WE INVENTED THE WEEKEND IS BACK – THE UK’S ONLY FESTIVAL OF FREE TIME IS HERE TO CELEBRATE THE WEEKEND WITH YOU!

We Invented the Weekend festival is back for 2026! Across Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2026, Salford Quays and MediaCity will be buzzing with over 200 free activities in the UKs most ambitious, creative, original and fun-filled festival celebrating the most precious of commodities – our free time! Communities from across Greater Manchester, the North West and beyond are invited to celebrate the amazing variety of ways in which we spend our weekends.

The two-day FREE festival throws open the doors of MediaCity and Salford Quays with activities ranging from live music, interactive sports, gardening, team games, family fun, theatre, dance, creative crafting, workshops, talks, food and drink, wellbeing and much more.  As always, there will be lots of different activities to try out – jump on a boat and sail across the Quays whilst enjoying the sound of Northern Soul. Or if sport is your thing then you can sample everything from rock-climbing to BMX to football, skateboarding, skipping and hula hooping, or find out what British Cycling, Taekwondo and the National Football Museum have on offer.

New for this summer’s festival is Club Culture, a zone dedicated to recognising Manchester’s rich contribution, past and present, to electronic dance music. This space is packed with sets from outstanding local DJ’s with a female and non-binary identifying line-up on Saturday plus Living Room Dance Club, Semi Peppered and Aficionado on Sunday. In addition to the DJ sets festival-goers can attend curated DJ workshops and panel talks that will give dance music lovers of all ages an opportunity to learn and get inspired.

Alice Webb, CEO of MediaCity and dock10 said: “The weekend was invented right here in Salford and to this day that spirit of innovation and invention runs deep in our veins at MediaCity, which is why we’re delighted to be hosting the We Invented the Weekend festival again this year.  The festival grows stronger and stronger, and we can’t wait to welcome people from across the region and beyond to celebrate the spirit of freedom the weekend gives us all.”

Wayne Hemingway MBE, co-founder of We Invented the Weekend festival said:
“We Invented the Weekend is a truly unique summer celebration that brings together a huge variety of free activities all in one place, and we’re thrilled to bring it back for 2026. We’re excited by all the new events on offer for this year and with events like Club Culture, there’s no excuse not to get your dancing shoes on. This festival is incredibly special because it recognises that we all love to do different things with our free time – we just decided to bring it all together all at once. So come along, with your kids, with your friends, on your own, listen to music, join a debate, eat great food, take part in some sport or crafting , explore a weekend activity you may have always wished to try or sit back and watch the world go by – it’s up to you and best of all it is totally, completely and utterly FREE!”

As always there is something for all the family, classic games will line the streets, interactive workshops are open to everyone so that Grandad, Mum, Auntie and the kids can get creative. For quieter moments there’s storytelling and in-depth talks for those who love discussing big ideas.

Salford’s Lowry will be at the heart of the festival and will be host venue for many activities from visual arts to lively theatre performances.

Julia Fawcett CBE, Chief Executive of Lowry said: “Lowry is delighted that We Invented the Weekend is back this year. We are a proud founding partner and cannot wait to share this brilliantly original festival with everyone from Salford and beyond. As usual Lowry will be hosting events in our building and around the Quays, and we can’t wait for people to get involved and share their perfect weekend with family, friends and neighbours.”

We Invented the Weekend 2026 embraces all that is happening across Salford this year, from the huge centenary celebrations of Salford 100 to the role that Salford will play during the FIFA World Cup 2026 when the BBC’s coverage is beamed across the world from the MediaCity studios. Bringing arts, culture and sport together in one energetic weekend there are sure to be some surprises in store as art and sport collide to offer something extra special for all festival goers.

Paul Dennett, Salford City Mayor, added: “The weekend was invented in Salford and we are very proud of that, so it is wonderful that this completely free festival is back in the city for 2026. It is perhaps made even more special this year because Salford is also celebrating its 100th anniversary, giving us multiple opportunities to share the rich and vibrant culture that is on offer in this brilliant City.  We Invented the Weekend festival shapes a moment, across one weekend, where everyone can come together as a community and celebrate their free-time together. I cannot wait to see what the 2026 festival brings and to share it with communities in Salford and beyond.”

The weekend – invented in Salford

The weekend was invented in Greater Manchester in 1843 when Salford Lyceum Director and workers’ rights activist Robert Lowes (Sir Ian McKellen’s Great Grandfather) campaigned to win workers the right to leisure time on Saturday afternoons. In this triumph, Greater Manchester gave an enormous gift to the world, and We Invented the Weekend honours this, in true style, in Salford, celebrating leisure time, free time, quality time and me-time.

We Invented The Weekend will take place on 6 & 7 June in MediaCity and Salford Quays. The full festival programme will be announced in the Spring so watch this space for more.

www.weinventedtheweekend.com/