A cruise company in Manchester are hosting a range of musical-themed cruise trips inspired by legendary household singing greats.
Manchester River Cruises is giving guests the opportunity to sail the Salford Quays with live entertainment from professional tribute acts such as Queen of Country, Dolly Parton and the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis.
The events are scheduled throughout the autumn season, take you through various parts of the city and can hopefully help carry you through the summer slump.
Adele is the first musical icon embarking on the gorgeous Salford Quays with her impressive vocals and sombre ballads. Guests can sing along to tracks from the powerhouse artist followed by a megamix of soul, Motown, disco and many more.
A hunk, a hunk of burning love is hitting the waters next is Elvis Live, continuing the music-themed season. Fans of the rubber-leg dancing performer are in for a wonderful night of entertainment as well as a scenic tour of Manchester by cruise.
ADVERTISEMENT
The cruise may depart at 7:30pm but Ms. Parton will still serenade you with her smash hit ‘9 to 5’. The Tennessee musical great will take guests on a journey down memory lane singing songs spanning her 49 album discography.
There are also a handful of events which span musical decades including ‘Club Tropicana’ for the 80’s lovers and ‘Back to the 90’s’ for your dancefloor fillers.
ADVERTISEMENT
‘Soul River’ is another music event which spans everything from Marvin Gaye to Barry White. Your host for the night Babalola Jnr. spoils guests with not one but three magnificent sets spanning decades of classic soulful tunes.
All excursions include a phenomenal performance, attendees are treated to a sparkling glass of prosecco on arrival and table service throughout the journey.
If music isn’t really your thing, this nautical company offers standard services which allow you to fully enjoy the surroundings of Manchester by water with no musical backdrop, plus plenty of other special cruise nights and seasonal events. For instance…
Throughout half-term, there are a handful of ‘Wizards and Fairies Cruises’ that can keep your little ones occupied over the school break. Adults can refresh themselves with mulled wine and a mince pie, while kids have juice and a cookie on hand to calm their excitement.
From 23 November, Santa Claus is comin’ to town and ticket holders can enjoy a full-on Father Christmas-style grotto experience on the water.
They truly do have an impressive assortment of events to choose from.
For a full rundown of events and musical-themed cruise nights, you can find more information on the Manchester River Cruises website HERE.
Indie food and drink festival to return to popular Greater Manchester town for second year
Emily Sergeant
A food and drink festival shining a spotlight on independent businesses is returning to Greater Manchester this summer.
Following the success of last year’s tasty debut, Urmston’s very-own independent food and drink festival, YUM! – Your Urmston Matters, is back for its second serving later this month, and will once again be transforming the Trafford town’s M41 site on Railway Road into a buzzing hub of ‘flavour, fun, and local pride’.
Organised by Love Urmston and hosted by Urmston resident and food and drink presenter, Matty White, this community celebration will bring together top local street food vendors, artisan producers, and drink retailers, alongside live cooking demos, family activities, and loads of entertainment.
Now in its second year, YUM! continues to shine a spotlight on Urmston’s indie food scene and the passion of the people behind it, but as well as local residents, it also invites the rest of Trafford and the wider Greater Manchester community to come together.
So whether you just live down the road, or you are discovering the town for the first time, everyone is welcome to pop down.
“Bringing YUM! back for a second year is incredibly exciting,” commented Fred Davids, who is the Chair of the Love Urmston committee.
“It’s a brilliant way to celebrate what makes Urmston special – its community, and fantastic food and drink scene, welcoming people from near and far to experience the town at its best.
“And as a committee, we’re proud to support our incredible local independent businesses who put their heart and soul into everything they do.”
YUM! is returning to Urmston for another delicious festival this month / Credit: Emma Boyle (via Supplied)
Just some of the independent businesses you’ll find at the festival throughout the day include English Rose Bakery, Inforno Pizzeria, Dan’s Cookies, Banga Curries, JJ’s Caribbean Kitchen, The Greek Village, Pomona Island Brewery, Kelder Wines, and so many more.
The festival is also proudly sponsored by Gecko Homes – a north west property developer that specialises in creating affordable and shared ownership homes across many of Manchester’s most popular suburbs.
You can read more about what Gecko Homes is doing across the region here.
YUM! – Your Urmston Matters is back this month on Saturday 21 June, and will be getting underway from 11am through to 5pm.
Featured Image – Emma Boyle (via Supplied)
What's On
Disney On Ice is bringing its ‘Find Your Hero’ tour to Manchester this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Disney On Ice is returning to Manchester with a brand-new magical adventure for the whole family this festive season.
I know June has only just begun and that officially means summer is here, but do you fancy just casting your minds forward to Christmas for a second?
That’s because Disney On Ice has announced today that it’ll be heading out on a tour of the UK once the festive season rolls around, and of course, the tour’ll be making a stop here in Manchester.
Audiences will get to discover what it truly means to be a hero, as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and all their friends from the Disney Kingdom come together to take families on a journey of unforgettable moments as they bring timeless tales to life on ice.
The production will travel throughout the UK, visiting places like Birmingham, Nottingham, Newcastle, Aberdeen, and Belfast, all before arriving at Manchester’s AO Arena.
This is your chance to re-live famous Disney stories with all of your favourite characters, alongside the magic of classic Disney songs and world-class ice skating.
Disney On Ice is bringing its ‘Find Your Hero’ tour to Manchester this Christmas / Credit: Supplied
The talented Disney On Ice cast rehearse for more than 550 hours to perfect each performance and encapsulate the characters, while a team of choreographers, and set and costume designers, create more than 200 props and more than 200 different costumes.
Encanto, Moana, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, and Tangled are just some of the legendary Disney tales you can see reimagined when Disney On Icepresents Find Your Hero arrives in Manchester this December.
Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero 2025/26 tour dates
bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham: 29 October – 9 November 2025
Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham: 12 – 16 November 2025
Utilita Arena, Newcastle: 19 – 23 November 2025
P&J Live, Aberdeen: 27 – 30 November 2025
SSE Arena, Belfast: 5 – 7 December 2025
AO Arena, Manchester: 10 – 14 December 2025
Utilita Arena, Sheffield: 17 – 21 December 2025
O2 Arena, London: 26 December 2025 – 4 January 2026
The magical production is arriving at the AO Arena this December / Credit: Supplied
The production brings beloved characters to life through cutting-edge figure skating, eye-catching costumes, and stunning set designs, with innovative lighting and thrilling special effects, making it an experience the whole family will treasure forever.
Disney On Icepresents Find Your Hero arrives at Manchester’s AO Arena from 10-14 December 2025, and tickets go on Three+ presale on Monday 9 June and AO Arena presale on Thursday 12 June, both at 9am.
All before they then go on general sale next Friday 13 June, again at 9am.
Thomas Melia -
20th September 2024 
