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Manchester’s free summer picnic is coming back to Oxford Road

This should be a right laugh - just keep fingers crossed for great weather.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd July 2026

Manchester’s free ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ is returning to the Oxford Road Corridor later this year, promising plenty of live music and entertainment, family-friendly fun, outdoor activities and lots more.

Coming back to Circle Square for the second time, the now annual and completely free city centre festival will set up for its sophomore edition right on Symphony Park.

Surrounded by numerous local businesses located within the thriving Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group neighbourhood, this mini-district is once again set to draw in crowds from all over Manchester.

With that in mind, get your coolers, picnic baskets and blankets ready: it’s time for some alfresco fanfare.

Kicking off next month for one day only, Circle Square‘s ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ 2.0 will get underway pretty much from the outset, with the organisers promising a full day of festivities.

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Visitors can look forward to an even more jam-packed schedule than last year, with creative workshops and interactive experiences, DJs right through to the evening, alongside roaming steel drum performances and even silent disco adventures, just to name a few.

Other events include: sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf and basketball shoot-outs; ‘foot pool’, a seasonal bouquet bar, as well as a dedicated picnic space for dogs, complete with bespoke pup portraits. Adorable.

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2025 saw plenty of furry friends steal the show and become local celebrities for the day, and we’re sure ’26 will be no different.

We can’t wait.

Credit: Jody Hartley Photography (supplied)

The long picnic tables will once again take centre stage, creating a relaxed space for families and friends to come together over great food from Circle Square’s wide mix of indie restaurants and cafes, such as Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, Half Dozen Other, Saffa Soul, North Bar, Monkey Trio and more.

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Punters are, obviously, to bring along their own picnic bits, packed lunches and favourite scran, but it’s nice to have the option of treating yourself to stuff on-site.

Better still, Circle Square’s proximity not only to Oxford Road train station, but the St Peter’s Square tram stop and various bus routes (even Piccadilly isn’t really that far) means that this is super accessible for anyone interested – not to mention that it’s completely free and open to all members of the public.

Taking place on Saturday, 8 August, we hope to see you there and hopefully with the sun shining.

Credit: Jody Hartley

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures/Jody Hartley (supplied via SH Comms)

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A brand-new live music series with big Northern names is coming to Blackpool

Danny Jones Danny Jones New Blackpool Live music festival gig series 2026

An all-new live music series is coming to the beloved Northern seaside town of Blackpool, and there’s already plenty of big regional names booked for the inaugural slate of gigs.

What’s more, you won’t have to wait long for it to get underway, as the first date is this July.

Being organised by well-known local record label and promoters Scruff of the Neck, the brand-new multi-date event marks its debut edition through the summer and all the way into autumn.

Announcing a raft of 27 different acts in total, the inaugural Blackpool Live looks set to be a belter – and we’d be very surprised if this first year isn’t the start of something very special…

As you can see, already confirmed for Blackpool Live 2026 are the likes of Feeder, Doves, The Fratellis, resurgent indie landfill throwbacks, The Enemy, Happy Mondays, The Pigeon Detectives, and even Oasis’ reunion support stars, Cast.

But even the so-called ‘warm up’ slots for each day of shows are filled with plenty of popular up-and-coming talent, as well as already established headliners in their own right.

From youngsters like our very own Alex Spencer, as well as fellow Mancs IST IST and Slow Readers Club (just to name a handful) to the likes of We Are Scientists, Inspiral Carpets, The Futureheads and more, the maiden live music crowds set to descend on Blackpool’s Winter Gardens are set to be spoilt.

Spread across multiple stages over the next few months, this fledgling event is not only a celebration of bands and artists from across the North, but a great way to spotlight grassroots music venues and the town in general.

Designed by illustrator Rod Hunt, you can see a map giving you an overview of key sites that will be partnering with the festival down below.

blackpool live festival site map winter gardens
Credit: Rod Hunt (supplied)

Inspired by a trip founder Mark Lippmann and some friends took back in 2006 – travelling all the way from Hazel Grove in Stockport to see Arctic Monkeys at the historic Empress Ballroom – this fresh live music promotion is a story two decades in the making.

After an initial smaller outing with just three groups on the bill last year, 2026 is the first proper iteration of the Blackpool Live vision.

Speaking ahead of its launch, Lippmann said in a statement: “People always ask what the best gig you’ve ever been to was, but when you think about it, you remember so much more than the band. You remember who you were with, what you did before the show and how the whole day felt.

“Blackpool is uniquely placed to create those experiences. You can jump on a train, spend the day by the sea and finish it watching incredible live music in one of Britain’s most iconic venues. That’s what Blackpool Live is really about.”

You can find out more information about all of the headline shows and grab your tickets right HERE.

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Featured Images — Press shots (Sonic PR)/Rob M Whittaker (via WikiCommons)/WHP (supplied)

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Chester Zoo is staying open ‘after hours’ this summer so you can see the nocturnal animals

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Chester Zoo is keeping its gates open late into the evening across two special weeks this summer.

The UK’s biggest charity zoo has, once again, announced the return of Afterglow for the summer, which is known and loved for offering visitors the rare opportunity to explore the zoo and its 30,000 animals after hours… but for the first time, daytime visitors can now enjoy the hugely popular event without needing a separate ticket.

Unlike previous years, visitors will no longer need to leave Chester Zoo‘s grounds and return with a separate event ticket.

Instead, guests can spend the entire day exploring the zoo before enjoying Afterglow‘s evening programme, all as part of a standard admission ticket.

Chester Zoo’s is opening ‘after hours’ again this summer so you can see all the animals at sunset / Credit: Chester Zoo

Afterglow offers you the unique chance to encounter some of the world’s most endangered species during golden hour – which, for many animals, is one of their most active periods.

From 3pm until 8pm each day, giant elephant, giraffe, and peacock puppets will welcome visitors into the zoo, while life-sized dinosaurs roam the site with theatrical performances and interactive encounters.

The programme also features giant bubble displays, comedy street theatre, fairground rides, and live music performances.

A number of special experiences designed just for adults are on the lineup this year too, including quizzes in Chester Zoo’s very own pub and an adults-only silent disco inside one of the zoo’s oldest animal habitats.

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Chester Zoo’s Afterglow returns for 2026, running on exclusive dates between 31 July – 16 August from 3pm until 8pm, with tickets now on sale ranging in price depending on whether or not you buy a full-day ticket or just for the afternoon into evening slot.

And the best bit? Every ticket helps fund conservation projects protecting threatened species in more than 20 countries.

They’re already selling fast, so ook your tickets online in advance here.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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