Bees’ flying visit
ALL 101 OF THE COLOURFUL SCULPTURES - CURRENTLY DOTTED AROUND TOWN - WILL GATHER AT NATIONAL CYCLING CENTRE FOR A WHOLE WEEKEND
THERE’S just a month left to spot the Bee in the City sculptures around Manchester before the public art spectacle draws to a close on September 23.
Thousands of people have been tracking down the giant honeybee statues since they appeared at landmarks around the city last month.
But if you haven’t found them all by the time the trail ends, you’ll have one last chance at a farewell weekend organisers have just announced. The event will bring all 101 of the sculptures together inside the National Cycling Centre’s velodrome for visitors to see all the eye-catching designs in one place from October 12 to October 14.
There will also be face-painting, family-friendly entertainment, food stalls and a Bee in the City pop-up shop selling official merchandise, plus the chance to meet some of the artists behind the sculptures showing off their work at an art fair.
Sally-Ann Wilkinson, director of Wild In Art, the creative force behind Bee in the City, said: “It will be such a spectacle to see all of the bees gathered together in the velodrome for the farewell weekend.
“The Bee in the City trail has been a huge success so far and it’s all down to the people of Manchester, who have really made the trail their own.
“We expect the event to be incredibly popular so be a busy bee and book early to avoid disappointment.
“But the fun isn’t over yet! There’s still a month left of the trail, so if you haven’t yet completed it I urge you to grab a map and get bee-seeking or get involved with one of our many bee-themed events.”
More than 70 of the sculptures will be auctioned off after the farewell weekend to raise money for the Lord Mayor of Manchester’s We Love MCR Charity on October 17 at the velodrome.
The 23 super-sized sculptures decorated by community groups will be staying in Manchester as a lasting legacy of the Bee in the City project. All of the 131 little bees will stay with the schools and youth groups that created them.
Shaun Brennan, from the HSBC UK National Cycling Centre, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome the farewell weekend and auction to our facility as a fitting culmination to the wonderful Bee in the City trail, and can’t wait to see all 101 bees swarm in and around our world-famous velodrome. The 10 local school community bees that have made a home in our reception and our super-sized bee have been wonderful additions over the summer.”
Tickets are on sale now for 90-minute slots across the three days frombeeinthecitymcr.co.uk/ event/farewell-weekend.