The Sistine Chapel is home to arguably the most awe-inspiring work of art on the planet – and now it’s been recreated here in Greater Manchester.
A new immersive exhibition has opened in Trafford, allowing guests to get up close to Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
Previously, people would have to travel to Vatican City to see the collection of intricate paintings that cover the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
But now the frescoes have been recreated as huge prints covering walls and ceilings, giving visitors a chance to see them on the same scale as Michelangelo.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition. Credit: The Manc Group
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition has taken shape in an empty space at the Trafford Palazzo (formerly Barton Square), just across the road from the Trafford Centre.
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The art experience has already travelled to cities including London, Shanghai, Chicago and Berlin, and has touched down in Greater Manchester at last.
Running between Friday 11 February and Sunday 27 March, it gives a life-size perspective of this remarkable feat of artistry.
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Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition. Credit: The Manc Group
Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel for six years between 1508 and 1512, using its 8611 sq ft ceiling as a canvas.
The paintings were carefully restored over the course of a decade from 1984, bringing them back to their vivid original colours.
Sections of that ceiling have now been recreated in the exhibition – you can see every brushstroke.
Visitors can follow an audio guide around the space, learning more about each painstakingly-created masterpiece, all while classical music is piped into the space.
Tickets are priced at £12.10 per adult, or £15.40 for a VIP pass (including queue-jump and a poster).
Concession prices and family bundles are also available.
Popular Manchester comedy festival A Lovely Weekend announces 2026 lineup
Emily Sergeant
A popular comedy festival is returning to our city next month with an impressive lineup of local talent and ‘cult sensations’.
That’s right… some of the UK’s best comedy names are coming to Manchester.
Following the success of events held over the past couple of years, renowned production company, A Lovely Time, has once again put together an absolutely jam-packed lineup of television names, internet sensations, hotly-tipped newcomers, and even critically-acclaimed comedians for a weekend full of comedy shows in the heart of the city centre.
Taking place, once again, at Fairfield Social Club, the weekend-long festival, aptly called A Lovely Weekend, will kick off on Friday 29 May.
You can expect three full days of laughter at the hands of an expertly-curated lineup.
Audiences will get to watch Last One Laughing favourite Harriet Kemsley, viral internet sensation and stand-up Tom Lawrinson, and the return of Mark Silcox from BBC’s Man Like Mobeen on the Saturday, as well as the first-ever live show of Sean McLoughlin’s popular podcast, The Sean McTalk Show.
He will be joined by stand-up comic Josh Pugh, newly announced SNL UK cast member Larry Dean, and French comedian and writer Celya AB on the Sunday, all making for a ‘truly unmissable’ weekend of comedy.
Speaking ahead of the festival’s return, A Lovely Weekend producer John Stansfield said: “With around 20 shows over the course of three days, we can’t wait to pack out Fairfield Social Club with comedy fans for a heck of a lovely time and speaking personally, my favourite weekend of the year.”
The 2026 festival is supported by Found – Fairfield Social Club’s commercial operator – and alcohol free brewery, BRULO.
A Lovely Weekend will take over Fairfield Social Club from Friday 29 – Sunday 31 May, and tickets are on sale now – with tickets to individual shows, and specific day and weekend-long passes all available to get your hands on.
Lord of the Rings live in concert is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
The fellowship is not lost: JRR Tolkien fans are being invited to come along to see the beloved first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy live in concert here in Manchester.
Undoubtedly, some of the most beautifully shot and, crucially, rousingly scored Hollywood blockbusters in history, the LotR movie soundtracks still remain among the most iconic to this day.
So just imagine how incredible they must be to witness it in the flesh…
Well, that opportunity is just on the horizon, as a live performance of The Fellowship of the Ring by a fully-fledged live band is coming to the city centre’s biggest indoor arena later this year.
Available either as an evening or matinee show, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring – In Concert’ arrives this winter at Co-op Live.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the iconic Academy Award-winning film, which kick-started a mega franchise both on the big and the small screen nowadays, what better way to toast the date than by rewatching it like never before?
Teaming up with the one and only Hallé – Manchester’s premier orchestra since 1858 – the production will be bringing Howard Shore’s legendary original scores to life in person as they soundtrack the epic motion picture playing behind them.
We’ve got chills just thinking about some of those scenes: the council of Elrond in Rivendell; the ‘Argonath’ passing, that first stunning New Zealand vista as Middle-Earth, and SO many more.
Here’s a sample of what it’s like to hear those instantly recognisable sounds live:
Come on, how incredible is this?
For those looking to attend the Manchester showings of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring – In Concert, as always, official Co-op members will be granted early access through the venue’s presale window.
This will open at 10am on Wednesday, 25 March; meanwhile, general admission tickets will then be available from the same time the following Friday (27 Mar).
Daisy Jackson -
11th February 2022 
