If you want to have a crack at long exposure photography but don’t fancy scouting out your own locations, no worries – because Tomasz Kozak has done the hard work for you.
The local snapper has not only found the best spots in and around Greater Manchester for long exposure captures, he’s also chosen to share them with the rest of the city-region – allowing us to gawp at the north in striking new light.
Listed below are just some of the best spots he’s stumbled across during his travels.
Media City, Salford
Media City / Image: Tomasz Kozak
The Metrolink line running to the Trafford Centre offers a great opportunity for budding night time photographers hoping to capture the lights of passing trams on film.
Head down to Trafford Wharf near the Imperial War Museum to find the best spot, or alternatively try Trafford Bridge – which has some great views across Salford Quays and Media City.
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Victoria Station, Manchester
Victoria Station / Image: Tomasz Kozak
Manchester’s oldest train station is not short of bright lights and cracking photo opportunities.
Tomasz has taken some wonderful snaps here, but does warn that he’s occasionally been told not to use his tripod in the station – with staff sometimes requiring a permit.
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The good news is there’s plenty of opportunities to grab some good shots from the outside, too – with the exterior of Victoria Station proving equally picturesque.
M60 Ring Road, Whitefield
M60 ring road / Image: Tomasz Kozak
Looping around Manchester, the M60 passes through most of the outer boroughs with the exception of Wigan and Bolton.
It has a glut of opportunities for long exposure hopefuls, but Tomasz recommends two places in particular near Whitefield.
There are few compositions to be captured around Piccadilly station but Tomasz’s favourite is taken from the rope bridge just outside that stretches over towards the village.
Watch out for camera shake as you shoot, though, because it can get very wobbly as people pass by.
Castlefield, Manchester
Castlefield / Image: Tomasz Kozak
One of the most photographed areas of Manchester for a reason, Castlefield is genuinely one of our favourite places in the city.
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According to Tomasz, the area’s industrial feel “with many old bridges and constantly passing trams” offer some of the best compositions you can get.
Stockport Viaduct, Stockport
Stockport Viaduct / Image: Tomasz Kozak
If you shoot from the bridge at Wellington Road, you get a really nice composition of Stockport Viaduct in the background – but truth be told there are so many different angles to play with here.
It’s actually one of the more surprisingly scenic spots when the sun goes down.
St Peter’s Square, Manchester
St Peter’s Square / Image: Tomasz Kozak
Metrolink can always be relied on for some good light trails, and they don’t get much better than from St Peter’s Square where you can combine them with the striking architecture of Manchester’s Central Library and Town Hall.
There’s plenty more of these terrific images to feast your eyes upon online.
An outdoor cinema is screening a Wicked sing-a-long this autumn
Thomas Melia
There’s an outdoor cinema screening a sing-along version of the global phenomenon Wicked later this year near just outside of Greater Manchester.
Arley Hall, in Cheshire, is hosting a very special screening of one of the biggest films of 2024, Wicked, where guests will be allowed to sing along during the film.
This one-off event will come as a relief to some fans of the movie-musical, as back when it was released, one attending was encouraged not to sing along as it may disrupt the film itself.
With a musical stacked with hits like ‘Popular’, ‘Dancing Through Life’ and obviously the huge number that is ‘Defying Gravity’, how could you not take a moment to test out the vocal cords?
Maybe we’ll see some mini Elphabas and Glindas showing up at the Wicked sing-a-long, Arley Hall.Sit back, relax, and defy some gravity.
Now, Arley Hall has teamed up with events and entertainment company Adventure Cinema for an outdoor experience that promises to be a fantastic, family-friendly day out watching Elphaba and Glinda on the big screen.
There are various ticket options available for this Wicked sing-along showing, which are all priced under a reasonable £30 range.
The standard ticket, which requires you to bring your own camping chair or blanket, is only £17.37, while the premium ticket (including a premium deck chair and prime position) costs £25.21.
Throughout the weekend, Adventure Cinema are making themselves comfy in Arley Hall‘s grounds, as they are set to play some huge movie titles and host even more wonderful events.
For instance, there will be an ‘Outdoor Cinema ExtrABBAganza’ courtesy of Mamma Mia!, a double-whammy thanks to ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘The Stick Man’ playing back to back as well as ‘Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration’ and ‘Pretty Woman’ too.
There’s an ExtrABBAganza coming to Arley Hall the same weekend.Just you, your blanket and a crowd of Wicked fans ready to sing their hearts out.
While we wait eagerly for the second part of the Wickedmovie-musicaladaptation, why not let yourself loose and see if you can out-sing the witches of Oz – Think I’ll leave the singing to Cynthia and Ariana.
The movie-musical became one of the backbones of pop culture in 2024, generating various quoted phrases and viral moments, including the unforgettable ‘Holding Space’ meme alongside many others.
Anyone looking to attend the Wicked sing-along at Arley Hall on Friday, 19 September from 6pm to 10:15pm can find all ticket prices and more information HERE.
Wolf Alice announce massive Manchester gig as part of new European tour
Danny Jones
Get ready to lose your marbles, Manchester, because Wolf Alice aren’t just back with more music and a brand new but they’re playing a massive show right here in the city centre.
The beloved British alt and indie rock outfit is one of the most talented groups of musicians to come out of the country in some time, earning countless nods for their debut LP and winning the Mercury Prize award for their sophomore outing back in 2018.
Now eyeing up album number four and having dropped a smash-hit first single, which has already been met with even more acclaim (why break the habit of a lifetime?), they’ve got us even more excited with the announcement of a huge headline date here at the AO Arena.
The Clearing for the amount of limbs in that standing section couldn’t be big enough.
Set to return to Yorkshire later this year as part of the touring cycle for their long-awaited studio comeback, The Clearing, the Wolf Alice Manchester gig is one of a select few UK arena dates confirmed, such as an equivalent over at Leeds’ first direct arena.
The four-piece, fronted by Ellie Roswell, will also be playing a handful of intimate domestic shows.
Due for release on August 29, 2025, we already know the next project is going to be another brilliant entry by the multi-BRIT and NME Award winners.
Written in their native district of Seven Sisters in North London and recorded in LA with Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin, the album is being branded a “bold, emotionally rich evolution of their sound.”
“It’s a record that radiates ambition, confidence, and an unfiltered sense of self—arguably their most cohesive and timeless work to date.”
Better still, to help support the grassroots venues that helped them while coming up, £1 of every ticket from this show and other domestic arena shows on the soon-to-be fully confirmed European tour will be donated to fundraising efforts.
What do you make of their new direction?
General admission tickets for Wolf Alice at AO Arena are available on Friday, 23 May from 10am.
It goes without saying that the demand for these things will be massive, so we’d get in that online queue as quickly as possible. The support act(s) haven’t even been revealed yet either.
You can also sort yourself out with exclusive early access by signing up for the AO pre-sale window on Wednesday, 21 May at 5pm; Three Mobile members will have an earlier opportunity also from 10am earlier the same day.
Get ready to grab your tickets for Friday, 28 November HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
20th August 2021 
