The Science and Industry Museum have announced two exciting changes to their Power Up retro gaming festival for 2019.

The first is that the event will run for much longer than previously – extending from two weeks to last over the whole summer holiday.

Mark Cutmore, Head of Commercial Experiences at the Science Museum Group, said: “We know that Power Up is one of our most popular events of the year, and with sessions selling out for the past few years we decided that a two-week run just wasn’t enough. So, I’m delighted to announce that Power Up will be in residence for the entire summer, giving more opportunities to play than ever before.”

Secondly, Power Up will feature retro handheld consoles for the first time, including the Game Boy, Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear.
Power Up is an annual favourite among gaming aficionados and novices alike, taking a riotously fun trip through the last four decades of gaming history, and giving visitors the opportunity to see the evolution of ever-popular characters like Mario and Sonic. Nostalgia fans can get their fix on old-school arcade games, while fans of the latest tech can enjoy the section dedicated to next gen consoles and VR.

Visitors will be able to play collaborative games, enter multiplayer competitions and play on games consoles from Atari 2600, SNES and Dreamcast to the latest Playstation 4, and the most popular games of the last 40 years will return to the event, including Pong, Pacman, Minecraft and Halo.

Tickets cost £7 for a 90-minute session, or £12 for a half-day session. A limited-availability, early bird booking 20% discount will be available on selected daytime tickets from 21 May to 21 June.

Late-night adults-only sessions will also return, with a licensed bar and food.

A Power Up preview session will take place on Saturday, 20 June. To attend, or for review tickets, competitions and giveaways, please contact Kat Harrison-Dibbits, Interim Head of PR at the Science and Industry Museum, on 0161 606 0176 or email kat.dibbits@scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk.

About the Science and Industry Museum

The Science and Industry Museum tells the story of where science met industry and the modern world began. Manchester was one of the first global, industrial cities, and its epic rise, decline and resurrection has been echoed in countless other cities around the world. From textiles to computers, the objects and documents on display in the museum tell stories of everyday life over the last 200 years, from light bulbs to locomotives. The museum’s mission is to inspire all its visitors, including future scientists and inventors, with the story of how ideas can change the world, from the industrial revolution to today and beyond.

The Science and Industry Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, a family of museums which also includes the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York and Shildon; and the Science and Media Museum in Bradford. The Science Museum Group is devoted to the history and contemporary practice of science, medicine, technology, industry and media. With five million visitors each year and an unrivalled collection, it is the most significant group of museums of science and innovation worldwide.

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