We Invented the Weekend is a bold and imaginative free festival for the North, celebrating all the ways we fill our free time in the very place the weekend was invented!
Back in 2019, in a workshop with local workers and residents, someone said to us “I was watching Who Do You Think You Are on the telly and the weekend was invented here”. What a claim! We did some research and found out it was true – a Salford-based workers rights activist called Robert Lowes (who also happens to be Sir Ian McKellen’s great great grandfather) led a campaign to allow workers to finish early on Saturdays to give everyone more free time. And with that, the weekend was born.
This felt like a story worth telling – and what better way to tell the world that with a new, bold and imaginative free festival for the North, celebrating all the ways we fill our free time in the very place the weekend was invented!
Supported by a fantastic line-up of partners including the BBC, The Lowry, the University of Salford, Eat Well MCR, HOST, Ipsos, The Open University, the Royal Horticultural Society, Salford Community Leisure, Salford City Council, Salford CVS, Sounds From the Other City, the Science and Industry Museum, Unity Radio, the University of Manchester and hundreds of community organisations, the inaugural We Invented the Weekend event took place in June 2023, throwing open all MediaCity and Salford Quays’ spaces and places to over 60,000 people (massively smashing all MediaCity football records) to celebrate the joy of free time with a programme over 270 free activities including sports, music, greening and gardening, theatre, dance, workshops, talks, food, charity, wellness, crafts and more. By bringing people to the space, activating the water, celebrating the history, and filling the place with creativity, culture and community activity, this event brilliantly communicates all of MediaCity values, lives up to its vision and activates the placemaking strategy. What’s more We Invented the Weekend was placed within the top ten UK free festivals 2023!
We built upon an already impressive list of partners for 2024 by securing Title Partners Auto Trader, raising £250,000 in sponsorship income. MediaCity and Salford Quays once again welcomed over 96,000 visitors during the free two-day festival. Across the site, 12 diverse venues hosted more than 200 free activities, including a headline performance by DJ Paulette, appearances by BBC’s Gladiators and Bluey, BMX freestyling with British Cycling, folk legend Peggy Seeger performing a forgotten verse of Ewan MacColl’s Dirty Old Town, the People’s Catwalk, the Freetime Parade, as well as ethical shopping, sports, creative workshops, and much more.
Evaluation revealed the event generated an economic impact of over £2 million and demonstrated a positive influence on the local community, both culturally and economically. The weekend attracted a mix of returning and first-time visitors, showcasing a growing audience base and receiving widespread praise for its inclusivity and the wide variety of activities offered for families and individuals alike.
The third We Invented the Weekend will return to MediaCity, Salford, in 2026 as a bi-annual event.
