City Centre

Shocking footage shows damage left by New Year’s Eve blaze as One Eight Six rebuild begins

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 14th February 2022

New videos from inside Manchester bar One Eight Six show the devastation left behind by its fire earlier this year.

A blaze ripped through the popular Deansgate bar just after midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Balloons and decorations caught alight as people celebrated the arrival of the new year.

The bar has been closed ever since.

One Eight Six on Deansgate has been closed since New Year’s Eve.

One Eight Six co-founder Dean Mac has today posted new videos of the interior of the cocktail bar.

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The footage shows the space littered with debris and blackened with soot.

Its refurbishment is now officially underway as the venue works to reopen again later in the year.

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Inside One Eight Six. Credit: Dean Mac

It’s understood that the space will have to be stripped back to its foundations for the rebuild.

Back in January, shortly after the fire, Dean wrote: “We cannot put into words how deeply excruciatingly painful this is to be writing, but the fire that broke out just after midnight on NYE has completely destroyed the main room and the majority of the contents within.

Read more: Manchester Pride to axe live music festival as it ‘refocuses its efforts’

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“We will be forever grateful to all our brave staff and the emergency services that saved peoples lives that night, and no matter what material items are gone, everyone is safe.

“If any of you have any doubts, we WILL come back from this and we WILL be re-opening again as soon as we possibly can.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your constant support.”

Featured image: No Chintz / Dean Mac

City Centre

No trams to run on major Greater Manchester line for two weeks as part of £150m improvement works

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant A Metrolink tram in Manchester city centre

Major disruption is on the horizon, as no trams are set to run on a major Greater Manchester line for two weeks this month.

As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way this month, essential track replacement work is set to be be carried out in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.

Due to improvement works on the Oldham-Rochdale line – which is being carried out between Monsall and Newton Heath & Moston – there will be no trams between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale town centre for two weeks, starting from this Saturday 16 May right through to Friday 29 May.

The work being carried out will involve replacing sections of track and improving drainage along the route.

The track foundation will also be replaced where needed, as well as work to correct the alignment and level of the track.

No trams will be running on a major Greater Manchester line for two weeks from this weekend / Credit: TfGM

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has conceded that this is a ‘big and complex job’ – with 290 new concrete sleepers and 2,000 tonnes of pea gravel being used, and more than 5,000 tonnes of ballast set to be replaced.

But, when the work is done, it’s aiming to make journeys ‘smoother and more reliable’ for passengers, while improving the condition of the track for the long-term.

While the work is being carried out and the line is closed, bus replacement services will be in place between Victoria and Rochdale Town Centre, and more frequent Bee Network bus services will also call at the bus stops near each tram stop too, however tram tickets will only be accepted on the replacement bus, not on numbered bus services.

Elsewhere, work at Derker will also take place at the same to ‘minimise disruption’.

The track was made safe following a landslip in summer 2024, but now, a longer-term solution will see teams drive steel sheets into the ground to hold it in place and prevent further movement, before further work will be needed later in the year to complete the job.

And to top it off, from Monday 25 to Friday 29 May, improvement work to update equipment that has been in place since the line opened in 1992 will also take place at Piccadilly Gardens, and that means no trams will run between St Peter’s Square/Market Street and Piccadilly during this time.

Customers may need to change trams, take a short walk, or hop on the free bus to continue their journey.

Read more:

Tram services will resume as normal from the start of service on Saturday 30 May, and passengers travelling during this period are urged to ‘plan ahead’.

Everything you need to know about the planned works is on the TfGM website here.

Featured Image – Janus Boye

City Centre

Kacey Musgraves announces massive Manchester arena show early next year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Kacey Musgraves Manchester AO Arena gig tickets

Country star Kacey Musgraves is returning to Manchester after what feels like forever away from the city, with a brand-new album and a run of live dates.

The female singer-songwriter is one of the most successful female musicians on the country scene, and after a little while away from the UK – barring a recent pre-album launch show down in Kingston – the Texan artist will be coming back to the North next year.

In support of her latest record, the sixth studio Kacey LP, the ‘Middle of Nowhere Tour’ will kick off in Glasgow, before Ms Musgraves makes her way to Manchester city centre.

One of just three British cities named as part of the leg, we can count ourselves lucky.

Hailing from the Southern US town of Golden, Middle of Nowhere, serves as the follow-up to 2024’s Deeper Well (DW), with the solo star now having won multiple Grammys and CMA Awards.

Speaking on this latest project, with finally dropped at the start of May and was immediately met with a positive reaction from fans, even after her lead single, ‘Dry Spell’, she said in a statement: “I started this record while still in the throes of DW after going through a pretty ridiculous breakup.

“The bulk of the record was made during the longest single period of my life, and I found that for the first time, it actually felt incredible being alone and existing in a space not defined by anyone else. I needed that period to really understand that I really don’t need someone to be happy.

“I became fascinated with the concept of liminal spaces, both geographical and emotional. We don’t linger in these spaces long enough. We rush to define where or whatever is next.

“I had a lot of time for reflection, clearing, and leaning into my roots in different ways […] heartbreak-soothing traditional Country music brought me comfort when I was sad.”

Coming to the AO not just for her venue debut but a very first arena slot here in Manchester, we CANNOT wait to hear these songs live for the first time.

Kacey goes on to add: “This album has a lot to do with borders. Unique things brush up against the edges of other things, and the way those melt together makes something new.

“My favourite artists are pretty genreless and have subtle infusions of so many things. But at the core of it, there’s a specific and linear feeling you get in your heart from it.”

Those looking for early access can do so by joining either her official mailing list or via the Arena’s specific venue presale window, which will open from 10am this Thursday, 14 May.

As for general admission, tickets to Kacey Musgraves here at AO Arena in Manchester in February 2027 will be available from the same time the following Friday (15 May). You can get ready to grab yours when go live right HERE.

Country really is having a huge moment right now, isn’t it?

With C2C music festival coming to Manchester just weeks before Kacey’s headliner gig, it’s going to be a fun few months, to say the least…

Review | What we made of Country 2 Country 2026, and why Manchester should be very excited
Who’s heading to the maiden Manc C2C?

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AO Arena)

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