Festival aims to celebrate free time, founder says

The two-day event will include a performance by contemporary dance company Rambert

A festival aimed at celebrating free time will be a chance to let loose "in a completely refreshing and new way", the man behind it has said.

We Invented The Weekend takes place in Salford on 3 and 4 June.

It will feature about 200 activities and events, including a charity supermarket pop-up, a performance by dance company Rambert and a DJ set from BBC 6 Music's Craig Charles.

Co-founder Wayne Hemingway said the free festival would give everyone who attended a chance to "try a new pastime or 10".

A festival representative said the two-day event, which began in 2022, aimed to champion "differences in how people spend their leisure time" in the place "where the weekend was originally invented" in 1843.

"The weekend was invented when Salford Lyceum director and workers’ rights activist Robert Lowes campaigned to win mill workers the right to leisure time on Saturday afternoons," they said.

"In this triumph, Greater Manchester gave an enormous gift to the world and We Invented the Weekend will honour this, in true style, celebrating leisure time, free time, quality time, and me-time."

Swimmers will be able to join in an open event in Salford Quays

They said across the weekend, visitors will be able to take "a sneak-peek" into Manchester's major new venue Factory International, enjoy CBeebies Bedtime Stories Live and join in with social sewing meet-ups, painting competitions, open water swimming and a plant swap organised by RHS Bridgewater.

Football-themed crafts and mini tournaments will also celebrate the first all-Manchester FA Cup Final, which will see Manchester City take on Manchester United at Wembley on 3 June.

The event will also feature Charity Super.Mkt's first venture into the north of England, which will give people access to a collection of fashion, accessories and homewares from 12 charity retailers, and see Hemingway discuss sustainable fashion with Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant.

Charity Super.Mkt will hold its first event in the north of England during the weekend

Hemingway said it would be a chance to "let loose and celebrate free time in a completely refreshing and new way".

"We Invented the Weekend is for everyone and we guarantee everyone will get to try a new pastime or 10 during the weekend celebrations," he said.

"The festival has the perfect mixture of activities so no matter where you’re travelling from or who you’re travelling with, there will be something for you."

Salford City Council's chief executive Tom Stannard said the event, which takes place across Salford Quays and MediaCityUK, "truly will be a special weekend for the city and one not to miss".

He added that there were "so many wonderful things happening and big names joining the celebrations" that it was clear it would be an "amazing event".