The Art of Banksy has already appeared in galleries around the world including London, Toronto, Tel Aviv, Miami, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and Gothenburg, now it is set to come to Manchester.
Due to appear inside a new purpose-built gallery on First Street next year, on display will be prints, canvasses, screenprints, unique works and limited-edition pieces mainly dated between the years 1997 to 2008 – the period which resulted in Banksy’s most recognisable and well-known works.
The exhibit will also feature some iconic works such as ‘Girl and Balloon’, ‘Flower Thrower’ and ‘Rude Copper’ alongside some of Banksy’s lesser-known masterpieces.
The new gallery is due to be constructed on the estate’s River Street pop-up space, which has formerly hosted HOME’s Homeground festival and several Pride events, reports Manchester Confidential.
When the exhibit arrives here in 2023, fans of the artist will be given the chance to see some of Banky’s specially-made pieces that have been given out or loaned by private collectors.
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As a result, the art on show will be curated almost entirely from made-to-order pieces as opposed to much of the public street art, known for appearing spontaneously on walls and doors around the world, for which Banksy is most famous.
This is due to the fact that the artist has not authorised or been involved with the curation of the exhibit.
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Banksy’s “Di-Faced Tenner” is one of his most iconic works, stemming back to one of his original large-scale public pranks. / Image: artofbanksyexhibit
HOME MCR and Manchester City Council are both said to be involved in the build of the new space, which will run from Monday 5 September and Thursday 22 September 2023.
Once open, visitors will then be able to access the specially-built gallery from 10am – 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 10am – 7pm Sunday to Thursday.
Running from Thursday 22 September until Sunday 8 January 2024, it will give art lovers a special insight into the work of a celebrated artist who is notoriously elusive.
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To this day, Banky’s identity remains a mystery – although many are convinced that they hail from Bristol, due to the proliferation of early works in that part of the country.
Banksy is considered one of the world’s top political artists and in 2010, was selected by Time magazine for its list of the worlds’ 100 most influential people – sitting alongside the likes of Barack Obama, Steve Jobs and Lady Gaga.
Over the years, Banksy has carried out a considerable number of ‘pranks’ – including having his “Girl with Balloon” painting go through the shredder just moments after the work was sold for nearly $1.4 million at auction – something the buyer later said they felt, ironically, made the work even more valuable.
Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour
Danny Jones
Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.
As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.
The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.
David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.
Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.
In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.
For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.
You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.
Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.
But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.
Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.
There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.
Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.
A unique Manchester attraction is offering FREE entry to anyone who shares its ‘birthday’ month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most unique attractions is offering free entry for two weeks to celebrate its first birthday.
But there’s a catch… free entry is only granted to people born in one specific month.
Museum of Illusions – which is is one of the largest and fastest-growing private museum chains – is celebrating the first birthday of its debut UK attraction in Manchester this September by giving away free tickets to anyone who shares its birthday month.
Since opening on Market Street in 2024, Museum of Illusions has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors through its doors to experience the dozens of mind-bending illusions and interactive exhibits inside, and has quickly established itself as one of the city’s top attractions in what is a very competitive market.
Manchester’s Museum of Illusions is celebrating its first birthday / Credit: Supplied
Loved by locals and tourists alike, the museum blends fun and education for visitors of all ages, and is fully-accessible too, ensuring everyone can enjoy the fun.
Manchester‘s Museum of Illusions is not only the first in the UK, but it’s also the second-largest in Europe, just behind Copenhagen – so yes, it’s a pretty big deal.
To mark the milestone and celebrate its first anniversary, visitors born in September can enjoy free entry to the museum from Monday 22 September through to Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
All they need to do to access this offer is show a valid ID when they arrive.
The museum will also be dressed for the occasion too, adding a birthday touch to its already-captivating mix of optical illusions and immersive exhibits.
“Manchester has truly embraced the Museum of Illusions, and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve had in our first year,” commented Steve Buchan, who is the General Manager at the Museum of Illusions in Manchester.
The unique attraction is offering free entry to anyone who shares its birthday month / Credit: Supplied
“Welcoming over 200,000 visitors in just 12 months has been incredible.
“Free tickets to anyone celebrating their birthday in September feels like the perfect way to give something back. It’s our way of saying thank you for the incredible support, and of course, to invite even more people to experience the fun, curiosity, and wonder the museum brings.”
Is your birthday in September? You can visit the Museum of Illusions in Manchester anytime from Monday 22 September – Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2022 
