October has arrived and there’s plenty to be getting up to in Manchester.
If you’re stuck for something to do, then this is your go-to guide for what’s on and what’s happening in the city of Manchester and beyond this week.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, others will set you back a few pounds and most will need to be booked in advance, but all are COVID-secure and socially-distanced in order to keep you as safe as possible during these trying times.
Whatever you fancy doing though, there’s certainly no shortage of choice in our region.
Here’s some of the things you could be getting up to this week:
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GRIMMFEST
Online
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Wednesday 7th – Sunday 11th October
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFwhJMiFyVb/
Manchester’s very own annual horror film festival – GRIMMFEST: Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Films – is becoming a virtual event for the very first time and will be taking place online from Wednesday to Sunday this week.
Horror films fans have can watch 20 feature films, two short film programmes, two special events – including world-first film premieres – and dozens of supporting events all from the comfort of their own home.
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You can find more information about GRIMMFEST here.
If you’re looking to get in the mood for Halloween early, but keep things a little on the cheaper side this week, then you need look no further than up above in the city centre as the annual decorative pumpkin lanterns are back once again and they’re here all month.
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Going on a little tour to see the lanterns in the trees in St Ann’s Square, Market Street and beyond is the perfect activity for all the family, easy to plan and great for pictures.
There’ll be some very special visitors at SEA LIFE Manchester this Friday.
You are invited to explore the full Barton Square attraction after hours in this limited, intimate evening session and you’ll also get a rare chance to marvel at the real life mermaids in their natural habitat as they join SEA LIFE Manchester’s resident Sea Turtles – Cammy & Ernie – in the ocean tank.
These evening sessions are running from 4pm – 8pm, with last admission at 7pm.
Tickets are priced at £21.95 for adults and £16.95 for children. You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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Headstock Festival x Nodding Dog Comedy Night
Escape to Freight Island
Tuesday 6th October
Escape to Freight Island
Music and mental wellbeing festival, Headstock, has teamed up with Nodding Dog Comedy to bring a night of stand-up comedy to Piccadilly on Tuesday.
10 comedians – including Live at the Apollo and Britain’s Got Talent stars – will take the stage for the exclusive event at Escape To Freight Island and funds raised from ticket money will go towards Headstock’s partners, which include mental health support organisation Manchester Mind and music charity Help Musicians.
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Tickets must be booked in advance and will set you back £10 per person.
You can books yours and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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Park N Party presents Scare City
Event City, Trafford
Friday 9th, Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th October
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This immersive drive-in cinema event – organised by Park N Party – sees terrifying performers swarming on unsuspecting viewers’ during each evening of car park entertainment at Event City in Trafford.
Horror flicks for all film fans will be showing throughout the month of October.
From the comfort of your own car, you can watch Annabelle Comes Home on Friday 9th October, The Witches, Coco and Halloween (2018) on Saturday 10th October, and Hotel Transylvania and The Grudge on Sunday 11th October.
Tickets are priced at £35 per vehicle.
Food and drink is also available to purchase on site, and will be served and distributed in compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions.
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You can reserve your spot at Scare City online now via Eventbrite.
A brand new Roxy Ballroom has just opened up in Manchester city centre.
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Taking over the old 17,000sq ft Birdcage building on Withy Grove, Roxy Ball Room has half a dozen bowling lanes, beer pong tables, shuffleboard, and arcade machines have all been installed, as well as a 12-hole ‘crazy pool’ game on a mezzanine level, and has a wide range of booze, cocktails and American-style food available.
Bookings must be made in advance for households or support bubbles only, with Roxy operation 3pm-10pm during the week and 12pm-10pm at the weekend.
Players can order food and drink using a QR code on each gaming table.
You can book your slot and find more information about social distancing / COVID-safe precautions here.
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KBOM – Sem Fundo Sundays
Hatch
Sunday 11th October
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KBOM Bar & Kitchen – based at award-winning independent food, drink and retail destination HATCH on Oxford Road – merges the vibrant flavours of Brazil, with the traditional soul food of Portugal and hosts a very special ‘Sem Fundo’ – otherwise known as bottomless’ brunch – on Sundays.
It includes a starter, main and complimentary drinks during your 90 pre-booked slot, and all of this comes for only £22.95 per person too.
You can book your table for KBOM’s Sem Fundo ‘Bottomless’ Sundayshere.
More information about HATCH and the social distancing / COVID-safe precautions can be found here.
What's On
Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American girl group Pussycat Dolls have reunited for a UK tour, stopping off at Co-op Live in Manchester with their powerhouse pop anthems.
Releasing their first LP in 2005, this pop girl group have a variety of radio hits to their name like ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Buttons’.
Over the years, the Pussycat Dolls lineup has gone through significant changes with this latest reunion comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
The trio even released some brand-new material to coincide with the announcement of their UK and EU tour titled ‘Club Song’.
Now the girls are about to put their Doll Domination to the test as they bring their PCD Forever Tour in arenas across the nation.
Gig guide – Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for Pussycat Dolls at Co-op Live open from 6pm with a start time listed of 7pm with Lil’ Kim and rising girl group Deja Vu kicking things off.
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home and loosen your ‘Buttons’, hopefully before the clock strikes twelve.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A new digital archive documenting the legendary Queer Up North festival has launched this month.
Running for an illustrious decade from 1992 to 2002, Queer Up North was the first multi-artform LGBTQ+ festival in Europe, but its significance has extended far beyond the arts as a beacon for queer culture, and is largely described as being one of the most pioneering and influential festivals ever.
From the very start, Queer Up North had an international standpoint – gaining support and recognition from much further afield as well as here in Manchester.
The festival emerged during a period where Manchester’s queer communities were navigating new ways to gain visibility and to create culture on their own terms.
It played a central role in uniting artists, performers, audiences, and venues – helping to establish Manchester as an international destination for LGBTQ+ arts and culture.
The newly launched digital archive shares materials from the iconic festival’s history, making them easily accessible to the public online for the first time, and for free.
The curated collection features 1420 images, 275 artefacts, and 29 oral histories revealing amazing stories about the people, performances, art, club nights, cabaret, and comedy that all helped to shape culture in Manchester during the 90s.
It offers a chance to explore a pivotal decade of Manchester’s history and understand how a generation of artists, performers, and audiences created a whole host of new opportunities for the Mancunian queer community.
Queer Up North launches digital archive full of visual art and more from legendary Manchester festival / Credit: Jonathan Keenan (Supplied)
It also facilitates a platform for new work, inspired by the legacy of Queer Up North, with founders emphasising that its purpose is as much about the future, as it is the past.
Tanja Farman and Gavin Barlow, founder-directors of Queer Up North shared: “The festival set out to be pioneering, innovative, international and inspirational, and looking back 34 years later, is it incredibly exciting to see that history preserved and celebrated.
“The Queer Up North Archive ensures that the creativity and contributions of LGBTQ+ artists and communities are remembered, while opening up their work and stories to a new generation.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2020 
