Little Reads Family Day with Nathan Bryon & Dapo Adeola
2023-10-14 10:30 - 12:30 UTC | Performance Space
Author Nathan Bryon and illustrator Dapo Adeola’s loveable character Rocket has already taught us about space in the award-winning Look Up! Then she tackled ocean pollution in Clean Up! Now, in Speak Up! she’s back to save her local library which she is horrified to learn is closing for lack of funding. Hear how Dapo and Nathan created Rocket and what inspired her adventures in this action-packed event about speaking up for what you believe in. Includes Speak Up! activity trail and crafting. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival.
Suitable for ages 3 – 6
Image credit: Tim Lane, Penguin Books

The Welcome Roadshow
2023-10-23 10:30 - 16:30 | Performance Space
Get ready Greater Manchester! The Welcome Roadshow is coming to Manchester Central Library on Monday the 23rd this October half term, bringing the magic of dance, circus skills and craft workshops.
We’re visiting all 10 boroughs in Greater Manchester, offering FREE workshops. It’s not just about honing your dance, circus and craft skills; it’s about connecting with your community and finding out more about The Welcome a nine-day extravaganza coming to Aviva Studios this autumn.
Find out more and book on the workshops here.

Spooky Sunday: Horrible Family Halloween Party!
2023-10-29 17:00 - 20:00
Central Library opens its doors to little spooks and ghouls for a fun-filled family spectacular. Fearsome face painters, spooky silent disco, creepy crafts and maybe a few treats and scary surprises. Fancy dress is absolutely encouraged. So dust down your capes, polish your broomsticks and enjoy a spooktacular evening filled with ghoulish delights!
£10 per family (maximum in a family on 1 ticket is 3 children and 2 adults)
Please note – no unaccompanied adults

Under the Little Red Moon
2023-11-08 11:00 - 11:30 | Performance Space
Join Lulu, Monty and their friend Tom on a vibrant and colourful journey in English Touring Opera’s new opera for babies, which explores the development of language with the help of music and movement. Composed by Russell Hepplewhite. Suitable for babies aged 6−24 months.
Free – booking required below

Sunday Funday - Chinese New Year
2024-02-11 12:00 - 16:00
Join us for a spectacular Chinese New Year celebration of the Year of the Dragon. We will have amazing crafts, performances, workshops amongst other exciting activities. Suitable for families.
This event is free, but please consider making a donation to support our Library Live programme if you can, online, or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Reading Rascals
2024-02-24 14:00 - 15:00 | Lwr Ground Floor – Manchester Histories Hub
Reading Rascals is our very own monthly reading book club for children aged 7-12. Come and join us!
For more information and to book, email angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Blue Peter Book Club Live at Central Library!
2024-05-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Manchester Libraries, CBBC and The Reading Agency are excited to announce Blue Peter Book Club Live!
Blue Peter, the BBC’s iconic children’s television series, is partnering with The Reading Agency and Manchester Libraries on an exciting new initiative called Blue Peter Book Club Live. This ambitious project aims to inspire a love of reading and creativity in primary school-aged children across Greater Manchester and throughout the UK.

Blue Peter Book Club Live Saturday 18th May.
Join the Blue Peter presenters Abby, Joel and Shini (and Henry the Dog!) for a day celebrating the love of reading. There’ll be guest authors, creative crafts, special story times, masses of books and a chance to meet some magical classic book characters!
Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and children’s author Eve Ainsworth will be chatting to the Blue Peter presenters about their fantastic books.
We’ll ALSO be joined by George and Gyasi from CBeebies Bedtime Stories!

FREE EVENT. EVERONE WELCOME!!
Blue Peter Badge Trail
We’ll also be launching The Blue Peter badge trail on the day. Grab one of our special trail maps and take up the challenge to discover the massive Blue Peter badges on display in 12 different venues across Manchester.
Hunt for a Book Club Book!
Fancy getting your hands on a FREE copy of one of the Book Club books? We’ll be hiding them all over Manchester! We’ll also be holding a range of “Book Hunt” events over the summer in Manchester parks and open spaces.

Blue Peter Book Club Live across the UK
Libraries and schools will be able to participate in The Blue Peter Book Club Live using activity packs and reading resources developed by The Reading Agency to create a nationwide celebration.
The Blue Peter Book Club introduces young readers to new writing and encourage a love of reading. In partnership with The Reading Agency an expert panel of librarians, booksellers and children in library sessions, chose a list of Blue Peter Book Club recommended reads from awesome authors and fantastic illustrators.
The Blue Peter Book Club Live will have a major presence on broadcast and digital. A special episode Blue Peter Book club Live will be shown on CBBC and iPlayer, 5pm, Friday 24th May live from Media City UK with authors and local school children taking part. Working in collaboration with BBC Arts, Blue Peter will also produce book review content, animations, digital games and more to engage kids at home and in the classroom.
The Blue Peter Book Club Live will take place into Summer 2024 with a series of pop-up events at libraries and schools across the UK.
The Blue Peter Book Club Live is supported through funding from Arts Council England’s Project Grants.

90th Celebration - Sunday Funday
2024-06-16 12:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
This year, Central Library celebrates 90 years since its grand opening. Join us for this cultural extravaganza during Festival of Libraries Week, celebrating the old and the new, and the venue’s many highlights and successes over the past 90 years. Featuring music, performances, crafts, displays, and lots more fantastic family fun including:

Edible Storytime
Manchester Histories Shadow Theatre
RNCM musicians playing and taking about their instruments
Community Performances
String Quartet
Acoustic sessions
RNCM Jazz Trio
Face Painting (£2 per face)
Hands on crafts

Kindly supported by Manchester Central Library Development Trust, The Granada Foundation and The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund
Free – just drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in the venue, or online

Chess Drop In
2024-07-31 10:00 - 14:00 | Ground Floor
Calling all budding chess players! Head to our Performance Space and meet other players at this informal and fun drop-in session. Open to all children and families. For more information, contact angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk or alessia.benedetti@manchester.gov.uk
Free – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Little Movers and Shakers
2024-08-01 11:00 - 12:00 | Henry Watson Music Library
Meet us in our Music Library on the first floor for a fun-filled dance session! Suitable for children up to 7 years.
Free – just drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Imagination Gaming
2024-08-06 13:00 - 16:00 | Lower Ground Floor Link
Learn to play-play to learn! Taking gaming to a different meaning. These games are designed to challenge your brain with stimulating mental challenge across all ages and abilities. Can you beat the game?
Free – drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

National Playday
2024-08-07 11:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Want a challenge over the summer? Join our big play day event and find out what challenges you can take on this summer. We will have an extra Lego club where we will challenge you to make your favourite reading space in Lego. Visit us at the main entrance, where we will tell you about the Summer Reading Challenge and the Blue Peter Book Club. Suitable for children of all ages.
Free – drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Music Days: Born and Bred
2024-08-08 14:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Join us for Music Thursday at Central Library! Doodle Dance is a workshop that combines mindful doodling techniques with movement. Create doodles and dance moves of your own in this fun and playful workshop. Designed for children of all ages for those who love to move and for those who aren’t sure. So come doodle, dance and explore!
Free – drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Scrumptious!
2024-08-21 11:00 - 14:45 | Performance Space
All is well at Sylvie’s Scrumptious Sweet Shop, P.C. Lee can’t resist the fruit cake, Stanley the Horse loves peppermint creams, and the Talkative Twins only cause a crumb of chaos. That is until a stranger arrives, and their irresistible ice cream threatens to spoil everything! Join us for this magical show about friendship and ice cream, with hilarious songs, dancing, storytelling and gentle audience participation — the perfect free treat for families and anyone young at heart. Spaces are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment!
There are two shows: 11-11.45am & 2-2.45pm.
Free – spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment!
To Book your place email angela.rawcliffe@manchester.gov.uk

Love Science
2024-08-22 14:00 - 15:00
Join ‘Love Science’ this summer as part of the Marvellous Makers Club Summer Reading Challenge. Design and make light up pictures, use friction to defy gravity, and make a climbing model of your favourite book character to take home. Perfect for 5-11 year olds.
Free – drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Manchester Central Library Fun Palace
2024-10-05 10:30 - 16:00
Manchester Central Library will join hundreds of Fun Palaces nationally and internationally set to explode with free and fun activities for all. Join us on Saturday, 5 October, and master new skills from your neighbours, share hobbies with friends old and new, and celebrate the passions and enthusiasms of all of us!
10.30am-4pm: Informal Bookbinding Workshops (Ground Floor)
Learn bookbinding with this free engaging workshop delivered by the National Society of Bookbinders for their 50th anniversary! Free, just drop in. More info here.
11.30am-12 noon: Ukrainian Storytime
Привіт! Join our new Ukrainian storytelling session led by one of our amazing volunteers! Learn new words, listen to stories in Ukrainian and English and have fun! Suitable for children aged 4 to 7.
2-4pm: Crafty Palaces
Drop in and have a go at learning a new craft with the support of our local artists. Try finger knitting with Simone, learn how to weave using scrap fabrics with Nayna from Street Style Surgery, and much more! All ages welcome!
2-3.30pm: Lego Club
Join our regular Lego Club for a Fun Palaces special! Pick your favourite bricks and let your imagination run wild: what will your fun palace look like? Suitable for ages 4 and above.
Free – just drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Fun Palaces is an ongoing national and international campaign, nurturing and supporting the potential and positivity of sharing people’s enthusiasms, passions and skills with their own local community. Fun Palaces has an annual weekend of events each October, although Fun Palaces can also happen at any time of year.
During the weekend of celebration, check out what’s happening elsewhere on X/Instagram: #FunPalaces | @FunPalaces. www.funpalaces.co.uk

Spooky Poems Aloud with Joseph Coelho
2024-10-12 13:00 - 13:45 | Performance Space
Prepare to jump into the SPOOKY, spellbinding world of spoken word poetry, with your guide: Joseph Coelho. In this interactive session with the Waterstones Children’s Laureate, you’ll be thrilled (and maybe even a litttttle scared) by performances from Joseph as he brings you his latest poetry compendium, Spooky Poems Aloud: 25 Poems to Frighten and Delight.
Get ready to have your funny bones tickled as we create poetry together and learn how to recite it loudly, softly, and even in ghostly whispers. Then join us on the Spooky Poems Aloud Activity Trail and craft activity for children created by community artist Emma Martin. Presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with Manchester Poetry Library. Supported by Library Live.
Suitable for age 5-10 years. (All children must be accompanied by an adult)
Tickets: ‘Book Now’ below, phone 0161 876 2015 or visit the MLF website

Chinese New Year Celebration - Saturday
2025-02-01 13:00 - 16:00 | Ground Floor
Celebrate the Year of the Snake as Bowen Education join us for arts & crafts, face painting, a selfie booth, and a Hanfu Show featuring traditional Chinese clothing.
This event is a celebration of cultural fusion, bringing together Eastern and Western traditions to create an unforgettable experience. Whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in Chinese culture or enjoy the talents of local performers, there’s something for everyone!
Suitable for families.
Free – drop in. Advance booking optional: Chinese New Year Celebration at Manchester Central Library Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
Please consider making a donation if you can here or at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes in Central Library

Festival of Libraries Sunday Funday!
2025-06-08 12:00 - 16:00
Join us at Central Library for a special Sunday opening as we celebrate the final day of Festival of Libraries 2025. Expect special performances, music, exhibitions, craft sessions, and lots of fun for all ages!
Highlights include:
Out of this World! 2pm – 3.30pm

Join Wendy from Daresbury Laboratory and Dan Worsley, children’s author and performance storyteller as they embarks on an extra special, extraterrestrial storytelling journey. Dan will weave fact and fiction to prove that with a bit of imagination, anything really is possible. A guaranteed out-of-this-world storytelling experience!
Tickets are for Out of this World are free but limited and can be pre-booked here.
Storytime Fun with Simon the Storyteller 12.30pm-1.15pm and 2.30pm-3.15pm

Come and join Simon the Storyteller for fun interactive family story sessions. The sessions will include songs, games, parachute play and lots and lots of bubbles. These stories are great fun for all the family and will get everyone up on their feet singing and dancing.
Simon’s sessions will be at 12:30 and 2:30 and will last for 45 mins each. No booking required.
‘The Space’ presents a Virtual Reality experience!!

Wallace and Gromit Game
The Philharmonia’s Lark Ascending: A spellbinding 360 performance of Vaughan Williams’s piece, featuring Nicola Benedetti.
Berlin Blitz
Monoliths – exploring England’s Northern landscape

There’ll also be crafts galore, face painting fun, activities for all and time to relax in the magical children’s library.
Free. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Out of This World!
2025-06-08 14:00 - 15:30 | Performance Space
Have an interest in science? Enjoy getting creative with words?
Join Wendy from Daresbury Laboratory and Dan Worsley, children’s author and storyteller as they collaborate to create an extra-terrestrial event that mixes science fact and science fiction.
Prepare to believe the unbelievable as Dan takes you on an interplanetary journey using his mind-boggling storytelling skills. Alien adventures await as Dan weaves his story magic, models his writing and sets up a creative writing opportunity for the children to take on. Dan will then hand over his storytelling waistcoat to any budding storytellers willing to share their stories.
Wendy’s spectacular scientific knowledge will stretch your mind and transport you to another dimension without leaving the venue. Witness heat sensors in action, hear about incredible projects and see stunning images from space through visual and practical demonstrations. An out-of-this world visual experience!
TICKETS ARE LIMITED AND CAN BE PRE-BOOKED BELOW!

CHaOS Science Summer Roadshow
2025-07-19 11:00 - 16:00 | Performance Space
Join us for an afternoon of science-based fun brought to you by CHaOS (Cambridge Hands-On Science)! All CHaOS events are run by friendly student volunteers from the University of Cambridge, bringing a selection of their favourite experiments from across the sciences for you and your family to get involved with! Fun, informative and great for all ages.
Free – please drop in.
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Story Garden Paper Flowers!
2025-07-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us for a free interactive session inspired by the Summer Reading Challenge! Make wonderful paper flowers and find out how you can win prizes for reading. We’ll provide loads of colourful materials for you: just bring yourself!
Suitable for children aged 4-11.
Free entry – just drop in

ZooLab
2025-07-24 14:00 - 15:00 | Lower Ground Floor
Meet the Live Animals from ZooLab! Step into the wild garden of adventure and meet the amazing creatures from ZooLab! These real-life animal storytellers will take you on a journey through their own tales, full of slithers, scuttles, and surprises. Come face-to-face with nature’s most curious characters and discover the magic of their world!
Suitable for children aged 4-11.
Free entry – just drop in

Story Garden Crafts!
2025-07-28 14:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
Join us at Central Library for our school holidays arts and craft session! Make wonderful carnivorous plants and giant pompom flowers, and find out all about the Summer Reading Challenge! All materials provided. Suitable for all children. No need to book.
Free – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Family Crafts for South Asian Heritage Month
2025-07-29 14:00 - 15:30 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us for a special family craft session dedicated to South Asian Heritage Month. We’ll provide all the materials and teach you how to make marionettes! All welcome.
Free – drop in.
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Come Meet the Wise Owls in the Story Garden!
2025-07-31 14:00 - 15:00 | Performance Space
The Wise Owls are waiting! Join us in the Story Garden for a magical hour filled with Owl wisdom! Whether you’re curious or just love a good story, the Wise Owls are ready to welcome you with a hoot!
Suitable for children aged 4-11.
Free entry – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Laws of Your Game
2025-08-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us at Central Library for this exciting session brought to you by National Football Museum! Every great game needs rules, but who says we can’t rewrite them? In this workshop, you’re the rule-maker of football. What do your laws of the game look like? Maybe every goal gets a dance-off, everyone wears capes, or kindness on the pitch earns extra goals. In this workshop we’ll start positive conversations around inclusion and diversity. Who is currently left out of football? What rules could we write to include more people?
Suitable for families.
Free entry – drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Half and Half Scarves
2025-08-27 13:00 - 14:30 | Lower Ground Floor
Join us at Central Library for a collaborative and fun session led by the National Football Museum! Half & half scarves tell a story of rivalries, friendships, big matches, and personal connections. Now, it’s your turn to create one that represents you! Pick your colours and patterns, choosing a simple design that reflect two sides of your identity, maybe it’s your hometown and your new city, your club and your country, your football passion and beyond. Then, weave them together into a mini half & half scarf, just like the ones you see at the match.
Suitable for families.
Free entry – just drop in
Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online

Plant Your Story Garden!
2025-08-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Lower Ground Floor
Calling all budding gardeners (pun unintended) and readers!
Get potting at this fun interactive session for the whole family.
We’ll provide seeds, soil and pots, just bring yourself!
We’ll also help you sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge, so you can win some wonderful prizes.
What’s not to like?
Free, no need to book.
Thursday 28 August. 2-4pm. Lower Ground Floor.

Story Garden: A Garden Collage
2025-08-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Performance Space
To welcome bees and butterflies, we’ll start by planting beautiful, colourful flowers. But that’s not all—we’re going to get crafty too!
Using decorative paper and layers of soft tissue paper, we’ll create a giant blooming flower collage.
Each petal we add will remind us how important flowers are for pollination and how we can help protect our natural world.
So grab your glue sticks and let your imagination bloom—our garden is about to get a whole lot more magical!
Free entry, no need to book.
Friday 29 August. 1-2.30pm. Performance Space.
