Chill Factore has a bunch of offers on skiing and snow sessions for families looking to pause the real world and escape to the slopes this half term.
There may be a fair bit of doom and gloom at the moment, but a fun-filled and action-packed day out for the whole family is always on the cards at Trafford’s indoor ski slope and snow play complex, and after having been awarded with a Visit England ‘We’re Good To Go’ accreditation, you can enjoy these unique family experiences at a destination that follows all government and industry COVID-19 guidelines.
One of the highlights this half term gives you the opportunity to try out Chill Factore’s famous ‘Erik’s Trail’ for the very first time, so if your little one is already a skier or snowboarder, then this brand new challenge is the perfect adventure for them.
The trail features a combination of arches, gates, limbo, high-fives and small ride-on boxes that will change on a daily basis, which lets thrill-seekers weave and whizz down the slope in a different way every time they visit.
If it’s letting off some steam that you’re after, then the Junior Lift Pass – which is discounted to just £15 for one hour, £20 for two hours, and £25 for four hours – lets kids can enjoy hours of fun on the 180m real snow slope – and these discounted passes are also valid for Erik’s Trail too.
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Passes must be booked online due to COVID-19 regulations, and the course will be available from Monday 26th October – Wednesday 28th October at 12noon – 4pm.
Chill Factore
If sledging’s more your style, you can enjoy a £15 early bird offer for access to the family-favourite Snow Park.
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Suitable for adults and children aged 4+, Snow Park is the ideal place to make some memories this half term and with four lanes to race down, the whole family can go head to head on the downhill donuts, or whizz down the real snow slope on sledges.
With a strict cleaning regime in place, it also means parents can relax and enjoy family time in this COVID-secure environment.
First time on the slopes or want to improve your skills?
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You can learn to ski or snowboard with the help of Chill Factore’s expert and friendly instructors. With reduced class sizes, the new lesson format follows the ‘rule of 6’ guidelines and allows guests to learn a new skill in a safe and encouraging environment. Lessons are perfect for beginners who may be putting on a pair of skis for the very first time and completing their first exciting run of the beginner slope, or improvers who are learning to perfect their turns and speed control.
If you’re curious to give skiing or snowboarding a go, you can try a Fun Taster – which introduces you to the basics in just 50 minutes – or if you’re passionate to really get to grips with skiing or snowboarding, you can book a full day Lesson for just £99 midweek, and £119 during the weekend.
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Despite constant changes to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, Chill Factore is still able to offer its much-loved core activities, albeit with some adjustments and has even managed to see an increased overall guest satisfaction across its activities, whilst introducing new guidelines that ensure the safety of all team members and guests.
Speaking on the government’s latest announcement regarding a new three tier lockdown approach in local regions, Morwenna Angove – CEO of Chill Factore – said: “At Chill Factore we are fully committed to staying open and welcoming snowsports fans to our fantastic real snow slope, and [the recent] announcement has confirmed that we are still able to do that safely, here in Manchester.
“We’ve received our ‘We’re Good To Go’ accreditation, and have a number of safety measures already in place to ensure the safety of our guests and staff, including reduced lesson sizes and sanitising equipment.
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“We ask that all guests follow the rules when visiting, but most of all we are that you enjoy spending time on the snow.”
All guests must book online and wear face coverings around the attraction and on the slope.
You can find more information via the Chill Factore website here.
What's On
‘Hefty’ Foo Fighters ticket prices for surprise Manchester gig divide opinion
Danny Jones
Foo Fighters fans, gig-goers and all-round music lovers in general have been left up in arms after the legendary American rock band announced some surprise shows in the UK and Ireland – including here in Manchester – as ticket prices have labelled ‘shameful’ by some.
In case you missed the news that sent us here in Manchester and all over the nation into bedlam, Foo Fighters recently revealed they would be playing just a handful of shows up and down the country, all at smaller venues than their usual arena tour dates.
Sharing the news fairly last-minute over the weekend, with tickets going on sale this past Sunday and (shock) selling out almost immediately, many have taken issue with the band’s and/or promoters’ approach to the event.
While lots have revelled in the excitement of a show scheduled for this week being dropped on our laps in the eleventh hour, lots of others feel the price point for the tickets is ‘ridiculous’.
Although they’re not quite on the level of the controversial Oasis/Harry Styles sagas, at £99 including all fees, they’re still up there with the most expensive gig tickets venues like these will ever charge.
Most poignantly, the tickets were sold strictly in person via the box office, with fans queuing up outside a trio of venues.
Taking place at the O2 Ritz, which has a capacity of roughly 1,500, the Foo Fighters’ Manchester date is not only one of the most in-demand gigs, but also promises to be one of their sweatiest – and, apparently, most divisive.
For some, this is a very cool bit of marketing and at least an attempt to curb online ticket touts, plus helping support live music spaces directly; on the other hand, the significant fee remains a sticking point they refuse to move past.
Responding in the comments underneath the post by the Ritz, one person wrote: “That ticket price is f****** disgusting. It’s not costing them f*** all to play there, if Harry Styles can play the Co-op Live for £20 then they should”; another simply added, “99 quid is wild, do better.”
Safe to say it has split opinions across the board.
i really want to know who is paying £100 to see foo fighters at o2 academy ritz and what they do for work to justify that
Big fan of the foo fighters but having only in person tickets and then still charging £100 is a joke. Then to move other bands earlier to slot them in isn’t fair
As you can see, it’s also affected other acts set to play these same rooms this month, too.
Others have also doubted whether the ‘face value exchange’ tactic really works all that much, as a few people on social media reported having already found a number of tickets being listed on resale on certain platforms.
What do you make of artists charging these kinds of prices for exclusive one-off shows like this, or the cost of gig tickets in general these days?
Better yet, did any of you succeed in grabbing tickets to see Foo Fighters at the Ritz here in Manchester this Friday, 27 February?
Featured Images — Audio North/Publicity picture (via Foo Fighters/O2 Ritz)
What's On
The K’s kick off Manchester’s BRITs Week celebrations early with jam-packed intimate gig
The Manc
If you were ‘Hoping Maybe’ to see The K’s at some point this year, this is your sign do it, as the rising indie band did not let the occasion of playing an intimate BRITs-backed gig get to them – they were buoyed by it.
Beloved city centre venue Gorilla was overflowing for The K’s last night, hosting an unreal small-cap set as part of Brits Week ‘26 for a very important cause: War Child.
Perfectly teed up by fellow nearby band, Florentenes from Bolton, The K’s took to a familiar stage many years on from their debut, and instantly had the crowd ready and raring for an hour of pure tunes and some very, very sweaty brows.
Earlestown’s finest certainly carried that Northern charm and energy throughout the whole night; their indie and almost nostalgic lyrical storytelling has you moshing one minute, whilst grasping your mate and ascending into live music heaven the next. There really aren’t many feelings like it.
Sobbing and swaying in the vast ocean of shoulders whilst screaming the lyrics to ‘Helen. Oh I’, I questioned how any compliment will ever compare to launching “thousand ships every time” from a kiss.
The K’s were yearning before Wuthering Heights made it vogue (again).
Musically, the band were seamless and a well-oiled machine, and so were the audience as they wholeheartedly echoed every lyric back at the lads and bounced it off the walls.
The K’s have come a long way since their first visit to Gorilla (Credit: Lucy Wagstaffe)
Every primary school assembly proudly led us to this moment, and it did not disappoint, displaying their increasingly seasoned and successful career, which I can only imagine is going to go from strength to strength this year.
I don’t think we even one more fan could have squeezed one more passionate fan into Gorilla on the night; it was heaving with people and pride; the sweat dripping down the walls indicated things are big for these local lads, and we couldn’t be prouder.
They are another prime example of shining a deserving light on Northern artists! And having the 2026 BRIT Awards up here with us is a testament to that.
Emily Sergeant -
15th October 2020 
