Manchester

The north’s biggest beer festival is coming back to Manchester

The UK's biggest beer festival is coming back to Manchester this summer

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 17th May 2023

The north’s biggest beer festival is coming back to Manchester this October, as Indy Man Beer Con (IMBC) announces its official 2023 dates.

The beloved Manchester beer festival will return to its home at Victoria Baths from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 October, welcoming some of the finest brewers from the UK and across the globe for four days of tastings, talks, and special beer collaborations.

Tickets have gone live as of today, 17 May, with presale tickets available from Port Street Beer House and The Beagle between6 and 9pm for those who want to make sure they don’t miss out.

Tickets for 2023 start from £14.50 and prices have been frozen, and for the first time ever customers can pre-order bundles of tokens with their tickets – also frozen from last year at a discounted rate of 10 for £25 that won’t be available anywhere else.

Breweries taking part are yet to be confirmed, but in previous years IMBC has welcomes the likes of … X

Some of these breweries will be with IMBC for the entire weekend, and others will only be in attendance for either the first half of the festival (Thursday/Friday) or the second half (Saturday/Sunday), with the changeover happening in advance of the opening session on Saturday.

As ever, there will also be a street food village at the event with pop-ups from a range of different eateries with everything from pies to pizzas, burgers and chips on hand.

First launched in Manchester in 2012, the festival has become somewhat of a mecca for northern beer lovers – with people travelling from far and wide to attend and sample all the different weird and wonderful beers on offer.

How to get tickets to IMBC 2023

This year, ticket have been frozen for IMBC despite a rise in costs. This also applies to token prices for those who purchase before 17 June.

Tickets will be priced at:

Thursday Evening (5.30pm – 10.30pm) £14.50
Friday Morning (11am – 4pm) £14.50
Friday Evening (5.30pm – 10.30pm) £19
Saturday Morning (11am – 4pm) £19
Saturday Evening (5.30pm – 10.30pm) £19
Sunday (1pm – 6pm) £14.50


Your ticket gains you admission to the festival, as well as a commemorative glass to keep (or to
leave, if you’d rather not take it). To be clear: drinks tokens, ticketed tasting sessions, and food
are not included with your ticket.

Refunds on both tickets and pre-ordered tokens will be available up until 11:59pm on Wednesday 20 September 2023 – after this point, IMBC will be unable to provide any refunds under any circumstances.

Token pre-order can only be done at the point of the ticket being purchased, as your pre-order will be
linked to your tickets..

Tokens will function in the same way as they did in 2022: namely, in that it’ll be one token for one
third of a beer across all three days.

Featured image – IMBC

Manchester

A mobile Manc cocktail bar is rolling into a thriving new Greater Mancheser neighbourhood

Danny Jones Danny Jones Mobile cocktail bar coming to Middlewood Locks Salford

Greater Manchester has plenty of up-and-coming areas both here in the city centre and out in the boroughs, and one of those – Middlewood Locks over in Salford – is about to be treated to its own mobile cocktail bar.

You’ve got to love a Manc-born and bred independent business.

The canalside New Makers Yards apartments on Middlewood Locks are some of the most desirable new homes and flats you’ll find on the outskirts of the city, but with their on-site Seven Brothers pub sadly closing earlier this year, it is lacking one key thing: somewhere to drink.

However, with Cocktail Cartel MCR rolling into town for National Rum Day, residents can get a taste of, hopefully, what’s more to come.

Cocktail Cartel is a brand new, completely independent mobile bar that’s already starting to take the events industry by storm.

Serving unique and innovative creations (including plenty involving Captain Jack’s go-to tipple), they’ll be slinging cocktails to the New Makers Yards natives along the stunning and ever-thriving Middlewood Locks this month.

Created by Katie and Erik, who have been working in Manchester’s hospitality scene for nearly 20 years combined, these two have a passion for supporting fellow local indies and bringing amazing drinks to the table wherever the opportunity presents itself.

From their ‘Grown Up Coke Float’, which has all the punch of a classic Long Island Iced Tea only with a scoop of toffee ice cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles thrown in there, to a Pedro Pascal-inspired tequila numbers (yes, really), they have a lot of fun behind that bar.

Better still, most of their spirits are coming from local legends, Spirit of Manchester, and for this particular upcoming event, it wouldn’t be right to host National Rum Day in 0161’s second city without a gorgeous bit of Salford Rum.

Credit: Cocktail Cartel (via Facebook)

But it doesn’t stop at just cocktails; the Cartel will also be pouring pints from nearby Track Brewery among various other regional favourites.

Once again, they’ll be popping up at New Makers Yard on Saturday, 16 August from noon onwards, promising rum, cocktails, beer, wine, cider and softies – so let’s just hope we get plenty of sun for it.

Keep an eye on their socials for how you might be able to grab some freebies also…

If you visited the most recent edition of Middlewood Locks Fest, you know this place is buzzing when the weather hits just right and the drinks are flowing. See you there.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Cocktail Cartel MCR/Karen Wright Photography (supplied)

Manchester

You can stay in an aircraft, old school bus, or even a helicopter at this glamping pod near Manchester

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Cool glamping spots near Greater Manchester

There’s a glamping retreat near Manchester offering extraordinary stays in an aircraft, helicopter, old school bus and more.

Over in Blackpool at Manor House Glamping, there is a range of static vehicles that you can have an overnight stay or two in, and according to the pictures on its website, there’s even a resident emu.

You can stay in various modes of transport, such as an aircraft, an iconic yellow school bus, a campervan or a military green truck.

Each has its own perks ranging from a hot tub, outdoor bath, fire pit, sandpit and more. Whatever type of getaway or retreat you’re looking for, you’ll find everything you need right here.

glamping blackpool
sleep in a school bus north west
Credit: Manor House Glamping

The most eye-catching of the company’s stays is certainly the aircraft, which has kept its original cockpit features, although it’s safe to say the interior has definitely had a makeover.

There’s no such thing as a bad in-flight experience with this guest house, as you can get cocktails delivered to the cockpit after taking a dip in your own personal hot tub – not too shabby, eh?

With the bright and unmissable yellow school bus, there are plenty of decorations that help continue this theme in the form of various American road signs, one of which acts as your headboard for the night.

If you’re after a more toned-down chance to unwind, you can step into a pale-white camper van with cosy cushions and a snug haystack-turned-sofa adorned with some gorgeous blankets.

Say less.

staycation in an aircraft
glamping north west
You can see the full gallery HERE.

And if you’re looking at going all out, then your Manor House Glamping accommodation of choice has to be the chopper, which was once used by the Royal Navy.

Worried this option might be a tad nippy? Fear not, because this helicopter is fully kitted out to suit your glamping needs with two fluffy-lined cushions on each seat of this vintage heli.

This glamping company has even been recommended by one of the most trusted hotel review sites around, Tripadvisor, which awarded the increasingly popular site with their coveted Travellers’ Choice Award earlier this year.

Besides a big screen and lawnchairs, you could argue there’s also some other alternative entertainment.

Read more:

Anyone who experiences cabin fever, fear not, because all the aircraft and vehicles are static and aren’t planning on making a long-haul journey anytime soon, you’ll still be able to keep your feet firmly on the ground.

Manor House Glamping has a variety of vehicle-themed guest houses, both old and new, for you to stay in overnight and if you’re interested or after any further information.

You can find everything you need HERE.

If you fancy staying within the boundaries of Greater Manchester but still fancy getting the feel for a cockpit, though, there’s a very fun day out over at Barton’s City Airport.

You can now feel what it’s like to pilot a 747 at Barton Aerodrome’s incredible flight simulator
You could always consider this a test flight of sorts before potential glamping near Manchester.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Supplied via Manor House Glamping

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