Manchester Museum absolutely knocked out of the park on its reopening week, with a whopping 52,000 people paying a visit.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Museum had been closed for around 18 months while it underwent a £15 million transformation project – but it officially reopened on Saturday 18 February, and has been showing off its modern new two-storey extension, revamped cafe and gift shop, and brand new exhibition spaces ever since.
It looks like Mancs have clearly missed the cultural institution too, with the reopening weekend seeing thousands rushing down to check out its new look over the weekend.
And now, it’s been revealed that the total visitor numbers for the first week was an impressive 52,000.
Manchester Museum saw a massive 52,000 people visit during its opening week / Credit: Manchester Museum
The museum’s director, Esme Ward, previously said she was “an emotional wreck” after seeing the now-viral scenes of people queueing down the streets to get in.
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“Manchester, you’re amazing” she added on Twitter.
Having first opened in 1890, and housed inside a neo-Gothic building designed by Alfred Waterhouse, Manchester Museum is one of the largest university museums in the country.
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Inside its doors, the popular attraction has more than 4.5 million objects from natural sciences and human cultures.
The transformation of Manchester Museum has been supported by UK Government through DCMS and Arts Council England, and by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The University of Manchester, and numerous philanthropic supporters.
New spaces inside the museum now include a brand new Exhibition Hall, which has opened with the blockbuster exhibition Golden Mummies of Egypt, and is filled with more than 100 objects and eight mummies, as well as the new South Asia Gallery – a partnership with the British Museum – which is the UK’s first permanent space to explore the lived experience of South Asian diaspora communities.
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All that is alongside the existing collections of fossils and other objects from natural sciences and human cultures.
One of the most immediate differences from the museum’s £15 million transformation though is the new accessible entrance straight off Oxford Road – which brings visitors straight into a stunning new gift shop.
The museum had been closed while it underwent a £15 million transformation project / Credit: Chris Bull (via Manchester Museum)
There’s also a new dinosaur in town too, who’s joined the museum’s legendary T-Rex Stan.
Dating back to the Cretaceous period, and having been found in the US state of Montana, April the Tenontosaurus has taken up her place in the former entrance beside the Fossils Gallery
Other new features created during the transformation project include a Changing Places toilet, prayer room, quiet room, picnic area, and therapy room.
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Find out more about what’s on at Manchester Museum here.
Featured Image – Chris Bull (via Manchester Museum)
Art & Culture
Tickets officially go on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Tickets have now officially gone on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester.
Arriving on screens from 18 December and gearing up to be one of the most anticipated films of the year, Dune: Part Three – which is the third and final instalment in director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise – will be screening in IMAX 70mm at Vue Manchester Printworks, one of only three venues to show it in this format nationwide.
There are only 40 other venues across the globe showing the film in IMAX 70mm, and Manchester is the only city outside of London to screen the blockbuster this way too.
Based on the novels of Frank Herbert and set nearly two decades after the previous film, Dune: Part Three features an ensemble cast of all-star names led by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
Alongside them will be Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rebecca Ferguson, Robert Pattinson, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin.
After seats for a special early screening of the film in IMAX sold out in less than 30 minutes last month, the IMAX 70mm showings – which officially went live today (20 October) – are expected to be snapped up fast by film fans in Manchester.
“A decade in the making, Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune trilogy is reaching its dramatic conclusion this December,” explained Dean Cross, who is the Senior Screen Content Manager at Vue.
“As the only venue outside of London to be screening Dune: Part Three in IMAX 70mm, it’s a privilege for us to offer this unique way to experience the film.”
Dune: Part Three is coming to Vue Manchester Printworks on 18 December, and you can book your tickets here.
Featured Image – Warner Bros.
Art & Culture
Free pints and live craft experiences coming to a Manchester pub for one night only
Daisy Jackson
A pop-up pub takeover is opening its doors in Manchester, where you can get your hands on a free pint as well as some amazing craft experiences.
The Uncommon Inn is being operated by premium Italian lager brand Poretti, who want to help us Brits break out of our daily routines.
Matt & Phreds on Tib Street will welcome The Uncommon Inn on Thursday 22 October, from 4pm to 8pm, giving visitors the chance to discover unusual creative skills and watch artisans at work, with a free pint in hand.
It comes after research commissioned by Poretti found that 61% of UK adults feel they are living on autopilot, while a quarter have not tried a new creative pursuit in five years or more.
Free pints and live craft experiences are coming to a Manchester pub for one night only / Credit: Supplied
The study also found that adults have an average of just 90 minutes of genuine personal time each day, with 58% spending that time watching television and 35% scrolling through social media.
Exhaustion and financial constraints came out as the main barriers preventing people from trying new things.
The Uncommon Inn has been designed to offer an alternative, bringing together a collective of specialist makers to showcase their skills in a familiar pub setting.
Visitors to the Manchester event can watch Giulio Miglietta embroidering personalised beer mats, using a vintage Singer sewing machine dating back to the early 1900s, alongside live hand-engraving and bespoke jewellery-style crafting using recycled silver.
The Uncommon Inn is being operated by premium Italian lager brand Poretti / Credit: Supplied
Other demonstrations include 3D body-casting by sculptor Ami of Angelcasts and personalised, hand-engraved glassware from Leigh Calligraphy. Sabira of Sken Studios will also demonstrate how recycled silver can be turned into bespoke bottle openers.
Guests will be able to enjoy complimentary pints of Poretti while watching the makers at work.
Caitlin Maley, Senior Brand Manager at Poretti, said: “Modern life moves at an overwhelming pace, and it’s all too easy to fall into autopilot mode where routine replaces curiosity.
“We believe in celebrating intentional craft, rare skills, and authentic human connection – values that are at the core of our brewing heritage.
“We created The Uncommon Inn to turn an ordinary pub visit into an inspiring journey. By bringing together our Masters of Crafts, from chainstitch embroiderers to live engravers and musicians, we’re inviting pubgoers to slow down, pick up a new skill, and enjoy a pint crafted with genuine passion.”
The Uncommon Inn is at Matt & Phreds in Manchester on Thursday 22 October, from 4pm until 8pm.
Emily Sergeant -
6th March 2023 
