What's on this Easter in Manchester 2025

What’s on and things to do for the Easter holidays 2025 in Manchester

Events and things to do this Easter

The Smartest Giant In Town -Waterside Arts

This heart-warming tale about friendship and helping those in need is brought to life in a musical, puppet-filled adventure, following on from Little Angel Theatre’s bestselling adaptations of Julia Donaldson’s picture books including The Singing Mermaid and The Everywhere Bear.

George wishes he wasn’t the scruffiest giant in town. So when he sees a new shop selling giant-sized clothes, he decides it’s time for a new look: smart trousers, smart shirt, stripy tie, shiny shoes. Now he’s the smartest giant in town . . . until he bumps into some animals who desperately need his help – and his clothes!

Live at Waterside Arts from 9th to 10th April 2025
Priced from £15 children and £17 adults

Adventures in Wonderland - Z-Arts

Tumble down the Rabbit Hole and into Wonderland to enjoy a brand new immersive play experience at Z-arts.

Adventures in Wonderland has been created in partnership with Macmillan Children’s Books and celebrates the 160th anniversary of one of the most loved children’s books of all time, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Created to enchant children aged 1- 8 years the design and build of the whole set is the skilful work of Z-arts’ in-house team.

All tickets for Adventures in Wonderland are priced at £12 (plus 60p booking fee), with a family ticket for four priced at £40 (plus £2.40 booking fee). All sessions are timed and are available from Saturday 5 April, with dates released until the summer.

Discover brilliant children’s books from Macmillan Children’s Books, the publisher of Alice in Wonderland, with their dedicated children’s newsletter, Macmillan Kids. Sign up here.

Easter Egg Decorating Class - The Lowry Hotel

Hop into Easter fun at The Lowry Hotel with a Kids’ Easter Egg Making Masterclass.

The Lowry Hotel is hosting its first children’s Easter masterclass with chocolatier Oli The Choc.

Taking place on 9th April, this hands-on workshop offers children (aged 6-12) the chance to create their own decorative Easter eggs while learning chocolate-making skills from one of Manchester’s best-known experts.

Held in The River Restaurant, the 75-minute session starts at 11:30 am. Kids will be guided through tempering, filling, and decorating their eggs with a variety of colourful toppings and Easter treats. All materials are provided.

Tickets are £25 per child, including the workshop, a drink, and a snack.

Room on the Broom - Lowry

Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat in Tall Stories’ fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom, the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

The witch and her cat are travelling on their broomstick when they pick up some hitch-hikers – a friendly dog, a beautiful green bird and a frantic frog. But this broomstick’s not meant for five and – CRACK – it snaps in two… just as the hungry dragon appears! Will there ever be room on the broom for everyone?

With enchanting puppetry, sing-a-long songs and hilarious fun, ‘Room on the Broom’ is an ideal Easter family treat and a magical introduction to theatre for young children.

Live at Lowry from 15th to 20th April 2025

Gandey's Circus Carnival - Trafford Centre

Step right up and join the heart of the carnival spirit as Gandeys Circus proudly presents the 2025 Carnival Spectacular! Prepare for an electrifying fusion of circus, magic and the vibrant energy of a world-class carnival.

Leading the charge is the dazzling Ringmaster Joel Hatton, along with the comedic genius Bippo The Clown, whose antics will keep you in stitches!

This is a show like no other – a whirlwind of excitement and wonder that promises to delight the entire family. From uproarious comedy to breathtaking acrobatics, every act is a feast for the eyes – this show has it all! With vibrant costumes, dazzling choreography, and show-stopping performances, it’s a full-scale carnival extravaganza that rivals the excitement of any festive celebration.

Secure your tickets now and join Gandeys Carnival Spectacular, featuring an international cast of extraordinary performers who will leave you in awe, with memories that will last a lifetime.

Live from 5th to 21st April 2025

Science + Industry Museum

Spring into action at Science + Industry Museum with a sense-sational programme of free hands-on family fun.

Discover the spectacular superpowers of animals in lively new science show Wild Senses. From bees to bats, see how curious creatures use their incredible senses to survive and thrive in our world.

Join expert Explainers at the Tasting Station and discover how bees taste and smell. Hang out in the Bat Cave and learn more about these nocturnal creatures. Get crafty and make your own bat to take home.

Add a ticket to the brand-new exhibition Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You and get ready for an adventure of sense-sational science. Poke around inside a giant eyeball, journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot and plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses.

Power Up—the ultimate gaming experience—will be open every day during the school holidays. Book a day pass for £8 or upgrade to an annual pass for £15 and play the very best video games from the past five decades and try out over 150 different consoles together.

Mary Poppins - Palace Theatre

Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s spectacular production of the classic multi award-winning musical Mary Poppins is flying to Palace Theatre from 9th April 2025 for 5 weeks only.

Acclaimed Australian stars Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers reprise their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert, having both received critical acclaim and nightly standing ovations for their performances in the recent Australian production.

Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, the story of the World’s favourite nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is even more magical than ever before featuring dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs.

Live from 9th April to 17th May 2025
Tickets priced from £28

The Koala Who Could - Lowry

A Lowry, Rose Theatre, Nicoll Entertainment, Northern Stage, Unicorn Theatre and MAST Mayflower Studios co-production

Based on the bestselling picture book about taking a chance

An empowering and chuckle-out-loud story about embracing change — whether we like it or not.

Join Kevin, King of the staying-still-kings, and his friends the wombats, roos, and dingos as they learn that “life can be great when you try something new”.

Live at Lowry from 8th to 13th April 2025

East Lancashire Railway

The mischievous bob-tailed bunny, Peter Rabbit™, is visting the Bury Transport Museum!

See Peter Rabbit at intervals on Friday 18th & Saturday 19th April.

There will be even more family fun with three fun fair rides suitable for toddlers, face painters and craft activities.

Complete your day out with a ride along one of the heritage steam or diesel trains through Irwell Valley. Ticket price includes a ride on any train services on the day of your visit.

RHS Garden Bridgewater

The giant Easter egg hunt at RHS Bridgewater is more egg-citing than ever!

This year, children have a special quest to solve* as they look for brightly coloured eggs hidden in the garden. You can also enjoy storytelling, planting and craft workshops and the magical Guess How Much I Love You™ garden adventure trail.

Book garden entry online and save; free to RHS members and children under 5. Children aged 5–16 just £5.

*A £2.50 charge applies per child for a code-breaker pack and chocolate treat – pre-order online to save time at the door.

People's History Museum

People’s History Museum (PHM) is celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books this Easter.

Families are invited to make mini books inspired by a revolution in publishing and the changemakers whose stories are told on the museum’s galleries.

Taking place in PHM’s Playful Protest Space, children will be given a series of fun challenges to help them create their mini masterpieces to add to their bookshelves at home.

Easter Mini Books, Big Stories is suitable for ages 5+ (under 18s must have an accompanying adult), is free to take part in and no booking is required.

Total Ninja

Let the kids loose at Total Ninja Manchester for ninja-tastic eggs-ercise to burn off all their excess energy.

The park tests your Ninja skills while climbing, balancing and swinging across obstacles or bouncing across their inflatable – plus find out if you have what it takes to beat the wall!

To recharge after all the action, you can recoup in the cafe with a variety of drinks, snacks or mains. Over the school break, prospective Ninjas can snag two 1-hour sessions plus a sharing pizza, Monday-Friday after 4pm, for just £24.

What’s more, families can enter a social media colouring competition, from Friday 11th April to be in with the chance of winning a birthday party at Total Ninja Manchester for 10 people.

Yard & Coop - Kids eat free

This Easter, Yard & Coop – home of The Best Chicken and The Biggest Smile – is making family dining a whole lot easier (and tastier). From April 4th to April 22nd, kids eat free all day, every day excluding Saturdays.

Designed for hungry little cluckers and their equally hungry parents, the offer includes a free kids meal with every paying adult. That means delicious buttermilk fried chicken and proper good times without breaking the bank this half-term.

The Kids Eat Free menu features a choice of crispy buttermilk chicken or veggie nuggets, fries or mash, and peas or beans – with a drink included. The only thing families need to do is book a table and show up hungry.

Yard & Coop’s fun, laid-back setting, table service and famous fried chicken makes it a family favourite in the city – and this Easter’s campaign promises to be one of the busiest yet.

Oxygen Activeplay

Take advantage of Oxygen at MediaCity’s Easter Holiday Pass. For just £30, the pass holder can visit the park on any five days of the two-week break, including weekends and Bank Holidays, for 60 minutes of Open Play.

Jumpers can let loose on interconnected trampolines, a mega-airbag, an inflatable park and a Strike Arena, where players can form a team or take on a solo mission, to navigate their way through obstacles to strike lit-up targets and score the most points.

High above the park, bouncers over 120cm can take on the exhilarating high ropes course and navigate across six challenging crossings, while thrill-seekers who are 135cm or taller can get a sky-high feeling as they take flight and soar over the park on a harness on the Sky Rider.

Museum of Illusions

The Museum of Illusions offers a unique experience that both kids and adults will love!

Packed with over 50 mind-bending interactive exhibits, including optical illusions, gravity-defying rooms, and mesmerizing holograms, the museum offers a hands-on adventure where science and perception collide. It’s the perfect way to keep young minds curious and creative while having fun together as a family.

One of the best parts? The hilarious photo opportunities! Kids will love striking funny poses that make for unforgettable, giggle-worthy memories. Plus, the brain room is filled with puzzles and mind games to keep those little cells buzzing throughout the school break.

Visitors can explore at their own pace, making it ideal for anything from a quick visit to a full afternoon of fun. Whether you’re looking for a short trip or a longer family day out, there’s something for everyone.

What's on this Easter in Manchester 2025

Events and things to do this Easter

The Smartest Giant In Town -Waterside Arts

Adventures in Wonderland - Z-Arts

Easter Egg Decorating Class - The Lowry Hotel

Room on the Broom - Lowry

Gandey's Circus Carnival - Trafford Centre

Science + Industry Museum

Mary Poppins - Palace Theatre

The Koala Who Could - Lowry

East Lancashire Railway

RHS Garden Bridgewater

People's History Museum

Total Ninja

Yard & Coop - Kids eat free

Oxygen Activeplay

Museum of Illusions

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