The people's voice of Greater Manchester

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Richard - 10th August 2022

Map and full lineup revealed for Heaton Park’s dazzling NEW immersive light trail opening this month

Emily Sergeant Northern Lights

Heaton Park will be transformed into a glowing world of wonder as one of the UK’s most celebrated festive light trails makes its Manchester debut this month.

And now, just weeks away from the grand opening date, organisers have given visitors all the information they need to know – including sharing a full map of the site.

In case you missed the announcement earlier this summer, visitors will soon be able step into an immersive world of light and sound as Northern Lights – the acclaimed light trail from the team behind established music festivals Kendal Calling and Bluedot – descends on our city’s largest park this winter.

Already a hit in other major northern cities such as Leeds and Newcastle, Northern Lights has captured national attention with its cinematic visuals, choreographed soundscapes, and festive atmosphere.

The mile-long route will feature 16 large-scale installations, each synchronised to bespoke soundtracks creating a 90-minute experience like no other.

Heaton Park’s dazzling NEW immersive light trail is opening this month / Credit: Supplied

Winding through Heaton Park’s iconic grounds, visitors will encounter glowing tunnels, enchanted glades, and a stunning illuminated lake scene, all promising to deliver an incredible experience for visitors of all ages.

Organisers say the new trail is designed to ‘spark wonder’ as the magical festive season arrives.

Alongside the trail, there’ll also be a ‘Christmas Village’ serving up mulled wine, hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows, and street food from Manchester’s finest independent traders, alongside vintage fairground rides, and open fire pits to complete the winter vibes.

“We’re beyond excited to be bringing the Northern Lights magic to Manchester’s Heaton Park, and can’t wait for everyone to see all the work and creativity that has gone into the installations,” commented Emma St. Croix, who is the Senior Marketing Manager at Northern Lights Manchester.

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A post shared by Northern Lights Manchester with John Lewis (@northernlightsmanchester)

“Bringing this festive experience to Manchester and working alongside amazing local communities and talented artists has been a true privilege, allowing us to create something uniquely magical that brings the whole family together.”

Northern Lights is not only one of the UK’s most successful festive light events, but it’s also one of the most accessible, as the Manchester trail will be fully accessible for wheelchair users and prams once it arrives this winter, following hard paths, ramps, and matted areas, with no steps in sight.

On top of this, there’ll also be dedicated quiet sessions for neurodivergent visitors, and the chance to get wristbands allowing queue-jumping for those with additional needs.

Northern Lights will arrive at Heaton Park on 20 November and run up until New Year’s Eve (31 December 2025), with timed entry slots every 15 minutes from 4:15pm up until 8:15pm (times may vary during off-peak days), and tickets are on sale now.

Prices starting at £15 for adults, £5 for children aged three and up, and under threes going free – and you can also use the code LIGHTS20 at the checkout to enjoy 20% off.

Find out more and book your tickets here.

Featured Image – Supplied

Outbreak Festival announces hard-hitting lineup for 15th anniversary in Manchester

Danny Jones Outbreak Fest 2026 lineup

Outbreak Fest is celebrating 15 years in 2026, and they’re toasting the milestone with a hefty lineup full of trash, metal, punk, hardcore and more.

The cult favourite alternative and annual music festival that takes place at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, a.k.a. BEC Arena, every year has only gotten bigger over the past few years, and their landmark 15th anniversary is set to be another rager.

Approaching a decade and a half of delighting alt-kids and Manc rocks next summer, the Outbreak lineup down in London was always going to be impressive, but we just weren’t quite expecting so many big hitters in just the first wave alone up here.

Here’s the Outbreak Fest Manchester lineup for 2026 so far:

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A post shared by Outbreak Fest (@outbreakfest)

Absolute FIRE – simple as.

Promising plenty more to come and soon, the festival organisers have already confirmed that there will be a standalone Friday show to kick off the carnage come June 2026.

As explained in the social media post, which has been met with an incredible reaction from fans, “you will be able to upgrade your weekend ticket to include this show once the line-up is announced, if you would like.” Bang for your buck.

In fact, tickets for a similar partnered Superheaven headline show here in Manchester, with support from both Balance and Compsure AND Soul Blind in January, is close to selling out.

They went on to write: “This festival is nothing without the community of people around it. It doesn’t exist without your support, and we are grateful to still be doing this all these years later.”

This devil-horned, weekend-long celebration has always given off a great style and aesthetic, too; we particularly enjoyed their cinematic preview released on Halloween.

Put together by Charles Fitzgerald, a digital content creator who has worked with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and their frontman Oli Sykes’ Drop Dead clothing range, these are the kinds of teasers we want to see more of…

Announcement Sunday 6pm

Video by – @charlesmadethat pic.twitter.com/TMrpi3t0A2
— Outbreak Fest® (@OutbreakFest) October 31, 2025

With names like the resurgent Alexisonfire (set to play their seminal third album Crisis in its entirety), Ipswich rockers Basement, as well as post-hardcore heroes, Touché Amoré, topping the bill, we cannot wait to see what comes next.

Safe to say you should keep your eyes peeled on their social media for more announcements and information on Outbreak 2026.

Following up to the reaction online, they added: “Two-day passes on sale now. That was a crazy reaction to the first announcement and we are grateful.

“Truthfully, we were 60% sold before we announced yesterday! This is us giving you a heads up. If you can, and you f*** with this lineup – get your ticket soon! Thank you.”

General admission went live on their official website on Monday morning, and you really don’t want to wait around with this one; grab your tickets HERE.