It’s time to say goodbye to January and step into another new month.
Now that February is here, and the vast majority of Plan B restrictions in England have now been lifted, the year is really starting to kick into action, and there is plenty packed into the events calendar.
So we’ve cherry-picked a few of the best things happening across the region this week to put together another fresh edition of our ‘what’s on’ guide for the city of Manchester and beyond.
Some of the events we’re going to mention here are completely free, which is perfect for that post-Christmas bank balance, or those looking to keep things on the cheaper side – while others will set you back a few pounds, and many will need to be booked in advance.
Here’s our top picks.
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Van Gogh Alive
MediaCityUK
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Monday 31 January – 27 February
Over 100,000 people have been to visit theVan Gogh Alive experience since it arrived at MediaCity UK a couple of months back.
And it’s now extended its Salford stay right through until 27 February.
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Van Gogh Alive takes people on a trip through the periods of Van Gogh’s life that defined him as an artist and showcases 3,000 images, including some of his most iconic works like Starry Night and Sunflowers, and lesser-known paintings inspired by his love of Japanese woodprints. The exhibition is home to a life-sized walk-in representation of Van Gogh’s ‘Bedroom in Arles’ painting, a ‘Sunflower selfie room’ – a 360° mirrored space complete with hundreds of sunflowers, and so much more
Tickets are priced at £23.50 for adults and £16.50 for children, with concessions and school group discounts available. Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to make a donation to The Christie charity either when purchasing tickets, or while at the exhibition.
You’ve only got one more day left to make the most of Veganuary.
Manchester is one of the best places in the country to eat out if you’re trying to go vegan – be that for Veganuary, or any other time of the year.
The city has an absolute slew of dedicated vegan restaurants, serving up everything ranging from ‘dirty’ plant-based fast food to sit-down gastropub and fine dining-style restaurants, giving those exploring a plant-powered diet a real boost when it comes to eating out. But beyond that, you can even trust that most restaurants in the city – even if they’re not designed for vegans – will have one or two suitable dishes on their menu.
Veganuary 2022 could be a more perfect time to find out what Manchester’s plant-based foodie scene is all about.
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Check out our list of the best places to find vegan food in Manchester here.
The Manchester Open is one of the most successful exhibition in HOME’s history.
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The first region-wide exhibition of its type to welcome entries from people of any background and level of experience – including established professionals, new and emerging talent, enthusiastic amateurs and first-time artists – HOME’s Gallery walls have been filled with work from 400+ Greater Manchester residents, which have been selected by a panel consisting of art experts and community representatives.
With an amazing 2,271 artwork entries, the judging panel have said they were impressed by the range, quality, differing artistic styles, and inspirational work being created across Greater Manchester.
It’s Chinese New Year 2022, and as always, Manchester has a whole week of celebrations lined up to mark the occasion.
While Manchester’s usual annual celebrations for Chinese New Year – also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival – may be on a slightly smaller scale this year due to the COVID restrictions in place to allow visitors to safely enjoy the events, there’s still plenty happening across the city centre to help bring in the ‘Year of the Tiger’.
To honour 2022’s animal namesake, a large-scale tiger art sculpture will take centre stage in St Ann’s Square as just one the events in the calendar.
You may have also seen that thousands of red lanterns have started adorning the city’s streets, and you can also expect the chance to take in some spectacular live performances, feast on authentic street food, and a make the most of a funfair, plus some traditional lion and dragon dances over the course of the week too.
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You can find out about the celebrations lined up for Chinese New Year 2022 in Manchester here.
A new ‘Fireground’ experience has opened up inside an old museum, and it gives kids the chance to play at being firefighters for a day.
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Newly-opened attraction Fireground Rochdale has replaced the Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum in Rochdale’s old fire station, and it has everything from fully-restored fire engines, historic horse-drawn fire carriages, and manual hand-operated pumps, to an immersive Victorian street scene, and a scene from the blitz complete with lighting and sound effects all under one roof.
But probably one of the best parts about the new attraction for children is the interactive display elements that are there to teach them about the fire service’s impressive and extensive history.
In what is undeniably the stuff of dreams for cheese lovers, you can now take part in a cheese and wine crawl around Manchester city centre.
Manchester is city that’s packed with culture.
But if you don’t fancy seeing the sights through one of the more typical tours, The Manchester Cheese Crawl will take you around some of the cheesiest spots the city has to offer for two hours of non-stop cheese-related fun – including everything from blue cheese tasting, to cheese quizzes, competitions, and more.
Tickets cost just £25 each, and include cheese samples, optional bread and crackers, and some red wine to complement.
Manchester’s biggest and friendliest street food venue GRUB is hosting a very-special event with a synaesthesia artist who can see colours to teach you how to paint a song.
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Libby Ayres is a Manchester-based artist with neurological condition called synaesthesia, which is best described as linking two or more of the five senses. Libby’s unique condition means that she can hear colours, she uses this incredible gift to create beautiful pieces of art by painting songs, and during the workshop at GRUB this Friday, Libby will guide you through the technique to create your own canvas to take home by painting ‘All My Friends’ by LCD Sound System.
GRUB will of course also be hosting a street food fair on the night.
Tickets for this one-of-a-kind event are are priced at £30 – which includes a welcome drink, all materials needed, and the workshop itself – and you can find out more information and grab yours here.
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Camelot Rises
Charnock Richard
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Saturday 5 February – 6 March
Credit: Park N Party
It’s not strictly in Greater Manchester, but have you heard that legendary North West theme park Camelot is set to reopen to the public this week? But not as we know it, though.
The medieval-themed Lancashire attraction may been out of use for a decade and is largely derelict, but now, thanks to Park N Party – the company behind ScareCity and Christmas City – its abandoned rides and empty footpaths are about to be brought by to life by the undead, as a new interactive event series, called Camelot Rises, will see the eerie theme park filled with zombies.
Live actors, accompanied by scene-setting lights and sounds, will interact with visitors in a truly gory experience, and there’ll also screenings of some of the biggest zombie blockbusters of all time.
You can find out more, and grab tickets at £50 here.
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Fancy making the most of all the January deals, discounts, and offers in Manchester’s cafes, bars, and restaurants?
Well once again, you’ve only got one more day left.
January is typically a time when many vow to change their eating habits, but even the most committed dieter should be tempted by these Manchester restaurant deals, discounts, and offers.
Whether you are starting a new diet, ditching alcohol, or trying out Veganuary, that’s no reason to stay at home.
Not when you’ve got January dining (and drinking) offers floating around like some of these.
Credit: Almost Famous | Bab MCR
From vegan restaurants running their 50% off deals right into February, to some top Manchester restaurants offering huge deals on food AND drink, plus half-price burgers, burritos, kebabs and more, keep reading to discover the best January restaurant deals to take advantage of in 2022.
Need more of a reason to get excited about what’s in store for 2022?
2021 may not have exactly gone to plan, but our buzzing region is looking forward to the year ahead with some seriously exciting things on the horizon, and Marketing Manchester – the organisation that incorporates our tourism board and the official website visitmanchester.com – has once again pulled together a list of things to get excited about in the year ahead.
Mayfield Park & Band on the Wall / Credit: Mayfield Partnership | Band on the Wall
The round-up list includes everything from outdoor experiences and cultural developments, to hospitality openings, events, and so much more.
You can read the list of 22 things to look forward to in Greater Manchester in 2022here.
Pitbull at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, stage times, setlist and more
Danny Jones
People of the world and more specifically Manchester, get ready for the time of your lives because Pitbull is coming to town for his Co-op Live debut, and so is an army of fans in bald caps.
That’s right, ‘Mr Worldwide’ himself is playing his biggest-ever Manc show this Sunday as part of his global ‘Party After Dark’ tour, with European legs starting this month.
His UK and Ireland leg got underway with a double header in Dublin earlier this week, and now Pitbull is coming to Manchester for the first time in seven years.
Safe to say he’s hit on a bit of a renaissance since then, and his fandom – however random it may seem at times – is rampant right now. Exhibit A:
Pitbull gig guide | Manchester – all the important info
As for those of you looking to dress up as the currently viral rapper and singer this weekend, here’s everything you need to know about his 2025 gigs.
Pitbull UK/IE tour dates
5 June – 3 Arena, Dublin
6 June – 3 Arena, Dublin
8 June – Co-op Live, Manchester
9 June – The O2, London
10 June – The O2, London
Are there tickets left for Pitbull in Manchester?
Now, if any of you are looking to score some last-minute tickets for Pitbull in Manchester, we have some good news and some less good news: there are a fair few tickets left, however, they are pretty pricey as verified resale.
The lowest we’ve found clocks in at just under £90 (before fees), and some would set you back even more than VIP packages start from.
Nevertheless, if you’re just thinking, ‘Dale! Let’s make some memories’, then you can see the remaining availability HERE.
Pitbull comes to Co-op Live, Manchester on Sunday, 8 June. (Credit: Press Shot)
Who is supporting Pitbill in Manchester?
Besides already being one of the biggest nights of pop music in Greater Manchester this year, with so many of his shows up and down the country selling out, there’s another big name on the road with him.
If there’s one figure in the genre who has even more Caribbean cache and worldwide status than the Cuban solo star, it’s Jamaican legend, Shaggy.
The now 56-year-old Kingston-born artist is along for the ride on every single one of Pitbull’s EU tour dates, and we can’t wait to welcome him back to Manchester city centre.
For the last time, it wasn’t him…
The two have collaborated on more than one occasion.
What are the stage times for Pitbull at Co-op Live
In terms of when you’ll get to see both of these legends, doors to the venue will open from 6:30pm, and the show is due to get underway an hour later (7:30pm).
Although we don’t know exactly how long Shaggy’s set will be, you can expect at least a 15-minute intermission between the superb support act and your headliner, with Pitbull set to take the stage around 9pm for the main event.
Co-op Live‘s curfew is 11pm, so you can expect approximately two hours of non-stop hits out ‘on the floor’ spanning years of international chart hits.
Pitbull after-party
But don’t worry, the dancing doesn’t have to stop there, as the arena is also hosting one of their increasingly popular after parties for anyone with a valid event ticket.
Pitbull after-party tickets are separate from general admission and are strictly 18+, with tunes kept going until late right after the main show ends, courtesy of multi-genre Manc DJ, Just Yaz. You can secure your spot for the after-party ahead of time.
Now, while we obviously don’t have a fully confirmed setlist for Pitbull’s upcoming Manchester tour date, nor has the running order from his first pair of performances at the 3Arena been published, we can give you an average setlist based on his most recent shows.
Be honest, did you realise he actually had this many bangers!?
A taste of what Co-op Live can expect from a Pitbull concert.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/Audio North/slgckgc (via Flickr)
What's On
The T20 Family Festival is back at Lancashire Cricket Club for 2025
Danny Jones
If you’re a cricket fan or looking for something to keep the kids busy this weekend, get ready for a Blast because Vitality’s T20 Family Festival is back at Emirates Old Trafford.
Lancashire Cricket Club is once again hosting the sport’s fastest-paced format over in Stretford for the latest 2025 fixture, but it also marks the return of the much-loved T20 Family Fest here in Manchester.
With high-flying home side Lancashire Lightning taking on Northants Steelbacks, it’s set to be a stormer (pun very much intended) and fun for all ages.
The question is, are you free this Sunday?
Credit: Lancs Cricket Club (supplied)
Promising big hits, flying catches, music, family-friendly activities to keep the little ones entertained and plenty more, the T20 Vitality Blast’s Family Festival might just be one of the best value for money days out and live sport events you’ll find.
Along with tonnes of street food and drink stalls to keep you fuelled through the action, not to mention everything from circus acts and face painting to free kids’ games in the concourse, there’s plenty to keep you engaged even between the play.
You just better hope for clear blue skies, because that’s when the Blast is at its best.
As mentioned, another reason the T20 is so popular here in Greater Manchester is the Fan Village culture atmosphere itself; we’re not just talking the usual ‘Barmy Army’ antics you get win any domestic cricket – with all there is on offer – it really does feel like the start of a sporting summer.
Better yet, as well as being guaranteed to deliver a brilliant experience for all ages, there will be the opportunity to create even more lasting memories, thanks to the ‘Emirates First Ball Flyer‘ game.
The prize is one you don’t want to overlook, as you can win two return flights to Dubai: all you need to do is be in your seat and hope that Lancashire Lightning take a wicket with their first ball of the match to be in with your chance of winning.
To top things off, the Lancashire stars will then make their way to the front of Lightning Stand C to sign as many autographs and take as many pictures with fans as possible.
Credit: Supplied
Speaking of things being top, this is also a great time to watch the Lancs as Lightning are currently leading the table in the North Group campaign, winning three of their last four games – two of which have come here at Old Trafford.
After winning his first Indian Premier League (IPL) title with Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this week, Lancashire and England all-rounder Liam Livingstone is also expected to make his return to action against the Northamptonshire side.
Speaking ahead of the game, he said: “I’m really excited to play in this summer’s Vitality Blast with Lancashire Lightning – I love playing at Emirates Old Trafford and I love playing for Lancashire.
“This year, I’ll have even more opportunities to play for the Red Rose throughout the Blast campaign. We’ve got a really strong squad and we have a proud record, particularly at home, in the group stages.
“Hopefully I can have a big involvement in us doing something special as a team in T20 cricket this year, ten years on from 2015, it would be really nice to go on and win another.”
There are just four home games left for Lancashire Lightning in this year’s T20 Vitality Blast, and there’s still a £5 discount on adult tickets purchased before matchday; plus, children’s prices are super affordable. You can grab yours HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
28th January 2022 
