The Super Duper Family Festival
Manchester City Centre
15th – 18th February 2024
@superduperfamilyfestival
FREE
Website
MASSIVE FREE FAMILY FESTIVAL LANDS IN MANCHESTER THIS WEEK
Manchester is about to be transformed into the ultimate playground for families as The Super Duper Family Festival arrives, promising four days of extraordinary, free family fun across the city from Saturday 15th – Tuesday 18th February 2025.
Spanning some of Manchester’s most iconic spaces, the festival will feature six unique, immersive play zones – The Carnival, The Garden, The Playground, The Arcade, The Sports Hall and The Party – featuring everything from a giant hedge maze, a traditional steampunk Victorian carousel, high-energy sports challenges, electrifying gaming, roaming performers, schoolyard games and even a family rave party!
Open daily from 10am – 5pm, each zone is completely free to experience, making it easier than ever for families to dive into half term fun, whatever their budget.
New events freshly added to the line-up include:
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You: Your Brilliant Brain (The Carnival)
CBBC and the Science and Industry Museum will be bringing Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You: Your Brilliant Brain to The Carnival zone, where families can discover Your Brilliant Brain – a super-sized tribute to your body’s control centre – and a part of the official exhibition at the museum which opens on 14 February. For more information on this, please visit https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/operation-ouch-brains-bogies-and-you.
New activities at The Playground with BBC One’s Waterloo Road
In an exciting partnership with the team behind BBC One’s hit drama Waterloo Road and developed by play experts, Playful Anywhere, this pop-up schoolyard on New Cathedral Street invites families to relive their school years, complete with a stained-glass photo moment where visitors can pose in front of the iconic Waterloo Road logo. Families can head into drama class with Waterloo Road blazers and ties, get creative in art by making stained-glass-inspired crafts, and even take part in the ultimate mini school disco inside a glitter-filled shipping container. A spin-the-wheel PE challenge will test playground skills with egg-and-spoon races and keepy-uppies, while the pop-up School Yard Talent Show invites kids to show off their best double dutch, TikTok dance, or skipping skills. With classic schoolyard games, a Sixth Form common room with table tennis and swing ball, and even roaming janitors armed with bubble-blowing mop buckets, this zone is set to be one of the festival’s most exciting new additions.
CBeebies Bedtime Stories (The Party)
Guaranteed to be a popular attraction, CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be getting in on the action at The Party zone, where families can join CBeebies presenters Evie and Rhys for a chill out… with a difference! After settling down and reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story, there’s a surprise in store as we turn up the energy for an unforgettable family rave. Get your glow sticks at the ready and prepare to party as we shout… ‘It’s Not Time for Bedtime!’.
CBeebies Bedtime Stories are part of The Rave sessions Saturday 15th February and Sunday 16th February at 11am, 1pm and 3pm which are now sold out. For those who didn’t manage to snap up a free ticket, make sure to join us in the drop-in lounge for pop-up craft workshops by The Playhouse Project, a dance and music themed playlist of programmes curated by CBbeebies on the big screen and more.
Big Green Leaf Event (The Garden)
Manchester Arndale is bringing eco-fun to The Garden zone with its Big Green Leaf event in Exchange Court, where families will be ‘shrunk’ to the size of an insect for an immersive journey into the world of pollination, composting and recycling, alongside a cast of fun characters like Walter Droplet, Litter Bug and William Wormsworth, and hands-on daily craft activities.
Play Zones and Locations:
The Carnival – St Ann’s Square
Step right up! The carnival is in town as St Ann’s Square transforms into a steampunk spectacle of old-school carnival games and modern-day madness. Complete with a traditional Victorian Carousel, side-show stalls with a
mind-bending Hall of Mirrors, Test of Strength stand and maddening brain games by the Museum of Illusions, this play zone is filled with whimsical fun and industrial inventions! Don’t miss the Big Mob – a trio of giant, slinky tubes that you’ll have to see to believe (Sat and Sun only), plus enjoy circus skill workshops and games by Urban Playground for free family fun.
The Garden – Exchange Square, outside Selfridges and Manchester Arndale, Exchange Court
Where nature meets play! Featuring a real hedge maze reaching a towering two metres, Exchange Square is the perfect place to get lost in play! Inspired by nature, this play zone will offer everything from street art by the mastermind behind the iconic MCR Monsters at Manchester’s Halloween in the City, Filthy Luker, to roaming performers like The Hedgemen, who will spring to life for the perfect photo snap! With garden games like “Find the Gnome”, exciting workshops by Clocktower Florist and stunning flower stalls, this garden is an urban oasis where nature and fun come together.
Manchester Arndale is buzzing to get in on the action with an eco-tastic hub in Exchange Court (inside near Next). Families can explore underneath a Big Green Leaf where they will be shrunk down to the size of an insect for a buzzing adventure with Walter Droplet, Litter Bug, Worm Marie and the compost king himself, William Wormsworth, as you explore the wonders of the planet. Open from 12pm – 5pm, each day brings a new eco-themed activity: on Saturday, create bee finger puppets, learn about pollination and master the waggle dance in “Easy Bee-zy”; Sunday is all about crafting adorable bamboo bug hotels in “A Bug’s Life”; Monday invites you to make magical flower-seeded paper crafts in “Grow Your Own Adventure”; and on Tuesday, race to sort waste in a hilarious, planet-saving game with The Green Team during “Recycle and Race.” It’s hands-on, laugh-out-loud fun for all ages.
The Playground with Waterloo Road – New Cathedral Street
Hop, skip and jump into the ultimate school playground experience with BBC’s Waterloo Road, where popular schoolyard games come to life, bigger and better than ever before! Relive the joy of classic schoolyard fun with games like hopscotch, tig, giant chess, and giant snakes and ladders, or take part in a mini Sports Day featuring egg-and-spoon races and more. Created and developed by play experts, Playful Anywhere, New Cathedral Street will be transformed with giant, colourful shipping containers, where families can experience the magic of Waterloo Road. Snap a photo in front of the iconic yellow lockers in the dressing-up area, where you can try on school blazers and ties from the show, or join the Waterloo Road Art Class for creative activities like designing your own locker or colouring your very own Waterloo Road stained glass. Don’t miss the mini school disco and show off your talents in the schoolyard talent show. Whether you’re crafting, playing games, or showing off your moves on the dancefloor, this is one school day you’ll never want to end!
The Arcade – Printworks, Withy Grove
Get ready to level-up your family day out because it’s GAME ON under Europe’s largest digital ceiling at Manchester’s Printworks! Families can step into the future and relive the past at this electrifying digital playground, featuring everything from retro arcade machines like The World’s Largest Pac-Man and the fast-paced Batak, to modern gaming on the giant screen using your phone in the chill-out zone. Whether you’re a 90s gaming champion or a first-time player, this play zone is a game changer!
The Sports Hall – Great Northern Warehouse, Deansgate
Find all your favourite sporting activities under one roof with four areas dedicated to racing, football, hockey, table tennis and more! The Sports Hall is where families can unleash their competitive, gaming spirit, and enjoy everything from funky football games in The Stadium to table tennis in The Ping Hub. But wait—there’s more! Head downstairs to the Alpine Lodge for some curling and air hockey fun or race your way to victory with Scalextric and a racing simulator in the Grand Prix zone. Don’t forget the trophy podium for your family’s winning photo. This place is an all-star, action-packed, sports-lover’s dream.
The Party – Aviva Studios (home of Factory International)
Dance the day away in Manchester’s coolest venue and get ready for pop-up family parties, every day in the stunning Northern Warehouse of Aviva Studios. With world-class DJs, a pumping sound system and dazzling lighting, this is the ultimate family rave. Don’t feel like dancing? Chill out in the drop-in lounge with a playlist of dance and music themed programmes by CBeebies, plus pop-up craft workshops and more.
The Super Duper Family Festival isn’t just about incredible activities – families can also take advantage of exclusive half-term deals across the city. Manchester Arndale has pulled out all the stops, with free meals for kids at Doner Shack, Pizza Hut Express, Yo! Sushi, Sides, and Creams Café, alongside 20% off at HOP Vietnamese, £10 meal deals at Barburrito, a free kids’ Slurp at Boost with any regular drink and free muffins and choc-a-cinnos for kids when you spend £10 or more at Coffee Break.
There are also hands-on experiences like free treasure hunts and crafts at Waterstones, complimentary skincare consultations at Rituals, visits from Pawlette the Bunny at Build-a-Bear Workshop, bath bomb-making workshops at LUSH and free games of mini golf when purchasing any other game at King Pins.
Over at Printworks, families can enjoy free face painting at Adventure Golf, kids bowl free every morning at Tenpin, and discounted games at Boom Battle Bar. Wagamama is offering a new kids’ combo meal, plus a free dessert for parents, while Trax Social is letting kids eat free all week and offering 50% off SIM racing and karaoke.
For those who plan to head to Spinningfields, dine in style with a special 20% off the A La Carte menu at 20 stories, Manchester’s most iconic rooftop restaurant, available for families of up to six people on Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th February, while Hey Little Cupcake will also be bringing the tasty goods with free cake tops for children on Saturday 15th & Tuesday 18th February, available while stocks last. Other exclusive offers across the city include free family gaming and half price pizzas at Pong & Puck, whilst kids eat free at Zambrero and Harvey Nichols.
The festival will also feature unforgettable experiences with iconic venues like the Stoller Hall, Mayfield Park, People’s History Museum, Manchester Craft & Design Centre, the National Trust and Castlefield Viaduct, all set to host their own exciting activities, adding even more magic to the event. Plus, don’t forget to visit Paddington Bear in Spinningfields and take part in the ‘Harmony’ photography art trail by Luke Saxon.
Supported by the city’s hoteliers, Manchester Accommodation BID, this incredible festival is being brought to life in partnership with Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District, Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, Aviva Studios (home of Factory International), Great Northern Warehouse and Printworks, aiming to show off some of the best locations in the city whilst sparking imaginations and creating incredible memories for families.
With so much going on around the city, hotels within Manchester’s Accommodation BID zone will be making it easy for families to stay and enjoy a half term getaway, with exclusive rates and tailored packages including:
- 15% off stays booked over February Half Term with Supercity Aparthotels
- £25 food and drink credit to spend in The Refuge restaurant with Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
- Complimentary cookies and mocktails with The Lowry Hotel
- Book three, four or five nights and save up to 20% with Roomzzz Manchester City Centre
- A family hotel package including a Kids Eat Free breakfast with Townhouse Hotel Manchester
- 20% discount on food & drink and a 20% off code to visit the National Football Museum with Maldron Hotel Manchester Cathedral Quarter
- Enjoy free breakfasts for the kids, colouring books with crayons and a bottle of bubbly for the grown-ups with CitySuites Aparthotel
- Kids eat free with The Reach at Piccadilly
- Free kids evening meal with Hilton Manchester Deansgate
Manchester is on a journey to become a UNICEF UK Child Friendly City, where children and young people have a meaningful say in, and truly benefit from, the local decisions, services and spaces that shape their lives. Family friendly events like The Super Duper Family Festival support Manchester’s commitment.
For more information, please visit this link. For further updates on this new event, visit Instagram or Facebook or https://www.visitmanchester.com/super-duper-family-festival/.
ENDS
About the Manchester Accommodation BID
The Manchester Accommodation BID is a ground-breaking initiative led by the city’s hotel and serviced apartment providers to helping to create new events and additional activities that will attract more people to visit and stay in Manchester and Salford.
At its core, the Manchester Accommodation BID aims to deliver better visitor experiences and additional activity to drive more staying visitors. It allows Manchester to better compete in a global market and grow overnight visits at a time when an unprecedented level of supply is set to join Greater Manchester’s accommodation market, with an additional 6,000 confirmed new bedrooms incoming across the city-region in the coming years.
Manchester Accommodation BID activities are funded by the City Visitor Charge; a supplementary £1 Charge per room/unit per night for guests, added to final accommodation bills. The Charge is collected from all paid accommodation establishments that fall into the Manchester ABID zone.
Funds are used to: amplify marketing campaigns that drive overnight stays; help secure large-scale events, conferences, and festivals in low-season months; improve guest welcome and street cleanliness; and provide opportunities to futureproof the city’s growing accommodation sector and wider visitor economy.
