Every now and again we stumble across a clever little idea and we think ‘why hasn’t someone thought of this idea before?’ That was definitely the case when heard about Corn Exchange’s new vending machine for books.
Having appeared in the popular city centre food hall and trader spot only earlier this week, most people might be unaware of the Corn Exchange‘s fun new initiative and some people might have walked straight past it without noticing what’s actually in it — yet another reason we love stuff like this.
The concept is called ‘Read. Swap. Repeat.’ and the idea is to not only keep people reading when they come into the city or are perhaps staying here in the likes of the Corn Exchange, but also to provide a home for pre-loved books with an added incentive.
It’s a great little idea, isn’t it? You even get a free bookmark for your trouble.
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As you can see, all you need to use the vending machine is to bring a book with you, ask a member of staff for a token and then select which generously donated second-hand read you want to select for yourself.
Beyond just being a cool and interesting way to entertain local book lovers and hopefully get more people reading again, it’s also good for the environment as it provides yet another outlet for people to donate their old texts without any waste.
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So, if you’re looking for a new read or looking to share one of your favourite old books with someone else, why not give it a try?
Outbreak Festival announces hard-hitting lineup for 15th anniversary in Manchester
Danny Jones
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:
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.
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…
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.
Westlife announce extra Manchester arena show for huge 25th anniversary tour
Daisy Jackson
Legendary pop group Westlife have announced the European leg of their 25th anniversary tour, which includes not just one but a trio of Manchester Arena gigs.
The beloved boyband will be hitting the road from September next year to celebrate a quarter of a century of timeless ballads and chart-topping pop songs.
Westlife, which is made up of Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily, are behind massive hits like ‘You Raise Me Up’, ‘Flying Without Wings’, ‘Swear It Again’, and ‘If I Let You Go’.
The upcoming ‘Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour’ will include shows right across the UK and Ireland, including Leeds, Sheffield and one extra show here in Manchester.
The initial news came ahead of the group performing two sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall, and a sell-out success in Dublin and Belfast already.
Following an overwhelming reaction and huge demand, Co-op Live have seen fit to add another Westlife show to their calendar and double up on their venue debut, with other multiple cities now looking at more shows, too.
Over the last 25 years, Westlife have become one of the most successful pop groups of all time, with three billion streams globally, 36 number one albums worldwide, and 14 UK number one singles (ranking only behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles).
In fact, Westlife still remain the UK and Ireland’s top-selling album group of the 21st century.
Westlife have also just released a new single, ‘Chariot’, written by Ed Sheeran, Johnny McDaid from Snow Patrol and Will Reynolds, as well as being co-written and produced by Steve Mac.
And in February next year (just in time for Valentine’s Day), they’ll release 25 – The Ultimate Collection, a greatest hits album of 21 fan favourites.
Credit: Supplied
Westlife said: “This year marks 25 years since we started this incredible journey together, and it still feels like only the beginning.
“The support from our fans has been unbelievable, and to celebrate with this world tour, new music, and a brand-new album feels truly special.
“We can’t wait to see you all on the road and share this next chapter together.”
Westlife will perform their first night at the Co-op Live arena on Friday, 23 October 2026, before playing a second and third night in Manchester over the weekend.
General sale tickets are already on sale HERE, with affordable VIP packages also available through Seat Unique HERE.
What do you make of the new Westlife song?
Westlife UK/IE tour dates
Thu September 10 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Fri September 11 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sat September 12 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Tue September 15 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Wed September 16 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Fri September 18 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sat September 19 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sun September 20 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Tue September 22 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Wed September 23 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Thu September 24 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Fri September 25 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Sat September 26 2026 – DUBLIN, 3Arena
Tue September 29 2026 – ABERDEEN, P&J Live
Wed September 30 2026 – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro
Thu October 01 2026 – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro
Sat October 03 2026 – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Utilita Arena
Sun October 04 2026 – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, Utilita Arena
Danny Jones -
19th March 2023 
