Freight Island brings festival-favourite family events to Manchester

Mayfield’s Escape to Freight Island has unveiled a calendar of unmissable and acclaimed family events, including a showstopping, festival-rocking jungle act that’s never stepped foot on stage in Manchester. 

The season of pre-noon parties will showcase world-class kids’ DJs who’ll be playing big tunes for little ravers and their families. 

Escape to Freight Island venue opened last year to huge fanfare, cramming the long-closed Mayfield Depot site with several of the best restaurants and bars in the city.

The larger-than-life space – which is bursting with kaleidoscopic colour, spacious and buzzy enough for kids to explore and enjoy – quickly became a hit with in-the-know parents. 

This Autumn/Winter season, Escape to Freight Island will cater for its littlest fans and their families by throwing a host of uplifting, dancefloor filling events on weekend mornings.  

For the First time in Manchester, ‘World’s Funniest MC’ Rocky Patch and DJ Nick Terrific present Junior Jungle.

The most uplifting family rave on the planet and the most fun you can have with your kids in the room will take over Escape to Freight Island on Saturday 23rd October, between 10am and 12noon, described by DJ Rob Da Bank as “…in my top 5 acts ever… They just bring the child friendly junglist ruckus wherever they go!”  

This is definitely not another baby rave, this is a real rinse out for the whole family. The Camp Bestival favourite serves only the finest cuts of drum and bass and jungle, all vetted for age-appropriate content, and expertly mixed live by Nick Terrific.

You can also expect to dance, a lot. MC Rocky Patch will lead the charge making sure all partygoers are jumpin’ and skankin’. There will be dance offs and battles and prizes.

Born to be Wild Child present their Halloween Party with the Rockin’ Rhinos on Sunday 24th October.

From 10am til noon Manchester’s much-loved makers of animal rock music will play two live sets of rock n roll hits, spooky floor stompers and their own Rhino’s classics.

Expect a smattering of unique renditions from The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Specials and Bowie, and for parents and kids having equal amounts of floor-filling fun.  

With Remake Remodel DJs playing the best rock ‘n’ roll and guitar anthems, a balloon drop, temporary tattoos, Halloween crafts, free face painting, and a host of other unmissable activities, it promises to be the wildest party you’ve ever been to before lunch. 

On 7th November, Escape to Freight Island rolls out the red carpet for Playhouse Project Family Rave with Disco Mums and Cequin Circus.

The all-female Manchester based DJ collective of seasoned clubbers (and proud parents) are fired up and fresh from their acclaimed Manchester International Festival set. 

They’ll be bringing the party vibes with guaranteed feel-good tunes, ranging from Disco, House, Techno, Boogie and Italo.

Disco ball dancers from Cequin Circus will be out to bedazzle, dance and shine bright, bringing their hoops to entertain kids on the dancefloor.

From 10am to midday, the family rave will also boast cool crafts from Square Pegs, bubble machines, face painting and glitter fairies, and even baby sensory activities for under 4s.  

With more top tier events lined up for later in the year, Escape to Freight Island is gearing up to become the floor-filling, family-fun heart and soul of weekends in Manchester. 

Find out more here.