Lots going on in Stockport this half-term holiday

There’s activities for all ages – with plenty of opportunities for adult and children to enjoy a holiday full of fun, creativity, and adventure.

Some of the activities and attractions include:

Stockroom

With Stockroom (pictured above) opening on Saturday 24 May – there has never been a better time to go and explore our new town centre community and cultural hub.

Stockroom is set to breathe new life into the town centre, offering a vibrant library, café, exhibition space, and events programme.

Residents and visitors can enjoy an action-packed days out with free exhibitions, live performances, hands-on workshops, and plenty of family-friendly fun.

For full details visit the Stockroom website.

Calling all young artists!

To mark Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery's centenary year, we're celebrating Stockport's creative community by holding a special Centenary Open Exhibition. This will take place from Sunday 22 June to Friday 22 August 2025.

Artists aged 6 and upwards are invited to submit a piece of work that they're particularly proud of. Whether it’s a favourite picture, or their latest Lego build, we’d love to see it our upcoming exhibition.

Budding artists may like to work on something special to celebrate the centenary of Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery, so why not pop in during our opening hours and explore this iconic building!

Find out more about how to submit your work in our submission guidelines.

Goofus Theatre Presents – A Box of Tricks

We're doing something a little bit different at Stockport Air Raid Shelters this May half-term.

Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund we're delighted to be working in partnership with Goofus Theatre who have created 'A Box of Tricks' in response to Stockport’s unique tunnels. There will be an opportunity to see this piece during May half term.

Come to the Air Raid Shelters and meet the transformed Mr Drake, hatter extraordinaire, and be told his unbelievable story. Venture with our ancestors on a nomadic quest through time with shadow imagery and witness the magical tale of The Glass Umbrella and the strange Blue Caps who dwell underground.

Performances are suitable for all and are SEND friendly.

For more information and tickets please visit the event webpages.

Stockport Libraries have something for all the family to enjoy this half-term – here are just some of the events that are planned:

• Crafty Kids Corner at Edgeley Library: Friday 30 May, 11am-12pm. Join us at Edgeley Library for our crafty pop-up, we're planning to make beautiful butterflies, crawling caterpillars and stamp bookmarks!

• Puppet Story and Creative Workshop at Bramhall Library: Thursday 5 June, 11am-1pm. Join Ilaria the Storyteller for funny interactive for the whole family to enjoy. Then get involved by drawing and creating your own puppet characters with Ilaria.

• Plant Swap at Cheadle Hulme Library: Friday 6 June,10:30am-2:30pm. Bring your spare seeds, cuttings, garden plants and house plants and swap for something new. Nothing to swap? No problem, plants also available for purchase. All proceeds go to St Ann's Hospice.

• Board games session at Heald Green Library: Friday 6 June, 11am-12pm. Join us for a fun children's board games session at Heald Green Library.

Stockport’s libraries will also be open throughout the half-term holiday, offering free books, jigsaws, board games, and access to free PCs and Wi-Fi. For younger children, regular Storytime sessions will be available, featuring stories, songs, and crafts.

Stockport's Hat Works is another perfect place for the whole family to visit this half-term holiday.

The UK’s only hatting and headwear museum combines the town’s proud hat-making heritage with a fresh, vibrant, globally-inspired collection. Its free-to-view ‘Gallery of Hats’ – an array of colours, shapes, patterns and textures – now includes 1,300 hats and related objects, more than four times the previous number. There’s plenty for little hat enthusiasts to do with new Montessori-style play equipment, challenges, try-on areas and pretend play milliners. Bookable guided tours of the factory floor take visitors back to Stockport’s fur-felt hatting heyday.

For full details visit our webpages.

Councillor Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Public Protection at Stockport Council, said:

“Stockport is the place to be for you and your family this half term!

"Whether it’s a trip to Stockroom – our exciting and brand new community and cultural space – or a visit to one of our fantastic libraries for fun activities, there is something for everyone.

"And with many of the activities and attractions being free or low cost, all families can make the most of their time together this school holiday.”

For a comprehensive list of what’s going on in and around Stockport visit our events calendar.

Don't forget this bank holiday weekend that even though there will be events happening there will also be the usual bank holiday opening times for local pharmacies - you can find full details here