Manchester will become one of the most picturesque places in the country this month as the city gets dressed up in celebration of the annual Flower Show.
The nine-day festival – dubbed the ‘most Instagrammable event of the year’ – will see Manchester draped from head to toe in magnificent floral tributes; with plants and flowers covering landmark buildings, shop windows, doorways, balconies, statues and fountains.
Huge topiary beasts, light sculptures and tributes to the NHS and key workers are also being arranged for the occasion.
Additionally, an array of alfresco drink and dining options – including The Manchester Flower Show Cocktail Trail – will be in place, with a number of venues getting involved including 20 Stories, ATOMECA, Canto, Cloud 23, Dakota Hotel Manchester, El Gato, Peru Perdu, Qbic Manchester Hotel, Tast Catala, The Graduate Bar at Hyatt Hotels Manchester and The Lowry Hotel.
Manchester Flower ShowManchester Flower Show
Organised by CityCo and Manchester BID, Manchester Flower Show will come into bloom on Saturday 29 May and run until Sunday 6 June.
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Displays will be visible right the way across the city – including Exchange Square, First Street, Manchester Arndale, Selfridges, Corn Exchange, Spinningfields, Science and Industry Museum, The Whitworth, Circle Square, Manchester Craft & Design Centre, Ducie Street Warehouse, Deansgate Square, Spinningfields and Great Northern Warehouse.
Some highlights of the Manchester Flower Show include:
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The Secret Garden, St Ann’s Square and Kimpton Clocktower Hotel – A rusting, disused electricity sub-station becomes a delightful secret garden with a 10-foot blossom tree at St Anne’s Square; with a second garden at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
Knitted Trees, Market Street: Stunning ‘yarn bombed trees’ outside Marks and Spencer.
Flower Power at New Cathedral Street – A floral display inspired by the swinging sixties and the psychedelic art movement.
50 years of St Ann’s Hospice on King Street: Celebrating its 50th birthday, St Ann’s Hospice’s installation of 50 Forget-me-nots blowing in the wind conjures up a sense of the care, love, peace and support provided by the hospice to those with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Seed of Change on King Street: A floral light sculpture created by Studiotech and Sutton Creative showcasing artwork by Venture Arts.
Bee Here and Celebrate at Manchester Cathedral: A beautiful volunteer-created display of pollen-rich perennials which could feed bees and butterflies for years – all in celebration of the 600th anniversary of Manchester Cathedral.
Live the Wild Life at Meadowside at Angel Meadow Park: A life-sized giraffe and baby elephant take over Angel Meadow! A must for families.
Floral Takeover at Stevenson Square: Blossoming doorways and floral displays at NOHO, Dusk till Pawn, Foundation Coffee and Fred Aldous transform Stevenson Square.
Whispering Wisteria at Circle Square, Oxford Road: A romantic tree sculpture draped with 500 pieces of wisteria; featuring tiny speakers enmeshed in the branches emitting sounds of the community in Bruntwood SciTech’s Circle Square.
Manchester Flower Show
Find out more about the bars and restaurants participating in The Manchester Flower Show Cocktail Trail online.
Visit the event page here for a full guide to what’s on at each venue throughout the festival.
Manchester
Trailer released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed all across Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new romcom that’s set and filmed all across Manchester has been released.
The film, titled Finding Emily, tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl on a night out, but ends up with the wrong phone number, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, and based on a screenplay written by Rachel Hirons – is produced by Working Title Films, is set in the fictional Manchester City University, and is due to be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures across the UK and internationally this spring.
The talented ensemble cast groups together big names like Minnie Driver with rising stars like Ella Maisy Purvis, Yali Topal Margalith, and Kat Ronney, as well as other established actors including Timothy Innes and Nadia Parkes.
Filming took place in Manchester between August and September 2024.
The two and a half-minute trailer has been shared with the world today, and when we say it’s a Manc film, we mean it… we quite literally lost count of how many of our city’s famous locations can be spotted in just the trailer alone.
The trailer has been released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed in Manchester / Credit: Universal Pictures & Focus Features (via YouTube)
There’s everything from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street and the Gay Village, the Northern Quarter, the Crown & Kettle pub in Ancoats, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see, alongside what’ll, presumably, be dozens of other famous locations.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
Finding Emily is set to be released in cinemas across the UK on 22 May, before it debuts in the US on 28 August.
Featured Image – Matt Squire / Focus Features
Manchester
Cult burger brand Burgerism opens first eat-in city centre restaurant on Piccadilly Gardens
Daisy Jackson
Burgerism is opening the doors to its first city centre eat-in restaurant this week, right in the middle of Manchester on Piccadilly Gardens.
The iconic burger brand, which started life as a dark kitchen off an industrial estate in Salford, is now almost ready to welcome fans into its first Manchester city centre location.
Set to open tomorrow – Wednesday 11 February – Burgerism will be serving up their signature smash burgers from a new flagship location.
And they’re doing 30% off the full menu during its opening soft launch period.
The new Burgerism site will have a relaxed walk-in-only dining experience with 22 covers, as well as takeaway, across a 1,000 sq ft space at One Piccadilly.
You’ll be able to order your food at the counter, via self-service kiosks, or through click-and-collect on the Burgerism website.
Highlights on the menu will, as always, include the fan-favourite Cheesed (two smashed patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and the brand’s signature sauce, served in a seeded brioche bun), as well as a range of chicken burgers, fries, and wings.
Inside Burgerism at Piccadilly GardensBurgerism founder Mark Murphy
The Piccadilly Gardens opening will be the fifth Burgerism site following its four openings elsewhere in Greater Manchester.
Mark Murphy, CEO and Co-Founder of Burgerism, commented: “The growth of Burgerism has always been very organic – we don’t follow the rules and we obsess over the details, even if that means we move more slowly.
“We’d rather get things right than rush it. So our arrival at Piccadilly Gardens is a big moment for us – and one that feels right. We’re excited to make Burgerism more accessible to the people who already know and love it, while opening the door to new fans too!
“We’ve stayed true to our values from day one, and this restaurant is no different. Same food, same ethos, same energy – just a brand new setting. We’re excited to open the doors with our 30% off deal during our opening week and welcome people into the space.”
Burgerism, One Piccadilly, will open on 11 February.
The Manc -
14th May 2021 
