Credit: Supplied
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They might’ve only just gone back to school, but this February half term, you can certainly keep the kids entertained as Manchester will once again host The Super Duper Family Festival. The event will see the city transformed into one giant, interactive playground with plenty of imagination, discovery and free family fun.
When and where will the Super Duper Family Festival take place in Manchester?
Taking place from Wednesday 18th February to Saturday 21st February, families can once again explore unique play zones scattered across Manchester’s most iconic spaces – including some exciting new additions. With all zones completely free to experience, families can expect hands-on making, dancing, exploring, building, crafting, gaming, storytelling, sports and lots of surprises with no hassle, and pure playtime.
Activities will pop up across the city at venues such as Aviva Studios, Great Northern Warehouse, Manchester Arndale, Manchester Central Library, Manchester Central, People’s History Museum, Printworks and the Science and Industry Museum.
Credit: Supplied All of the Manchester play zones at Super Duper Family Festival 2026 The Story Den with BBC CBeebies Bedtime Stories – Manchester Central Library and Manchester Central
A celebration of creativity, culture and storytelling, The Story Den is bringing a range of daily activities to Central Library. Throughout the week, kids can enjoy daily drop-in Lego workshops and an exciting Library Hunt, while on Wednesday, young readers can enjoy a Little Reads interactive storytelling session with Manchester Literature Festival, whilst older children can get hands-on with crafting at the Crochet Club.
Thursday will be a day of music and dancing with music-themed crafts and a Little Movers and Shakers session. Friday is one for film fans with the Family Film Club, and on Saturday, it’s International Mother Language Day, with activities celebrating languages from across the globe, including Ukrainian Storytime.
There will also be a Story Book Walk on Lower Mosley Street, where you can spot iconic characters from classic children’s literature, before reaching Manchester Central for fun with BBC CBeebies in The Story Den. Children and their families and carers can get cosy and snuggle up to experience some special CBeebies Bedtime Stories. CBeebies stars, storytellers, dates and times are yet to be announced, and free tickets will be available to book very soon.
🎟️ All activities are drop-in apart from the Crochet Club, which requires a free ticket, which can be booked via The Super Duper Family Festival website.
🕒 Open daily from 10am – 5pm.
Credit: The Vain Carl Sukonik The Soapbox – People’s History Museum
This February half term, families can make their own protest badges, explore a pop-up creativity corner, play Banner Bingo in the galleries, dress up as historical changemakers, snap a photo in the photobooth, and unleash their voices in engaging, fun activities at the People’s History Museum. Plus, there are ticketed sessions of My Protest Song with singer-songwriter Matt Hill on Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th February, and drop-in, un-ticketed African Drums for Protest sessions on Friday 20th & Saturday 21st February.
🎟️ Free tickets for My Protest Song are available here.
🕒 Open daily from 10am – 5pm.
The Studios – St. John’s
Venues across St John’s, including Aviva Studios and the Science and Industry Museum, will host The Studios, a play zone where families can get hands-on with film, TV, music, dance and technology on the grounds of Old Granada Studios.
At Aviva Studios, imagination meets innovation with activities featuring: The Digital Playground – an expansive space with motion-triggered content, interactive digital canvases and dynamic soundscapes, Make & Create: Family – a creative zone where families can design, build and play in collaborative projects, Game Stations with digital games in a chill-out area, The Roller Studio – a mini roller rink led by an instructor and a Silent Disco – where families can hit the dancefloor and groove to their own beat.
Credit: Supplied
Children will even get the chance to step into the director’s chair and help create The Super Duper Movie. Families can shoot their own 30-second scene on a smartphone and submit it directly to the producer, and selected scenes will be featured in the brand-new feature film, set to receive its grand premiere at The Super Duper Family Festival 2026. Street food legends, GRUB, will also have a pop-up mini market where hungry filmmakers can refuel with delicious bites.
The Studios will also host Manchester Music Mooch – a fun, creative family experience inspired by the Manchester Music Mooch app. Young and old visitors can take part in relaxed, hands-on digital-based music workshops where they’ll explore sounds and the city’s musical heritage, experiment with beat-making, and build (and keep) their own track, using a selection of music loops created especially for the app by local established and emerging artists.
Meanwhile, the Science and Industry Museum will have a stellar line-up of free activities for the Super Duper Family Festival inspired by the Manchester museum’s new world-premiere exhibition, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos. Festivalgoers can enjoy a variety of experiences, including Cosmic Dance Drop-Ins, an immersive Journey Through the Universe, and budding stargazers can discover how to become experts of the night sky.
🕒 Open daily 10am – 5pm.
Credit: Supplied The Nursery Rhyme Trail – Manchester Arndale
Manchester Arndale is taking Story Time to a whole new level as Humpty Dumpty takes centre stage in this energetic, imaginative trail, packed with music, movement and mission-solving that’s perfect for ages 3 to 11. Begin at the Dippy Training School – a colourful training zone led by the Queen and her wonderful, wacky egg soldiers: Private Yolk and Private Scramble, where families can take part in silly warm-up drills, singalongs and games, before joining the Humpty Dumpty Parade on a playful trail of riddles, tasks, pop-up performers and creative challenges. Back at the base, families will work together to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, graduate from Dippy Training School and receive a chocolate reward.
🕒 Open daily 10am – 5pm.
The Arcade – Printworks
Underneath Europe’s largest digital ceiling, Printworks will be hosting a retro-meets-future gaming adventure. Families can race head-to-head on the giant interactive racing game using phones as controllers or flex their reflexes on real-world table games, including Digital Whack-a-Mole, Chase the Light, Air Hockey and Catchy It Reaction Ring.
🕒 Open daily 10am – 5pm.
Credit: Supplied The Sports Hall – Great Northern Warehouse
Adding to the zones at the Super Duper Family Festival in Manchester is The Sports Hall – kicking off with the arrival of The Skate Park. New for this year, this major addition brings an adrenaline-charged edge to the festival, with Graystone Action Sports leading free introductory skateboarding sessions (suitable for ages 7+) every hour on a first-come, first-served basis.
The action continues across the site, where families can race Scalextric cars in The Grand Prix, capture a victory moment on the Winner’s Podium, go head-to-head on The Pitch with table football and Subsoccer, or pick up a paddle in The Ping Hub. Sports fans can also unwind and get creative in The Fan Zone with the National Football Museum.
Plus, for the first time, AO Arena in Manchester will play host to both the Men’s and Women’s Super League Basketball Cup Finals on Sunday 22nd March 2026, so you can join Super League Basketball at The Sports Hall and get closer to the game.
🕒 Open daily 10am – 5pm.
Credit: The Vain Carl Sukonik The Carnival – St Ann’s Square
St Ann’s Square is set to become a world of nostalgia and wonder with old-school amusement and carnival magic. The traditional Victorian carousel returns, alongside a colourful array of side-show stalls, including Hook a Duck, Spin the Wheel, Coconut Shy and Ferris Wheel Hoopla. Families can test their might at the Test of Strength, stretch their reflections in the Carnival of Mirrors and take on a brain-bending challenge courtesy of the Museum of Illusions and Urban Playground.
🕒 Open daily 10am – 5pm.
The Playground with Waterloo Road – Exchange Square
School’s in for Half Term because families are invited to step into a playful, supersized school day inspired by BBC’s Waterloo Road! Explore a cluster of activity-packed shipping containers created by Playful Anywhere, bursting with free schoolyard fun, including boogie sessions at The School Disco, hands-on crafts in The Art Class, props, costumes and photo-fun in The Drama Class, sports day silliness in The PE Class featuring a Spin the Wheel challenge, table tennis, swing ball and chill out vibes in The Sixth Form Common Room and free-play activity and big-energy games in The Yard, including hoola-hooping, skipping and giant Jenga.
🕒 Open daily 10am – 5pm.
The only city in the UK to host a free, four-day family festival during February half term
Event Producer of The Super Duper Family Festival, Gary James Williams, said: “We’re super excited to be bringing The Super Duper Family Festival back for a second year. 2026 will see us go all out with eight different zones across the city centre, featuring everything from skateboarding, roller skating and gaming to storytelling, science and filmmaking. We’re working with an incredible line-up of event partners including CBeebies, Super League Basketball and the National Football Museum to help us create a festival that’s inspiring and packed with unforgettable experiences for families of all ages.
“As the only city in the UK to host a free four-day family festival during February Half Term, we’re encouraging families to stay over, explore Manchester and enjoy the buzz across the city – from the festival itself to our wider cultural, food and retail scene.”