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Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze

Who's taking their black bin on the train ffs

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 27th May 2026

Festival-goers have been warned not to take wheelie bins full of alcohol to festivals with them this summer.

The warning has come ahead of this year’s Download Festival, which takes place next month and kicks off the summer’s biggest run of festival dates.

But a major train operator has said there have been incidents in the past of passengers trying to travel to festivals with wheelie bins and luggage trolleys.

Passengers have had to be reminded that wheelie bins are not permitted on board, and they should instead only carry as much luggage as they can comfortably carry.

The warning comes from East Midlands Railway, one of the key services that will whisk people to Download Festival between 10 and 14 June.

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Customers returning from the festival are also encouraged to use boot-cleaning brushes provided at stations to help remove mud before boarding trains.

Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re encouraging customers to travel light.

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“Last year, some festive goers tried to board services with wheelie bins or festival trolleys full of beer. While it might seem like a great idea for getting your supplies to the festival, it just isn’t safe or possible to bring them onboard train services.”

Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze

EMR has also warned customers to plan journeys in advance, with engineering work taking place at various locations on the Midland Main Line, near where Download Festival takes place.

She continued: “We’re advising customers travelling to Download Festival to plan their journeys in advance and be aware that essential engineering work will affect services across the weekend.

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“As a result, some services will be reduced or amended, and passengers should check before they travel and allow extra time.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Iconic Salford music venue and nightclub The White Hotel is closing

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Iconic Salford music venue and nightclub The White Hotel is closing

The White Hotel, one of Greater Manchester’s most cutting-edge and best-loved nightlife venues, is closing its doors for good.

The cult favourite nightclub will shut in January, The Guardian has reported today.

The White Hotel is a go-to haunt for Mancs seeking a late-night (or indeed, all-night) dance, with a packed programme of music running year-round.

The independent arts venue opened inside a former garage in Salford, just outside Manchester city centre and in the shadow of HMP Manchester.

Not only has The White Hotel defined Greater Manchester’s modern nightlife scene, but it’s become known globally as one of the best underground nightclubs on the planet.

Known for its raw DIY atmosphere and boundary-pushing line-ups, the Salford venue up there among the UK’s most respected club spaces.

But despite ‘continuing to draw full houses’, The White Hotel will close in January, according to The Guardian.

Ben Ward told the paper that the venue has found itself in a flood-risk zone, saying: “Basically, it’s a swamp.”

He added that it was better ‘to go out on our own terms, long before we became a museum’.

When The White Hotel opened in 2015, they planned to stick around for a year, then move to LA – but now a decade on, it’s cemented itself on Manchester’s club scene.

The area where The White Hotel stands will become a wetland park.

Neither artistic director Austin Collings nor Ward are ‘sentimental about losing the premises’, The Guardian wrote, quoting Ward as saying: “It’s come as a surprise that it’s lasted this long anyway.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Review | PinkPantheress turns O2 Victoria Warehouse into one huge party on first night in Manchester

Emily Johnson Emily Johnson Pinkpantheress Manchester gig review night 1

There was a point during Pinkpantheress’ set at O2’s Victoria Warehouse where you almost forgot you were watching someone perform an album that barely stretches past the 20-minute mark.

Instead, night one of two Manchester shows felt like one huge club night curated by one of the most exciting British artists around right now.

From the second you walked into the venue, greeted by an army of plaid, the world of PinkPantheress (real name Victoria Beverley Walker, for those who didn’t know) completely took over.

The stage itself mirrored that energy too, with a two-tier setup that allowed her to constantly move around the space, appearing and disappearing throughout the night alongside outfit changes, dramatic lighting and eventually, a pair of angel wings.

Credit: Audio North

Backed by her dancers and DJ Joe, the entire show felt slick, immersive and miles away from the early days of PinkPantheress nervously clutching onto her handbag on stage like a comfort blanket. Ironically, the handbag did make a brief appearance during the evening.

It’s a reminder of just how much her performances have evolved – and evolve they have.

What could have easily been a short and simple set instead became a fully realised live show, complete with extended dance sections, rave-inspired moments, drum solos and seamless transitions that made the whole thing feel bigger than the music alone.

There’s also something undeniably British about a PinkPantheress show: the UK garage influences, the fashion, the awkward humour, and the understated confidence all combined into something that felt distinctly hers.

At one point, she paused to laugh: “It’s hot in this venue, f*** me,” which summed up the sweaty chaos of the night perfectly.

 At one point, she joked that the last time she was in Manchester, she made it all the way to the final stage of Pointless, before being told she was now “too famous” to go on the show – a perfectly PinkPantheress anecdote that had the crowd laughing immediately.

By the end of the set, O2 Victoria Warehouse felt less like a gig venue and more like the best house party you’ve ever accidentally ended up at.

And with another Manchester show still to come, it’s safe to say the party isn’t over just yet.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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