67 dated events coming up in and around Manchester, Greater Manchester. Collected from the organisations running them, not from anyone paying to appear.
Join us and Colibri Mexican Folkdance for a vibrant celebration of life, love, and remembrance!
Half term at Elizabeth Gaskell's House: a Cranford the Cat trail and a spooky sill haunter craft, free for under 16s with a paying adult. Open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday only, and you need to book.
A free, low-key Halloween-season job for 5 to 12s: pick up a sheet at the welcome desk and make a skeleton mask inspired by a mysterious painting in Gallery One. Runs through half term and all of November.
A free, low-key Halloween-season job for 5 to 12s: pick up a sheet at the welcome desk and make a skeleton mask inspired by a mysterious painting in Gallery One. Runs through half term and all of November.
Half term at Elizabeth Gaskell's House: a Cranford the Cat trail and a spooky sill haunter craft, free for under 16s with a paying adult. Open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday only, and you need to book.
Join us and Colibri Mexican Folkdance for a vibrant celebration of life, love, and remembrance!
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Art Stars is a great activity for young people who enjoy making stuff!
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 9 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 14 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 7 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 6 dates, with a relaxed or autism-friendly session. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
More than 210 stalls across the city centre, with the big wheel and a helter-skelter in Albert Square, Skate MCR's covered rink in Cathedral Gardens and a new site at Lincoln Square. Saturday evenings are shoulder to shoulder, which is a lot with a pushchair.
Starts at 1pm. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Manchester's free council fireworks are back for the first time since 2019, with a reduced-noise, low-impact show at 5pm for young children and SEND families, then a lantern parade and the main display at 8pm. Go early if you have a toddler and be home for bath time.
The Fallowfield one of the council's three free displays, with the same two-show format: quieter and earlier at 5pm, loud at 8pm with a lantern parade in between. Wilmslow Road will be busy, so the bus beats the car.
One of three free council displays returning to Manchester parks this year. The 5pm show is deliberately quieter for little ones and children with SEND; the full-volume display follows at 8pm after a lantern parade. The park is huge, so agree a meeting point before it gets dark.
Runs on 4 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 4 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 15 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 20 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 18 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 18 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Starts at 11.30am, with a relaxed or autism-friendly session. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Starts at 3pm. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 5 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Elizabeth Gaskell's House is dressed for a Victorian Christmas, with a festive family trail, dressing up and tiny book decorations to make. Children 12 and under go free with a paying adult. Pre-book.
Runs on 4 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
A mile-long light trail through Heaton Park with a new 'Christmas Time Machine' theme this year, plus a Christmas village with food, drink and fairground rides. Tickets are now just peak or off-peak, and you can move your date for free up to a day before.
A 30-minute walk through themed rooms and elf missions, ending in Santa's cabin with a gift for every child. It has moved to the Corn Exchange this year, in the main atrium next to Mowgli, and the queue is indoors. Every child needs a ticket, babies included, and the professional photo with Santa is sold on the day.
Starts at 6.30pm. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Starts at 1.15pm. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Starts at 4.30pm. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 3 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Starts at 11am. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Starts at 11am. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Manchester's big city-centre panto, with Jason Manford and Ben Nickless back on the Opera House stage. Early December weekdays have 1pm shows as well as 7pm ones. Under 18 months can sit on your lap free with a babes-in-arms voucher.
The city's Christmas parade is booked in for Sunday 6 December. The council has not published the route or start time yet, so check nearer the day before you promise anyone a front-row spot.
The Hallé plays The Snowman score live to the film at the Bridgewater Hall on Sunday 6 December, at 1pm and 4pm, plus other festive film music. Child £18.75, adult £29, family of four £73.25.
Life-sized dinosaurs from the Prehistoric Planet series in an immersive LIGHTROOM show, narrated by Damian Lewis, that runs as a 50-minute loop you can walk into at any point. Children get up to 25% off and 2s and under go free. The evening slots from 6pm are not for younger children: the page calls them 12+ in one place and adults only in another, so book a daytime slot.
Runs on 14 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Chetham's Symphony Orchestra play a Christmas concert for families at the Stoller Hall, about an hour long and introducing the instruments. Best for children aged 7 and up.
Starts at 10am, with a relaxed or autism-friendly session. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
The Hallé's Christmas family concert at the Bridgewater Hall, a musical trip round the world in 80 minutes hosted by CBBC's Abby Cook. Get there early for the free activities in the foyer.
Starts at 9am. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Starts at 10am. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
RNCM Children's Packed Lunch Our children’s packed lunch is perfect for younger visitors and includes a sandwich, crisps, chocolate biscuit, and fruit.
Runs on 5 dates, with a relaxed or autism-friendly session. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 13 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 11 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 12 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 12 dates. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Runs on 2 dates, with a relaxed or autism-friendly session. Times, prices and tickets are on the organiser's own page.
Everything on across the region4 more not shown here
Places you can turn up to whether or not anything is on.
North Manchester's wild park: ancient wooded valleys, a lake with a lakeside cafe and a children's play area. And a name no child can resist.
A flat mile around a lake, swans included, plus a genuinely good playground with a zip line, sand play and sensory equipment. Free entry, free parking, and south Manchester knows it, so go early on sunny days.
Didsbury's garden park: a rockery on a slope, the Parsonage Gardens, meadows and a path down to the Mersey. Free, open dawn to dusk, and better for a pootle than a play.
One of the biggest municipal parks in Europe: a free animal centre, a boating lake, playgrounds and enough space to lose a whole day in. You will not do all of it in one visit.
A neo-Gothic library from 1900 on Deansgate that looks like a cathedral built for books. Free, no booking, and a genuine wow for about 45 minutes. Open Wednesday to Saturday only.
Free, right in the city centre, and properly set up for children: the Lion's Den family gallery has its own play space and the family activity programme costs nothing. Closed Mondays.