Party like it’s 1969 in the shadow of the giant telescope at Jodrell Bank that captured the first pictures of the Lunar Landings, and watch a blockbuster movie beneath the stars in Chester’s Roman Gardens. Explore the fusion of cosmic sound and vision at Luke Jerram’s ‘Museum of the Moon’ in Warrington, and see a rainbow of illuminations light up a dark winter’s night in Crewe. These are just some of this year’s experiences that promise to be out of this world.
Item |
---|
bluedot |
Warrington Arts & Culture |
LUMEN: Crewe’s Night of Lights - POSTPONED |
Moonlight Flicks |
Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre |
Macclesfield
A stellar line-up from the worlds of music, science and cosmic culture gather on the plain beneath the great white dish of the Lovell Telescope every July.
Don’t miss your chance to join an audience of thousands, young and old, at the mighty eye on the sky. Past acts have ranged from Kraftwerk and the Radio Science Orchestra, while astronaut Helen Sharman, theoretical physicist Prof Jim Al-Khalili and other great scientific minds have given inspiring talks. Plus there’s always stargazing, science shows, experiments, and galactic games. Come for the day or camp (or glamp) and make this mission control for the weekend.
Warrington
Another exciting year of arts and culture will unfold in Warrington in 2020.
Abandon Normal Devices Festival, the UK’s only roaming digital culture, film and art festival, will take place around the waterways of the Manchester Ship Canal and Mersey River in May. Parr Hall will celebrate its 125th birthday in September with a week of special events inside this beautiful building. And the annual autumn arts festival will return including an exhibition by the artist Susan Stockwell and a site-specific dance performance by Company Capri.
Crewe
As the winter nights draw in, the old railway town of Crewe will become a beacon in the darkness once again, with the return of seasonal festival LUMEN.
Head to Memorial and Lyceum Squares to see breathtaking contemporary light installations whirl around the urban landscape. In previous years, works by Double Take Projection and ArtReach included the tale of a magical fairy played out on the venerable sandstone walls of the Municipal Building. The mesmeric kaleidoscope of colourful lights will be accompanied by street performers such as Spark!, who dance and drum to the rhythm of changing illuminations.
Take little ones on a lantern procession and see their jaws drop at the spectacle of giant walkabout puppets, while fireworks crackle and bang, showering stars overhead. If there’s a chill in the air, grab a hot chocolate in the winter market and take a rousing ride on the funfair. This dazzling rainbow is sure to brighten up your night and warm your heart.
St Werburgh Street, Chester
Enjoy the silver screen by the light of the silvery moon at Chester’s Moonlight Flicks, the popular summertime open-air cinema, set amid the crumbling columns, bathhouse mosaics and cypress trees in the Roman Gardens.
From 14 July Moonlight Flicks arrives at its NEW, even bigger location at Chester Cathedral’s beautiful Dean’s Field with plenty of room for everyone to safely distance. A huge new 30ft cinema screen will be awaiting you so that everyone can enjoy the perfect view.
Rug, shooting stick or hired deckchair, whatever your choice of perch there’s no fixed seating, so arrive early to get a good spot. You’re welcome to bring a picnic or order a hot, tasty pizza (and a glass of wine or beer) to be delivered to your pitch. Then sit back and relax, tuning in with the wireless headphones for a fully immersive al-fresco night at the movies.
All tickets must be purchased online in advance for your visit. Tickets cannot be purchased on arrival. Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre will be open to visitors again from Saturday 22 August. Priority booking for Annual and Locals' Pass holders, along with current ticket and voucher holders will open on Tuesday 11 August, with public booking opening Friday 14 August.
**Special Contribution to Tourism Award Winner 2019**
A key player in the space race, the observatory has made a unique contribution, including capturing the moment when the Eagle lander, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, touched down on the surface of the Moon in 1969. Enjoy a range of fun-filled activities for all of the family, discover more about Jodrell Bank’s fascinating history in a telescope talk, dive into the solar system and learn all about space in an Orrery demonstration, explore the Jodrell Bank Arboretum and go on an adventure to the children’s playground discovering a range of outdoor exhibits along the way. No visit is complete without a trip to the Jodrell Bank gift shop and The Planet Cafe. There’s plenty here to entertain budding astronauts, large and small!
From | To | Distance * (metric) |
---|---|---|
bluedot (53.23357,-2.30266) | Warrington Arts & Culture (53.38619,-2.59545) | 23.26 |
Warrington Arts & Culture (53.38619,-2.59545) | LUMEN: Crewe’s Night of Lights - POSTPONED (53.09739,-2.43911) | 30.42 |
LUMEN: Crewe’s Night of Lights - POSTPONED (53.09739,-2.43911) | Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre (53.23385,-2.30407) | 15.9 |
Total Distance * | 69.56 miles | |
Estimated Journey Time | 2.24 hours |
* Approximate distance by road