Frost Fair at The Whitworth

Brrrr… the chills of winter are in the air, and this frosty December, what better way to warm up than with the biannual 2-day Frost Fair at The Whitworth, returning on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December, 11am until 7pm, bigger and better than ever before! Produced with the themes of reflection and celebration in mind, the Frost Fair will reflect on the many challenges faced during the pandemic, and will celebrate being back together, through art, music, and fun!

The Frost Fair at The Whitworth invites the entire family to come along and enjoy an extraordinary wintry festival with so much to enjoy: entertainment, music, a huge, frosty dance floor, creative workshops, an outdoor cinema, fireworks, craft markets and last but absolutely not least, delicious street food.

For families who LOVE to dance: when you arrive, the Sculpture Terrace located at the front entrance of the gallery will be transformed into an entertainment square, home to the main stage playing incredible tunes all across the weekend and the biggest outdoor dance floor in the city. Hosted by MC Kwasi and featuring musicians such as Me Gusta Collective, Mr Scruff and Mikey D.O.N, PINS, DJ Paulette and A Certain Ratio, people of all ages in Manchester will be bringing the heat to the Frost Fair! Specifically for families, The Playhouse Project featuring the much-loved Disco Mums will be on from 11am, entertaining the grown-ups and their little ones who love to boogie, whatever the weather!

And if it’s just a bit too chilly for you out in the main entertainment square, head inside the gallery for a variety of  interactive activities available throughout the weekend, featuring heaps of entertaining, lively spaces for people of all ages to enjoy. Hungry? Of course you are! Visit the South Avenue and choose from a stunning array of delicious international street food pop-up stalls, and for the grownups there’s a bar selling both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks where you can sit back, relax and take in the glittering festive surroundings. Also on the South Avenue will be craft market stalls to browse through and perhaps tick off some of the dreaded Christmas shopping!

In the last two years, many of us have been reminded of how important nature is, in connection to our wellbeing. The Art Garden at the Whitworth’s Frost Fair will be a celebration of how nature; garden and plants, have made some of these challenging times slightly easier. At the fair, you can take a stroll through the enchanting winter garden throughout the day, and after dusk, the Art Garden will transform into an outdoor cinema featuring the much-loved, utterly hilarious, ‘Elf’.

To top the Frost Fair off with a bang, on Sunday evening the fair will close up with a stunning pyro firework display, an act to pay thanks to all front-line workers who worked tirelessly during the pandemic, produced by Walk the Plank.

Frost Fair is free to attend and you do not need to book.