Massive whale is coming to Warrington town centre

The life-sized 50ft inflatable sperm whale will be coming to Warrington for the first time.

The whale will be in the town as part of a weekend of free and fun activities on July 29 and July 30 themed around the deep blue sea and protecting the environment.

An 'aquabatic' diver, a shipwrecked pirate and a mermaid will have stories to tell.

Shows will be held every half hour in Queen's Gardens, in front of the Parr Hall, between 11am and 4pm (last performance 3.30pm).

Meanwhile there will be a parade, culminating in an en masse dance in Time Square where everyone can join in, and an aerial performance by Tuckshop Dance Theatre in Palmyra Square.

And back by popular demand, everyone’s favourite eco-friendly puppet Eko returns to Time Square. Out of the Deep Blue is a large-scale outdoor performance featuring a sea giant puppet and a contemporary dancer, inspired by the themes of the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis. 

Meanwhile, Warrington Museum and Art Gallery will be tying into the environmental themes with the launch of 'Wake Me Up Before You Dodo' with new art by Warrington's 'Mini David Attenborough', Britain's Got Talent finalist Aneeshwar Kunchala, and sculptor Val Hunt.

This weekend of events has been made possible thanks to funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and help from our partners at Warrington Borough Council, Warrington Market and the Warrington Business Improvement District (BID).

It comes as part of a range of events that are set to be hosted in the town centre in July and August which includes a food market this weekend.

Here are the events for your calendar: 

July

July 12 - 16 – International Food Market

Discover edible treats from around the world at a huge outdoor market at Time Square, organised by Warrington Market.
July 22 – Go Wild Warrington
Warrington Market goes wild with a range of animals and furry friends.
July 26 – Crazy Golf 

Come along to Time Square from 12pm to 5pm for a family friendly crazy golf challenge. 
From 5pm to 9pm, crazy golf turns into an adults’ zone, so bring your friends or work colleagues for an evening of fun. 
July 29 – Street Games
Street Games return to Time Square, from 1pm to 4.30pm. Join in with an inclusive and accessible fun day, with games from around the world, and live music and dance with BSL performance and interpretation, hosted by fabulous game hosts and party music sets from EIF Sound.
July 29 – Many Hands parade

Many Hands is commissioned by Billie Klinger- creative producer and is premiered in partnership with Culture Warrington and choreographed by Ruth Jones. This vibrant parade will bring people together to explore the shared communicative power and expressive potential of hands. Four professional dance artists will be joined by the Warrington Wolves Foundation, Warrington Youth Zone, Velocity Dance, Mature Movers – and the Warrington community.

The performance starts at 2.40pm at Time Square and will travel past Warrington Market onto Bridge Street and around the Guardians before returning back to Times Square. Here the promenade performers will join the wider community for a en masse dance!

Want to join in? A drop-in workshop is taking place at Time Square between 12pm and 2pm, where you can make your own hand to join the big dance at the end of the parade. Suitable for all the family but children must be accompanied by an adult.

July 29 – Wake Me Up Before You Dodo

Tying in with the environmentally themed events in the town centre, this family friendly exhibition at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery is about endangered wildlife, from the smallest insects to the biggest beasts, the importance of biodiversity – and what we can do to help.

As well as taxidermy from the museum’s collection, there will be artwork from two artists – Sculptor Val Hunt, who ‘reincarnates’ rubbish to create animal sculptures with an environmental message, and Warrington’s ‘Mini David Attenborough’, Britain’s Got Talent finalist Aneeshwar Kunchala. The exhibition runs until 5 November.
July 29 and 30 – Out of the Deep Blue
Back by popular demand, everyone’s favourite eco-friendly puppet Eko returns to Time Square. Out of the Deep Blue is a large-scale outdoor performance featuring a sea giant puppet and a contemporary dancer, inspired by the themes of the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis.  
July 30 – The Whale: Plastic Ocean at Palmyra Square

Culture Warrington invites bold explorers to encounter an ‘aquabatic’ diver, a shipwrecked pirate with a treasure tale to tell, a real life mermaid with a haunting siren’s song and an intriguing secret alongside a true-to-life 50ft inflatable sperm whale.

With the use of exquisite puppets, comedy and music, explore the tale of sea creatures and their battle to survive in an ocean full of rubbish. Their aim is to leave families feeling empowered that everyone can make a difference. 

Shows will be held every half hour in Queens Gardens, in front of the Parr Hall, between 11am and 4pm (last performance 3.30pm).

July 30 – Sunflowers performance at Palmyra Square

Culture Warrington presents a new, eye-catching dance, aerial and hand balancing performance designed for children and families by Tuckshop Dance Theatre. A show about self-care and personal growth, there are three opportunities to see Sunflowers at 12.15pm, 2.15pm and 3.30pm.
July 30 – Be Kind to Our Planet family workshops at the Parr Hall

Six local artists, chosen by Culture Warrington, will host a programme of free, drop-in workshops themed around the environment, between 10.30am and 4pm. Suitable for the whole family but designed for ages 7+. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

August
August 5-6 – Hop, Grape and Grain Festival
Some of your favourite Time Square retailers are coming together for a weekend long beer festival in the square, with live music, cocktails and a huge variety of beer. 

August 17 – Football Skills
In the run up to the women’s World Cup on 20 August, test your football skills in Time Square with Streetwise Soccer. 
August 27 – Proms in the Square
Bank holiday weekend brings a new event to Time Square – Proms in the Square. Come along for a day full of live music showcasing the fantastic local talent of Warrington and beyond. 

Council leader, Cllr Russ Bowden, said: “This calendar of summer events will bring a variety of family-friendly live performances and activities to our town centre for everyone to enjoy. 

“There really is something for everyone, with a huge programme of free, diverse events for the whole family. The town centre will be alive with music, colour, performance and much more, showcasing Warrington as a fantastic family-friendly destination.”

Cllr Tom Jennings, cabinet member for economic development and innovation, said: “Warrington is an ever-growing cultural destination through the council and its partners bringing arts, culture and live performance to the town with a large injection of fun and creativity – I encourage all to get involved over the Summer as you certainly won't be disappointed, there truly is something for everyone."
For more information, visit warrington.gov.uk/summer-2023.