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From drone shows to free ice lollies – what went down at Parklife 2025

Dare we say, coolest Parklife yet…

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 20th June 2025

It’s been a few days since Parklife 2025 wrapped up, and now that we’ve all caught up on sleep we’re looking back on some of the highlights you might’ve missed. 

With such a stacked line-up of live music, it would be impossible to have seen everything – from that sizzling final set from Charli XCX to Morgan Seatree’s emotional hometown show, plus viral sensation Interplanetary Criminal filling Matinee and D.O.D. getting the whole Big Top dancing. 

One moment that you couldn’t possibly have missed if you were on the ground at Parklife festival was a surprise drone show which dazzled overhead on Saturday night. 

As rap legend 50 Cent wrapped up his huge headline set on The Valley stage, and The Hangar came alive to the sound of Pawsa, fans got an extra special treat way up in the skies. 

Hundreds of drones came together in an impressive, illuminated aerial display, starting with a 10-second countdown that stopped festival-goers in their tracks. 

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The drones then flew in formation to create iconic shapes like a yellow JD Sports duffle bag, an adidas shoebox, and the shape of a slowly-rotating Climacool trainer – and what a trainer it is. 

The adidas drone show on Saturday night
The adidas drone show on Saturday night
adidas handed out Climacool-branded lollies and slushies
adidas handed out Climacool-branded lollies and slushies
50 Cent on The Valley stage
50 Cent on The Valley stage
adidas handed out Climacool-branded lollies and slushies
adidas handed out Climacool-branded lollies and slushies

That wasn’t the only bit of attention the Climacool footwear got at Parklife either – thankful fans were treated to free Climacool branded ice lollies and slushies on their way into the festival on Saturday. 

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As the sun beat down on Heaton Park (bar the odd brief downpour, classic Manchester), adidas and JD Sports arrived in an ice cream truck with the coolest drop at the festival. 

There was a helping hand from social media sensation Yombo to hype up the crowd before the festival had even got started. 

The Climacool has a textile lining and upper work, with a perforated midsole to allow airflow and keep your feet fresh – perfect for any city adventure (and pretty perfect for a day at Parklife, we discovered). 

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If the Climacool trainers have caught your eye – either in the sky, at the Climacool ice cream truck, or on social media – then the good news is you can now shop them for yourselves.

They’re now live to shop at JD Sports HERE.

Read more: Every bit of live entertainment coming to Haydock Park Racecourse this season

Featured image: The Manc Group

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We Are Football Fest – Europe’s largest World Cup fan park gets even bigger as ‘Big Sam’ joins the party

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson We Are Football Festival - Europe’s biggest World Cup fan park is opening in Manchester

The largest World Cup fan park not just in Manchester or the UK but all of Europe just got even bigger, as the latest ambitious project from 4TheFans is seeing them expand from Freight Island into Depot Mayfield.

In fact, the former has already sold out in just four hours, and with a former England manager set to turn up, you’d better be quick about booking your tickets…

We Are Football Festival, in partnership with Freight Island and Broadwick, will bring together 13,000 football fans in front of the biggest screens in the country to cheer on England as they continue their race for World Cup glory.

The already enormous fan park opened at Freight in June, but now they’ll be opening up the iconic Depot next door, further transforming the space into an unrivalled celebration of football, with the one and only Sam Allardyce even set to turn up on stage.

depot mayfield world cup tickets 2026
The outdoor screen has been box office vibes since minute one
We Are Football Festival by 4TheFans
We Are Football Festival by 4TheFans
The fan park will open at Depot Mayfield
The fan park spills over into Depot Mayfield
It's set to be Europe's biggest World Cup fan zone
Credit: Vision Seven

We know he was only in charge for one game, but he’s still the only England boss to boast a 100% win record, after all.

Fans have been utterly immersed in the action thanks to a massive sound system, pyrotechnics, CO2 cannons, DJs, and entertainment around the games themselves – providing just about the closest thing you can get to a big game atmosphere.

The venue is open for all late kick-offs, too, and with England now through to the quarter-final stages following that dramatic 3-2 thriller against Mexico, the heat is really starting to ramp up.

Fans can head to Freight, as well as the rooftop or garden at Depot Mayfield from 5pm kick-off on matchdays in the sunshine, now with room for even more supporters to flood into the famous Manc Warehouse for those late-night games in the warehouse.

Here’s hoping it doesn’t get much later than a 4am full-time whistle again, eh?

There’s also the dedicated ‘Footy Fun Village’, which includes sponsored activations, games zones, and more family-friendly areas, creating a safe space for fans of all ages to enjoy the tournament no matter the time of day.

4TheFans and Freight Island have also hand-picked a great selection of food traders from around the world, not to mention a top-shelf bar selection.

We Are Football Fest’s 2026 World Cup coverage also comes with dedicated 4TheFans hosts, plus Sky Sports presenters, and the matches thus far have even seen England football legends providing quality match analysis at each screening. 

Since launching, 4TheFans has welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans, and camera crews from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, Sky Sports, England TV, and Match of the Day, to fan parks across the UK.

It’s now chosen Depot Mayfield for its World Cup fan park, where they can fill the huge space at Freight Island first before scaling into the rest of the Depot as the fan community grows and the Three Lions march on.

4TheFans is the UK’s original and biggest fan park brand, and it’s working with Freight Island and Broadwick to deliver this game-changing We Are Football Festival – the biggest and best fan park in Europe.

5,000 early bird tickets are available from just £4.50 per person, each coming with one beer included, and are on sale right HERE.

4TheFans presents We Are Football Festival runs at Depot Mayfield until 19 July 2026.

General admission tickets include

  • 4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
  • Football legend in attendance
  • Guaranteed entry to the event
  • The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
  • Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
  • Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
  • Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders

VIP table tickets include

  • VIP table section with the best view of the giant screens and the event
  • Meet and greet with a football legend
  • 4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
  • Guaranteed entry to the event
  • The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
  • Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
  • Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
  • Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
Freight Island World Cup screenings tickets
It’s been packed for every England game up to this point
depot mayfield we are football fest 2026 tickets
How the indoor Depot warehouse room will look
we are football festival manchester
Credit: Supplied via 4TheFans

Read more:

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

Featured Images – Press shots by Vision Seven (supplied via 4TheFans)

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An exclusive pop-up vintage clothing and charity market is coming to Manchester Arndale

Danny Jones Danny Jones charity vintage clothing market Manchester Arndale

Love shopping locally, independently and sustainably and from the likes of traders and regional markets? Well, this one is tailor-made for you (pun intended), because a Greater Manchester favourite is coming to the city centre.

Better still, you can do your bit for charity whilst you’re at it.

That’s right: Salford’s former but ever superb Charity Super.Mkt is making its way from Media City to central Manchester for the very first time.

Popping up at the Arndale for its city centre debut, Exchange Court will be taken over by a sea of indies and vintage clobber for three whole days.

Charity Super.Mkt Printworks 2026 summer dates July pop-up
Credit: Press shot (supplied via Charity Super.Mkt)

Boasting not only some native but even national history, the UK’s first multi-charity pre-loved fashion store boasts countless curated charity finds.

From second-hand gems and desirable denim, to retro and cult favourite football shirts and more, there’ll be plenty to get your hands on – all whilst supporting charities from nearby and all over the country.

Co-founded by Northern designer Wayne Hemingway MBE – whose Red or Dead footwear brand and fashion label began in Afflecks Palace and over on King Street – the Manc roots behind this run deep.

Notably, this upcoming and limited-time-only event marks a significant milestone for the initiative, too, as this will be their biggest activation since their highly successful two-month stint at the Quayside shopping complex.

The popular residency was only relatively short-lived, but it’s safe to say that it was much-loved and well-received by plenty more than just Salfordians.

You can read more here:

Inside Greater Manchester’s massive new charity shop ‘department store’
They even teamed up with Salford Red Devils (now Salford RLFC)

Getting underway this month, the pop-up will kick off from 9am on Friday, 10 July, running across the entire weekend.

Participating charities include The British Heart Foundation and the RSPCA, who have already seen support through more than 10,000 vintage items being resold in an effort to raise important funds from the Media City pop-up alone.

This also meant that more than three tonnes of textile waste were diverted from landfill, and over 25 tonnes of CO₂ emissions were offset, not to mention upwards of 4,500 cubic metres of water were saved in the process. Brilliant stuff.

Making its maiden appearance in Manchester city centre, this summer’s Charity Super.Mkt at Manchester Arndale is a must-not-miss; you can find the opening times for each of the days down below:

– Friday, 10 July: 9am–8pm

– Saturday, 11 July: 9am–8pm

– Sunday, 12 July 11:30am–5:30pm

Read more:

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

Featured Images — Publicity pictures/Kris Humphreys Photography (via Manchester Arndale)

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