You can win a spooky overnight stay at the Trafford Centre in this Halloween competition
This unique competition is offering you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get all cosied-up in the Trafford Centre for an evening of Halloween fun.
The shopping mall may have already been suitably celebrating the spooky season over the past few weeks with the arrival of it its large-scale outdoor event SPOOKFEST – which has brought plenty of “hair-raising horrors” for thrill seekers to get involved in, including a scary selection of rides, escape rooms, hook a pumpkin, and a spooky hay bale maze, as well independent food and drink traders serving up some “deliciously devilish dishes” – but it’s fair to say this new competition is taking things to the next level.
This unique competition is offering you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get all cosied-up in the Trafford Centre for an evening of Halloween fun, as well as an access-all-areas tour of the centre.
And if that wasn’t good enough as it is, there’s also an exclusive VIP prize package too.
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So, what prizes are up for grabs then?
Exclusive, access all areas tour around the Trafford Centre.
A spooky sleepover experience in your own teepee tent.
Goody bags packed with tricks and treats from brands – including John Lewis, Lush and Molton Brown.
Who fancies the chance to spend a spooky overnight stay at the Trafford Centre this Halloween? / Credit: The Trafford Centre
If you’re keen to get a chance at winning this amazing Halloween experience and prize bundle, and, most importantly, think you can hack being the first people to ever spend a night in the Trafford Centre, then here’s what you need to do to enter:
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1. Head on over to Instagram, and like The Manc & The Trafford Centre’s collaborative post here. 2. Tag the ghoul you’ll be bringing with you in the comments. 3. Both of you must be following @thetraffordcentre and @the.manc 4. For an extra entry, share the Instagram post to your story – and make sure you tag both accounts so we see it.
Reckon you can hack it? Enter if you dare.
This unique competition is offering you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get all cosied-up in the Trafford Centre for an evening / Credit: Pinterest
If you’d like to apply, you’ll need to be over 18 years of age.
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The competition officially closes on Saturday 23 October, with the winners being contacted from The Trafford Centre’s official Instagram account only on Monday 25th October.
Winners must be available on Friday 29 October from 7pm, as this is when the sleepover will take place.
The full T&Cs can be found on the Trafford Centre’s website here.
Featured Image – Trafford Centre
Trafford
The best light trails around Greater Manchester to explore this winter
Daisy Jackson
Well done Manchester, we’ve finally done it – with the amount of light trails illuminating our skyline this winter, you might be able to see us from space.
Who doesn’t love a light trail? The incredible views that brighten up the dreary winter nights, the synchronised wows as we gaze at the statues and figures along the way, or the hot chocolate waiting for you at the end that greets you like a warm hug.
That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best light trails around Greater Manchester for you to explore this winter.
The 10 best Christmas light trails in and around Manchester 2024
1. Yuletide – Tatton Park
A festive event with a difference is taking over Tatton Park this winter, bringing folklore stories to life with illuminated puppets, live music and storytelling.
The latest seasonal event from Wild Rumpus, ‘Yuletide’ will captivate families as they explore the stunning illuminated landscape.
Organisers say the captivating event promises to be a ‘truly magical experience’.
We’ve found a light trail with a difference for you to explore this winter – a magical world of glowing lanterns has taken over Gulliver’s World, and it’s a brand-new installation for 2024.
‘Land of Lights’ is a one-mile trail that showcases a huge array of lanterns and displays, with loads of nature-inspired enchanting realms to explore from Fantasy Forest, Ice Kingdom and Winged Wonders.
Plus you can treat yourself to a hot chocolate or toast some marshmallows on your way round, and then fill yourself up with Yorkshire pudding wraps and crumble at the end.
The Trafford Centre‘s hidden woodland has been transformed into a festive wonderland, with stunning light displays, Santa’s sleigh and, of course, mulled wine at the ready for the adults.
There are even free marshmallow toasting and letter-writing stations for the kids to get their Christmas lists ready.
Then there’s food from Freight Island’s traders, including premium smashed burgers from a Michelin chef, southern fried buttermilk chicken, cheese toasties and more. Plus, kids eat free for ticket holders when buying an adult meal.
Dates: On now until 2 January
Tickets: £8 for children, £10 for adults, £32 for families
The magnificent grounds of RHS Bridgewater will be aglow this winter, when its popular Glow event returns to the gardens in Salford.
The brand-new route will feature magical installations like light-up hedgehogs, fairy lights, and interactive displays that will weave around the gardens.
There’ll also be gift-shopping opportunities, music, and delicious food and drink.
Dates: 27 November – 30 December
Tickets: From £12.95 for adults, £6.95 for children
A new festive light maze is heading to Cheshire for the first time this December. (Credit: Supplied)
There’s a brand-new festive light maze heading to Cheshire this Christmas, and it sounds absolutely a-maze-ing (so, so sorry).
‘A World of Illumination’ will feature giant candy canes, tunnels of light, and an overhead laser show all hidden inside a festive maze. There’s much more than meets the eye with this light trail and
And the eagle-eyed amongst you can look out for hidden handles and buttons which lead to secret rooms and festive treasures.
Arguably the toast of Cheshire’s light trail offerings. (Credit: Supplied)
This National Trust site is one of the founding godfathers when it comes to light trails and has been consistent ever since they first lit up the iconic house and its gardens.
Whether your favourite part is the lit-up moat, the array of bright figures and statues, or toasting a marshmallow, Dunham Massey has got you covered.
Being an important hub for wildlife, each ticket sold helps with the conservation and care of this UK historical landmark.
Running for four nights only in December, the festival aptly named after what your Mum shouts five times a day is back in Bolton town centre.
This festival prides itself on bringing experiences to all and this year visitors get to admire ‘Gaia’.
This six-metre-wide illuminated Earth replica will be on display throughout the festival’s duration, and is a direct detail comparison of the imagery NASA utilises. Wow!
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Dates: 5-8 December
Tickets: Free
Bookings: No tickets required
10. Lightwaves Salford – MediaCityUK
This Salford special has stood as one of the most beloved light trails in Manchester for some time now.
Spread across two kilometres and branded as ‘MediaCity‘s winter season highlight’, this experience features 14 different art installations that are set to be awe-inspiring.
One of the most engaging pieces, ‘I Caught a…’, will change throughout the night with a varying display of animals pictured in a cage.
Originally commissioned in 2021, ‘Through No 4’ will receive a glow-up with some innovative lights helping to really enhance this pretty little project located along Salford Quays.
Dates: 5-8 December
Tickets: FREE!
Bookings: No tickets required
And one to bookmark for next year…
Ignite Fire Festival is back in Rochdale this month. (Credit: Supplied)
Goblets of fire, a daisy chain of flaming flowers, a firebird with blazing eyes and even fire eaters – it could only be the return of ‘Ignite Fire Festival’.
Rochdale will be looking extra glowy next week when the free event by Walk the Plank arts group fills the gardens opposite @rochdaletownhall with dazzling pyrotechnic displays.
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There’ll be three nights of fiery displays, culminating in the annual Christmas lights switch-on.
Manchester United’s latest Stadium Sleep Out raises £30k for the homeless and vulnerable young people
Danny Jones
Man United once again held their latest ‘Stadium Sleep Out’ this past weekend and managed to raise more than £30,000 to combat homelessness and help vulnerable young people across Greater Manchester.
Truly touching stuff at such a tough time of year.
Held at Old Trafford for the last couple of years, the club’s Sleep Out initiative sees hundreds of Reds, charitable volunteers and just well-meaning Mancs, in general, descend upon the Theatre of Dreams for a magical night under the stars and the floodlights of one of the most famous stadiums in world football.
Taking place last Friday, 15 November, the third-ever stadium sleepout saw more than 120 people – including Man United players and staff, both past and present – pull out their sleeping bags and spend the night up in the stands for this crucial cause.
Raising vital funds for Centrepoint, the UK-based charity that specialises in helping vulnerable young people who are either currently or at risk of sleeping rough, as well as the local homeless community at large, those taking part amassed another £30k through generous donations.
Having raised £40k in 2023 and matched the same target amount since for their debut event back in 2021, which was instead held inside the Munich Tunnel, that’s now £100,000 raised for the non-profit – a total figure which could prove to be life-saving for many across the 10 boroughs.
Centrepoint also shared real-life experiences of hardship faced by some young people with the group huddled up inside Man United‘s home ground, as well as inviting those taking part to offer their own messages of support to those struggling, especially during the colder months.
The Manchester United Foundation’s CEO, John Shiels, also gave a reading of a poem about the fabled Busby Babes (in whose honour the organisation was created in 2007) as a commitment to the young people across Greater Manchester.
“Once again, I am humbled by the amount of support the Sleep Out has received. It’s been great to see faces old and new supporting our work, and the work of Centrepoint, as we head into the harsh winter months”, said Shiels.
“There are many young people out there currently living in dire conditions and it is our duty as a community to come together and help them. I’m delighted to see that so many people feel the same and have collectively raised a fantastic amount of money that will make a huge difference to the lives of vulnerable young people in our area.”
As you can see, former players turned club ambassadors, David May and Danny Simpson, were both in attendance to sleep over during the night and chat with fans.
Simpson, an ex-United academy graduate who retired earlier this year, said of the evening: “It’s been a pleasure to be here this evening. I feel like homelessness is a problem that is getting worse, and you see it all over the city.
“I’m a local boy, so it means something to me to try and help my community in any way I can. I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact the Foundation has and it’s been great to hear about the work Centrepoint is doing – it’s been a really positive night.”
Other club partners and sponsors such as DXC Technology, DHL, WOW HYDRATE, Cadbury also helped out on the night, either by sending members in sleeping bags to represent their companies or by gifting snacks and supplies for the long night in the cold.
It goes without saying that it warms our hearts to see Mancs pulling together for such an important issue. Better yet, the fundraising page is still open so if you want to help, you can donate HERE. Here’s hoping United smash their previous fundraising feats at the next Stadium Sleepout in 2025.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd October 2021 
