With half term just around the corner I have been looking for inspiration and what to do with Joe when we arrive home from Cameron Lodges. I want to get into Manchester more, we are so near so its crazy, we don’t visit as often as we should. And that goes for me too! The odd trip in for cocktails wouldn’t go amiss. This year I aim to remedy all that and venture into town, there is always something exciting going on.
I aim to post a regular Whats on in Manchester guides to keep you all up to date with events and anything new and exciting I come across. Because lets face it sometimes its hard to find inspiration and the right info. I am starting today with some exciting things that have caught my eye for half term.
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Whats on at Halloween in Manchester
From Friday 21 October – Monday 31 October, the city gets into the spooky swing of things with over 4000 pumpkin lanterns standing guard in the trees from the shopping district to the Corn Exchange, Spinningfields, Manchester Central and Great Northern Warehouse.
City buildings Go Green for Halloween
As the dark nights draw in follow the eerie glow across the city as Manchester Town Hall, Selfridges, House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols, Manchester Arndale, Manchester Central, National Football Museum, Mediacom, The Lowry and Lancashire Country Cricket light-up green in honour of Halloween.
Market Street Cemetery Gates & Sound Trail
Friday 28 October – Sunday 30 October, Market Street
Overnight, a sinister set of cemetery gates will appear on Market Street towering over shoppers as they pass onto the city’s most popular thoroughfare. Check out Manchester’s first spooky sound trail, if you dare…watch out for the sounds of wolves howling and witches cackling biting at your heels.
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Family Travelling Light Circus presents: Creatures of the Crypt
Saturday 29 October, 12pm-5pm, Market Street, Deansgate
Market Street becomes Market Creep as the nights draw in and creatures of the cemetery come out to play. Pass the gatekeeper and guarding grave diggers to enter into an underworld of gothic characters.
The Spider Attacks!
Saturday 29 October, 12pm- 5pm, moving between St. Ann’s Square, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square
Arachnophobes look away now – a giant, animatronic spider stalks the shopping streets. And it’s looking for families to play with. Keep an eye out for this ten-foot monster as you’re out and about. Don’t worry, though. He won’t bite.
Halloween Face Painting
Saturday 29 October, 11am-5pm, Market Street
Free face painting for your little ghouls, goblins and ghosts.
New Orleans Funeral March
Saturday 29 October, Market Street
Join the procession, and follow traditional Deep South sounds and rhythms as it moves through the city centre. Hymns and dirges break loose into hot jazz and dancing, as we celebrate life (and death) with music.
Shaune Harrison Academy Movie Make-Overs
Saturday 29 October & Sunday 30 October, 12-5pm, Market Street
Prosthetics magicians from the Shaune Harrison Academy showcase their movie makeovers in spectacular spooky style. The team from the state-of-the-art academy at MediaCity has worked on some of the biggest films in history: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Captain America, Avengers: Age of Ultron, World War Z and Sleepy Hollow to name a few. Discover the tricks of their trade.
Wild Rumpus presents: Dr Dee’s Secret Curiosity Shop
Saturday 29 October from 10am, trail around Manchester Arndale, Market Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, King Street, Deansgate, Barton Arcade, Exchange Square
The geniuses behind Just So Festival return to the city for another one-off family adventure. Within the Manchester that you know so well lies Dr Dee’s Secret Curiosity Shop, an intriguing and mysterious establishment which can be accessed for the first time in 421 years. But only to families who are prepared to scour the city and solve the code to find it, for one short day this Halloween.
National Football Museum: Tricks for Treats
Saturday 22 October – Monday 31 October, 10am – 5pm, National Football Museum
Get your little ghouls taking goals for a Penalty Piñata, show-off best horror-movie voices in the Creepy Commentary challenge and dress-up for Ghost Training: a chance to practice otherworldly keepie-uppies. There’s freestyling wizard John Farnworth and Monster Making art too, where kids can craft badges of their favourite, and most frightening, footballers – Robin Vampire-sie or Phil Bones perhaps.  Â
The Whitworth: Halloween Family Funday
Sunday 30 October, 11am – 4pm, free
The Whitworth is the University of Manchester’s newly transformed gallery in the park – a place to discover exceptional art in award winning spaces, inside and out. Head down with the family to explore and have fun creating spooky art.
11am-4pm, free
The Printworks & Horrorworld Productions present: Manchester Halloween Parade
Sunday 30 October, 4pm-6pm: registration at 4pm at The Printworks
£2 fee per person (50% to charity)
The UK’s one and only Halloween parade is back from the dead. The Printworks’ Zombie Walk transforms into the Manchester Halloween Parade as witches and wizards, gremlins and ghouls don their best costumes.
4pm-6pm. To join in the parade, registration is at 4pm at The Printworks, £2/per person (50% to charity). Spectating is free!
The Music Box Comes To Manchester
Licensed and supported by Genesis and Peter Gabriel, Montreal-based Genesis’ tribute The Musical Box recreates the iconic show featuring music from the prog pioneers 1973 album Selling England by the Pound. Original and replica costumes, props and lighting from the 1974 tour, bring Genesis’ eccentric performances back to life again with giant sunflowers, bat wings, gladiators and double necked guitars. Playing Sunday 30th October at the O2 Apollo Manchester
The Printworks: Hard Rock Café Little Monsters BallÂ
Sunday 30 October
Don your best fabulous fancy dress to enjoy a Halloween themed breakfast, face painting and lots of ghoulish games
The Printworks: 50% OFF at Busaba
Monday 31 October, from 12pm
Thai restaurant Busaba, famous for its best-selling, mind-blowing calamari, hosts a Halloween themed Half Moon-Day: 50% off food all day long and spooky shenanigans on the side.
And if you venture a little further out, Manchester City Spooky Stadium Tour
Treat the kids to something truly spooktacular this half-term as Manchester City Football Club open the doors to the ghouls of football past with the introduction of a brand new Halloween themed Spooky City Stadium Tour.
Visitors will be scouring the stadium for spooky objects, where you’ll be asked to keep your eyes peeled on an exciting Halloween hunt. As well as taking part in a football trick or treat competition where guests will get the chance to show off their best football tricks for the chance to win a special City ‘treat’.
Tickets for the tour will cost £17 per adult, £11 per child aged 5-16 and £12 for concessions and will run from 24th – 30th October (excluding 29th)
For a Little Pampering and Planning in advance for Christmas Shopping Trips
The Spa at The Midland, has created a spa ritual that is all about you; guaranteed to make Christmas shopping a whole lot less stressful.
The City Lifestyle Spa Ritual also includes a delicious lunch within the secluded Spa Café and a luxurious double room in the iconic The Midland Hotel for the night. The package is available to book from Monday – Sunday and priced from £119 per guest.
The overnight City Lifestyle Spa Ritual Includes:
· Full use of our Thermal Suite, including poolside areas, sauna, steam bath, lifestyle shower and swan neck fountains
· Full use of the private gymnasium
· Lunch within the secluded Spa Café
· Overnight stay at the Midland Hotel in a double room
· A Full English breakfast
· A 50 minute City Lifestyle Ritual including a 5 minute personalised consultation
As a lover of the Midland I know this is an incredible deal.
So that it an epic guide to whats on in Manchester at Halloween, I hope it comes in handy and have a fab Halloween.
There is so much going on! I never think to check what’s happening in Manchester but some of these sound amazing, love the idea of the New Orleans Funeral March, sounds really different. I keep meaning to take the boys to the Whitworth too so this would be a great time to see it xx
Hayley me neither then I see stuff after the event and think I would have loved that, and that is why I wanted to start this there must be so many people that miss it x
I know exactly what you mean about not venturing into Manchester as much as we should. Husband adores Manchester as he went to University there. I cannot believe there is so much going on over Halloween, though I am not sure about the huge spider (yikes). Love the idea of lighting up the buildings green x
I know Tracey I always feel like I miss out on loads so hopefully this will help a little, The spider sounds so great x