MediaCityUK will hostVan Gogh Alive this autumn – “the world’s most visited immersive, multi-sensory experience” that exhibits the life and work of the seminal Dutch artist.
Having welcomed over eight million visitors in 70 cities around the world – including sell-out runs in London and Birmingham – the art and culture experience is now destined for Salford; opening from 22 October.
Van Gogh Alive takes people on a trip through the periods of Van Gogh’s life that defined him as an artist – showcasing 3,000 images including iconic works like Starry Night, Sunflowers and lesser-known paintings inspired by his love of Japanese woodprints.
Created by Grande Experiences, Van Gogh Alive has been called a “glorious, stunning, but also very moving”, exhibition, featuring state-of-the-art gallery technology set to an evocative classical score delivered via a 3D sound system.
More than 3,000 images will be on display
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Van Gogh Alive will also feature an interpretive area where visitors can learn more about Van Gogh’s life, as well as interactive art stations where people can create their own art with the help of expert video tutorials.
The exhibition is also home to a life-sized walk-in representation of Van Gogh’s ‘Bedroom in Arles’ painting and a ‘Sunflower selfie room’ – a 360° mirrored space complete with hundreds of sunflowers.
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Van Gogh Alive is supporting The Christie charity and using the experience as a platform to help raise vital funds to continue its incredible work leading the way for cancer care, research, and education. Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to make a donation to The Christie charity when either purchasing tickets or while at the exhibition.
The charity has helped to provide the health service with a purpose-built young adult unit, a new Integrated Procedures Unit, a proton beam therapy research room, and equipment including an MR-linac machine and a new gamma camera. It is now fundraising for some vital projects including a new cancer centre and a world class research facility.
The experience takes visitors through periods of Van Gogh’s life
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Bruce Peterson, Owner of Grande Experiences, said: “After mesmerising a global audience of over 8 million people and selling-out cities all over the world, including Rome, Sydney and of course our most recent location at Kensington Gardens in London, we’re incredibly excited to be bringing Van Gogh Alive to MediaCityUK.
“This is an unforgettable cultural experience for all the family.”
Marie Toller, head of major relationships at The Christie charity, said the experience “looked absolutely stunning”.
“We are delighted that Van Gogh Alive has chosen to support The Christie charity,” he stated.
“The Christie relies on the support and donations from the public to provide our patients with the very best care, treatment and access to research options. Monies raised from the Van Gogh Alive exhibition will go towards making life that little bit easier for cancer patients and enhancing their experience while at The Christie hospital.”
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Van Gogh Alive opens its doors from 22 October 2021 to 23 January 2022.
Tickets are on sale now – having gone live at 9am on Thursday (22 July).
The price is £22.00 for adults and £15.00 for children, with concessions and school group discounts available. More info is available online here.
Art & Culture
Here’s our petition for ‘Wonderwall’ to become England’s new football anthem
Danny Jones
All things considered, England have made a great start to the 2026 World Cup, pitching themselves as one of the great entertainers this tournament, and the scenes of the supporters and players alike serenading an entire stadium with ‘Wonderwall’ after the full-time whistle gave us chills.
So why not time for a change?
After all, that feels a lot like what this World Cup squad is about: a new manager, new teammates, not clinging to the previous ways of playing – and perhaps it’s time to put ‘Sweet Caroline’ to one side.
Now, we’re by no means saying that we’re ‘done’ with the John Denver anthem that has been reborn as a Three Lions anthem, but look at how good it was watching England belting out Oasis with the fans.
“Today is gonna be the day that England beat Croatia 4-2”, as BBC’s Match of the Day cleverly quipped.
Obviously, we’re biased as Mancs, but we also think there’s something special about having that particular track feel so good to hear again.
As much as we love Oasis, for a long time, it felt like we couldn’t enjoy arguably their biggest-ever single anywhere near as much as we once did.
We assume it’s something akin to hearing ‘Mr Brightside’ non-stop for what felt like millennia, and in truth, hearing those repetitions of “ba, ba, ba… SO GOOD, SO GOOD!” over and over again at sporting fixtures beyond just national team games has taken the magic out of it at times.
Perhaps it’s just a case of saturation in certain settings and songs simply being overplayed – FIFA’s co-hosts over in the US certainly helped see to that when it came to ‘Wonderwall’ for a long time.
On the other hand, it feels like we’ve now come full circle; singing those famous lyrics at the top of our lungs in a sea of Mancs and fans travelling from all over to Heaton Park for Live ’25 last year felt better than ever, and like we’d all remembered how great a tune it’s always been. So did this…
In fact, this felt so emotional that you’ve got people who aren’t even English praising both those on the pitch and up in the stands for the moment online.
Even the admittedly rather American Man vs Food himself, Adam Richman (though he does have British ancestry), felt compelled to write a moving response on social media: “Shut up. You’re the one that’s crying. Bravo, England.”
He’s far from the only one who was left bowled over by the atmosphere – us included.
And in case you’re wondering just how strongly we feel about this one, you can sign a literal petition we’ve made for ‘Wonderwall’ to become the new England World Cup anthem for 2026 right HERE.
Featured Images — Oasis/ITV Sport (screenshots via YouTube)
Art & Culture
Popular Manchester attraction offering FREE entry to anyone who shares a name with these England players
Emily Sergeant
A popular Manchester attraction is offering people the chance to visit for free this summer… but only if they have certain names.
That’s right – Museum of Illusions is giving football fans an extra reason to celebrate every goal this summer, as the city centre attraction is offering free entry to anyone whose first name matches that of a Three Lions player that scores in an England fixture.
So if Harry Kane scores, all Harrys are in. If Jude Bellingham gets on the scoresheet, Judes can claim a free ticket. The same goes for Anthony, Ollie, or any other England player who bags a goal as the tournament foes on, meaning thousands more fans will be able to have their minds blown and let their imaginations run wild this summer.
The offer will run from tomorrow (Thursday 18 June) until 18 July – with the list of eligible names growing every time an England player finds the back of the net.
To claim their free ticket, visitors simply need to show valid photo ID at the admissions desk confirming their first name matches that of a confirmed England goalscorer.
Located on Market Street at the heart of the city centre, Museum of Illusions features more than 50 interactive exhibits designed to challenge perception and trick the senses.
Proving to be hugely popular since opening its doors back in 2024, visitors to Museum of Illusions can explore gravity-defying rooms, optical illusions, immersive installations, and holograms that create unforgettable photo opportunities for families and friends (and football fans) alike.
Free entry to Museum of Illusions in Manchester will be granted until 18 July 2026, and you can find out more info and opening times before you visit here.
The Manc -
22nd July 2021 
