Things to do over May half term

Creative Tourist

Looking for things to do with the family over the May half-term holidays?

Check out what’s on, from theatre shows, to space-themed book treasure hunts, print workshops and more! There’s loads to do to make the upcoming school holiday special – whatever the weather, and whatever the budget.

And if the below isn’t enough, sign up to our newsletter for a weekly round-up of Manchester and the North’s best events.

Our top picks

Power Up at the Science and Industry Museum

Power UP at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 3 September 2025, From £8.00 - Book now

From Mario to Sonic and Pong to Fortnite, play your way through five decades of the best video games. Fun and educational. Win-win.

Boy playing retro arcade games in Power Up.
Image courtesy of the Science and Industry Museum.

YOU:MATTER at National Science and Media Museum

YOU:MATTER at National Science and Media Museum, Bradford, Until 22 February 2026, From £2.00 - Book now

Step into YOU:MATTER – a spectacular audio-visual experience that playfully explores our place in the universe and why everything is connected.

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at the Science and Industry Museum

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 4 January 2026, From £10.00 - Book now

Get ready for a multi-sensory adventure packed with super-sized science and brilliant biology.

Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You at the Science and Industry Museum
Promotional Stills for Operation Ouch: Brains, Bogies, & You at the Science & Industry Museum - 13th February Image courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum.

2025 Banner Exhibition

2025 Banner Exhibition at People’s History Museum, Manchester, Until 29 December 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Enjoy a family-friendly journey through the history of activism at the People’s History Museum’s year-long Banner Exhibition.

A textile banner featuring text: 'Manchester Deaf Triangle Club, Lesbian & Gay Group', and different coloured hands doing sign language. 2025 Banner Exhibition at People's History Museum
Manchester Deaf Triangle Club banner, around 1985. On loan from British Deaf History Society.

Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts

Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts, Manchester, Until 11 April 2026, From £12.00 - Book now

Tumble down the rabbit hole and into a world of imagination. The White Rabbit and all your favourite Wonderland characters await in an interactive play adventure, created in partnership with Macmillan Children’s Books.

Adventures in Wonderland at Z-arts
Image courtesy of Z-arts.

Power Up at the Science and Industry Museum

Power UP at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, Until 3 September 2025, From £8.00 - Book now

From Mario to Sonic and Pong to Fortnite, play your way through five decades of the best video games. Fun and educational. Win-win.

Boy playing retro arcade games in Power Up.
Image courtesy of the Science and Industry Museum.

Breakfast in Manchester

Why not enjoy a breakfast out with the family at some of our top-picked breakie and brunch places in Manchester during the holidays?

Federal Cafe Bar

Bees: A Story of Survival at World Museum Liverpool

Bees: A Story of Survival at World Museum Liverpool, Liverpool, Until 28 September 2025, From £0.00 - Book now

Both kids and grown-ups will get a lot out of this educational exhibition in Liverpool, which takes a closer look at the lives of bees and their vital role in human existence.

Bees: A Story of Survival at World Museum Liverpool
© Photo by Pete Carr - Render by Battlecat and Wolfgang Buttress Studios

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield, Yorkshire, WF4 4LG - Visit now

Brighter days mean more outdoor adventures. Set over 500 acres, you’ll find art trails, scavenger hunts and all manner of family fun happening at this stunning open-air gallery over the hols.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Image courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum, The University Of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9PL - Visit now

A place of wonder packed full of incredible stories and family-friendly activities, you can’t go wrong with a trip to Manchester Museum.

Manchester Museum Tours at Manchester Museum

Eureka! Science + Discovery Merseyside

Eureka! Science + Discovery Merseyside, Victoria Pl, Seacombe, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH44 6QY - Visit now

Discover how Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics are a part of everyday life at the North’s newest children’s museum, sister of the much-loved Eureka.

Dunham Massey

Dunham Massey, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, WA14 4SJ - Visit now

The perfect place to experience the first hints of warmer days. Whatever the weather, Dunham Massey in Altrincham takes our number one spot for a fun outdoorsy day out.

Path winding through the garden at Dunham Massey, Cheshire
National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

World Museum Liverpool

World Museum Liverpool, William Brown Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 8EN - Visit now

Family-focused and hands-on, it’s all here at The World Museum with treasures from around the world, the bottom of the ocean and even outer space.

Exterior of World Museum Liverpool, home to Dino Ranger Day

Stately Homes in the North

Explore some of the North’s most stunning buildings and learn about the families that once lived there. Stroll through the picturesque grounds, take in the fresh air and let the kids run free.

Adventure Activities in the North

The North of England is home to the longest high wire bridge in Europe, over 1,000ft above the Honister Pass in Keswick, and one of the UK’s largest outdoor inflatable water assault courses near Sheffield. This part of the world, then, has no shortage of incredible adventure activities.

Treetop Adventure Manchester
Treetop Adventure Manchester.
Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Music in the North

Gigs are coming in hot this spring – from long-awaited returns to one-off happenings you’ll blink and miss if you're not careful.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

A young boy with a white sash around his left arm cries.
Cinema in the North

Outdoor cinema announcements, a major retrospective at HOME, and the best of indie cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Experimental performance, thought-provoking new writing and our picks of Manchester International Festival - here’s what’s taking centre stage this summer.

Experience a unique deep listening art installation inviting audiences to lay down and be bathed in sound and light.
Exhibitions in the North

From city-wide art festivals to open-air sculptural installations, we have exhibitions from all around the North, both indoors and out.