Mesmerising set design, champagne casting and glistening costumes, Disney’s international hit ‘Aladdin’ has finally landed in Manchester.
We all know the story, young Aladdin is down on his luck in his life as a ‘street rat’ until he bumps into Princess Jasmine in a market and everything changes. After a run in with baddie Jafar, a trip into a spooky talking cave and the discovery of a magical lamp, Aladdin’s life changes completely.
Gavin Adams perfectly portrays a lovable Aladdin with energy you’d expect from the opening show, not this far into the tour. His vocals are exceptional, absolutely nailing his solo ‘Proud of your boy’ and keeping the audience rooting for him for the whole show.
The gorgeous Desmonda Cathabel plays Princess Jasmine, radiating warmth and kindness throughout she really is giving princess. She looked amazing in the iconic turquoise two-piece and honestly if they sold adult sizes in the gift shop, I’d have been all over it.
Desmonda Cathabel as ‘Jasmine’Gavin Adams as ‘Alladin’
The chemistry of the two actors shone in their performance of ‘A Whole New World’ as the magic carpet flew through the stars. My failed attempt to understand how the illusion worked through this scene led me to one conclusion – that carpet was actually magic.
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Champagne castings doesn’t even do justice to Yeukayi Ushe as ‘The Genie’, an absolutely spellbinding performance that had the audience missing him the second he left the stage.
‘Friend Like Me’ was nothing short of jaw-dropping and i found myself on the edge of my seat with a huge grin throughout, all those around had similar reactions.
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Yeukayi Ushe as ‘The Genie’
His charisma and incredible vocals were the highlight of the show no doubt, the audience in the palm of his hand from start to finish.
A shoutout has to be made to Aladdin’s three friends, replacing the original sidekick ‘Abu’ the monkey i’m assuming due to animal cruelty related concerns. Nelson Bettencourt as Babkak, Adam Taylor as Omar and Nay-Nay as Kassim; they absolutely shine and add a perfect touch of comedy to the plot.
What’s a Disney show without an evil villain? Adam Strong makes for a very devious Jafar that you love to hate.
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The set design plays a huge part in the success of the show, transporting the audience to Agrabah through 4D illusions and attention to detail. The cave is really something, the whole stage dripping in gold and creating the perfect backdrop from the musicals best number, ‘Friend Like Me’.
It would be fair to say the show teeters on the edge of pantomime, but I mean that in the best way possible. If you ask me, pantomimes shouldn’t just be for Christmas so watching this in May felt like a real treat.
In classic Disney style, the target audience is of course children but there are enough jokes and stunning musical numbers to make it great for adults to. Colourful set designs, stunning costumes and high-energy from start to finish – you ain’t never seen a show like this.
The route for the 2027 Tour de France Femmes revealed ahead of Manchester debut
Danny Jones
The route for next year’s women’s historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to pass through Greater Manchester and more.
Yet another big coup for the region and our sporting scene.
Speaking with the City Council, now that the full route has been revealed, our very own Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway with our friends in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester.
Upon entering our neck of the woods, the course will pass through the likes of Rochdale and Oldham into Manchester city centre, before heading into Stockport and neighbouring North West county, Derbyshire, and finally heading back through the Peaks.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event’s breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of ‘The Big Loop’ in more detail below.
Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, went on to add: “Being able to watch the world’s best cyclists in action and in such an iconic event, taking place right here on our doorstep in the heart of Manchester next summer, is going to be epic on so many levels.
“Championing women and girls to participate in and enjoy sports – including cycling – at all levels from entry through to elite, is really important to us and next year’s Tour de France Femmes is set to play a huge part in helping inspire the next generation of sporting talent from our city.
“With millions of spectators expected to line the routes, including here in the city centre, we’ll be going all out to help ensure the event’s success with what is set to be a ‘Tour takeover’ of the city to maximise opportunities for local people and businesses to get involved, to grow their own sporting skills, and to take part in the many community activities being planned.”
Having hosted everything from the BRITs and the MOBO Awards to another Super League Grand Finals in both netball and rugby, not to mention numerous other huge events over the past couple of years, it truly is a great time to be living in Greater Manchester.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Manchester City Council)
Manchester
Popular grassroots music festival to return to hidden Manchester street with new fringe events
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s much-loved grassroots music festival is back next month, and this year, there’s some new fringe events too.
Set across a handful of popular venues up on Deansgate Mews – including The Lion’s Den, Low Four Studios and The Mews Bar – Deansgate Mews Festival is returning for its sixth year this late May bank holiday weekend.
More than 40 music artists will be performing on a mix of outdoor and intimate indoor stages.
But that’s not all, as in what’s set to be an exciting new chapter for 2026, the festival is expanding beyond its core programme with the launch of the first-ever Mews Fest Fringe too.
Popular grassroots music festival Mews Fest returns this late May bank holiday / Credit: Supplied
The inaugural Mews Fest Fringe will be hosted in a large unit within Great Northern Warehouse, which will be transformed into a ‘vibrant’ hub celebrating music, art and independent culture.
Designed as a platform for Manchester’s creative community, the festival space will welcome artists, designers, collectors, and creative entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their work while connecting with festival-goers.
At the Fringe event, you can expect everything from record sellers and vinyl collectors, to vintage clothes, arts and crafts makers, independent creatives, and even bands selling merchandise.
This year there’s also the addition of the Mews Fest Fringe / Credit: Supplied
Already known for its strong grassroots ethos and growing reputation, Mews Fest continues to champion local talent and independent culture – but now with the addition of the Fringe event, the stage is set for its most ‘ambitious and inclusive’ edition to date.
Oh and the best bit? Both festivals will be free to attend, with no need to book tickets beforehand.
Abbie Bartlett -
24th May 2024 
