The fountains at Piccadilly Gardens have finally reappeared in recent weeks – and now there are plans for a much bigger water-based attraction.
A licensing application has been lodged to open a pop-up water park at the much-maligned square in the heart of Manchester city centre.
The ambitious plan comes from the team behind Therme, the £250m wellness resort that’s set to open in Trafford next year.
When it opens, Therme Manchester will have have warm water lagoons, adults-only zones, botanical gardens, urban farms, immersive art, water-based fitness classes, and multiple slides and swimming pools.
And with the build of the wellness resort taking quite a while, they’re planning to build some excitement with a summer pop-up in town.
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If it all goes ahead, the existing fountains at Piccadilly Gardens will be utilised as a family-friendly splash pad with small slides and built-in water guns for kids to play with.
But the most impressive attraction will be beside this, on the site that was home to the Dock 53 street food village.
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A huge twisting water slide is proposed, which will loop its riders round and round through the air before coming to a gentle and safe halt in a small pool at the bottom.
The plans also include a small botanical garden, sun loungers, an ice cream truck serving boozy sorbets, and a pop-up juice bar.
Council bosses will review the application in the coming weeks.
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It’s all set to open by May 2024 and will remain open until early September.
And if you’ve made it this far, please check the date. Teehee.
Oasis Live ’27 – what to expect if you’re successful for ticket registration in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s go time… fans have started receiving ticket codes for Oasis Live ’27, so here is everything we know about the process so far.
In case you need bringing up to speed a little first, it was announced last week, following the unprecedented success of the reunion tour, Oasis Live ’25, last year – including five nostalgia-drenched gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park – that Oasis would be hitting the road once again in 2027, and this time around, they’re going BIG.
We’re talking 11 nights at the Etihad Stadium and a return to the iconic grounds of Knebworth for six special shows there too, kind of ‘big’.
The iconic Manchester band will also be taking to a range of other world-famous stages across the globe, including five nights at Glasgow’s Celtic Park, and major cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, and Las Vegas.
Fans have started receiving ticket codes for Oasis Live ’27 in Manchester / Credit: Joshua Halling (Supplied) | The Manc Group
If you’re reading this, you’ll probably know by now that tickets are being sold through a strict fan registration process this year – with no general onsale and only successful registrants even invited to try and buy them.
Prices will be fixed, however, meaning fans will be able to snap up a ticket for as little as £74.60 for seated tickets, with seats then costing up to £266.60, including fees.
Standing tickets will be priced at either £173.60 or £206.60, and there are also hotel packages, coach packages, and VIP packages available.
And today’s the day that lucky fans have started receiving the codes and information they need to be in with a chance of securing tickets to next year’s hugely anticipated tour.
The all-important email being sent out to fans reads: “You have been selected to receive a unique code to access the onsale for the Oasis Live ’27 dates at [relevant venue]. Codes do not guarantee tickets, which are limited and subject to availability.
“To reduce waiting times, onsales will be staggered across three days – Friday 25, Saturday 26, and Sunday 27 September 2026, with three on sale windows per day. Don’t worry, each ticket sale will have its own portion of tickets for all Manchester dates, across all ticket types and prices
“You have been assigned a unique code for the [specific time] onsale on [specific date].”
The email also clearly informs fans that there is a limit of four tickets per code, and that codes have no cash value either, meaning they are non-transferable, case-sensitive, and can only be used once by the email address they were sent to.
More information and ticket price breakdowns can be found here.
Featured Image – Joshua Halling (Press Picture – Supplied)
Manchester
10 of the best new restaurants, bars and cafes to open in Greater Manchester recently
Clementine Hall
Manchester has welcomed a whole host of new places to eat and drink over the past couple of months – and there’s a LOT to be excited about.
It’s fair to say we all love our food, and here at The Manc, we certainly love writing about it.
So, allow us to indulge as we take you through some of our favourite new openings to have landed across Greater Manchester recently.
From a Latin BBQ restaurant making a splash in the Northern Quarter to a humble Vietnamese sandwich shop turning heads over in Didsbury, there’s been plenty to get excited about.
But consider this your warning: reading on may cause extreme hunger…
Kickback Coffee
11 Portland Street, M1 3HU
Images: The Manc Group
Kickback Coffee is the latest trader to open on bustling Portland Street, serving up flat whites, long blacks and iced drinks aplenty.
With their roastery hub based in Cheshire, this independent business puts their love of coffee at the forefront. If you’re looking for a really quality coffee, then this is your next stop.
Sandy’s Smoke Shed
Arch 121 Woollam Pl, Manchester M3 4JJ
Images: The Manc Group
Sandy’s Smokeshed has just opened in Castlefield, where Sam – and his smoker, Angela – are serving up serious Texas-style BBQ, with queues already stretching out the door.
The idea is simple: take great cuts of meat, cover them generously in seasoning, put them in the smoker and give them all the time they need.
Think eight-hour smoked beef chuck, brisket, short ribs, chicken and stellar sides.
Say hello to Sister Moon, a beautiful new restaurant bringing a taste of Southeast Asia to the city centre and the latest addition to Manchester’s Treehouse Hotel.
Here, all the dishes are cooked on open fire, including dishes like the fried pork skewers with banana ketchup and the grilled prawns with crispy chilli and garlic. Elsewhere on the menu you’ll find stars like the crispy pork belly and pomelo salad as well as the slow cooked lamb jungle curry (warning, this one’s got a kick).
Sister Moon is the new project from acclaimed chef Sam Grainger who you’ll know from Madre, and it’s just as good as you’d expect.
If you need a break from all that indulgent food and drink, then this new spot on Deansgate should be at the top of your list.
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Clean Greens is bringing health in the form of fresh salads, cold-pressed juices, matchas, coffee, and more. Their menu focuses on using clean ingredients without all the faff, and all served in a gorgeous setting – what more could you want?
Pranzo Italian
55 King St, Manchester M2 4LQ
Images: The Manc Group
Sometimes only a steaming hot bowl of homemade pasta will do, and you’ll find it at the new Pranzo Italian on King Street.
Here they’re using 70-year-old Calabrian recipes passed down from owner Marco’s Nonna, so it’s about as authentic as it gets. The pasta comes al dente, and they’re not scrimping on the portions or the flavour.
Dahlia Stereo has landed in the Northern Quarter, bringing Latin-inspired open-fire cooking, tequila and mezcal-led drinks, and a seriously impressive sound system under one roof.
Expect everything from achiote chicken and 400g churrasco steak to fresh tortillas, smoky sides, and house-made cocktails, with DJs keeping the vibe going late into the night.
If you love great food, good music, and a proper Manchester night out, this one looks well worth checking out.
This unassuming spot has been turning heads in Didsbury for its authentic, stacked Banh Mi sandwiches.
Everything is made fresh to order, with fillings like crispy pork belly, lemongrass crispy chicken, roast duck, ham, grilled beef, and tofu, plus traditional Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk.
Casa Papi
9 Woodford Road, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 1JN
Images: The Manc Group
There’s a new taqueria spot in Stockport that prides itself on using only the best of the best ingredients imported all the way from Mexico.
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Casa Papi is serving up tacos, rice bowls and plenty with your choice of slow-cooked birria beef, roasted chicken or sweet potato for the veggies. They’ve even got traditional blue-corn taco shells as an option too which are 100% gluten free and just as tasty as their flour-based cousins.
Arcadian
1C School Lane, Didsbury, M20 6RD
Images: The Manc Group
Beloved neighbourhood restaurant Hispi may have closed its doors, but its shoes have been filled pretty quickly with the delightful Arcadian stepping into its place.
A new-to-Manchester open-fire restaurant, with dishes cooked over wood, charcoal and open flame. The new concept sees the chefs themselves serving you your dinner, with plates like coal-seared beef tartare, grilled monkfish, and a Basque cheesecake with black cherries.
Bar Caput
71 Great Underbank, Stockport SK1 1PE
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Images: The Manc Group
Stockport has bid farewell to its only Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, with the team behind the acclaimed Cantaloupe pivoting to a totally new concept – and it’s a good’un.
Bar Caput has stepped into the unit, where it’s all about bringing the Roman culture of drinking and aperitivi to Great Underbank. That means crisp-based Roman-style pizzas, plus fritti, small plates, great wine, and bright cocktails.
Daisy Jackson -
1st April 2024 
