Destination Guides
No need to feel there’s no sparkle this January. We have found it for you and captured it in our trusty guide to the best family things to do indoors and outdoors this month and beyond.
New adventures to be had at museums and galleries include the chance to create patterns from light and incredible contraptions at new exhibition Patternarium at Eureka! in Halifax. While you are there, don’t miss the chance to leap around the recently restored Piece Hall.
In Manchester don’t miss the return of the Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth, the chance to unlock the secrets of your DNA at the Science and Industry Museum, and to step into the watery worlds and enchanted forests of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s imaginations in the new A World Inside a Book exhibition at Z-arts.
We also preview the best family Chinese New Year shenanigans and quality theatrical fixes at the RNCM and Waterside.
For those desperate to fill those shiny new 2019 diaries book now for outdoor spectacle Zara at The Piece Hall, and our favourite family festival Just So which has released details of new areas to adventure through this year.
Check out our free family things to do in Manchester guide for more ideas in this penny-saving start to the year.
Enjoy!
Here are our picks
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1. Patternarium at Eureka!
Eureka! -
2. Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth
Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth, Manchester, 19 January–9 February 2019, free entry - Visit now
Pull your wellies on for mud sculpting, puddle painting, outdoor construction and more at outdoor art sessions led by artists and forest school practitioners in Whitworth Park.
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3. Alexandra Dariescu: The Nutcracker and I at RNCM
RNCM Alexandra Dariescu: The Nutcracker and I at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 24 January 2019, from £5 - Book now
Alexandra Dariescu’s ‘The Nutcracker and I’ is a bold multimedia version of the classical Christmas ballet, featuring the wonderful music of Tchaikovsky.
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4. The Dragon Parade, Chinatown Celebrations and Fireworks
CityCo / Carl Sukonik The Dragon Parade, Chinatown Celebrations and Fireworks at Albert Square, City Centre, 10 February 2019, free entry - Find Out More
Follow the dazzling 175-foot Dragon from Albert Square to Chinatown for music, acrobatics, dancing and a glittering firework finale
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5. Piglet at St Ann’s Square
Courtesy Alex Rinsler Penny Coin Piglet at St Ann’s Square, City Centre, 7–10 February 2019, free entry - Find Out More
A giant straw Piglet marking the Year of the Pig by international artist Alex Rinsler will be boasting a coat made from dosh.
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6. A World Inside a Book: Gruffalo, Dragons and Other Creatures at Z-arts
Ludovic Des Cogents A World Inside a Book: Gruffalo, Dragons and Other Creatures at Z-arts, Manchester, 12 February–26 October 2019, from £6 - Book now
The UK’s first immersive exhibition of the much-loved tales of Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Expect enchanting forests, miniature towns and watery worlds.
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7. Stella at Waterside
Stella at Waterside Arts, Manchester, 17 March 2019, from £7 - Book now
Meet Stella, a Star Engineer, who reveals the importance of turning out the lights and wishing upon a star.
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8. Zara at The Piece Hall
Walk The Plank Zara at The Piece Hall, 19–20 April 2019, from £8 - Book now
A mother against the world and a giant outdoor theatre event for the whole family from Walk The Plank and Mind The Gap.
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9. Just So Festival 2019
Pillow Fight at Just So Fesival courtesy of Chris Payne Just So Festival at Rode Hall, Cheshire, 16–18 August 2019, from £20 - Book now
The best family festival in the UK returns for its 10th birthday edition. Midnight feasts, pillow fights and the best new outdoor arts for families.
More in Families
Wonderlab at the Science and Media Museum
Explore a maze of mirrors and take part in Star Wars inspired sound battles in over 20 new state-of-the-art experiences in this new exhibition.
Rocket Returns to the Science and Industry Museum
Make tracks for Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum. A one-in-a-lifetime chance to see Stephenson’s Rocket return to the site of the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway for the first time in over 180 years.
Electricity: The Spark of Life at the Science and Industry Museum
One of the headline events from last year’s Manchester Science Festival, this super-charged exhibition tells the story of our quest to understand, unlock and master the power of electricity.
Quentin Blake and John Yeoman: 50 Years of Children’s Books at Lady Lever Art Gallery
Bookworms rejoice! The first exhibition to celebrate illustrator Quentin Blake’s decades-long partnership with author and childhood friend John Yeoman promises literary larks and crazy characters for all.
Documentary Challenge at IWM North
Make and feature in your own mini-documentary at IWM North.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto: The Snow Queen at Liverpool Everyman
The Everyman’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto is as much of a festive tradition as matching Christmas jumpers and a trip to Father Christmas’ grotto.
In the Palm of my Hand at Bluecoat
This new performance work is the culmination of a project with Kinship Carers. A compassionate tale of hope, courage, love and determination.
Glittering Golden Dragon at Exchange Square
Head to Exchange Square to catch a glimpse of the giant, glittering Golden Dragon that has taken up residence there this Chinese New Year in Manchester
Making a Dimension: Digital Drawing Workshop at CFCCA
Join CFCCA for a digital image making workshop taking inspiration from the anti-aesthetic, memes and old school internet imagery in it’s current exhibition ‘Chinternet Ugly.’ Led by artist Emily Tilzey, this practical workshop will cover digital surface drawing, painting, image layering and over exposure.
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