REVIEW: Magic Gareth's Balloonatic at Z-arts Manchester – A Fun Family Afternoon Full of Magic, Balloons & Laughter 🎈✨
Updated: Jun 22
Magic Gareth's Balloonatic – A Magical Family Theatre Trip at Z-arts
On Saturday 6th June, we headed to Z-arts Manchester to see Magic Gareth's Balloonatic at the 2pm performance.
This wasn't our first stop of the day though. Earlier in the afternoon we had been attending a family event at HOME Manchester, so once that finished we made our way across to Z-arts.
Getting between the two venues was surprisingly easy. We caught the 256 bus from just around the corner from HOME at around 1:15pm and arrived at Z-arts at approximately 1:20pm. The two venues are only around a 15-minute walk apart, but as we already had bus tickets and Alice and Leo love riding on the bus, we decided to hop on rather than walk.
One of the things I really like about Z-arts is how family-friendly the whole venue feels. Because we had arrived so early, we headed downstairs to the play area where Alice and Leo immediately made a beeline for the giant red bus.
It's one of their favourite things about visiting Z-arts and they happily spent time climbing inside, pretending to drive and exploring before the show.
By around 1:50pm we headed upstairs to see whether the auditorium was open yet and arrived just as staff were opening the doors.
Our Seats at Z-arts Manchester 🎭
We were seated in Row E, Seats 15–18, which gave us a fantastic central view of the stage.
One thing I've always liked about the theatre space at Z-arts is how well raked the seating is. Even with younger children sitting behind adults, everyone can still see comfortably over the heads in front.
The stage itself looked colourful and inviting before the show began, with props, magic boxes and a large projection screen helping build anticipation.
As the audience took their seats, funny animations and graphics played on the screen, including social media references and jokes that kept both children and adults entertained while we waited for the performance to begin.
The atmosphere felt excited and relaxed, with lots of children chatting excitedly about what might happen during the show.
The Show 🎈
The show began with a wonderfully silly voiceover explaining that Gareth had gained his magical powers after being bitten by a radioactive unicorn.
That opening immediately set the tone for the fun and chaos that followed.
Rather than telling a traditional story, Magic Gareth's Balloonatic is a fast-paced mix of magic, comedy, balloons and audience participation.
There is always something happening, whether it's a magic trick, a visual gag, a balloon creation or an audience challenge, which meant the children around us remained completely engaged throughout.
One thing that stood out was how good Gareth was at interacting with the audience.
Throughout the performance he invited several children onto the stage to help with tricks and activities, but he also involved a few adults as well, which helped make the experience feel genuinely family-focused rather than simply a children's show.
Even quieter children around us gradually became more confident about joining in and shouting out answers as the performance went on.
My favourite moment was definitely the floating table illusion. It genuinely looked impossible from where we were sitting and had the whole audience completely captivated.
Alice's favourite moment was when Gareth somehow managed to get a giant green balloon over his head, which she found absolutely hilarious.
Leo was also fascinated by the floating table and spent much of the journey home talking about how he thought it might work.
Meanwhile Lawrence's favourite moment involved Gareth swallowing one of the long modelling balloons like a sword swallower, which had the audience laughing and cringing in equal measure.
Towards the end of the show, giant balloons were released into the audience and suddenly the theatre became a sea of bouncing balloons, laughter and excited children.
For a few minutes it felt less like a theatre performance and more like one huge family celebration.
The performance lasted around an hour with no interval and finished shortly before 3pm.
After the Show 🎁
Afterwards, Gareth set up a merchandise stand in the foyer.
Unfortunately we exited through the opposite side of the auditorium from where the stand was located and by the time we reached it there was already quite a large queue, so I wasn't able to get close enough to see everything that was available.
During the show Gareth mentioned that he would be selling his book and magic wand slap bands, so I know those were available, although there may have been other items on sale too.
As we had tickets for the Z-arts Access Day, our afternoon didn't finish when Balloonatic ended.
Instead, we stayed at Z-arts and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Adventures in Wonderland, where Alice and Leo had lots of fun before we eventually caught the bus home at around 4pm.
Final Thoughts ✨
Overall, Magic Gareth's Balloonatic was a really enjoyable family afternoon and a great example of the kind of show that works just as well for adults as it does for children.
The combination of magic, comedy, audience participation and balloon-based silliness kept the children entertained throughout, while Gareth's quick wit and easy-going stage presence ensured there was plenty for grown-ups to enjoy too.
Alice, Leo and Lawrence all came away with completely different favourite moments, which probably says a lot about how much variety the show packs into its hour-long runtime.
If your family enjoys interactive shows, visual magic and plenty of opportunities to laugh together, Magic Gareth's Balloonatic is definitely worth looking out for when it visits a venue near you.
🎈 A colourful, chaotic and thoroughly entertaining family show packed with magic, laughter and balloon-filled fun. 🎈
More Information About Magic Gareth's Balloonatic 🎈
Magic Gareth's Balloonatic is recommended for ages 5+ and has a running time of approximately 55 minutes with no interval.
Tickets for our performance were £10, with discounts available for Bright Sparks and M15 members.
For more information about the show and to find out where it will be visiting on tour, visit the official Balloonatic website.
If you'd like to read my more theatre-focused review, you can also head over to All About Theatre.
If you're looking for more fantastic family-friendly events, it's also worth taking a look at the Z-arts website to see what's coming up. From theatre shows and creative workshops to seasonal family activities and Adventures in Wonderland, there's always something fun happening for children and families to enjoy.
🎥 Watch Our Visit in Weekly Vlog #456
If you’d like to see what I got up to during my trip to see Balloonatic you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #456. Our trip to the show begins at 05:00 in the video, although the vlog also includes some other family moments from our week.
🎭 At a Glance
📍 Venue: Z-arts Manchester
📅 Date: Saturday 6th June 2026
⏰ Performance Time: 2pm
⌛ Running Time: Approximately 55–60 minutes
☕ Interval: None
👶 Recommended Age: 5+
🎟️ Tickets: £10 (discounts available for Bright Sparks & M15 members)
💺 Our Seats: Row E Seats 15–18
👀 Seat View: Excellent central view with well-raked seating
🚌 Travel: Easily accessible by bus, tram and train. The 256 and 263 buses stop almost directly outside the venue, while Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop and Deansgate railway station are both around a 15-minute walk away.
☕ Food & Drink: Ground floor café serving sandwiches, locally sourced cakes, fair trade coffee, tea, ice creams (including vegan options), vegan and gluten-free choices, plus Kids Picnic Boxes (£4.75).
📚 Library: Children's library and reading area available inside the venue.
🎁 Gift Shop: On-site gift shop selling books, craft kits, puzzles, cards, souvenirs and pocket-money treats.
🧸 Pre-Show Fun: Giant red bus play area at Z-arts
🛍️ Merchandise: Magic Gareth book and magic wand slap bands available after the show
🌍 Tour Dates: Visit the official Balloonatic website for future venues and dates
*Our tickets for this show were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review
Comments