For the first time in three years, Manchester’s Science & Industry Museum will host the wildly popular gaming festival – Power UP! from 18th June until December 2023!
It’ll be the festival’s longest run ever, opening every weekend and school holiday for the entire duration of its time in the museum.
Visitors of all ages can play their way through an interactive journey of five decades of gaming, with over 160 consoles and hundreds of games, from Pac-Man to Fortnight, and from the Atari 2600 and the Dreamcast, to the Playstation 5 and the very latest in virtual reality technology.
Join beloved characters like Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario on a journey through their decades-long development. Take on friends, family and fellow gamers in the iconic multi-player Mario Kart game, getting to grips with it across a huge range of consoles, from SNES to Wii.
Revel in nostalgia with retro arcade classics Pong and Pac-Man, rock out on Guitar Hero, tackle a virtual reality mission with Astro Bot and floss it out on Fortnite.
The festival will also include a BAFTA Young Game Designers section featuring games by winners and nominees from the annual BAFTA Awards. These annual awards are open to children and young people, celebrating the creativity, skill and imagination of young game makers.
Also new is a section that has been added especially for Manchester, dedicated to the people and companies behind the city’s gaming industry. Expect to see a few Ocean games from the early 90s in there, alongside contemporary companies including indie developers like Acid Nerve and major studios like TT Games.
Mark Cutmore, Head of Commercial Experiences at the Science Museum Group, said: “We are over the moon to welcome POWER UP back to the museum. It has always been a big hit with our visitors so we’re excited to be giving so much time to enjoy and keep returning to this experience during its longest run ever at the museum. We’re also really proud to be showcasing our city’s amazing contributions to the industry through the new Manchester Made section.
“POWER UP offers a fun space to enjoy past and present gaming technology, experience the latest developments and reminisce about old favourites. The gaming industry is a key component of Manchester’s creative, digital and tech industries and this interactive exhibition will help to inspire game designers and software engineers of the future.”
Tickets can be booked now for the return of POWER UP to the Science and Industry Museum this June.
