Art & Culture

New National Trust park planned for Castlefield Viaduct

The charity and heritage organisation says it wants to bring the Grade II listed viaduct back into use by transforming it into a "green oasis" for locals.

The Manc The Manc - 22nd June 2021

The National Trust has unveiled plans to transform the Grade II listed Castlefield Viaduct into a “hidden oasis above the busy city” by building a public park on the former rail line.

The charity and heritage organisation revealed it was in the early stages of the renovation project, which aims to transform Castlefield Viaduct into a free-to-access park and meeting place – a similar concept to Manhattan’s High Line.

The National Trust said the green space would “celebrate the nature, beauty and history of the viaduct” whilst fitting in with existing plans for the city, functioning as a “stepping stone to other South Manchester green spaces and attractions on foot or bike.”

Artist projections of the renovated rail bridge show viaduct paths lined with bright plants, tall trees and bursting shrubbery.

Castlefield Viaduct could become “a free-to-access park and meeting place” / Image: National Trust
The National Trust said the green space would “celebrate the nature, beauty and history of the viaduct” / Image: National Trust

Built in 1892, Castlefield Viaduct was used to transport heavy rail traffic in and out of Manchester Central railway station until 1969.

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The former railway station has since been utilised as an events space in the form of Manchester Central Convention Complex – but the viaduct itself has stood unused and unchanged for over 50 years, with the exception of essential repairs and maintenance.

The National Trust is hoping to open to begin renovation work in the coming months and open the new green space by next summer.

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In the meantime, it is assessing the safety and condition of the viaduct whilst seeking feedback from the local community and launching an application for planning permission.

The National Trust is hoping to open the new green space by next summer / Image: National Trust
How the viaduct looks today / Image: National Trust

Nearby residents are being invited to a series of upcoming online events due to be broadcast in June and July, with an online survey appearing from tomorrow (June 23) to July 25.

A drop-in event is also being planned for July 22 from 12-3pm at the Science and Industry Museum. 

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More information on the Castlefield Viaduct scheme is available online at the National Trust website.

Events are taking place online on Wednesday June 30 at 1pm, Thursday July 1 at 6pm, and Tuesday July 6 at 7pm.

Art & Culture

Full list of road closures announced for Manchester’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display 2024

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Road closures will be in place as Manchester city centre prepares for its spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks display.

Once the hustle and bustle of Christmas dies down, Boxing Day has been and gone, and we enter the time where nobody knows what day it is, everybody then begins waiting for New Year’s Eve to arrive, and for 2025 to bring new beginnings and a fresh start.

And case you missed it, Manchester City Council confirmed last week that Manchester will be celebrating the occasion with a bang.

Spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks display confirmed for Manchester

Last year was the first year since 2019 and post several COVID lockdowns where Manchester city centre hosting one of its famous fireworks displays that “say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new”, and it went down a huge success with residents and visitors alike – so it makes sense that it would return again for 2024.

Families from all across Greater Manchester are invited to the “fun-filled event” this Tuesday 31 December from 10pm.

This year’s end of the year celebration marks the first time St Peter’s Square has been used for the New Year countdown event, and also the first time that New Year fireworks will be let off from the roof of Manchester Central Library.

Spectacular New Year's Eve firework display confirmed for Manchester
Spectacular New Year’s Eve firework display confirmed for Manchester. Credit: Unsplash, Chris Curry

Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the free to head on down to.

You can expect “high spirits and party tunes” throughout the night in the run-up to the midnight countdown and fireworks – which will end at 12:30am.

The Council says that, in order to ensure “a safe and celebratory event for all”, security staff will be keeping a close eye on revellers to minimise any disruption and allow everyone to see in the new year together.

To best accommodate the event and everyone attending, the following road closures and parking suspensions have been confirmed:

Road closures

From 7:30am – 2pm

  • Peter Street westbound (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)
  • Peter Street eastbound (Deansgate to Lower Mosley Street)
  • Oxford Street (Peter Street to Portland Street)
  • George Street (Oxford Street to Dickinson Street)
  • St James Street (Oxford Street to Dickinson Street)
  • Bale Street (Lower Mosley Street to Hall Street)
  • Hall Street (Bale Street to Oxford Street)

From 9pm – 2am

  • Lower Mosley Street (Windmill Street to St Peter’s Square)
  • Princess Street (Cooper Street to George Street)
  • Back George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)

Parking suspensions

From 8am on 29 December – 6am on 2 January

  • Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)

From 6pm on 30 December – 6am on 1 January

  • Oxford Street (Lower Mosley Street to Portland Street)
  • Lower Mosley Street (Windmill Street to St Peter’s Square)
  • Princess Street (Cooper Street to George Street)
  • George Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
  • Back George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)
  • Museum Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
  • Southmill (Windmill Street to Bootle Street)
A number of road closures and parking suspensions will be in place / Credit: Unsplash

Portaloo toilet facilities, including accessible toilets will be available on site and the Lloyd Street public toilets will remain open until 1 am.  

Hot drinks and food will be available on site, but alcohol is not permitted.

Read more:

There will be no tram services through St Peter’s Square from 8pm on 31 December until the end of the fireworks display.

Full details of Metrolink service and accessible shuttle buses can be found here.

Featured Image – designecologist (via Unsplash)

Art & Culture

The all-new Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz is coming to the AO Arena in 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz Manchester tickets

Something Wicked comes this way but not as you know because a high-flying twist on the Wizard of Oz lands in Manchester next year – only this time, make it Cirque!

That’s right, AO Arena is set to welcome the Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz: an acrobatic take on the classic children’s story and much-loved 1939 film starring Judy Garland.

With Wicked fever having taken over the global zeitgeist following the release of this year’s feature-length adaption and even more people, theatre fans or not, going along to see the long-hailed theatre production that inspired it, it seems there’s no better time to announce this latest entry into the universe.

Set to embark on its inaugural tour in 2025, the experience is being described as ‘cirque meets panto’ and is set to deliver a magical retelling of the iconic tale like never before.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NOW ON SALE!⚡ CIRQUE WICKED WIZARD OF OZ!<br><br>Panto meets Cirque... Be amazed by a brand-new, breath-taking, Cirque staging… of the Wicked Wizard of Oz, coming to the AO Arena next year on Tuesday 23rd December 2025! 💫✨ <br><br>Buy tickets now: <a href="https://t.co/uQTPa3YJqW">https://t.co/uQTPa3YJqW</a> <a href="https://t.co/kTctGVXZIn">pic.twitter.com/kTctGVXZIn</a></p>&mdash; AO Arena (@AOArena) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOArena/status/1870046804659568980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Turning the Emerald City into the Emerald Circus, World’s Biggest Productions (the same team behind Elf: The Musical, Peter Pan and many other pantomime hits) are bringing this new concept to the masses starting in Autumn 2025, with a Manchester date pencilled in for the following winter.

Featuring a cast of more than 60, including already familiar audience favourites like Jordan Conway, Kelly Banlaki and Kev Orkian in starring roles, anyone who has seen one of their productions before will know how big and bold an affair they are.

Combine that with one of the most well-known stories on the planet and what do you get? Well, what we can only expect to be a supremely energetic, colourful and heartfelt spectacle on a huge scale.

Promising aerial stunts, amazing special effects and the big-budget perks of an arena as legendary as the AO, this is not one you’ll want to miss if you’re a musical theatre fan.

It’s also not the show the theatre company are bringing to the stage next year either, as their hugely successful run of Elf will be returning alongside Scrooge – yes, another circus spin, only this time on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

world biggest productions musicals manchester
Credit: Press Image (via World’s Biggest Productions)

Read more:

Most importantly, all of these shows are fundamentally family-friendly, meaning not only can they be enjoyed by people of all ages but they’ll make for a perfect day out come the festive period.

Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz comes to Manchester for one night only on Tuesday, 23 December 2025 with the fun starting from 7pm.

You can grab your tickets HERE.

In the meantime, if you’re still in need of a musical theatre of fantasy fix, you can read all about what we made of the most recent showings of Wicked at the Palace Theatre down below.

Wicked at the Palace Theatre – the magical musical EVERYONE is talking about arrives in Manchester

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

Featured Images — Press Image (supplied)

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