Sorry I am late with this week’s update! The half-term weekend is upon us, and as ever the North West is delivering in style. Whether you are after centuries-old tradition, a big night out, a family adventure or a city-centre spectacle, there is no shortage of reasons to get out and explore the region this Friday through Sunday. Here is our pick of what is on.
Whit Friday Brass Band Contests, Saddleworth and Tameside: Friday 29 May
There is no better way to start this weekend than with what many people simply call the greatest free show on earth. The Whit Friday Brass Band contests take place on the Friday after Pentecost each year, bringing hundreds of brass bands from across the country and beyond to over 20 villages across Tameside and Saddleworth in Greater Manchester.
The band contest itself starts around 4pm, with crowds beginning to appear in each village from early afternoon. Each village hosts its own contest, and bands travel by coach, jumping off to perform their chosen march before hopping back on and moving to the next village. An adjudicator, usually stationed in a caravan or nearby room, judges each performance and awards points to determine the placings.
With eleven band contests happening simultaneously across Saddleworth and Oldham alone, the event offers a genuinely unique experience for visitors. Bands competing in at least six contests become eligible for the coveted Area Prizes. The Tameside circuit runs separately alongside it, and the village of Carrbrook, nestled in the Pennines, sits just off the main B6175 circuit route and makes a particularly good stopping point, being roughly midway between the Stalybridge and Saddleworth contests.
The day has enormous cultural significance across the North West, and the atmosphere as the light fades and the music echoes around the Pennine villages is something that is genuinely difficult to describe to someone who has never experienced it. Pick a village, find a good spot and settle in rather than trying to chase the bands from contest to contest. Admission is free.
Baltic Weekender, Baltic Triangle, Liverpool: Friday 29 and Saturday 30 May
Baltic Weekender is an independent music festival hosted in Liverpool, returning on 29th and 30th May across the Baltic Triangle. The festival takes over multiple indoor and outdoor venues in the area, and the event is strictly 18 and over.
The line-up includes Midland (DJ), Job Jobse, Palms Trax, Oppidan, Sonja Moonear, Chaos in the CBD, Faster Horses, Sexy Lady Massive and many more across the two days. It is one of the finest weekenders Liverpool puts on each year, drawing a fiercely loyal crowd to one of the city’s most creatively vibrant neighbourhoods. Tickets are required and available via the event’s website.
Steve Backshall Live at Chester Zoo: Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May
For families with children, Chester Zoo is the destination of the weekend. Award-winning wildlife presenter Steve Backshall is hosting a brand-new live stage show during May half term, taking audiences on a journey into the lives and ancient origins of sharks. Each 30-minute show features real shark teeth and jaws, lifelike replicas and historic footage, covering a wide variety of species from the iconic great white to the unusual wobbegong shark.
Shows run at 11:30am, 1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm daily, with the exception of Sunday 31 May when only the 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:30pm shows are available. Tickets for the live show are £5 per person, though zoo admission is not included and must be booked separately. BSL-interpreted shows are available on Friday 29 May at 4pm and Sunday 31 May at 2:30pm. Backshall, well known from Deadly 60 and a string of other wildlife programmes, is a natural with young audiences. This one is well worth booking in advance.
MARINA: The Princess of Power Tour, Aviva Studios, Manchester: Saturday 30 May
Manchester’s brilliant Aviva Studios is the place to be on Saturday evening. Platinum-selling artist MARINA brings her new album Princess of Power to the Warehouse for what promises to be a huge show. The album pulses with disco-lit electropop, and MARINA delivers a euphoric, high-energy exploration of healing and empowerment. Special guests for the Manchester date are Princess Nokia and Mikayla Geier. Doors open at 6:30pm.
MARINA burst on to the scene in 2009 and has since released five acclaimed albums, including Electra Heart, which debuted at number one on the UK’s Official Chart Albums chart. The Aviva Studios Warehouse is one of the finest mid-sized venues to have opened anywhere in Britain in recent years, and this is exactly the sort of show that makes the most of it.
The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run, City Centre, Manchester: Sunday 31 May
Even if you are not taking part, Sunday is a brilliant day to head into Manchester city centre and soak up the atmosphere of one of the North West’s most beloved annual events. The Great Manchester Run offers a choice between a 10k and a half marathon, starting and finishing in the city centre, and draws tens of thousands of runners of all abilities.
The courses run from Portland Street to Deansgate, passing landmarks including the Imperial War Museum and Coronation Street, and the event draws over 150,000 spectators who line the streets to cheer on runners to the sound of live bands, DJs and entertainment zones. This year’s official starters include double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, former rugby league star Kevin Sinfield CBE, and actress and Alzheimer’s Society ambassador Sally Lindsay MBE, who between them will send 38,000 runners on their way. The 10k race will be broadcast live on BBC Two from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
Even as a spectator, the energy on the streets of central Manchester on Great Manchester Run day is remarkable. Find a good spot on the route, cheer loudly, and make a morning of it.
Also Worth Knowing About This Weekend
The half-term atmosphere means many of the region’s country parks, heritage sites and visitor attractions will be busy and at their very best. The Utterly Revolting Science Show is on at The Atkinson in Southport on Saturday 30 May, and the Big Art Special: Art Sparks continues at National Museums Liverpool across the weekend. If you are after something a bit more peaceful, the Pennine fringes around Saddleworth and the Tame Valley are particularly lovely at this time of year, and the villages that host the Whit Friday contests are well worth a visit even outside the contest itself.
It is, in short, a weekend that rather encapsulates what makes living in or visiting the North West so satisfying. There is heritage, music, sport, nature and community all happening within a few miles of one another. Get out and make the most of it.
For more events and day out ideas across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, and Cumbria, explore the rest of North West Day Trips.
