BBC One’s newest crime thriller series hit screens across the UK earlier this month and it’s already gripped the attention of viewers.
The show may be set in Dundee, but did you know it was actually filmed in Manchester?
Joining the ever-growing and impressive list of tv shows, films and blockbuster productions to be filmed on the very streets of our city, Traces – the six-part drama series, which can already be watched in full on BCC iPlayer – stars Three Girls actress Molly Windsor and Line Of Duty’s Martin Compston.
The premise follows Emma Hedges (Windsor) as she returns to Dundee to start a new job.
Her new career brings her mother’s unsolved murder into sharp focus, and Emma joins forces with her forensic lab colleagues to uncover the truth about her mum’s death, with many twists and turns along the way.
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And while it’s true that some parts of the series were in fact filmed on location in Dundee, Scotland – presumably just to add authenticity – the majority of scenes were actually shot in Manchester, with actor Laura Fraser – who plays Professor Sarah Gordon in the series – revealing to The Scots Magazine that: “It’s set in Dundee, but they actually only shot for a week in Dundee – it was all Manchester.”
“We filmed a lot of it in Manchester, but obviously, we had to get up to the location in Dundee,” Martin continued.
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BBC One / iPlayerBBC One / iPlayer
Adding to the discussion, Bobby Cochrane from Screen Manchester – the organisation which helps to facilitate filming in the city – told Creative England: “It was great to facilitate Traces in Manchester and we worked very closely with the locations department to support and permit their requests across the city.
“Key locations included city centre bars, restaurants and hotels, as well as residential properties and park locations to the south and north of the city.”
He continued: “With Manchester doubling as Dundee, it shows the fantastic diverse range of locations that the city has to offer for urban, suburban and rural scenes”.
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Yet another reason why Manchester is so brilliant, right?
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Traces continues on BBC One at 9pm next Monday 18th January, with all episodes available to view in full on BBC iPlayer now.
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Claire’s is closing all stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show
Danny Jones
All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.
If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.
Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.
Rest assured, these tickets will fly…
aespa SYNK : COMPLæXITY
Catch the LIVE TOUR in Manchester at @AOArena on Thu 14th January 2027!
Register by [Wed 29 Apr at 6AM PT / 8PM CT / 9AM ET] for access to the artist presale: https://t.co/JuWFFMCE8Q
Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.
As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”
There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.
Consider us honoured.
Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.
Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.
Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.
aespa EU tour dates 2027
14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
16 Jan – London
19 Jan – Amsterdam
22 Jan – Stockholm
24 Jan – Copenhagen
26 Jan – Berlin
29 Jan – Milan
31 Jan – Barcelona
2 February – Paris
If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.
As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
13th January 2021 
