We Invented The Weekend

On Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2026, Salford Quays and MediaCity will be buzzing with over 200 FREE activities in the UK’s most welcoming, creative and fun-filled festival of free time, We Invented the Weekend! Packed with loads for you, your family and your friends to enjoy - play and get active, try something completely new, make and create, eat and drink, watch amazing performances or sing and dance the weekend away. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday daytime (kicking off from 10am).

At Lowry, our sought-after backstage tours are back where you can get a sneak peek behind the curtain and experience a side of the theatre that few get to see, there’ll be family activities in the galleries and the Lookout and Pirate Taxi performances outside from Pirates of the Carabina. On Sunday Lowry brings you the (North) West End Live on stage on the plaza bringing the magic of the West End to the North West, with showstopping performances from stars of SIX, Disney's High School Musical and The Choir of Man, alongside standout appearances from Laura Harrison (Wicked, Blood Brothers, Sunset Boulevard) and Sam Buttery (Unfortunate, Jesus Christ Superstar, Taboo).

Everything is FREE, no tickets required, just come along and enjoy the ultimate celebration of free time. 

For the full programme visit:

We Invented the Weekend