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Manchester City Council confirm New Year’s Eve party at Piccadilly Gardens – but there’ll be no fireworks

The council says it 'cannot justify' the cost of a display.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 29th December 2022

Manchester WILL have a New Year’s Eve countdown party, but rising costs will mean there’s no fireworks again this year.

Manchester City Council has today confirmed its plans for New Year’s Eve in the city centre.

The decked platform area at Piccadilly Gardens – which has been packed with street food traders for the last six weeks of the Christmas Markets – will be used as a free events space for the night.

The platform splits into two areas, a bar space and a family-friendly, zero-alcohol viewing platform.

The evening will consist of DJ sets and a countdown to midnight displayed on a big screen.

In previous years, the Council has arranged a huge fireworks display, previously at the Town Hall but in more recent years at the Cathedral.

New Year's Eve in Manchester
Piccadilly Gardens will host the New Year’s Eve celebrations – pictured here when it was home to the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc Group

But this year they say they ‘simply cannot justify’ the expense when budgets are stretched so thin.

Instead, the council plans to use its limited resources for free community events year-round, like the recent Christmas Parade.

Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson, said: “We know that New Year’s Eve is a special night – one that everyone looks forward to – and we are all disappointed that we can’t go ahead with our usual fireworks this year. 

“Unfortunately, we simply cannot justify the increasing costs of putting on a big display while also worrying about funding essential Council services. 

“We believe that we should use the limited funding we have to put on free events in communities throughout the year and we look forward to seeing more of this in the coming months. 

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“But we couldn’t let New Year’s Eve go by without a true Mancunian countdown. So join us before midnight in Piccadilly Gardens and help us bring in 2023 in style.”

Both spaces will be limited capacity and will be closed once they are full. 

When it comes to getting home again from Manchester city centree after New Year’s Eve, many bus services are ceasing at 6pm, but trams are set to run later with the last trams leaving the city centre at around 1am.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons

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Trafford Centre’s ‘unmissable’ summer fair is returning with a beach, fairground rides, and more

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A beach, splash park, fairground rides, and loads more family fun is returning to the Trafford Centre this summer.

After proving to be massively-popular over the past couple of years, with thousands of families travelling from across Greater Manchester and beyond to bask in the sunshine and make the most of all the fun and games, the Trafford Centre is getting ready to welcome back ‘the much-anticipated event of the summer’ in a couple of weeks time.

And this year, the beloved family event has got itself a new family activity zone, and it sounds set to be bigger and better than ever.

The best bit? Tickets will only set you back just £3 each.

A huge fairground, splash park, and beach are returning to Trafford Centre for the summer / Credit: Trafford Centre

Set to open from Saturday 19 July, and run right the way through until the end of August, the family-friendly event will see a massive beach ready for sunbathing and sandcastles pop up outside the shopping centre, alongside a splash park with lots of water jets perfect for cooling you off.

From building sandcastles at the giant beach, to cooling off at the children’s splash park, there’s something for everyone.

Adrenaline junkies both young and old will also get to enjoy retro fairground rides, including ‘Star Flyer’, ‘Sea Storm’, while the event’s in town, as well a giant inflatable area, and loads more.

New for 2025 is the Summer Activity Zone – an undercover tent area complete with free, hands-on crafting activities designed especially for kids.

Each week brings a new theme packed with imagination, colour, and fun, no matter whether it’s rain or shine, so if your little Mancs love painting, baking, building, or experimenting, then you’ll want to take them here to inspire their young minds.

There’s also a wide range of tasty treats available too, including burgers and hotdogs, and for those with a sweet tooth, Cheshire ice cream, Belgian waffles, chocolate covered fruit and marshmallows, and churros.

Trafford Centre’s Summer Fair is popping up outside The Orient, opposite The Great Hall entrance, from Saturday 19 July right through until 31 August, and will be open every day from 12-8pm.

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Tickets are now on sale – with pre-booking ‘recommended to avoid disappointment’ – and will set you back just £3 per person if booked in advance (includes booking fee) and £3.50 on the gate, while ride tokens must be purchased separately for £1.

Featured Image – Trafford Centre

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Stage times confirmed for Oasis Live ’25 at Heaton Park in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Stage times for Oasis at Heaton Park in Manchester have been confirmed

Oasis will finally return to Manchester for five massive hometown gigs this week – and stage times for their Heaton Park show have been confirmed.

The Gallagher brothers have already reunited for two gigs in Cardiff ahead of their Manchester shows.

Oasis will be performing in Heaton Park on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 of July, with support from long-time friends Richard Ashcroft and Cast.

With about 80,000 people expected to flock to the fields for the Oasis Live ’25 shows, there’s a lot of planning going on behind the scenes.

And the stage times for the Oasis Manchester gigs have just been confirmed by the band.

Oasis will be taking to the stage at 8.15pm, and with a 10.30pm curfew, that’s around two hours of glorious Gallagher hits.

Gates to Heaton Park open at 3pm and organisers are expecting large crowds – they’re encouraging fans to allow plenty of time for travel and arrive early.

As a reminder, there are shuttle buses running directly from Lever Street to Heaton Park from 1.30pm, but these are almost sold out.

You can also get tickets for Big Green Coach here, or use trams from Victoria Station up to the venue.

Confirmed stage times for Oasis at Heaton Park, Manchester

  • Gates – 3pm
  • Cast – 6pm
  • Richard Ashcroft – 7pm
  • Oasis – 8.15pm
  • Curfew – 10.30pm

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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