WHAT A WEEKEND! THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! • WHAT A WEEKEND! THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! • 
WHAT A WEEKEND! THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! • WHAT A WEEKEND! THANK YOU FOR JOINING US! • 

Even more family fun, with Gladiators, Hey Duggee and more

  • NEW additions to the family line-up including BBC One’s Gladiators, Hey Duggee, Supertato and Hacker T. Dog
  • CBeebies presenter Rebecca Keatley, Blue Peter’s Abby Cook and everyone’s favourite fitness instructor Mr Motivator will also join the line-up at the CBeebies Bedtime Stories Tent
  • The unmissable two-day FREE festival returns to MediaCity on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June

We Invented the Weekend festival returns to Salford in just ten days’ time and is pleased to announce new additions to the line-up, including the legendary BBC One Gladiators, with Athena, Comet, Viper and Apollo taking to the main stage plus meet and greet opportunities.

With an unmissable line-up of FREE family activities, there will now also be appearances from Bluey, Duggee and Supertato, as well as energetic dance workouts led by Mr Motivator including a brand-new song from the award winning CBeebies series JoJo & Gran Gran.

Over at the CBeebies Bedtime Story Tent, presenters Evie, Joanna and Dodge as well as George Webster, Gyasi Sheppy and CBBC’s Hacker T. Dog will join guest readers such as Great British Sewing Bee star Patrick Grant, Mr Motivator, and Gladiators Athena and Comet.

On Saturday 15th June, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra will take to the Piazza stage to present a live interactive performance of The Enormous Turnip from the CBeebies series Musical Storyland.

Taking place over Father’s Day Weekend, families can also make the most of the festival to celebrate with their Dads, whether its Dad dancing to his favourite soul tunes from the 60s and 70s with Northern Soul, brushing up on his dad jokes, trying out the ‘downward Dad’ pose at Yoga with the Feel Good Communities, learning to skateboard alongside their little ones with Greystone Action Sports or getting competitive at SCL Flag Football.

  • With over 200+ free activities taking place across the two days, We Invented the Weekend promises to be a weekend to remember with something for families and children of all ages.

On the Saturday, Super Movers for Every Body, the exciting new initiative from the BBC, Premier League and ParalympicsGB, which aims to get more children aged 5-11 into inclusive sports, will be showcasing some of their accessible activities. The UK’s best loved fitness instructor Mr Motivator, alongside his energetic team of motivators will also be hosting fun-filled CBeebies themed dance workouts.

A jam-packed schedule of activity also awaits from The Lowry including an exhilarating aerial dance duet from All or Nothing on The Swings, a 5m high installation at the end of The Lowry pier, behind the scenes tours of the theatre with special lighting and sound demonstrations, special gallery tours of the LS Lowry Exhibition, and a high-energy exciting flash mob from SIX The Musical at 11am on Sunday 16th June.

Children under five can learn to harness the power of music at the Tune-In to Talking EYFS Workshops with MAPAS, helping to foster speech, language and communication skills, while Transcend Tribe will be running a full day programme of wellbeing activities at The Lowry, including sound journey sessions, crystal energy workshops, family sound baths and breathwork experiences.

Outside The Lowry on the Plaza stage, there’s going to be an Our Kid Social huge family disco-tastic DJ party taking place. Attendees can also experience opera for the first time in a workshop with Lowry partner company, Opera North. Plus Families can enjoy some friendly rivalry in the Battle of the Best Family Quiz where laughter, learning and competition take centre stage with everything from brain-boggling questions to creative challenges.

For those looking to get creative, The Lookout at The Lowry will provide a space for children to create and play, with colouring, crafts and performances taking place across the weekend, as well as Creation Stations throughout The Quays Bar where children can create a Lowry inspired crown. Salfordian Gogglebox Star, Helena Worthington, will also be hosting Mirror Magic sessions, where families can discover the magic of self-reflection and learn how to use lines and shapes to craft unique masterpieces using techniques inspired by L.S. Lowry. Plus, aspiring architects and budding builders can create a city of the future with Mega Makers, a hands-on building experience from the Science and Industry Museum.

Over at Hot House on the Piazza, Art Den artists will be holding drop-in craft sessions where you can make your mark in a collaborative artwork that explores the importance of free time on our wellbeing in a creative, hands-on way. There will also be screen printing workshops, as well as a Giant Cardboard Playground and Den Building sessions with Live Wild Play.