Family things to do in Manchester and the North

Shekina Rose, Families Editor Last Updated 13 September 2024

It’s back to school time, and as the days get shorter and the world starts to feel a little more autumnal, Manchester and the North remains packed with fun activities for families, both indoors and outdoors.

Our top picks this month include Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth, A Tiger’s Tale at Waterside Arts, War Horse at The Lowry and spooktacular Halloween events such as Room on the Broom at Z-arts, the Halloween Lakeside Trail and Mini Monster Mash at Victoria Baths.

Check out our f ree family events guide for more low-cost activities, and keep your eyes peeled for our October Half Term guide, which is on the way soon!

War Horse at The Lowry

War Horse at The Lowry, Manchester, 18–28 September 2024, from £25.00 - Book now

Get ready for an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of World War I France in this acclaimed production based on Michael Morpurgo’s best selling novel.

Find out more

Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth

Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth, Manchester, 19 October–21 December 2024, free entry - Find Out More

Get your wellies on and enjoy fun and creative outdoor activities.

Find out more

Toddler standing on grass with a paintbrush in hand turning to the right to look at the camera. He is wearing a navy blue rainsuit with a burgundy and navy blue long sleeved tiop underneath. He is standing in front of large cream coloured sheets that have been strung up on a washing line. The sheets have mud marks making on. — Image courtesy of The Whitworth.

Halloween Lakeside Trail

Halloween Lakeside Trail, 4–31 October 2024, from £13.00 - Book now

The North-West’s favourite Halloween event returns in 2024 with lots of new spooky twists.

Find out more

Image of Halloween Lakeside Trail — Partridge Lakes

Room on the Broom at Z-arts

Room on the Broom at Z-arts, Manchester, 22–24 October 2024, from £14.00 - Book now

Join Witch, her cat, her hat and her very long plait and jump aboard the broom in Tall Stories’ fun-filled adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s well-loved book.

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Room on the Broom at Z-arts — Tall Stories

Mini Monster Mash at Victoria Baths

Mini Monster Mash at Victoria Baths, Manchester, 26 October 2024, from £4.00 - Book now

Get ready for a some seriously spooky fun for families at the Mini Monster Mash at Victoria Baths this half term, featuring Halloween arts and crafts and a silent disco.

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A Tiger’s Tale at Waterside Arts

A Tiger’s Tale at Waterside, Manchester, 6 October 2024, from £11.50 - Book now

A heartwarming production that tells the almost unbelievable true story of a tiger who lived in West Yorkshire during the 1940s.

Find out more

Actor with a tiger puppet A Tiger's Tale at Waterside Arts — Lewis Wileman

Halloween Party at Z-arts

Halloween Party at Z-arts, Manchester, 27 October 2024, from £2.50 - Book now

Enjoy a spooktacular afternoon of fun and games at Z-arts much-awaited Halloween party.

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Fun Palaces at Manchester Central Library

Fun Palaces at Manchester Central Library at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, 5 October 2024, free entry - Find Out More

Enjoy free arts and crafts activities and make new friends while you are learning new skills, and you may even get a chance to build your own LEGO palace.

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Woman making dream catchers with a young girl — Manchester Libraries and Archives

Leeds Halloween

Leeds Halloween, 26 October–3 November 2024, free entry - Find Out More

Get ready for a spine-tingling Halloween in Leeds! Bundle up in your coats, hats, scarves, and gloves, and join the ghosts and ghouls of Leeds for all sorts of chilling events across the city.

Find out more

King Arthur at The Lowry

King Arthur at The Lowry, Manchester, 24–28 September 2024, from £24.00 - Book now

Get ready for a hilarious retelling of King Arthur this September, guaranteed to have the whole audience laughing out loud from start to finish.

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King Arthur at The Lowry — Image courtesy of La Navet Bete.

Encounter Festival in Preston

Encounter Festival at Preston Flag Market, Lancashire, 21–22 September 2024, free entry - Find Out More

Expect a joyous weekend loaded with outdoor performances, live music, hands-on family events, and of course, Preston’s signature Torchlight Procession and firework display.

Find out more

Fireworks above Sessions House at night. — Michael Porter

The Hidden Garden at Waterside Arts

The Hidden Garden at Waterside, Manchester, 28–29 September 2024, from £10.00 - Book now

Step inside The Hidden Garden at and enjoy a magical tale of a blossoming and unlikely friendship as city living and nature combine to create something truly special.

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The Hidden Garden at Waterside Arts drawing of child and man gardening — Theatre Co Blah Blah Blah

Hallé Family Concert: Marvellous Musical Myths and Legends

Hallé Family Concert: Marvellous Musical Myths and Legends at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 29 September 2024, from £13.00 - Book now

The perfect way to introduce your little ones to classical music, exploring a world of myths and legends through music from films we all know and love.

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Marvellous Musical Myths and Legends — The Hallé

Wacky Wednesdays at the National Coal Mining Museum

Wacky Wednesdays at National Coal Mining Museum for England, West Yorkshire, Until 25 September 2024, free entry - Visit now

Get ready for a fun-filled weekly event for littlest children and their adults exploring all things mining.

Find out more

children making canaries for wacky wednesday Wacky Wednesdays at the National Coal Mining Museum — ncmme

A Gameshow for Awful Children at Z-arts

A Gameshow for Awful Children at Z-arts, Manchester, 26 October 2024, from £9.50 - Book now

Get ready for a hilarious family experience like no other, presented in the form of a gameshow, where audience members compete to be the most… awful!

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Gameshow for Awful Children at Z-arts — Les Enfants Terrible

More families events

Large beige tapestry with intricate colourful beading hanging on a white wool

Until 3 Nov

ExhibitionsWakefield

Igshaan Adams: Weerhoud at the Hepworth Wakefield

Igshaan Adams’s opulent textile works takes centre stage at his solo exhibition ‘Weerhoud’ at the Hepworth Wakefield.

from £0.00

21 Sep – 22 Sep

FestivalsLancashire

Encounter Festival in Preston

Expect a joyous weekend loaded with outdoor performances, live music, hands-on family events, and of course, Preston’s signature Torchlight Procession and firework display.

free entry

Until 24 Dec

FamiliesManchester

Factory International Gift Membership

If you’re hunting for the perfect present – a Factory International Gift Membership could be just the ticket.

from £45.00

A band plays on a stage infront of a big crowd with lots of sparkling spotlights shining on them

Until 18 Jan 2025

FamiliesCity Centre

Factory International Membership

Get priority booking on the best seats, special discounts, invitations to exclusive events and much more. Are you in?

from £45.00

Visitors in Injecting Hope at Science and Industry Museum

Until 17 Nov

ExhibitionsCastlefield

Injecting Hope: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine at the Science and Industry Museum

The exhibition celebrates the incredible effort from scientists around the world, responsible for the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine.

free entry

15 Nov – 1 Jan 2025

FamiliesChester

Lanterns and Light at Chester Zoo

Lanterns and Light at Chester Zoo transforms the most popular tourist attraction outside London into a magical, illuminated world.

from £12

Bonfire Night in Manchester and the North

7 Nov – 9 Nov

FestivalsLancaster

Light Up Lancaster

Festival of light and art Light Up Lancaster returns to the city with installations, projections, performance and fireworks illuminating the city’s historic buildings, charming streets and hidden squares.

free entry

18 Oct – 26 Oct

FestivalsBlackpool

Lightpool Festival at Blackpool Promenade

Blackpool’s beloved Lightpool Festival returns in October with a packed programme of world-class entertainment and art.

free entry

26 Oct

FamiliesPenrith

The Winter Droving in Penrith

An incredible wonderland of outdoor arts, masquerade and pint carrying competitions in Penrith.

free entry

Image of a stage with a band playing and a crowd of audience members stood and sat down.

Until 28 Sep

FamiliesPreston

Preston: City Event Programme

From Easter egg rolling to the 50th anniversary Caribbean Carnival, find out what’s happening in Preston this year.

free entry

5 Oct

FamiliesManchester

Fun Palaces at Manchester Central Library

Fun Palaces are back! Join us at Central Library for one of the most creative days of the year! Have a go at our free craft activities and make new friends while you are learning new skills. You might even get to build a Lego palace! Free, just drop in. Suitable for families. Please support our cultural programme by donating at our cash or contactless donation boxes.

free entry

22 Oct – 24 Oct

FamiliesManchester

Room on the Broom at Z-arts

Iggety ziggety zaggety zoom! Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat, just in time for spooky season!

from £14.00

See all families events

Spotlight on

Beer Gardens in Manchester & Salford

Make the most of the sun in one of Manchester's many top-notch beer gardens.

Take me there

Family things to do in Manchester and the North

Manchester

Restaurant

Food Sorcery Manchester Deansgate Square

Food Sorcery is a popular cookery school now opening in the centre of Manchester after years of success in East Didsbury.

Manchester

Park

Platt Fields Park

Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield is steeped in history, the land having been acquired by the Platt family in 1225.

Manchester

Museum

Imperial War Museum North (IWM North)

Built on a former bomb site and designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, a visit to this iconic museum provides an unforgettable experience for all ages.

Manchester

Theatre

HOME Manchester

Offering a packed schedule of events and things to do, HOME Manchester is one of the city’s leading hubs for arts and culture.

Liverpool

Shop

MerseyMade

In the MerseyMade shop you’ll find bottled gin from the likes of Turncoat Gin, Anfield Gin, Albert Dock Gin and Three Graces Gin. Yep, Liverpool REALLY likes its gin.

Hebden Bridge

The Workshop, Jewellery Studio

Learn from master jewellers Robert and Jenny Dutson with their jewellery making workshops and courses at The Workshop.

Cumbria

Event venue

Penrith Old Fire Station

Main venue for Eden Arts, an artist-led organisation based in Eden in Cumbria creating projects around mass participation, local distinctiveness and digital engagement, from Picnic Cinema to The Winter Droving.

Wakefield

Gallery

The Hepworth Wakefield

Winner of the 2017 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award, The Hepworth in Wakefield is easily one of the leading cultural highlights of the North.

See all places

Destination Guides

Summer of Sculpture and Performance Art in Wakefield

Wakefield is the place to be this summer, with fantastic family activities, ambitious street performances and amazing art on display.

Things to do in York

We take a closer look at York, one of the UK’s most beautiful heritage cities with a wealth of contemporary culture.

Things to do in Lancashire

Our guide to the culturally rich coastal county of Lancashire, encompassing Lancaster, Morecambe, Blackpool and Blackburn.

Things to Do in Cheshire

Our guide to the best things to in Cheshire, including culture, shopping and food and drink in Chester, Crewe and Macclesfield.

Things to Do in Cumbria

Our guide to the best things to do in the Cumbria and the Lake District, including Penrith, Kendal, Carlisle, Keswick and Cockermouth.

Things to Do in Liverpool

Our guide to the thriving city of Liverpool, where new creative futures are written against the backdrop of a unique history.

Things to do in Leeds

Our guide to Leeds, a hub of northern creativity, the metropolis of Yorkshire and one of the greenest cities in the UK.

Culture Guides

Tours and Activities in Manchester and the North

Develop a new skill with this month's workshop and learning based tours and activities guide.

Literature Events in Manchester and the North

This year's Manchester Literature Festival tickets are being snapped up, and festival fever is also taking hold in the suburbs as well as further afield.

'I bet you haven't even had the surgery'

Exhibitions in Manchester and the North

From intricate textiles to a medieval poem-inspired arts festival, there is lots of new art to see before the autumn rains start for good.

A young man, in the driver's seat of a car, passes a cigarette to the older woman next to him, while anther young man sits behind.

Cinema in Manchester and the North

Look out for Widescreen Weekend, a celebration of Women of the West and a Leeds Cinema Crawl as we head into leafy Autumn.

Theatre in Manchester and the North

Punchy verbatim shows, comedy festivals and rave-fuelled Shakespeare feature in this month’s eclectic pick of live theatre.

Classical Music in Manchester and the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.

Music in Manchester and the North

From synth pop and jazz punk to meditative piano and Indian classical, read about the autumn shows that have piqued our interest.

Food and Drink in Manchester and the North

Take some eating-out tips from this month's guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.