Bosses at Therme Group have now revealed that the resort – which will be named Therme Manchester, and has been dubbed an ‘urban oasis’ – will feature a whopping 35 water slides, 25 pools, and 30 saunas and stream rooms across its 25-acre site.
The resort is the first-of-its-kind in the country, is due to be double the size of the group’s Bucharest site, and will combine water activities with wellbeing treatments, art, nature and technology to create a “unique experience never before seen in the UK”.
The pools at the resort will be both indoors and outdoors, and over 1,500 palm trees will be planted to create a tropical feel.
Made up of several domed glass structures, the tropical environment will also feature wave simulation pools and exotic palm tree relaxation areas, along with warm-water lagoons, botanical gardens, swim-up bars, and therapeutic mineral baths – and, in true Manchester style, there are also plans for rooftop beehives too, with the hope of using honey from local bees in recipes at the on-site restaurants as well as in spa treatments.
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The ‘urban oasis’ will feature a whopping 35 water slides and 25 pools / Credit: Therme Group“Therme Group is based on a belief that wellbeing should be accessible for all.” / Credit: Therme Group
Water-based fitness, yoga, and pilates classes will also be on site – along with a range of bars, cafés, and restaurants serving snacks, light bites, and an à la carte service.
At the heart of the development will also be a spectacular 10,000sqm rose-shaped botanical garden, which is said to represent the national flower of England.
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Costs for the project are expected to total £250 million.
Stelian Iacob – Senior Vice President of Therme Group Worldwide and CEO of Therme Group UK – claimed the park “will transform life for city residents and people further afield, creating a fun and accessible experience with profound health and wellbeing benefits for all.”
Therme Manchester is on track to open in 2023 / Credit: Therme Group
Richard Land – Chief Development Officer of Therme Group UK – added: “Therme Group is based on a belief that wellbeing should be accessible for all [and] the events of 2020 have shone a light on the necessity of this mission, especially for those in cities [so] Therme Manchester will redefine city wellbeing, enhancing mental and physical health through an experience based in water and nature.
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“It will offer a unique holiday at home, that acts as a catalyst for healthy lifestyles.”
Bosses say the development is still on track for a 2023 opening, although building work remains at a preliminary stage on the site, and expect to welcome over 1.5 million visitors to the Manchester site once open.
Featured Image – Therme Group
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New data estimates that 7.3m Oasis fans are set to miss out on 2027 tour tickets
Emily Sergeant
New data has revealed that as many as 7.3 million Oasis fans could be set to miss out on tickets to the band’s 2027 tour.
In case you need bringing up to speed a little, it was announced earlier this week that, following the unprecedented success of the reunion tour, Oasis Live ’25, last year, including five nostalgia-drenched gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park, 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 four 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.
But despite the elevated number of dates the Gallaghers and co will be performing, some new data has unfortunately revealed that millions of fans may still not be lucky enough to snag a ticket.
The ticketing system for Oasis Live ’27 is not what it was for the last tour, nor will it be similar to many other tours of a similar scale in the past either, as this time, the band and their promotors are taking necessary measures to ensure ‘genuine fans’ get their hands on the tickets and that dynamic pricing doesn’t creep in.
Instead of going into detail on that now though, you can read our full guide on how to get tickets for the Manchester and Knebworth shows here.
Experts at online ticketing platform TicketSource have analysed the scale of demand for Oasis tickets by comparing the 10 million fans worldwide who queued for the initial release of 1.4 million tickets for their 2025 tour, with the newly announced 2027 tour dates and stadium capacities.
With an estimated 2.67 million tickets available across 38 dates and 11 locations between 21 May and 19 September 2027, Oasis could still face huge demand from fans hoping to see them live.
But research reveals the band would need to play 112 Wembley-sized shows to accommodate everyone who tried to get a ticket in 2025.
The 2027 tour would accommodate just 26.7% of those who tried to get tickets last time, meaning almost three-quarters (73%) of them could miss out, leaving a shortfall of more than 7.3 million fans.
Fingers crossed you’re among the lucky lot that secure tickets, though.
Featured Image – Joshua Halling (Press Image – Supplied)
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Former GMP officer jailed after being found guilty of several online child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A former police officer from Salford has been sentenced after being found guilty of a string of online child sex offences.
Following a trial back in July, 35-year-old Michael Aspinall was sentenced at Preston Crown Court earlier this week (Monday 14 September) after being found guilty of three counts of attempting sexual communication with a child.
It comes after Aspinall – who was employed by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) at the time of the offences – was arrested in October 2024 by detectives from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU), and was immediately suspended from duty following his arrest.
The investigation began after evidence was obtained that Aspinall had been communicating online with individuals that he believed to be children, but he was in fact communicating with a police officer.
Following this series of interactions, he was charged with various offences.
In addition to his eight-month sentence – which has been suspended for two years – Aspinall will also be placed on the sex offender’s register for 10 years, subject to a five-year serious crime prevention order, and have undertake 20 days of rehabilitation, GMP has confirmed.
He has additionally been added to the College of Policing’s barred list.
An application to request forfeiture of Aspinall’s police pension has also been made to the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester.
“Aspinall’s offending was clearly unacceptable for any right-minded member of society and particularly inappropriate for a serving police officer,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Humphreys, from GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate.
“His actions put the whole police service under scrutiny, but thanks to the hard work and diligence of undercover officers, he was arrested, found guilty, and has now received his punishment.”
DCI Humphreys concluded: “[Aspinall’s] actions take away from the hard work of the men and women who work so hard for their communities every day, and it is only right that anyone committing these sort of offences are rooted out.”