TfGM is asking Manchester communities to transform its old yellow school buses
Schools and groups are being encouraged to submit their ideas for a chance to win a free decommissioned yellow school bus to transform into something new.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is giving away decommissioned yellow school buses to the local community for free this summer.
The transport group is encouraging individuals, schools, societies, sports teams and volunteer organisations from across the region to submit their ideas for a chance to transform an old bus into something new – whether it’s for reading spaces, quiet places or somewhere to meet new faces.
All entries will be judged on several criteria – including originality, creativity and benefit to the community.
Yellow School Buses are a service provided by TfGM for secondary school children in Greater Manchester, and are said to be “easy to spot” as a way of alerting road users that children will be getting on and off.
This new competition has been set up to run once again following the success of similar schemes in summer 2018 and 2019, where six buses were donated to various bidders.
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Individuals and organisations can now bid to #WIN one of several yellow school buses that will be decommissioned in July ✨
Check out @RedLaneSch awesome #wellbeing bus, created using a vehicle donated in 2019!
— Transport for Greater Manchester 🚲🚶🏾♀️ (@OfficialTfGM) May 17, 2021
In 2018, the first decommissioned bus was delivered to Greswell Primary School in Denton, who used lottery funding to transform the bus into an outdoor library that is used by both students and the wider community.
The following year, Red Lane Primary School in Bolton turned their donated vehicle into a ‘Wellbeing bus’ and currently use it as a dedicated space to provide social and emotional intervention for their pupils.
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Similarly, St. Stephen’s RC Primary School – another 2019 recipient – turned their bus into a reading area and tutoring place that has proven to be incredibly popular with pupils.
“Our yellow school buses are a fantastic service that allow children to get to school cheaply, safely and securely,” said Councillor Mark Aldred, Committee Chair at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
“But even when their life as a school service comes to an end, they can still be incredibly useful to communities.
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“This scheme has been hugely successful when we have run it previously and I’ve been impressed with not just the creativity, but also the impact that previous projects have had on crucial issues such as child literacy and mental wellbeing.
“I’m really excited to see what community-spirited and thoughtful schemes people come up with this year as we hopefully continue to emerge from the pandemic and return to normality”.
TfGM
Fancy winning your own yellow school bus? Interested groups have until Friday 18 Juneto submit their proposal online before the applications are considered and the winning entries announced.
Outbreak Festival announces hard-hitting lineup for 15th anniversary in Manchester
Danny Jones
Outbreak Fest is celebrating 15 years in 2026, and they’re toasting the milestone with a hefty lineup full of trash, metal, punk, hardcore and more.
The cult favourite alternative and annual music festival that takes place at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, a.k.a. BEC Arena, every year has only gotten bigger over the past few years, and their landmark 15th anniversary is set to be another rager.
Approaching a decade and a half of delighting alt-kids and Manc rocks next summer, the Outbreak lineup down in London was always going to be impressive, but we just weren’t quite expecting so many big hitters in just the first wave alone up here.
Here’s the Outbreak Fest Manchester lineup for 2026 so far:
Promising plenty more to come and soon, the festival organisers have already confirmed that there will be a standalone Friday show to kick off the carnage come June 2026.
As explained in the social media post, which has been met with an incredible reaction from fans, “you will be able to upgrade your weekend ticket to include this show once the line-up is announced, if you would like.” Bang for your buck.
They went on to write: “This festival is nothing without the community of people around it. It doesn’t exist without your support, and we are grateful to still be doing this all these years later.”
This devil-horned, weekend-long celebration has always given off a great style and aesthetic, too; we particularly enjoyed their cinematic preview released on Halloween.
Put together by Charles Fitzgerald, a digital content creator who has worked with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon and their frontman Oli Sykes’ Drop Dead clothing range, these are the kinds of teasers we want to see more of…
With names like the resurgent Alexisonfire (set to play their seminal third album Crisis in its entirety), Ipswich rockers Basement, as well as post-hardcore heroes, Touché Amoré, topping the bill, we cannot wait to see what comes next.
Safe to say you should keep your eyes peeled on their social media for more announcements and information on Outbreak 2026.
Following up to the reaction online, they added: “Two-day passes on sale now. That was a crazy reaction to the first announcement and we are grateful.
“Truthfully, we were 60% sold before we announced yesterday! This is us giving you a heads up. If you can, and you f*** with this lineup – get your ticket soon! Thank you.”
General admission went live on their official website on Monday morning, and you really don’t want to wait around with this one; grab your tickets HERE.
Five’s Manchester arena shows – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
English boyband Five are heading to Manchester not once but twice for two pure-pop performances and perfectly-mastered choreography.
Manchester, “get up!” Because Five are about to make you get down when they bring their epic reunion tour to the music capital of the North this November.
Scott, Ritchie, Sean, J and Abz have chosen to play out in both the mighty 21,000 capacity AO Arena AND impressive 23,5000 Co-op Live for their 90s and 00s pop party celebration.
This boyband has sold over 20 million records worldwide and swooned a fair few of our hearts over the years with hits like ‘Everybody Get Up’, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Got The Feelin”.
Five – Manchester gig guide
Now, after 25 years apart, these cheeky chaps are heading back on the road for their ‘Keep On Movin” tour, where we’re sure they’ll play all your favourite hits.
Five are coming to AO Arena on 7 November and Co-op Live on 18 November in Manchester. (Credit: Supplied)
Five UK tour dates – winter 2025
Wed 29 October – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 31 October – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre
Sat 1 November – Bournemouth, UK – Bournemouth International Centre
Sun 2 November – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena
Tue 4 November – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
The official songs might not have been announced yet, but we expect it won’t differ much from this setlist taken from their Aussie ‘Greatest Hits Tour 2024’ below:
Let’s Dance
We Will Rock You
Kick That Wall Down
Got the Feelin’
My Song
Until the Time Is Through
When the Lights Go Out
Keep On Movin’
Written in the Sun
It’s the Things You Do
Slam Dunk (Da Funk)
Reset
Human
Lay All Your Lovin’ on Me
If Ya Gettin’ Down
Everybody Get Up
Keep on Movin’ (21 Remix)
What are the stage times for Five’s Manchester arena shows?
If you’re worried that ‘When the Lights Go Out’ you won’t be getting home til the early hours of the morning, then fear no more as both AO Arena and Co-op Live have a curfew of 11pm.
Support comes in the form of chart-topping DJ, Naughty Boy, whose behind some of the biggest tracks of the 2010’s including ‘La La La’, ‘Runnin” and ‘Wonder’; you do not want to miss his set.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
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The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
You can see our interview with Five after their recent AO Arena residency down below.
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How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
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You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Car and parking info
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
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Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Five are doing a clean sweep of Manchester arenas. (Credit: Audio North)
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Once again, the Beryl app is available for those looking to bike over to the venue; there are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Emily Sergeant -
21st May 2021 
