Giant monsters with hanging tentacles, fanged teeth, and bloodshot eyes will begin to take over the rooftops of Manchester this week, as the city readies itself for the start of the spooky season.
The monsters will return for their fifth year, looming down from their towers at us and bringing a distinctly ghostly flair to the city centre as part of the annual Halloween in the City celebrations.
Credit: CityCo / Manchester BID
Going on display at eleven different locations around Manchester, the giant monsters will start to appear from this week – with more due to pop up on the ground over the Halloween weekend itself.
Dotted across the city, you’ll be able to find them at various spots like KAMPUS, Selfridges, the Manchester Arndale, Great Northern Warehouse, Printworks and The Royal Exchange Manchester.
There’ll also be more appearing in Spinningfields and at the ‘spooktacular’ Cathedral Gardens Ice Rink, with two more popping up on the ground outside Zara and on Exchange Square on 30 and 31 October.
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Credit: CityCo / Manchester BID
After half a decade in the city, Halloween in the City festival has firmly established itself as one of the biggest in the country.
Organised by Manchester Business Improvement Distict (BID), the monsters are just the tip of the iceberg as the festival prepares to bring a host of events together over the Halloween weekend.
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Think a welcome procession of roaming monsters, a monster carnival, top monster bands, monster DJs, a monstrous photo trail across the city and even some looming monsters at Cathedral Gardens’ Halloween outdoor ice skating rink.
Credit: CityCo / Manchester BID
Read on for a full breakdown of everything that’s taking place over the Halloween in the City weekender this year.
A ‘monsters welcome’ procession
Walk The Plank, who also create the annual Manchester Day parade, are putting on a crazy procession of monster puppets, stilt walkers and a five-piece band across the Halloween weekend – and everyone is invited.
Visit the home of Manchester’s mad-for-it scientist, Dr. Mancenstein, encountering dragons, giant marauding crows, Mr Arsenic the castle butler and eerie groundskeepers along the way whilst dodging the man-eating plants.
Free to attend, her garden and cemetery is also home to a menagerie of creepy characters.
Get up close and personal with giant monster Scary Gary at this year’s Monster Lab, located in Exchange Square. You can also make your own slime at the Monster Slime School and create your own mini monsters to take home.
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Dr Mancenstein’s radioactive lab assistant will be on hand to help with all your weird and wonderful experiments.
Credit: CityCo / Manchester BID
A carnival of monsters ‘freakshow’
Billed as a ‘family-friendly freakshow’, New Cathedral street will be transformed for spooky season with roaming circus monsters, sideshow stalls, a kids’ carousel and a traditional helter-skelter.
You can also get up close and personal with the inflatable monster, Creepy Annie.
A trail of spooky photo opportunities across the city
Discover eight different spooky backdrops scattered across the city, ranging from a ‘monster invasion’ Manchester skyline, to depictions of the Grimm Reaper, aliens, zombies, the marshmallow man, dragons and creepy castle gates.
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There will also be backdrops featuring Cbeebies and CBBC characters – perfect for the little ones.
Known as ‘The Keeper’s Nests’ these giant magpie puppets draw inspiration from the rhyme “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told…”.
The pair will stalk the streets at a height, looking down from their rickety nests in search of secrets.
DJ Ghostman isn’t the first selector to hide his identity, but he might be the first to do so with a bed sheet. Find him playing a host of Halloween hits and monster bops from the Monster DJ Truck on Market Street across Halloween weekend.
Don’t forget to follow the fun over on Halloween in the City’s socials too – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Featured Image – CityCo / Manchester BID
What's On
Northern Rail have announced their latest flash sale with train tickets available from just £2
Danny Jones
Finally, we’ve got some good news on the train lines once again, as Northern Rail has just announced the return of their fantastic flash sale, which sees literally millions of discounted tickets made available to the general public.
With the last promotion from Northern having delighted Brits up and down the country, the train company are once again offering affordable tickets, with prices starting from just £2.
The only catch is that you’ve got just a few days to make the most of the savings.
Confirming the flash sale across the Northern Assist social media accounts, the rail operator has now detailed both start and end dates, as well as the valid travel dates.
The 2025 Northern flash sale began at 8am this Tuesday, 30 September, with thousands of train journeys having already been booked.
A full list of all the routes with cut-price tickets on until Thursday, 2 October can be found HERE.
According to Northern, the top destinations with the most tickets available in Northern’s Flash Sale are as follows:
Manchester and Manchester Airport
Leeds
Bolton
Preston
Manchester Airport
Blackpool North
Shipley
Rochdale
Stockport
Bradford
Sheffield
Wigan Wallgate
Hebden Bridge
Blackburn
Meadowhall
Liverpool Lime Street
Skipton
Wilmslow
Doncaster
Ilkley
Hull
Wakefield Westgate
Although it remains an ever-essential network and the UK’s second-largest national rail service, the PR around Northern isn’t always positive when it comes to efficiency, quality and reliability.
Their estimated 2,650 daily lines across more than 500 stations often come under fire, especially in comparison to public transport down towards the capital.
With all that being said, the arrival of the latest Northern flash sale is a much-needed plus for the firm.
Commenting on this week’s flash sale, Northern’s commercial and customer director, Alex Hornby, said: “With three million tickets up for grabs, there’s something for everyone in Northern’s Flash Sale.
For our existing customers, it’s the perfect opportunity to visit somewhere new, and hopefully, we can encourage those who don’t currently use the train to give it a try.
We believe the Flash Sale will inspire everyone to explore everything our fantastic region has to offer, from bustling cities to the countryside and stunning coastlines. Customers will need to book early to avoid disappointment – once they’re gone, they’re gone!” You can grab your tickets online NOW.
Once again, the Northern Rail flash sale runs for just three days and closes this Thursday, 2 October, with tickets valid for travel strictly between Monday, 6 October and Friday, 24 October 2025.
Tickets can be bought on Northern’s app, online, at ticket offices and on ticket machines in stations managed by Northern – please make sure to check terms and conditions.
Featured Images — Publicity picture/El Pollock (via Geograph)
What's On
Beloved musical Dirty Dancing is returning to the stage in Manchester next year
Emily Sergeant
Ready to have the time of your life? Dirty Dancing is returning to Manchester next year.
Based off the iconic 1987 film of the same name, audiences are being told to expect this new production of Dirty Dancing to explode onto the stage with heart-pounding music, breathtaking emotion, and of course, sensationally sexy dancing when it heads out on a grand tour of the UK and Ireland in 2026.
The popular stage production will, once again, come to life before your very eyes with what is already being described as a ‘fantastic, emotional and triumphant’ live show.
If you’ve never seen the film, or you haven’t been lucky enough to watch Dirty Dancing on stage before, this worldwide smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny.
Beloved musical Dirty Dancing is returning to the stage in Manchester next year / Credit: Mark Senior
Already seen by millions across the globe, you’ll get to watch these two ‘fiercely-independent’ young spirits from different worlds come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.
The musical features the hit songs ‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Hey! Baby’, ‘Do You Love Me?’, and the heart stopping ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’.
The iconic show will first be returning to the stage with a preview at Milton Keynes Theatre on 27 August 2026 before it heads out on a tour of the UK and Ireland, and arrives at Manchester’s legendary Palace Theatre from Tuesday 29 September to Saturday 3 October 2026.
Tickets officially go on sale this week / Credit: Dirty Dancing (via X)
Once again, the show will be directed by Federico Bellone and choreographed by Austin Wilks, with the producer being Karl Sydow.
“We can’t wait to bring this amazing show back to audiences across the UK and Ireland,” Karl Sydow said. “Now more than ever, theatre needs the excitement and joy that Dirty Dancing brings – you’ll have the time of your life.”
Tickets to Dirty Dancing at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 29 September to Saturday 3 October 2026 officially go on sale this morning at 10am.
Georgina Pellant -
20th October 2021 
