A hilarious and award-winning Star Wars burlesque show is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
In a galaxy not so far away, a smash-hit Star Wars parody and burlesque show is coming to Manchester city centre in the New Year.
That’s right, the award-winning ‘Empire Strips Back’ is coming to town in 2026.
You may have heard of the funny Star Wars stripper show or even seen clips of it online, but rumour has it that nothing can quite prepare you for the cheekiness of seeing this romp in the flesh.
In case you’ve been completely immersed in the dark side until now, here’s what you can expect:
Now well over a decade into its success and more than 200 Las Vegas shows, ‘The Empire Strips Back’ made its long-awaited transatlantic debut earlier this year.
Getting away at London’s Riverside Studios from May and enjoying a run until this past August, the comedy-driven twist on the classic Star Wars stories and beloved sci-fi characters was an instant hit with us Brits.
It started in Australia way back in 2011 and has gone not only to tour across Europe, but land a coveted residency at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Nevada.
Rather fittingly, they recently won Gold and Bronze at Las Vegas’ annual awards for the Best New Act/Show and Female Revue (a multi-act theatrical performance involving music, dance and/or sketches) on the strip.
See what we did there?…
Now set to seek out new padawans and storm-strippers all over the cosmos, and by that we mean the UK, ‘The Empire Strips Back: Burlesque Parody’ is coming to Manchester.
Set to land at Depot Mayfield in the New Year – next spring, specifically, we cannot wait to see how this goes down with Northern crowds.
The Manc leg is scheduled to kick off on 6 March and last until 8 May, 2026, with various dates and times of day available.
It’s also worth noting that this two-hour show, including intermission, is a strictly 18+ only event; if you’re interested, you can find out more info and grab your tickets right HERE.
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Featured Images — Press shots (via Empire Strips Back gallery)
Oscar Bobb loan interest ramps up as Manchester City look set to sign Antoine Semenyo
Danny Jones
Interest in Manchester City forward Oscar Bobb appears to be ramping up ahead of the January transfer window, with the club reportedly set to bring in another attacker come the New Year.
Yes, Antoine Semenyo might be on the verge of being the latest incoming, but his arrival could see a minimum of one name heading for the exit door.
According to several sources, there have been plenty of suitors for Oscar Bobb in the Premier League – including Newcastle United and Fulham – but it looks as though another big European team is currently leading the race for his signature.
Multiple outlets are stating that Borussia Dortmund’s pursuit of the Norwegian attacking midfielder/winger is looking the most advanced right now; meanwhile, Man City manager Pep Guardiola has been coy on the subject in his most recent press conference.
🚨🟡⚫️ “Oscar Bobb and Borussia Dortmund in talks? You can ask Oscar, not me…”, says Pep Guardiola. pic.twitter.com/8Al1ron62Q
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 31, 2025
The Catalan head coach neither confirmed nor denied that an approach/any formal offer has been made at this time, but German paper SPORT1 has claimed that Dortmund have all but completed the move.
As per reporters Julius Schamburg and Max Lotz, the deal for Bobb would be a loan spell until the end of the season.
It is also thought to include an option to buy for around 30 million euros (approx. £26.2m).
Fellow Bundesliga writer Patrick Berger has since added that BVB wanted to sign Bobb last summer, but that Man City ultimately blocked the move.
While Germany looks to be the most likely destination, the 22-year-old’s utmost priority will surely be more regular football, with a hamstring injury having somewhat derailed his progress after making his debut as an academy graduate back in 2023.
Some also believe that a switch to another City Football Group club, with fellow youngster Claudio Echeverri also leaving for a different part of the CFG franchise.
Either way, it looks as though the Prem’s hottest prospect, Semenyo, has made up his mind.
Reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared an update on the situation this week, writing: “Antoine Semenyo, on the verge of joining Man City with deal at final stages. Agreement in place with the player after he indicated City as [his favoured] destination – club to club almost done.”
The Italian journalist has it that “Semenyo set to become first Man City’s [January] signing”, but it’s also worth noting that these two deals could set further transfers in motion besides just Bobb’s.
For instance, elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur are supposedly considering a move for either one of two offensive, albeit still quite recent MCFC signings, Savinho and Omar Marmoush – though it has been reported that Pep is keen to keep the latter at the very least.
What do you see happening, Blues, and more importantly, who do you want to see stay or go?
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Featured Images — pantkiewicz (via Flickr)/Sky Sports (screenshot via YouTube)