Haphazard 2025 at Z-arts

Prepare for something completely out of the ordinary as the glorious Z-arts building is transformed into a curious land of brilliantly bonkers interactive encounters. Haphazard returns to Hulme this summer with another afternoon of freewheeling live art for all ages – part performance trail, part sensory playground, all brought to life by the ever-inventive Word of Warning.

Happening on the first Saturday in August, Haphazard 2025 promises a maze of delightfully strange goings-on. Expect bizarre behaviour, offbeat installations and unpredictable performances popping up in every corner of the venue. It’s a relaxed, just-drop-in event where you’re just as likely to stumble across a dancing wizard as you are a talking box or a performative game of hide and seek. And while the line-up is still under wraps, previous editions have featured everything from zimmer-frame acrobatics to inflatable worlds and singing prawns – so expect the unexpected.

What makes Haphazard truly special is how comfortably it straddles performance art and child-friendly curiosity. Although the work isn’t made specifically for children, it’s completely accessible to them. Whatever your age, Haphazard makes experimental art feel open and inviting – no tickets, no big explanations, just playfully surreal encounters that are anything but stuffy.

Produced by hÅb in partnership with Z-arts and curated by Word of Warning, the event has become a much-loved fixture in Manchester’s cultural calendar. Z-arts, the UK’s only dedicated arts centre for children and families, offers the perfect setting for such imaginative chaos – a welcoming space where art and play go hand in hand.

Days like this – offering free, top-notch experimental arts designed to stretch imaginations across generations – are few and far between. Hats off to the creative teams involved. We love that Haphazard showcases some of the most exciting new live artists around, and that you can drop in for a brief crazy encounter or stick around for the full antic-filled afternoon.