Forget stars and snowflakes and Santas – you could hang an army of festive dildo baubles off your tree this Christmas…
An event taking place in Manchester this weekend will allow ticket-holders to bedazzle their own phallic Christmas ornament with everything from glitter to diamantés to neon paints.
The Xmas Dildo Decorating Workshop is taking place at Grub, and demand has been so great they’ve had to add a second event.
The 18+ event comes from artist and tattoo artist Ben Saunders, who promises the festive workshop will be ‘prioritising queer joy, creativity, body positivity and s3x positivity’.
Every ticket includes your own handmade dildo decoration to jazz up however you want, then you can take it home to hang on your tree.
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Plenty of art supplies, including paint, brushes, glue and loads of glitter, will be provided at each of the two workshops, but ticket-holders are welcome to bring their own supplies along too.
You could turn your willy-shaped decoration into a pop-art style ornament, a mirror ball penis, or a shimmering glitter phallus – the options are endless.
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The Xmas Dildo Decorating event will be held in a private room at the street food village in the Green Quarter on the outskirts of Manchester city centre, and will be soundtracked by Christmas music.
An Xmas Dildo Decorating Workshop event is taking place in Manchester this Christmas. Credit: Instagram, @bensaunders.art
You can grab drinks from the Grub bar or a bite to eat from any of the food vendors stationed there while you get into the ‘Christmas (k1nky) spirit’.
Sharing the news on Instagram, Ben wrote: “No art experience is necessary – suitable for all levels and types of artists! This is a festive workshop prioritising queer joy, creativity, body positivity and s3x positivity!
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“At the end of the workshop, you will be able to take home your decorated d1ldo ornaments to display for all your guests to see!”
There are discounted tickets available to those on a low income, and you can pay-it-forward towards the price of a low income ticket for someone else too.
Full-price tickets for this Manchester Christmas event are £35 each, with the afternoon session running from 2pm until 5pm.
One person commented on Grub’s event post: “F*ck the wreath have you seen this?!”
Another joked: “Is that a ding dong merrily on high?”
Chester Zoo’s spectacular light trail returns this winter with a new route and new animals for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s popular winter light trail is set to return with a redesigned route and some magical new animals for 2026.
Produced by Chester Zoo in partnership with Sony Music and Culture Creative, Lanterns & Light has become a popular fixture in the region’s festive calendar over the years, and it’s back this winter – transforming the zoo after dark with thousands of festive lights, colour, and wildlife-themed displays.
The 2026 trail has been redesigned with some exciting new installations, including the dazzling Suspended Jellyfish underwater display, a mirrored disco tunnel, a glittering pea-lit canopy, and Floating Feathers.
New for this year too, visitors will also get to encounter parrots, dolphins, and a giant polar bear among an expanded cast of life-sized animal puppets, all brought to life by specialist performers.
More than 140,000 people visited the trail last year, but for the first time ever in 2026, the event will also host two adults-only evenings, one on 19 November and another 8 December – giving grown-ups the chance to enjoy the trail without children.
Alongside the new additions, plenty of much-loved features will return too, including the walk-through Cathedral of Light and atmospheric Fire Garden, as well as the chance to meet Father Christmas in a snowy setting.
Visitors can also enjoy marshmallow fire pits, festive food, and warming drinks, alongside a funfair at the entrance.
But Lanterns & Light isn’t just about Christmas, as every ticket purchased helps fund Chester Zoo’s vital conservation work, supporting projects protecting threatened wildlife and restoring habitats in more than 20 countries around the world.
“Lanterns & Light is a chance to have a brilliant night out, but it also helps us do something much bigger,” explained Gemma Wright, who is the Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo.
“Every ticket helps support Chester Zoo’s work to prevent extinction, from protecting threatened wildlife in the places where it lives to caring for and breeding endangered species here at the zoo.
“So, while our visitors are enjoying the lights, puppets and festive atmosphere, they’re helping to give wildlife a brighter future too.”
Lanterns & Light returns to Chester Zoo from 13 November 2026 through to 3 January 2027.
Tickets are on sale and available now from £19.50 for children and £27.50 for adults, while babies under 12 months go free. You can book yours here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
Christmas
‘Queen of Christmas’ Mariah Carey announces huge Manchester arena gig this December
Emily Sergeant
Mariah Carey has officially defrosted and she’s heading out on a UK arena tour this festive season.
That’s right, the rumours were true… the best-selling female artist of all time, and the undisputed ‘Queen of Christmas’ herself, will be bringing the magic of the most wonderful time of the year to UK this winter, taking to the stage at Manchester’s Co-op Live in early December, as well as several other major UK cities along the way.
The US pop powerhouse last performed in our city nearly a decade ago now when she brought her famous All I Want For Christmasshow to the UK for the first time ever.
But this upcoming tour will mark Mariah’s first consecutive run of dates on British soil since 2019.
The shows will see Mariah celebrate the festive season by bringing together her timeless festive catalogue, global hits, and fan favourites – including the song that has become synonymous with Christmas around the world, ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You.’
Originally released in 1994 as part of her landmark Merry Christmas album, ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ reached number 1 on the UK charts for the first time in 2020, and has been in the top five every year since.
Mariah Carey will take to the stage in Manchester at Co-op Live on Wednesday 2 December, and tickets officially go on sale this week.
Mariah Carey UK Tour Dates 2026
Friday 27 November – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
Monday 30 November – The O2, London
Wednesday 2 December – Co-op Live, Manchester
Pre-sales start at 10am on Wednesday (23 September), with the general sale then following later in the week on Friday 25 September, also at 10am.
Daisy Jackson -
21st November 2023 
