The Herds – Powerful Puppetry Takes Over Manchester City as MIF2025 Opens

The Herds Stampede Through Manchester in Monumental Climate Protest at MIF2025

In a powerful collision of public art and climate activism, The Herds took over Manchester city centre this weekend, marking the dramatic opening of MIF2025. Thousands gathered in Cathedral Gardens to witness an unforgettable spectacle: 70 life-sized puppet animals roaming the streets in a visual journey from the Congo Basin to the Arctic Circle.

From a giraffe sighting on Market Street to an elephant wandering through Heywood, the city was transformed by The Herds, a large-scale public art event staged by the acclaimed creators behind Little Amal. The piece is directed by renowned Palestinian theatre-maker Amir Nizar Zuabi and produced by The Walk Productions in collaboration with international artists and institutions across Africa and Europe.

The performance is more than just street theatre—it’s a bold and urgent metaphor for our planet’s ecological emergency. As the puppets move across West Africa and Europe, their fictional migration mirrors the devastating real-world displacement of animals and communities due to climate change.

In Manchester, the displaced creatures disrupted a live orchestral performance by Manchester Camerata, scattering through the streets with poetic chaos. From Cathedral Gardens to Market Street, curious onlookers followed the trail, drawn in by the stirring rhythm and movement—blurring the line between art and activism.

“The Herds is a warning,” said one MIF audience member. “It’s beautiful and heartbreaking. You can’t look away.”

As the journey continued, The Herds left the city centre for Heywood (4 July), where local streets pulsed with rhythm thanks to Global Grooves, leading the animals toward Queen’s Park. There, the drama unfolded in the park’s tranquil lakeside setting, offering a haunting contrast to the animals’ sense of urgency.

On 5 July, the final Greater Manchester stop brings The Herds to Pennington Flash Country Park. Visitors can explore nature trails and watch in hushed awe as puppet animals appear among trees and wetlands—a fleeting moment of sanctuary in a vanishing world.

With participation from local volunteers and communities, The Herds is public art at its most ambitious and communal, reminding us that the climate crisis is no longer distant. It’s here, it’s now—and it’s walking beside us.