More than one thousand Manchester schoolchildren came together to enjoy a special live celebration of poetry and reading when the acclaimed children's author and multi award-winning poet Michael Rosen took to the stage at Manchester Opera House on Friday 6th November.
The Poetry Party special event organised by Read Manchester in partnership with Walker Books saw Michael Rosen entertain children with stories, raps and rhymes and plenty of audience participation.
The event saw Michael perform some of his favourite and best loved Silly School Stuff poems including the classic 'No Breathing in Class'. And it kickstarted celebrations for the third annual Michael Rosen Day later in November.
Young Poets on Stage
For the first time, Michael was also joined on stage by Young Poet Laureates, Poppy and Annika, who have written and performed their own poems inspired by this year's Michael Rosen Day theme, Silly School Stuff.
Bringing together one of Britain's most celebrated poets with young literary talent highlights the importance of giving children and young people the opportunities to find their voice through reading, writing and sharing poetry.
Michael Rosen Day 2026
The Manchester event comes ahead of Michael Rosen Day 2026 on 12th November, a national celebration spearheaded by Walker Books which encourages schools, libraries, bookshops and families to discover the fun and creativity of reading, listening to and writing poetry and to encourage children to get involved and creative.
The celebrations have particular significance during the National Year of Reading, which is encouraging children and young people to discover the enjoyment that reading can bring.
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, said:
We're delighted to welcome Michael Rosen to Manchester for what promises to be a fantastic celebration of poetry.
Bringing hundreds of Manchester children together to experience poetry performed live is a wonderful way of showing that reading and writing can be exciting, imaginative and, most importantly, fun.
Through Read Manchester, we want our children and young people across the city to have opportunities that inspire a lifelong love of reading, and it will be fantastic to see them enjoying the work of one of Britain's best-loved children's authors alongside the next generation of young poets.
Michael Rosen said:
I'm excited to be visiting the Opera House, one of Manchester's iconic theatre venues, to perform some of my favourite Silly School poems to over 1,000 children from across the city. Michael Rosen Day is all about encouraging children to enjoy, listen to, and share poems and stories. I hope this event and the day itself showcase the sheer joy that poetry can bring, celebrate the many ways we can put books into children's hands, and ultimately have FUN!
Grace Cameron, INSPIRE Producer, Palace & Opera House, said:
We are incredibly passionate about giving children across Manchester the opportunity to experience the arts and discover the magic of live performance on both the Palace and Opera House stages.
I am delighted to be partnering once again with the wonderful team at Manchester Libraries to welcome children from 28 schools across the city for what promises to be a truly memorable morning. Read Manchester is such an inspiring initiative; we are so proud to be hosting a special celebration of poetry and storytelling at the Opera House. A huge thank you to the team at Legally Blonde The Musical for their support with making this event possible.
