Bez is hosting a bottomless bingo brunch in Manchester – try saying that ten times fast after a few bevs, we dare you.
Yes, that’s right, the maraca-shaking Happy Mondays hype man is hosting a boozy bingo extravaganza at former railway station-turned-food hall Escape To Freight Island, and it sounds like it will be one hell of a party.
Hosted by the wild man of pop, the man who once shook the maraca so hard whilst ‘tripping [his] nut off’ that he left a wound on his hand, we think it’s fair to say that this event is already teed up to trump most bottomless brunches in the city – and that’s before we even get into the food, the drinks, and of course, the bingo.
Image: Escape To Freight Island
Joined by a host of comedians, dancers, singers and DJs, Manchester’s best-loved party hero will lead the day’s festivities, kicking things off from 11am and running through until 2pm that afternoon.
Tickets are priced at £45 per head and include an hour of bottomless drinks alongside a street food dish of your choice from any of Escape’s traders.
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Taking place on Saturday, 7 May, you’ll be able to get stuck into some of the food hall’s brand new offerings including new arrivals Gooey, Batard, Carnival and Lucky Foot – all of whom are set to be moved in by the beginning of May.
Think chargrilled meats from Hawksmoor co-founder, chef and food critic Richard Turner, fried chicken from the team behind popular Liverpool concepts Madre and Belzan, plus sweet pies with icecream and hot cookie dough from the likes of Manchester bakers Batard and Gooey.
Elsewhere, you’ll find kebabs and salt and pepper smiley faces from Michelin star chef Brad Carter at the One Star Doner Bar, healthy Vietnamese dishes from Mi and Pho, 22″ New York pizzas from Voodoo Rays, tacos from Madre and classic Italian dishes from Belzan.
As for drinks, you’ll be treated to endless glasses of ‘Bez’s Boozy Vimto Punch’ with multiple alcohols, Vimto syrup, juice and citrus (we think the ‘multiple alcohols’ says it all here).
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Image: Escape To Freight Island
Image: Escape To Freight Island
As for drinks, whilst the full list of bevs included in the bottomless offer has not yet been released, there’s sure to be a wide ranging choice given that Escape To Freight Island boasts a number of different bars selling everything from cocktails and fine wines to craft beers, classic lagers, ciders and softa.
Your ticket covers your entry, drinks and food, but you’ll also be asked to pay an extra £1 stake on arrival if you want to take part in the bingo game.
To find out more and purchase tickets for the bottomless bingo brunch with Bez, visit Escape To Freight Island’s website here.
Feature image – Escape To Freight Island / Wikimedia Commons
News
When does the UK’s fourth heatwave of the year hit Greater Manchester?
Danny Jones
Brace yourselves: ANOTHER heatwave is set to hit the UK – the fourth in 2026 so far – and, understandably, Greater Manchester residents are already preparing for the latest blast of hot weather and wondering when it gets here.
Yes, in case you missed the news, more high temperatures are set to spread across Great Britain and Ireland this month and heading into August.
The increase will gradually build throughout this week, with Wednesday tipped to be the hottest day according to various meteorological sources.
Fortunately for us here in the North West, parts of the Midlands and the usual suspects down south are set to hit the highest numbers, but the thermometers are still on course to reach around the mid-20s over the coming days.
Temperatures are set to rise this week across some areas, bringing a return to hotter conditions 🥵
The heat looks to be fairly short-lived, however, with temperatures expected to fall again towards the end of the week 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/IKsunEdwhU
Estimates of 26°C have been predicted for this coming Tuesday, with the levels floating in and around 24/25 on the following Wednesday.
The heat is then due to drop off slowly, with top scores of no higher than 21°C on the cards for Thursday and Friday. Although the weekend forecast is less certain at present, one thing that has been announced is reduced rainfall.
Aside from a few more trickles today (Mon, 27 July), the showers or lack thereof cease rather soon, with some of the driest parts of the country already having various effects; for instance, parched parts of Wales have even revealed lost archaeological sites last Friday (24/7/2026).
It would be remiss if we didn’t mention the obvious moorland fires across our region, which were sadly exacerbated by hot weather earlier this month.
Following on from the hottest June on record, the Dovestone and Tinwhistle areas of Oldham and parts of Derbyshire saw hundreds of hectares turn into a deeply dangerous blaze for several days.
As per the latest statistics, it’s said that the equivalent of 1,250 football pitches were scorched following the alarming wildfire, which also raised concerns for wildlife and surrounding air quality.
Former US President Barack Obama is coming to Manchester for a special ‘Evening With’ event
Danny Jones
No, not a prank: the former President of the United States, Barack Obama, is coming to Manchester on his upcoming UK tour.
Confirming just three domestic dates across Great Britain and Ireland, the 44th President turned successful global speaker has delivered talks all over the world, and now he’ll be coming to the Co-op Live arena.
We always knew the industry-leading events space was going to lead to some big names, but no one was expecting this one.
Set to deliver his first-ever ‘An Evening With’ here in Greater Manchester, Barack Obama will be coming to the Co-op later this year.
Officially announcing the live show in line with a key American date, Obama will be making his first-ever visit to our city.
The Co-op Live post reads: “As America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, President Barack Obama joins us in Belfast, Glasgow and Manchester to discuss what comes next – for America, and for all of us.”
More than two and a half centuries on from the start of the nation becoming the United States, the series of intimate interviews comes alongside a significant anniversary for both countries.
Always praised for being a talented orator, the 64-year-old ex-Commander in Chief has found a fruitful second career on the so-called ‘keynote circuit’ following his time as POTUS.
Having served two consecutive terms in the post, it feels undeniably surreal to hear that he will be coming to visit, especially amid the obvious recent development of our very own Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, having now become the 59th British PM.
As for Obama, it’s no surprise that he booked the biggest venue possible for his debut talk in 0161.
Presented by SeatUnique, who specialise in affordable but premium hospitality seats/tickets for live entertainment, it goes without saying that this is an unprecedented moment for the venue, specifically.
Set to arrive on 15 October, tickets go live from 10am at the end of this month, with official Co-op members pre-sale passes available from the same time on Wednesday, 29 July.
You can get ready to grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester is an international city and its popularity is growing rapidly. Barack Obama, former US President is reportedly coming to Manchester this October. pic.twitter.com/9twbfaIWbI
Georgina Pellant -
7th April 2022 
