Hundreds more tickets for The Big Night of Musicals have just been been released ahead of the show here in Manchester later this month.
And the best bit? They’re all FREE and up for grabs tomorrow.
In case you haven’t heard, the huge event will be taking to the stage at the AO Arena in the heart of Manchester city centre in just a couple of weeks time – with families and musical theatre fans of all ages set to be treated to a lineup of jaw-dropping performances from the biggest West End and touring musicals.
The cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, A Chorus Line, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Guys & Dolls, and the UK and Ireland tour of GREASE are just a handful of the superstars on the lineup.
Taking place on Monday 22 January, the National Lottery’s massive musical theatre celebration will be hosted by local comedian Jason Manford for the third year running, alongside special guest presenter, West End legend Beverley Knight.
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Hundreds more free tickets to The Big Night of Musicals at the AO Arena have been released / Credit: Supplied
Manford and Knight are gearing up to guide the audience through a whistle-stop tour of an impressive selection of “the most mesmerising shows”.
“I’m thrilled to be back hosting The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals,” Jason Manford commented.
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“[The show] once again has an incredible lineup of smash hit shows for the Manchester Arena audience to enjoy, and is a huge thank you to National Lottery players who have helped keep the magic of theatre alive across the UK.”
If some the already-announced musicals on the lineup aren’t enough to get you all excited as it is, just today, the show’s organisers have revealed that Hamilton, Disney’s Aladdin, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Mrs Doubtfire have all been announced to perform at the musical extravaganza too.
Echoing Manford’s commented, Beverly Knight added: “It’s great to be coming back to be part of this incredible show, as the support National Lottery players make to the theatre industry is crucial to the performers and myriad of people, both at large and small venues, who help make a night at the theatre so special.
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The highly-anticipated show will be hosted by Jason Manford and Beverly Knight / Credit: Supplied
“I can’t wait to see this astonishing lineup of talent all under one roof.”
And, following the first ticket release for the hugely-anticipated event selling out in less than 24 hours, The National Lottery is offering fans one last chance to be a part of the musical spectacle by releasing hundreds more free tickets.
They’ll be up for grabs tomorrow morning (4 January).
All National Lottery players need to do is head on over to The Big Night of Musicals website here at 10am to be in the running for grabbing one of the final tickets.
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals returns on Monday 22 January at the AO Arena, and is also set to be aired on BBC One, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds at a later date too.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Manchester Day set to bring sunny Catalan celebrations to the city centre this summer
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is making a grand return for 2026 this summer, and you can expect a day filled with loads of Catalan-themed fun.
Oh, and it’s free fun at that… doesn’t get much better.
The date and theme for Manchester‘s biggest day of the year has now been confirmed – with the city going all in to make this summer’s event one of the very-best yet.
Switching for the first time to a Sunday this year instead of its usual Saturday, Manchester City Council is promising a ‘distinctly Catalan flavour’ to this year’s Manchester Day, as performers from Barcelona head to Manchester to join in the festivities in what is a first for the event.
This year’s Catalan theme has been chosen following Manchester’s guest city role during Barcelona’s iconic La Mercè festival in September last year, where our local artists were invited to take part.
Manchester Day is set to bring sunny Catalan celebrations to the city centre this summer / Credit: Manchester City Council
As always, outdoor arts organisation Walk the Plank will be working with groups across the city in the run-up to Manchester Day this year to create what is set to be the main event of the day – a spectacular parade filled with music, dance, colour, community, and, of course, Catalan vibes.
The parade will also have a bit of a ‘bookish’ theme to it this year too, taking inspiration from the current year-long national celebration of books and reading.
With music, dance, and a whole host of performances and walkabout shows from some of the UK and Spain’s leading outdoor arts companies, Manchester Day 2026 will see the city’s streets and squares filled with Catalan spirit, along with some surprising links to books and reading along the way.
The date and theme for Manchester’s biggest day of the year has now been confirmed / Credit: Manchester City Council
“We could literally write a book on how fantastic our brilliant city is and how utterly awesome and amazing Mancunians are, and we invite everyone to join us in July as we celebrate Manchester’s favourite day of the year,” commented Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Chair of Manchester Day, as the theme was announced this week.
“Everyone knows we never do things by halves in Manchester, and with our friends from Barcelona also joining us for this year’s festivities, it’s going to be Manchester Barcelona Day all the way.
“We can’t wait to welcome everyone down as we go all in to make sure 2026 is THE best Manchester Day ever.”
Manchester Day is taking over the city centre on Sunday 26 July, and more details on timings and activities during the day will be announced in the coming weeks.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Sportsbet.io Tour Championship 2026: Manchester welcomes some of snooker’s best
Danny Jones
This Monday marks the start of the World Snooker Tour’s 2026 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, which is back in Manchester once again– and there are some big names on show.
Returning to our city for a third consecutive time, this year’s Tour Championships began at 1pm, with the likes of world number one Judd Trump playing some of the opening frames against Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, along with Barry Hawkins taking on 2026 World Open winner, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
These are just the first two opening fixtures in what is set to be an eventful week-long tournament that will span a total of 19 matches, concluding in the final on Sunday, 5 April.
Hosted once again over at Manchester Central, this elite field of in-form players is basically only missing Ronnie O’Sullivan, who the aforementioned Thai tour start beat in last week’s final.
Only the top 12 players from this season’s highly competitive rankings earned a place in the draw, so all pretty much all the greats and the next generation are shooting for the title.
Defending champions John Higgins – a four-time world champion – will be breaking off against Mark Williams on Tuesday, 31 March.
Meanwhile, other names on the schedule of play include World Champion Zhao Xintong, Mark Selby (who Higgins beat in Manchester last year), Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Mark Allen.
Put simply, this isn’t just another big sporting event landing in our city centre, but a showcase of some of the very best talent in the discipline.
With tickets starting from just £25, these games are also some of the most affordable premium sports you can enjoy in central Manchester.
Better still, it’s also worth noting that the official Fanzone over in the foyer of the venue is open to all, even without a ticket.
There’s completely free coaching for players of all ages, interactive games, and even the chance to try a proper full-sized professional table – a perfect day out for the Easter school holidays.
The event itself is being aired on Channel 5, but if you’re interested in going along to see the action up close and personal, you can grab your seats right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd January 2024 
