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The RHS is bringing its first large scale indoor show to Manchester
Be inspired to connect to nature and create your own urban paradise
The Royal Horticultural Society’s inaugural Urban Show is coming to Depot Mayfield, in Manchester city centre, this month.
Marking the RHS’s first large scale, indoor show, as it celebrates 220 years of enriching people’s lives through horticulture, the event will explore the cutting-edge of modern gardening.
The event, taking place April 18th – 21st, will explore the growing urban gardening movement, aiming to inspire more and more people to take to their backyards, balconies and patios, and create a paradise that welcomes local wildlife and for people to enjoy.
The show is set to include a seven-garden vision for a greener city to vertical structures for awkward urban spaces, the secret to growing happy houseplants and a horticultural exhibit celebrating the heyday of the Manchester scene’s Hacienda days.
Major exhibits include RHS City Spaces: Cloudscape by Manchester Cloud Gardener Jason Williams, who challenges horticultural retailers, local authorities and developers to rethink the ways in which they interact with communities with a vision of how to make our towns and cities greener.
Designed through a collaborative process involving students on Manchester Metropolitan University’s Rise programme and Notcutts Garden Centre, the exhibit brings together four balconies each facing north, south, east and west with a maximum budget of £500, a north-facing shaded rented patio, an urban farm and a communal garden.
Williams said that RHS City Spaces: Cloudscape addresses different residents’ needs, microclimates and pay brackets.
He added: “The concept as a whole is an ambitious blueprint of how we can bring a city together.
“These are not show gardens, they are learning exhibits designed to teach residents, local authorities, retail and developers how we can all improve to make our towns and cities greener.”
Four-time RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal-winners GrowTropicals reveal the secret to which houseplants are best suited to your home’s unique environment.
Their exhibit featuring dozens of plants – from the rare to the exotic – covers everything from the best shade-loving plants for north-facing rooms, thirstier varieties ideal for humid sports or sun-worshippers which love sunny windowsills.
Midlands-based designer Amanda Grimes brings her exhibit, Pop Culture Planting: Punk Rockery, the New Wave and 24-Hour Party Planting, a two-part installation set over three years showing a design at the time of planting, one year on and two years on.
Her aim is to give new and inexperienced gardeners the confidence and inspiration to ‘just go for it’ by showing visitors what they can expect as a garden develops naturally over time, even with poor soil or rubble.
She said: “Punk Rockery hits Manchester in the same way the Sex Pistols did in June 1976, though possibly with less swearing and a bigger audience.
“That now-legendary gig was the spark that lit the touch paper of the whole Manchester New Wave music scene which included the Buzzcocks, Joy Division/New Order, The Fall, Magazine, The Smiths and Factory Records, and went on to inspire so many more.”
“The installation is named in honour of all that creativity which was, and still is, uniquely Mancunian,” continues Ms Grimes.
“24-Hour Party Planting is a celebration of Manchester’s thriving nightlife, restaurant and entertainment scene. It references the Happy Mondays’ track of the same name, and with it the hedonistic days of the Hacienda.
“It traces that legacy through to 2024 and the incredibly diverse, vibrant and endlessly creative energy of the Gay Village, Northern Quarter, Salford and beyond.”
The RHS Urban Show, sponsored by Mad About Land, also debuts ‘content cubes’ for gardeners with small spaces, including RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2023’s People’s Choice and gold medal-winner Conal McGuire’s Urban Shade which utilises modular ‘grow frames’ offering a creative, versatile and eco-friendly solution for growing in awkward urban spaces which can be reconfigured in different ways.
A programme of talks also takes place touching upon subjects from cut flowers to juggling plant life with work and family life.
A host of shopping opportunities will be on offer, from a variety of indoor and outdoor plants suitable for urban growers to a new clothing range by Mad About Land, as well as pots and macramé.
RHS-run workshops including how to make your own terrariums will also take place, while free guided tours of Mayfield Park will also be available for guests to hear from designers and architects about the regeneration of the area.
Lex Falleyn, show manager for the RHS Urban Show, said: “Urban Gardening is diverse and dynamic and the inaugural RHS Urban Show is an exciting opportunity to explore the important role gardening plays in greening up cities.
“We’ve chosen to work with a wide range of gardeners, from award-winning designers to community groups to enthusiasts who juggle gardening with day-to-day life. We hope this will bring a balance of relevant yet realistic advice to get people growing.”
Tickets for the event start from £17.85 (plus booking fee). To purchase a ticket, click HERE.
What's On
Manchester to transform into HUGE interactive playzone for free family festival this February half term
Manchester will be transformed this half term
Manchester is launching The Super Duper Family Festival in February, a new free un-ticketed family event spread over four days.
There’ll be various activities that will transform the city into a giant, interactive playground from Saturday February 15th to Tuesday February 18th 2025.
Families can explore unique play zones scattered across Manchester, with everything from giant mazes and steam-powered carousels to retro video games and family raves.
The family festival will feature six key zones across the city, including The Garden in Exchange Square, featuring an 18m x 18m real hedge maze reaching two metres high.
Then there’s The Carnival in St Ann’s Square, a steampunk spectacle of old-school carnival games, including a traditional Victorian Carousel, a mind-bending Hall of Mirrors, and Test of Strength stand.
Other zones include The Playground with Waterloo Road, where popular schoolyard games come to life on New Cathedral Street in collaboration with BBC’s Waterloo Road, gaming at The Arcade in the Printworks, The Sports Hall at Great Northern Warehouse, and The Party at Aviva Studios.
Then there’s The Rave, bringing family raves and parties featuring a world-class sound system and dazzling lighting displays to the Great Northern Warehouse.
Venues like the National Football Museum, Stoller Hall, People’s History Museum and Castlefield Viaduct are also set to host their own exciting activities.
And families can experience the launch of CBBC’s Operation Ouch: Brains, Bogeys and You at the Science and Industry Museum.
Supported by the city’s hoteliers, Manchester Accommodation BID, the festival has been created in partnership with Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District, Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, Aviva Studio, Great Northern Warehouse and Printworks.
Manchester Accommodation BID Chairman, Kumar Mishra said, “This festival is a fantastic opportunity to draw families into the heart of Manchester, showcasing the city’s vibrant culture, creativity, and its status as a world-class destination.
“With iconic attractions like the National Football Museum, the Science and Industry Museum, and the breathtaking Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester offers an unparalleled mix of history, innovation, and entertainment.
“By transforming the city into a playground of creative experiences and offering free fun for children of all ages, we’re not only celebrating the best of Manchester, but also inspiring families to explore, stay, and create lasting memories in one of the UK’s most dynamic and exciting cities.”
The festival is a free un-ticketed event, find out more HERE.
What's On
The new FREE Christmas night market with over 40 traders from across our region
Get in the festive spirit!
Get in the festive spirit with a brand new FREE Christmas makers night market, with over 40 traders and small businesses from across the region.
Brought to you by Renaker, the Manchester Made Christmas night market is coming to New Jackson, Deansgate Square from Friday December 6th to Sunday December 8th.
Following on from a successful summer market in May, the Manchester Made Market is returning bigger and better than before but with a Christmassy twist.
Manchester Made Market
Expect a ‘cosy and magical’ Christmas night market experience, with food, drink, live music and even a grotto for visits to Father Christmas.
There’ll be Christmas trees galore, glittering with lighting, with one huge show-stopping tree taking centre stage.
Bringing together over 40 artisanal traders and small businesses from across the region, the three-day event will showcase a plethora of food produce, homewares, crafts and creations.
Manchester Made Market
Visitors will be sure to find unique Christmas gifts that support local businesses, including from The Cole Men and their award winning sauces, Moon & Sixpence’s handmade jewellery, and fine art photography by Craig Barker.
There’ll be live music from a 20-piece choir, playing Christmas classics, cocktails from Manchester Gin and Gooey’s sweet treats.
The experts from Millington Hall Farm in Altrincham will be bringing a taste of their Wild Grill experience, including live sausage making demonstrations and an array of German sausages served from a festive BBQ trailer.
Manchester Made Market
Families with children can visit the Christmas grotto, where Father Christmas himself will be waiting in a cosy tipi – kids will get a gift from Santa, and bookings can be made online for £8.50 per child.
Manchester Made Market will be open from 4pm to 9pm on Friday December 6th, and 1pm to 9pm on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th – pre-register for a free guest list ticket and 50% off a hot chocolate HERE, or book the Christmas grotto HERE.
What's On
Free one-day Christmas festival returning to Stockport to kick off festive season
Get in the festive spirit in Stockport!
Stockport’s free, one-day Christmas festival is returning this festive season, with 200 performers and more than 50 shows.
Spectacular Sunday will return to the town on November 17th at various sites and venues.
Following the success of last year’s event, hundreds of performers will take over Stockport, with everything from giant roller-skating presents to a living snow globe and roaming Christmas dolls.
There will also be street theatre, including grumpy Christmas grandads, a gigantic balloon man and water show.
Matthew Nichol Photography
Produced by carnival arts organisation Global Grooves and organised by Stockport Council, Totally Stockport, Merseyway and Stockport Market, the town centre will be buzzing with Christmas excitement.
Events will be happening in iconic Stockport locations like Market Place, Underbanks, Merseyway, Redrock and Suffragette Square.
A grand finale in Merseyway will bring together the brass bands of Stockport, ending the day with a huge flash mob and rendition of All You Need Is Love.
Cirq Delight
Cllr Singleton, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Sport, said: “We’re so excited to bring this event back after last year’s amazing success.
“It’s such a fun way to get everyone in the festive spirit and really shows off what makes Stockport special – our sense of community and joy.
“With loads of free performances and activities, plus a chance to enjoy the newly improved areas of Merseyway, it’s a perfect day out for families.
“Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday is all about having fun, making memories, and starting the holiday season in style.”
Spectacular Sunday is happening from 11am to 5pm on Sunday November 17th – find out more HERE.
Find something to do in Manchester
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Manchester to transform into HUGE interactive playzone for free family festival this February half term
The VR gaming experience at airport where you can escape reality
The new FREE Christmas night market with over 40 traders from across our region
Free one-day Christmas festival returning to Stockport to kick off festive season
Simmons Bar opens first Northern site in Manchester with free drinks at launch party
