A huge Banksy exhibition is opening in a purpose-built space in Greater Manchester this month, with tickets on sale now.
The Art of Banksy event will take over a 1,200 sq metre structure in the heart of MediaCityUK, celebrating one of the world’s most famous artists.
It’s set to open on the Piazza space on 21 October and will remain until 8 January 2023.
With his iconic street art-style work including Balloon Girl, Kissing Coppers and Flower Thrower, not to mention paintings like Show Me The Monet, Banksy is up there with the most influential artists of all time.
The massive new art event, presented in partnership with HOME, will feature 145 authenticated Banksy works from 2002 to 2017, on display in a way not possible in a museum or gallery.
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It will also include an extremely rare Banksy art work, Leopard and Barcode, whichhasn’t been publicly seen for more than a decade.
The piece was originally sprayed onto the side of a house near Bristol, but after being saved from demolition work by a local architect, spent years wrapped in a blanket under a spare bed.
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The Art of Banksy will show how art has the power to affect social change, inspire the public and lay bare the undercurrents of social issues.
It will be at the Piazza in MediaCityUK between 21 October 2022 and 8 January 2023.
The exhibition has been produced by GTP Exhibitions Ltd and will be presented by The Art of Banksy Touring Ltd in association with HOME. The exhibition is not curated or authorised by Banksy.
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Tickets for The Art of Banksy are priced from £19.50 (concessions available) and can be booked online at artofbanksy.co.uk or over the phone, on 0343 208 1838.
Manchester’s iconic Victoria Baths to host Spring Fest with music, art, street food, and more next month
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s iconic Victoria Baths will be hosting a festival filled with live music, art exhibitions, street food, and more next month.
All set to transform the beautiful Grade II-listed building into a cultural hub for the day, and gearing up to “put a spring in the step” of the Greater Manchester public, Victoria Baths has confirmed that ‘SpringFest’ will be making an exciting return for 2024.
After last year’s event proved to be a massive success, SpringFest 2024 will be back again in just a couple of weeks time.
The festival will be celebrating music and art from across the region and beyond.
We're buzzing to announce the lineup for this year's SpringFest – join us for a day of Music, Art, Food and Fun!
Dennis Queen, Dominic G, Amatiime, and the Guacamaya Latin Band are just some of the artists forming part of the diverse lineup of musical talent on the day, while stunning and eclectic artworks from John Merril, Vanessa Scottm Pool Arts, Mavish Masood, Jessie Tam, and even more names set to be announced, will all be on display.
Perfect for families, friends, and solo festivalgoers alike, SpringFest also provides a unique opportunity to explore the nooks and crannies of the historic building, all while supporting the venue’s charitable trust too.
The ‘Make, Do, and Bop’ kids social event will be taking over the Gala Pool for “an extra special pool party” with a silent disco scheduled on the day, and although there’s no need to bring your swimming costumes, party clothes and dancing shoes are “definitely encouraged” at the under the sea-themed fancy dress bash.
Victoria Baths is set to host a ‘Spring Fest’ with music, art, street food, and more / Credit: Victoria Baths (via Facebook)
There’ll also be lots of lawn games, a book tent, craft activities, and a colouring station for the little ones to get stuck into too.
And, when you naturally work up an appetite and fancy taking a break from all the family-friendly fun, independent street food vendors Dim Sum Su, Wholesome Junkies, and Exclusive Scoop will be serving up the scran, while there’ll also be a selection of savoury bakes and sweet treats in the venue’s-own Tea Room too.
A licensed bar will even be there on the day too, so you can wash it all down with beers, wines, tea and coffee, and a range of other soft drinks.
The event is taking over the iconic Manchester venue for one day only next month / Credit: Andrew Billington Photography (via Facebook)
SpringFest 2024 is taking over Victoria Baths on Saturday 24 April from 11am – 4pm, with tickets now on sale and setting you back just £8 for general admission with a voluntary donation, and £12 for general admission plus a guided tour, while under-18s go free with a paying adult ticket.
Tickets will also be available on the door, but organisers say booking in advance is “recommended” to secure your spot.
Cirque du Soleil Manchester – everything you need to know about the legendary group’s ‘OVO’ show
Danny Jones
The legendary performance group Cirque du Soleil return to Manchester this Wednesday for a five-night run leading into the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Set to stun crowds with their latest show simply entitled, OVO, the Canadian-based but world-renowned entertainment company will be hosting tens of thousands at the AO Arena from 27-31 March and having been to their previous dates here, we can certainly vouch for it being a truly spellbinding spectacle.
Unbelievably, it’s been half a decade since Cirque du Soleil rolled into Manchester with their incredible TORUK: First Flight show (based all around James Cameron’s Avatar universe), so audiences have an entirely new production to tend with this time around.
With that in mind, if you’re going along to any of the five shows at the AO Arena this month or are still debating grabbing a seat, here’s everything you need to know about Cirque du Soleil OVO in Manchester this March.
Celebrating 40 years of Cirque, the world-renowned extravaganza remains at the top of the game.
What is Cirque du Soleil OVO about?
Simply meaning ‘egg’ in Portuguese and straight from the press room, OVO promises to be “a headlong rush into a colourful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.”
Revolving around the key insect characters, their home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion.
When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, they’re left awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. From then on, another quirky insect arrives in this community and a fabulous ladybug starts catching eyes – and we daren’t spoil anything more.
OVO is overflowing with high-colour contrasts as the hidden, secret world at the human race’s feet is revealed as tender and torrid; noisy and quiet, as well as peaceful and chaotic. It promises to be quite the whirlwind show and has received very positive reviews since its inception.
If that all sounds good on paper but if you want a clearer glimpse at what that looks like on stage, you can see some more highlights down below:
This is what the Manchester crowds can expect from Cirque du Soleil OVO at the AO Arena.
Are there tickets left for Cirque du Soleil in Manchester?
Short answer: yes. Plenty, in fact — well, depending, on what night you’re hoping to go along for.
The cheapest tickets start from £53.50 and that’s sitting within the first tier of seats around the arena. However, if you do fancy going along and making a bit more of an occasion of things for a change, you can always treat yourself to a bit more of the pageantry with one of their VIP packages.
It’s not something we do very often but, we must admit, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed it whenever we have. Whatever tier you fancy, you can grab yours HERE.
Better still, you’ve now got the perfect place for food and drink beforehand with the brand-new Mezz restaurant and bar which really is the ideal pre-show venue.
What time does it start and how long does it last?
Doors to the event open from 6pm from Wednesday to Friday, as well as on 30 March, but the Saturday schedule also has a matinee showing from 2:30pm.
Sunday’s showing starts at 1:30pm with doors open just after noon and all of the performances are set to start around an hour and a half later – i.e. 7:30pm for the evening shows – so you’ve got plenty of time to get your snacks in and nip to loo etc.
As always with the AO, the definitive curfew for shows is 11pm but even with the 100-minute run-time and 25-minute interval, you’ll be finished well before then.
How to get to the AO Arena and other travel info
The AO Arena is right in the heart of the city centre, so it’s fairly easy to get to.
On foot:
The AO Arena is located within the Manchester Victoria Station complex in the city centre, on the corner of Trinity Way, Hunts Bank and Great Ducie Street. You can enter through the station (up the stairs), through the Trinity Way Tunnel, or from Hunts Bank.
By tram: Also super straight-forward – hop off the tram at Manchester Victoria and you’re right by the stairs to the venue. It’s also a short walk from Exchange Square and Shudehill. Trams run directly to Victoria Station from Rochdale, Bury, Altrincham, East Didsbury and the Airport.
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By train: While Piccadilly is the city’s largest train station, plenty of trains do pass through Manchester Victoria. You can plan your journey through the National Rail website.
Parking: The postcode if you’re driving to the AO Arena is M3 1AR. There’s an on-site CitiPark car park with 958 spaces, which can be pre-booked here. Bear in mind that Trinity Way is closed after concerts to allow gig-goers to leave safely, though cars are allowed out of the car park with directions from staff.