If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of ‘Blue Monday’, it was first coined by physiologist Cliff Arnall back in 2004, and it suggests that the third Monday of every January is “the most depressing day of the year” – with a theory that essentially claims that this is the time of year when we’re all cold, broke, and riddled with guilt that our New Year’s resolutions to get fit, drink less alcohol, and be a better human being, have fallen by the wayside.
It’s certainly been met with its skeptics over the years for a number of reasons, but regardless of whether you believe it to be true or not, one thing we can all agree on is that laughter is the best medicine, right?
Well, that commonly-used phrase is exactly why Vue Cinemas has decided to screen a handful of some of the UK’s best-loved comedy films and musicals in a bid to cheer people up.
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Cinemas are screening loads of comedies to cheer Mancs up on Blue Monday / Credit: Touchstone Pictures | 20th Century Studios
The cinema chain says it’s aiming to “spread some joy and laughter” by bringing back some of the nation’s favourite comedies and feel-good musicals and sticking them up on the big screen to help alleviate those so-called January blues.
This means that, each week for the nextor four weeks, you can catch iconic flicks such as Mrs Doubtfire, The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia!, and more.
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Kicking off from this Friday 12 January, not only can you see the legends Robin Williams and Meryl Streep in action, but you can also see Bill Murray shine in Groundhog Day, the late Heath Ledger steal the show in 10 Things I Hate About You, and Whoopi Goldberg show what she’s made of in Sister Act.
Mrs Doubtfire – From 12 January
The Devil Wears Prada – From 19 January
Mamma Mia! – From 26 January
Sister Act – From 26 January
Groundhog Day – From 2 February
10 Things I Hate About You – From 2 February
Tickets will only set you back as little as £4.99 each too / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
And the best bit about it all? Tickets are only £5 each, so you won’t be breaking the bank either.
“With 15 January marking Blue Monday this year, we wanted to brighten up the lives of film fans across the country by inviting them to revisit some of our favourite feel good big screen moments,” explained Toby Bradon, who is the General Manager of Vue UK & Ireland.
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“Vue is the perfect place to escape from the pressures of everyday life, providing an entertaining way to enjoy the start the year by experiencing a great story back on the big screen, where it belongs.”
Find out more and grab your tickets from just £4.99 at select venues here.
Featured Image – 20th Century Studios
What's On
Manchester’s 2025 Christmas Parade in pictures as tens of thousands turn out for festive event
Emily Sergeant
Tens of thousands of residents flocked to the city centre this past weekend for Manchester’s annual Christmas Parade.
Over the past few years since it first took place in 2022, Manchester Christmas Parade has become a festive favourite with both locals and visitors alike, and with more than 400 participants and performers gracing the city’s main shopping streets this year, it’s really not hard to see why it’s a much-loved fixture in the city’s countdown to Christmas.
Seen by many as the heartwarming event of the festive season, Manchester Christmas Parade was even ‘bigger and better’ than last year’s fantastic crowdpleaser.
Even a drop of the classic Manchester rain didn’t stop play on the day, as the fabulous festive Parade made its way through the packed city streets to the smiles and cheers of all those watching.
Despite the Manchester weather, tens of thousands of you turned out to make Sunday’s Christmas Parade truly magical. 🎅 👼 🥁
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the heart-warming event of the season.
“I remember thinking at the end of our fabulous Manchester Christmas Parade last year that we would never be able to top it,” commented Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s Christmas spokesperson. “But this year’s parade has been off-the-scale brilliant – it was so much fun and you could see how much all the children loved it.
“The city centre was heaving, it felt like millions of Mancs had turned out for the parade, and what a performance we put on for them.”
The streets were filled with music and laughter this year, as well as the return of Manchester’s very-own Elf Express, complete with VIP passenger Santa hitching a ride on his way to the North Pole, together with his trusty team of elves.
Tens of thousands of people turned out for Manchester Christmas Parade 2025 this past weekend / Credit: Manchester City Council
Not only that, but Nutcracker-inspired toy soldiers also sweept their way through the Parade on segways, alongside a roaming Christmas tree, a pair of gentle giant-sized reindeer, a stunning arctic fox, and Jack Frost himself.
Brand-new for this year will be the fantastic Festive Fantasy Candyland Castle, which stood over three-meters tall and truly was the stuff of fairytales.
“Manchester once again helped make the magic and the memories for a whole generation of families from across the city and beyond,” Cllr Karney concluded.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
What's On
Indiana Jones, live in concert, is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
An all-time Hollywood favourite is being brought to Manchester audiences like never before, as a special showing of the first Indiana Jones film is coming to the city centrein concert.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ action-adventure series is one we all know and love – and if you haven’t seen it before, what are you playing at?
Having said that, the original beloved blockbuster still stands up as the most fondly remembered of the series to this day; put simply, the ‘best’ film in the ‘Indy’ franchise is Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Whether you agree with us or not, you can’t deny that the idea of hearing a live concert version of that iconic Indiana Jones score being played in the flesh by a proper orchestra sounds mega. Case in point:
The legendary John Williams score has been played in some of the most prestigious rooms in the world.
Now, how about hearing those incredible trumpets and French horns over the audio of the film itself, soundtracking each scene as it plays on the big screen in front of you?
Yes, we are nerding out, and so should you be.
After a globe-trotting trek that Indy himself would be proud of, the Disney Concerts production is now gearing up for its UK tour, with just a handful of lucky cities selected for the privilege.
You can see the full list of tour dates down below (we’ve highlighted other Northern shows for you, too):
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: Live In Concert – UK tour dates | 2026
Sunday 31 May – Manchester Bridgewater Hall Monday 1 June – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Tuesday 2 June – Edinburgh Usher Hall Wednesday 3 June – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Thursday 4 June – Birmingham Symphony Hall Friday 5 June – Sheffield City Hall Sunday 7 June – London Eventim Apollo
As you can see, not only will the run of live shows be kicking off on home turf, but they have selected the one and only Bridgewater Hall for the movie concert experience – a more than fitting venue.
Released back in 1981, it’s unbelievable how timeless and instantly recognisable the iconic Indy theme and film score still is to this day.
Disney’s early access window and the presale via the venue both open from 10am this Thursday, 11 December, with general admission going live at the same time the following Friday (12 Dec).
You can get ready to grab your tickets to the Manchester screening and live orchestral performance next May right HERE.
Be it movies, TV or even games, we’re loving how many of these kinds of shows are coming to our city now, from all-time classics like Indiana Jones to cult favourite bits of British kids’ telly…
Emily Sergeant -
11th January 2024 
