Christmas

This little hidden Manchester cinema is screening loads of classic Christmas films this festive season

Three films a day? Such festive fun.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 13th November 2024

Elf, Love Actually, and Home Alone are just some of the classic Christmas films soon hitting the big screen at a hidden cinema in Manchester.

With the nights drawing in, the temperatures dropping by the day, and the most wonderful time of the year now firmly in our sights, film fans and families looking for some wholesome festive fun are being invited to get themselves down to one of Manchester’s most popular hotels in the lead-up to the big day itself.

King Street Townhouse‘s very-own exclusive cinema will be screening a jam-packed lineup of fan-favourite festive films over the next two months to celebrate Christmas in style.

The Christmas screenings will be taking over the little cinema from this Saturday (16 November), right through to Christmas Eve.

This little hidden Manchester cinema is screening loads of classic Christmas films this festive season / Credit: KSTH

With a marathon of three films set to be screened on each day of the event, the Christmas screenings schedule kicks off on Saturday 9 December at 2pm with the absolute cult-classic that is Elf, all before you can sit down to watch Love Actually, and Home Alone on the same day.

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Other festive favourites on the lineup across other weekends include It’s a Wonderful Life, The Holiday, The Muppet Christmas Carol, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Die Hard.

Tickets to each of the Christmas screenings are now on sale, and start at just £16.50 each.

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You can also complete your seasonal experience with festive-themed cocktails, popcorn, pick n mix, and a whole host of other treats beforehand too, if you’d like.

Read more:

Grab your tickets here.

Featured Image – KSTH

Christmas

The most magical Christmas displays have now landed at one of the North West’s best garden centres

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Christmas has officially arrived at one of the best garden centres in the North West, and it’s just as magical as you’d hope it would be.

Just outside of Greater Manchester in the village of Glazebury in Warrington, you’ll find Bents Garden and Home – a multi award-winning destination garden centre that’s often voted one of the region’s best. It’s great place to visit all year round, but as anyone who has ever made the trip there will tell you, this place really comes alive during the festive season.

Bents first started out life all the way back in 1937, when Alfred and Margaret Bent began growing and selling roses in the front garden of their terraced house in Glazebury.

Ever since then, the business has gone from strength to strength – opening its first dedicated garden centre building in the early 1950s, and then undergoing several expansions in the 60 years that followed to create the place we know and love today.

A place that’s home to everything you need to kit out your home and garden, several cafes and restaurants, a food hall, a cook shop, a children’s boutique, and plenty more.

Christmas has arrived at Bents Garden and Home for 2026 / Credit: The Manc Group

And then at Christmas time, you can also get to wander around all the magical festive displays and stop for a bite to eat at the winter food markets.

Christmas at Bents originally began in the 1970s, establishing what would become one of the garden centre’s most successful – and favourite – times of the year, with people travelling in their thousands from all across the North West to visit, making it an annual tradition in the festive events calendar for many families.

With a jaw-dropping display to suit everyone’s festive decor tastes, Christmas at Bents really does need to be seen to be believed.

Expertly decorated trees form the centrepiece of each display, with all the baubles and decorations adorning them for sale by the side for you to recreate yourself at home.

Walking around the centre, you’ll also find every type of artificial tree (both normal and pre-lit), an array of fairy lights, wreaths, and garlands, before you arrive at what is sure to be one of the best Christmas Lemax Model Village set-ups you’ve probably ever seen.

A trip to Bents is an annual festive tradition for thousands across the North West / Credit: The Manc Group

Then, once you’ve filled your basket up with all the decs you need, you have to stop off at the Winter Food Markets before you head home.

There’s a wide array of different street food options to choose from like bratwursts, giant filled Yorkshire puddings, loaded fries, nachos, mac and cheese, crepes, churros, and build-your-own crumble, before taking a pew in one of the little wooden huts and washing it all down with festive-themed hot chocolates and mulled wine.

Don’t forget to stop off at the food hall, farm shop, and deli counters to stock up on plenty of goodies there before you leave too.

Basically, if you’ve never been to Bents before, we honestly cannot recommend it enough – even more so during Christmas time.

Don’t forget to stop off at the Winter Food Markets before heading home / Credit: The Manc Group

But it is really important to note that it does get very busy here, especially on weekends and at peak times like the run up to Christmas.

So you may have to be prepared to patiently wait for parking spaces and cooperate with your fellow shoppers, as well as join queues at the cafes and restaurants, all while respecting the hard-working staff at all times.

Let’s be as respectful as possible, and make this a place where everyone can enjoy a magical festive experience in 2026.

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Bents Garden and Home is open from 8:30am-9pm on Monday to Saturday, and 10:30am-4pm on Sundays, with the store open for browsing from 9am.

Find out more and plan your trip HERE.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

Christmas

Manchester’s largest outdoor ice rink confirmed for a return this festive season with tickets NOW on sale

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester’s massive outdoor ice rink has been confirmed for a return to Cathedral Gardens once again this festive season.

Skate Manchester has always been a festive staple of our city centre, and 2026 is set to be absolutely no different.

Families, friends, and festive fun seekers will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas whatever the weather has in store, as although the rink will be outdoors in the heart of Cathedral Gardens, the ice is fully covered.

Off the back of a hugely successful 2025 season, there will be a specially curated programme of events this year too, including themed nights, competitions, and inclusive skate sessions designed for an accessible and enjoyable experience for as many people as possible.

And if you’re not too confident on the ice, the rink will also offer a variety of skate sessions that are tailored to meet the needs of all visitors too.

This includes dedicated quiet and toddler sessions to create a more relaxed skating environment.

Discounted tickets and weekly events will also be on offer too, meaning students can skate for just £10 on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, families can enjoy dedicated Parents & Mini Skater sessions in the same period, and group discounts will also be available for larger bookings.

There will also be £5 Community and school sessions, free skating for children on selected Tuesdays, accessible SEND sessions, and 20% off for Blue Light workers.

Manchester’s largest outdoor ice rink is confirmed for a return this festive season / Credit: Supplied

“Skate Manchester has established itself as the highest Google-rated rink in the UK, located in the heart of Manchester next to the world-renowned Christmas Markets – it’s the perfect way to enjoy a Mancunian Christmas,” commented Rob Derry, who is the Director at Tamarisk Events – the coordinator of Skate Manchester.

Skate Manchester will open to the public from Friday 6 November 2026 until Sunday 3 January 2027, excluding Christmas Day.

Read more:

From 6 November to 6 December, the rink will be open daily from 11am to 9pm, and then from 7 January onwards, opening hours will extend from 10am to 9pm – with all skating sessions lasting 45 minutes.

Featured Image – Supplied

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