Free Salford festival We Invented the Weekend returns for third iteration

Taking place in Media City and Salford Quays on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June, the festival features over 200 free activities.

Date published: 23rd Apr 2026

We Invented the Weekend returns for its third edition next month. The free festival has shared its full programme for when it takes over Salford Quays and MediaCity on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June. 

The festival's programme features over 200 free activities, and invites communities from across and beyond Greater Manchester and the North West in celebration of how we spend our free time and the weekend. This year sees live music, sports, family events, theatre, DJ sets, art workshops, street food, boat shops, wellbeing sessions and more. 

Highlights amid this year’s programme include Perfect Pitch, a performance from the English National Opera and Walk the Plank inspired by the World Cup; interactive children’s zone Explore Play Street celebrating the history of the play street in Salford; Local icon Peter Hook in conversation with Mark Radcliffe; a dedication to the many eras of electronic dance music entitled Club Culture; and main stage headliners including Radio 6 Music DJ Afrodeutsche and live performance by Afriquoi.

This year’s We Invented the Weekend Festival also lands on the centenary of Salford being granted city status in 1926, so expect a celebration of the city just as much as one of free time and the weekend. 

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Header image credit: Mykola Romanovsky