The Festival

Saturday 22nd June 2024

The Manchester Dragon Boat Festival is coming to Sale Water Park. It’s a fun-filled family day out with gripping, adrenalin-fuelled dragon boat racing and landside attractions for the whole family.

Where is the event?

Sale Water Park
Rifle Road, Sale
Manchester
M33 2LX

How it works

Dragon Boating is great fun and ideal for complete novices as no previous experience is necessary. It’s quick to pick up and suitable for almost all ages and abilities, with all instructions given on the day.

Teams can range from 11 – 20 people in size, with a maximum of 17 team members (8 x pairs of paddlers plus the team drummer) competing in any one race (all teams must have a drummer). Each team will have a minimum of three timed races where your single fastest time only will count for Grand Final qualification and as the racing will be over a sprint distance of just 200 meters, it makes little difference if a novice team is made up of just six pairs, seven pairs or the full eight pairs of paddlers.

The Grand Final will be a race to the finish where all the dragon boats that can be safely raced together will race one last time and the first team across the line will be declared: Dragon Boat Champions of Manchester.

The festival will end with our award ceremony where specially engraved trophies are awarded to the captains of the top three teams and winners’ medals to each member of the winning crew.

Have you got what it takes to “Race the Dragon” and be crowned champions of the Manchester Dragon Boat Festival 2024?

Provisional event timings:

08:30 – Participant check-in opens

09:55 – All participants to have completed check-in.

10:00 – Welcome, followed by a call-up for the first team’s safety briefing and the official eye dotting ceremony.

10:30 – Heat 1 race due to run on the start line.
Heat 2
Heat 3

16:30 GRAND FINAL (time depending on the number of teams racing)

10 minutes following the Grand Final finishes, presentations, speeches, & photos

FAQ's

What does it cost?

Team Entry is £ 550.00 (£458.33 + vat), which can be secured with a minimum £150 deposit. For a team consisting of up to 20 people (inc 3 reserves), that works out at just £27.50 per person to do a unique day’s activity involving, teamwork, challenge, exciting competition and above all else… fantastic FUN.

What does the cost cover?

Team entry for the day (with qualified instructors)
A minimum of 3 qualifying races, with the opportunity to go through to the Grand Final
Trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Places, and medals for the Champions!
‘Challenge Races’ – we can place you against friends, colleagues or business competitors in your own race
All safety briefings, equipment and water safety cover
Eye dotting ceremony & traditional lion dance performances
Lots happening landside (keep an eye out for announcements)
FREE Entry for participants and guests – bring the family and make a day of it

Who can enter?

Companies – an ideal team-building event and local PR experience for your company

Charities, Sports Teams, Gyms, and other Groups – Why not use the event to raise funds for your chosen charity?

Friends and Family – Well, you get the idea…. Just for fun or again raise some money for a charity or good cause.

Anyone over 16 yrs to make up 16 paddlers plus one on the drum.

What do I do next?!

The Race the Dragon Events Team will be providing race management for the festival, so you just need turn up and have fun with your friends and colleagues.

For more information please get in touch.