The Super Duper Family Festival
Manchester City Centre
18 – 21 February 2026
10am – 5pm
@superduperfamilyfestival
FREE
Website
Much‑loved BBC children’s brands CBeebies Bedtime Stories LIVE and Blue Peter are the latest additions to the line-up at Manchester’s biggest ever February half term event – The Super Duper Family Festival – and best of all, it’s all free!
Running on Wednesday 18 & Thursday 19 February, families are invited to snuggle down and enjoy the power of storytelling with CBeebies Bedtime Stories LIVE, as stars from CBeebies, alongside some special guests, host sessions filled with stories and songs. Taking place at Manchester Central as part of The Story Den festival zone, four shows will run each day at 10.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm with sessions lasting approximately 20 minutes. To ensure the experience is accessible to as many families as possible, a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter will be present at all sessions on Wednesday 18 February.
For those who have always wondered what goes on behind the cameras, there’s exclusive access to one of the BBC’s most iconic programmes with Blue Peter Behind the Scenes guided tours on Saturday 21 February. Taking place from 10am – 4.45pm on the iconic Blue Peter set at Versa Campfield Studio 2, each tour will last approximately 15 minutes, where guests can enjoy surprise meet and greets with the Blue Peter team throughout the day.
With limited spaces available for both experiences, families are encouraged to book their free tickets, which will go live on Wednesday 4 February 2026 at 11am. Tickets for CBeebies Bedtime Stories Live will be available here: visitmanchester.com/event/the-story-den/108266101/ while tickets for ‘Blue Peter Behind the scenes’ will be available here: visitmanchester.com/event/the-studios/108271101/.
Both events are part of The Super Duper Family Festival – a free-to-attend festival returning to Manchester for a second year from Wednesday 18 – Saturday 21 February. Transforming the city centre into a giant playground, the festival brings an abundance of free activities to iconic public spaces and venues across the city, with eight imaginative festival zones celebrating creativity, discovery and family fun.
With a vibrant line-up of cultural partners including BBC’s Waterloo Road, CBeebies Bedtime Stories, Blue Peter, Super League Basketball and the National Football Museum, the 2026 Super Duper Family Festival play zones include: The Story Den at Manchester Central Library, and Manchester Central , The Soapbox at People’s History Museum,The Studios at Grape Street, Versa Studios, Aviva Studios and Science and Industry Museum, The Nursery Rhyme Trail at Manchester Arndale, The Arcade at Printworks, The Sports Hall at Great Northern Warehouse, The Carnival in St Ann’s Square and The Playground with Waterloo Road in Exchange Square.
Free activities include everything from free introductory skateboarding sessions, a mini roller rink and silent disco to digital music workshops, interactive gaming, a Humpty Dumpty parade and a Victorian carousel.
Hosted by the city’s hoteliers, Manchester Accommodation BID, the festival is delivered in partnership with Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District, Manchester City Council and Marketing Manchester. This year also welcomes The Bee Network as the official travel partner, helping families effortlessly explore all festival zones across the city.
Manchester’s top attractions are also stepping up to make The Super Duper Family Festival an even more unforgettable – and great-value – experience this year. As the entire festival is completely free to attend, visitors can enjoy even more savings across the city, with museums, galleries and shops offering additional activities, exhibitions and special offers, ensuring families can turn Half Term into a full-on city adventure without the premium price tag.
Mancunians can have a dam good time as Disney and& Pixar’s all-new film film ‘Hoppers’ – an animated comedy in which animal lover Mabel seizes an opportunity to use a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals – will be leaving their its mark across the Manchester Bee Network. Visitors to the city centre can hop on board and spot the pond crew at select tram stops from February 16th for two weeks of hoppy travels ahead of the film’s release in cinemas on March 6..
Many of Manchester’s most family-friendly hotels are offering up to 25% off, including The Lowry, CitySuites, Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly, ROOMZZZ, Holiday Inn Express, Ibis, Marriott Manchester Victoria and Albert and more – making it easier for families to turn a day out into a super duper mini-break. Parents can also take advantage of generous kids-eat-free menus and dining deals at Banyan, Italiana Fifty Five, Franco Manca, Zizzi’s, Alex’s Bakery, The Trading Route and Doux Chaton. And with The Bee Network’s family travel tickets making it easy and affordable to hop between festival zones by tram or bus, families can explore the entire festival with minimal cost and maximum fun.
2026 Zones & Event Line-Up
The Story Den with CBeebies Bedtime Stories
A celebration of creativity, culture and storytelling, The Story Den brings a range of daily activities to Central Library. Throughout the week, enjoy daily drop-in Lego workshops and an exciting Library Hunt, while on Wednesday, young readers can enjoy a Little Reads interactive storytelling session with Manchester Literature Festival, whilst older children can get hands-on with crafting at the Crochet Club.
Thursday is a day of music and dancing with music-themed crafts and a high energy Little Movers and Shakers session. Friday is one for film fans with the Family Film Club and on Saturday, it’s International Mother Language Day, with activities celebrating languages from across the globe.
All activities are drop-in apart from the Crochet Club which requires a free ticket, which can be booked via The Super Duper Family Festival website.
Don’t miss the Story Book Walk on Lower Mosley Street and spot iconic characters from classic children’s literature, before reaching Manchester Central for fun with CBeebies in The Story Den, where children and their families and carers can get cosy and snuggle and experience a very special live CBeebies Bedtime Stories show from the BBC.
Open daily from 10am – 5pm. Manchester Central Library and Manchester Central.
The Soapbox
Step into a rebellious world of activism this Half Term with People’s History Museum – where families can make their own protest badges, explore a pop-up creativity corner, play Banner Bingo in the galleries, dress-up as historical changemakers, snap a photo in the photobooth, and unleash their voices in engaging, fun activities. Plus, there are ticketed sessions of My Protest Song with singer-songwriter Matt Hill on Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th February, and drop-in, un-ticketed African Drums for Protest sessions on Friday 20th & Saturday 21st February.
Free tickets for My Protest Song available here. Open daily from 10am – 5pm. People’s History Museum.
The Studios at St. John’s Manchester
It’s lights, camera and ACTION at St John’s as venues including Aviva Studios and the Science and Industry Museum host The Studios, a play zone where families can get hands on with film, TV, music, dance and technology on the grounds of Old Granada Studios.
At Aviva Studios, imagination meets innovation with activities featuring: The Digital Playground – an expansive space with motion-triggered content, interactive digital canvases and dynamic soundscapes, Make & Create: Family – a creative zone where families can design, build and play in collaborative projects, Game Stations with digital games in a chill-out area, The Roller Studio – a mini roller rink led by an instructor and a Silent Disco – where families can hit the dancefloor and groove to their own beat.
Children will even get the chance to step into the director’s chair and help create The Super Duper Movie. With guidance from the wonderfully wacky film crew, families can shoot their own 30-second scene on a smartphone and submit it directly to the producer. Selected scenes will be featured in the brand-new feature film, set to receive its grand premiere at The Super Duper Family Festival 2026. Don’t forget to take a break at Crew Catering by street food legends, GRUB – a pop-up mini market where hungry filmmakers can refuel with delicious bites.
That’s not all! The Studios will also host Manchester Music Mooch – a fun, creative family experience inspired by the Manchester Music Mooch app. Young and old visitors can take part in relaxed, hands-on digital-based music workshops where they’ll explore sounds and the city’s musical heritage, experiment with beat-making, and build (and keep) their own track, using a selection of music loops created especially for the app by local established and emerging artists.
Meanwhile, the Science and Industry Museum will be joining in the action with a stellar line-up of free activities inspired by the museum’s new world-premiere exhibition, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos. Festivalgoers can enjoy a variety of experiences including Cosmic Dance Drop-Ins, an immersive Journey Through the Universe and budding stargazers can discover how to become experts of the night sky. A must-visit for fans of the hit new CBBC Horrible Science TV show and budding astronauts!
Bringing some behind-the-scenes magic to The Studios zone, iconic BBC show
Blue Peter will be hosting Free Guided Studio Tours on Saturday 21 February. At 68 years old, Blue Peter is a treasured BBC brand for children and their families, bringing together generations across multiple platforms through presenter challenges and adventures, competitions with money-can’t-buy prizes, makes, loveable pets and coveted badges. The new-look studio was introduced in September 2025, marking an exciting new chapter for the beloved show, which festival-goers are invited to explore from 10am – 4.45pm, with surprise appearances from popular presenters throughout the day including Hacker T Dog, Shini and pet Henry.”
Open daily 10am – 5pm. St John’s.
The Nursery Rhyme Trail
Manchester Arndale is taking Story Time to a whole new level as Humpty Dumpty takes centre stage in this energetic, imaginative trail, packed with music, movement and mission-solving. Begin at the Dippy Training School – a colourful training zone led by the Queen and her wonderful, wacky egg soldiers: Private Yolk and Private Scramble, where families can take part in silly warm-up drills, singalongs and games, before joining the Humpty Dumpty Parade on a playful trail of riddles, tasks, pop-up performers and creative challenges. Back at the base, families will work together to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, graduate from Dippy Training School and receive a chocolate reward.
Perfect for ages 3 – 11. Open daily 10am – 5pm. Manchester Arndale
The Arcade
Press START on a retro-meets-future gaming adventure beneath Europe’s largest digital ceiling at Printworks. Families can race head-to-head on the giant interactive racing game using phones as controllers or flex their reflexes on real-world table games, including Digital Whack-a-Mole, Chase the Light, Air Hockey and Catchy It Reaction Ring.
Open daily 10am – 5pm. Printworks, Withy Grove
The Sports Hall
A mega-mix of high-energy activities awaits families in The Sports Hall – kicking off with the exciting arrival of The Skate Park. New for this year, this major addition brings an adrenaline-charged edge to the festival, with Graystone Action Sports leading free introductory skateboarding sessions (suitable for ages 7+) every hour on a first-come, first-served basis.
The action continues across the site, where families can race Scalextric cars in The Grand Prix, capture a victory moment on the Winner’s Podium, go head-to-head on The Pitch with table football and Subsoccer, or pick up a paddle in The Ping Hub. Sports fans can also unwind and get creative in The Fan Zone with the National Football Museum – the perfect spot for all ages to take a half-time breather.
For the first time, the iconic AO Arena in Manchester will play host to both the Men’s and Women’s Super League Basketball Cup Finals on Sunday 22nd March 2026, so don’t forget to join SLB at The Sports Hall and get closer to the game!
Open daily 10am – 5pm. Great Northern Warehouse, Deansgate
The Carnival
Roll up for a whirl of old-school amusement and carnival magic as St Ann’s Square becomes a world of nostalgia and wonder. The traditional Victorian Carousel returns, alongside a colourful array of side-show stalls, including Hook a Duck, Spin the Wheel, Coconut Shy and Ferris Wheel Hoopla. Families can test their might at the Test of Strength, stretch their reflections in the Carnival of Mirrors and take on a brain-bending challenge courtesy of the Museum of Illusions and Urban Playground.
Open daily 10am – 5pm. St Ann’s Square
The Playground with Waterloo Road
School’s in for Half Term because families are invited to step into a playful, supersized school day inspired by BBC’s Waterloo Road! Explore a cluster of activity-packed shipping containers created by Playful Anywhere, bursting with free schoolyard fun, including boogie sessions at The School Disco, hands-on crafts in The Art Class, props, costumes and photo-fun in The Drama Class, sports day silliness in The PE Class featuring a Spin the Wheel challenge, table tennis, swing ball and chill out vibes in The Sixth Form Common Room and free-play activity and big-energy games in The Yard, including hoola-hooping, skipping and giant Jenga.
Open daily 10am – 5pm. Exchange Square.
For further updates on this event, please visit visitmanchester.com/super-duper-family-festival
