Travel & Tourism

Northern Rail have announced their latest flash sale with train tickets available from just £2

There's A LOT on sale but you'll still have to be quick about buying them.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 30th September 2025

Finally, we’ve got some good news on the train lines once again, as Northern Rail has just announced the return of their fantastic flash sale, which sees literally millions of discounted tickets made available to the general public.

With the last promotion from Northern having delighted Brits up and down the country, the train company are once again offering affordable tickets, with prices starting from just £2.

The only catch is that you’ve got just a few days to make the most of the savings.

Confirming the flash sale across the Northern Assist social media accounts, the rail operator has now detailed both start and end dates, as well as the valid travel dates.

Sharing more details in a full press release, Northern has revealed that a whopping three MILLION £2 tickets are now up for grabs.

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The 2025 Northern flash sale began at 8am this Tuesday, 30 September, with thousands of train journeys having already been booked.

A full list of all the routes with cut-price tickets on until Thursday, 2 October can be found HERE.

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According to Northern, the top destinations with the most tickets available in Northern’s Flash Sale are as follows:

  • Manchester and Manchester Airport
  • Leeds
  • Bolton
  • Preston
  • Manchester Airport
  • Blackpool North
  • Shipley
  • Rochdale
  • Stockport
  • Bradford
  • Sheffield
  • Wigan Wallgate
  • Hebden Bridge
  • Blackburn
  • Meadowhall
  • Liverpool Lime Street
  • Skipton
  • Wilmslow
  • Doncaster
  • Ilkley
  • Hull
  • Wakefield Westgate

Although it remains an ever-essential network and the UK’s second-largest national rail service, the PR around Northern isn’t always positive when it comes to efficiency, quality and reliability.

Their estimated 2,650 daily lines across more than 500 stations often come under fire, especially in comparison to public transport down towards the capital.

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Andy Burnham calls for ‘efficient and reliable’ public transport as he slams Northern rail services

With all that being said, the arrival of the latest Northern flash sale is a much-needed plus for the firm.

Commenting on this week’s flash sale, Northern’s commercial and customer director, Alex Hornby, said: “With three million tickets up for grabs, there’s something for everyone in Northern’s Flash Sale.

For our existing customers, it’s the perfect opportunity to visit somewhere new, and hopefully, we can encourage those who don’t currently use the train to give it a try.

We believe the Flash Sale will inspire everyone to explore everything our fantastic region has to offer, from bustling cities to the countryside and stunning coastlines. Customers will need to book early to avoid disappointment – once they’re gone, they’re gone!” You can grab your tickets online NOW.

Once again, the Northern Rail flash sale runs for just three days and closes this Thursday, 2 October, with tickets valid for travel strictly between Monday, 6 October and Friday, 24 October 2025. 

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Tickets can be bought on Northern’s app, online, at ticket offices and on ticket machines in stations managed by Northern – please make sure to check terms and conditions.

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Featured Images — Publicity picture/El Pollock (via Geograph)

Travel & Tourism

Neighbourhood Weekender guide – lineup, set times and stage splits, how to get there and more

Danny Jones Danny Jones NBHD Weekender festival guide tickets times stage splits

It’s that time again: Neighbourhood Weekender is BACK for 2026, and we cannot wait to descend back on Victoria Park for another two full days of singing till we’re hoarse and dancing our arses off.

We even love the walk from Warrington Central, down that long strip through the centre and over the gorgeous green space as the vibes start to pick up right from the off.

The years off without NBHD Weekender or just having to settle for the Manchester city centre version of the festival always remind us of how much we miss the big boy, so we intend to make the most of every single moment of the sixth edition.

And so should you – that’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive guide of all the key info, from ticketing and timings

Everything you need to know for NBHD Weekender festival 2026

Are there any tickets left?

For starters, if you’re looking pretty open plan-wise the long weekend and are looking for something fun last-minute, you’ll be glad to hear that there are plenty of ticket options still on offer for Neighbourhood Weekender festival 2026.

Whether it’s the full weekend wristband, just a single day pass, or even VIP packages, there’s a decent amount of allocation left on all fronts. For the first-time ever, there are also payment plans available.

More importantly, NBHD is also a wheelchair-friendly festival, with plenty of accessibility options available, too. Check out all ticket options and prices while you still can.

When does it start and end?

Taking place over this late May Bank Holiday Weekend (Saturday, 23 May – Sunday 24 May), the gates will open at 12 noon, and the festival curfew is 22:30pm.

Neighbourhood Weekender lineup, stage splits and set times for 2026

As we’re sure you’ll have already seen by now, we’ve got some big names topping the NBHD Weekender ’26 bill, not least of all Stopfordian indie headliners, Blossoms.

But they’re far from the only Northern name taking to the big stage at Victoria Park, either, as you’ll also be treated to the likes of the legendary Richard Ashcroft and fellow Oasis reunion tour supports Cast, as well as The K’s, Kaiser Chiefs, Jamie Webster, The Royston Club and lots more.

Sadly, Esme Emerson has dropped out due to unforeseen circumstances, but thankfully, local lad John Denton (one of our previous Artists of the Month) will be taking her place on the Viola Beach stage.

Apart from that, there are no other changes, so here’s your full breakdown of the lineup and stage times:

NBHD Victoria Park festival site map and facilities

Besides the stages, toilets, water stations and various food and drink traders located around the roughly 30-acre site, there are plenty of other fun and useful additions that are worth knowing about.

As well as a new cloakroom service run by partners GoHangers – you can see the full bag (basically no bigger than A4) and cloak policy HERE – there are also accessible viewing platforms as alluded to above, along with premium bars by the likes of Brothers Ciders and Tia Maria.

There’s even the ‘corner shop rave’ area taking place over in the southwest corner of the park. NBHD Weekender is also a completely cashless festival, so card machines will be available at all vendors.

You can see the full NBHD Weekender festival map down below.

Neighbourhood Festival Warrington site map
*It’s worth reminding that there’s no re-entry – once you’re in for the day, you should have all you need.

Travel advice – how to get to NBHD Weekender in Warrington

Now, we would always encourage festival-goers to travel as sustainably as possible, and fortunately, there are plenty of public transport options to get you there and back across the weekend.

By train

Warrington has two train stations – Warrington Bank Quay (BQ)* and Warrington Central, making it easily accessible from most locations. Timetables are obviously always subject to change, but here are some example routes:

  • Manchester to Warrington Central – 20 minutes
  • Liverpool to Warrington Central – 22 minutes
  • Preston to Warrington Bank Quay – 22 minutes
  • Crewe to Warrington Bank Quay – 17 minutes
  • Chester to Warrington Bank Quay – 26 minutes
  • Lancaster to Warrington Bank Quay – 41 minutes
  • Stockport to Warrington Central – 31 minutes
  • St. Helens to Warrington Bank Quay – 16 minutes
  • Widnes to Warrington Central – 7 minutes
  • Leeds to Warrington Central – 1 hour 20 minutes

*Please note, however, there are some Northern Rail engineering works planned over the weekend of the festival. While operators should be running smoothly throughout both local stations on the Saturday, Sunday, 24 May will see some amended services to and from Warrington BQ:

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  • No Northern trains are operating (this is the current timetable)
  • Transport for Wales services running as normal.
  • Avanti West Coast operating with rail replacement buses between Crewe and Wigan

By coach/bus

Big Green Coach are also returning as NBHD’s official travel partner – Parklife attendees will be more than familiar – providing hassle-free coach returns directly to the Neighbourhood Weekender’s official coach park to multiple locations; pick-up spots include:

  • Ashton Under Lyne | Birkenhead | Birmingham (Jenners Road) | Blackburn | Bolton | Bradford | Bury | Castleford | Chester | Crewe | Doncaster (Interchange) | Huddersfield | Hull | Leeds | Leicester | Liverpool | Manchester (City Centre) | Manchester (Trafford Centre) | Manchester South (Sharston) | Preston | Sheffield | Stockport | Stoke-on-trent | Wakefield | York.

If you’re heading back to Manchester city centre or Liverpool, the company is offering one-way returns on both days to make getting home after the event as easy as possible. Secure your seat from £30 now.

Meanwhile, the Number 11 and 11a bus services stop at Knutsford Road just outside Victoria Park; it takes 5 minutes to walk there from Warrington Bus Interchange located at Warrington Central train station. Pro-tip: just follow the big queue of punters in their festival-wear finery…

By car – drop-off and parking guidance

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For those arriving by car, the designated pick-up and drop-off zone is located at Sir Thomas Boteler School. Please follow the festival signage to Sir Thomas Boteler School and note there are no residential or other roads or areas to wait, drop off or park.

As for parking, the official car park operated by the Neighbourhood festival organisers is also located at Sir Thomas Boteler (again, please follow festival signage), which is approximately a 15-minute walk to the festival site. However, spaces will be very limited – you can reserve from a limited number of spots HERE.

By foot

Finally, if you’re content getting your steps in, as mentioned, the park is a short walk from Warrington Town Centre, and just a 20-minute walk from Warrington BQ, Warrington Central train station or the Golden Square Shopping Centre. Easy does it.

That should just about do you for all the key details and important info you need to know ahead of a brilliant bank holiday weekender with NBHD taking up the bulk of the vibes.

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How nice that we’re getting pure sunshine and warm temperatures, too, eh? What a treat.

We hope you all have a wonderful time. Make sure to stay hydrated, drink responsibly, abide by the festival site rules and be mindful of the heat; there’s plenty of cover and shade in the large outdoor area to make the most of – oh, and bucket hats at the ready, of course.

Keep an eye out for our Audio North team both online and in person, and we’ll see you there for more sing-alongs!

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Publicity pictures (supplied via SJM Concerts)

Travel & Tourism

New record-breaking £8.72m ride opens at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The day has finally arrived… the UK’s tallest ride is now open to the public.

After first being announced back in May 2025, thrill-seekers have been hotly anticipating the arrival of Blackpool Pleasure Beach‘s newest ride, Aviktas, for the past year – and now, the time has come, as passengers have travelled from across the country to be among the first to experience the adrenaline-pumping spectacle.

Not for the faint of heart, Aviktas launches its riders 138 feet into the air while reaching angles of up to 120 degrees.  

Now officially open at the iconic Lancashire seaside theme park, Aviktas has became the largest ride of its kind in the UK – almost doubling the size of the previous tallest, Maelstrom at Drayton Manor.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s newest £8.72m ride is now open / Credit: Supplied

The jaw-dropping new ride features a unique design that’s been engineered to ‘maximise thrills’.

According to its creators, Aviktas’ restraints create a sense of freedom leaving its riders feeling weightless as they soar towards its 138 foot peak.

Pleasure Beach has invested £8.72m into the attraction, marking it as its biggest single investment in eight years.

Aviktas is now the tallest rollercoaster of its kind in the UK / Credit: Supplied

“Pleasure Beach has always had a reputation for going big and pushing boundaries, and Aviktas is no exception,” commented Amanda Thompson OBE, who is the CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort.

“Its sheer size and presence speaks for itself, there is simply nothing like it in the UK. We wanted to build something that sets us apart from anywhere else and gives our guests a genuine must-visit reason to come to the park.

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“This project is another reminder of our commitment to making Pleasure Beach one of the world’s greatest theme parks.”

Aviktas is now open at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Featured Image – Supplied

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