When it comes to derby days, there’s an inevitable rivalry accompanying the whole thing – and here in Manchester, we think it’s fair to say that the element of competition is fiercer than most.
So, ahead of the big match on 14 January, digital travel company Booking.com has decided to open a special ‘Half-and-Half House’ – and no, we’re not talking about a colourful community-based offender programme for released prisoners.
This is a half-red, half-blue holiday home, constructed especially for fans who may not see eye to eye when it comes to football and located slap-bang in the middle of Manchester’s two iconic football stadiums on First Street.
Built to champion the city’s diversity, its price even nods to the very first Manchester derby in 1881 – with the house available to be booked for a night’s stay this Thursday for just £18.81.
Credit: Booking.com
Booking.com
Created to celebrate a rivalry which makes Manchester such a special destination, the custom-built, half-red, half-blue house highlights how the city’s passion for football brings people together and signals that healthy rivalry can be fun.
The Half-and-Half House also celebrates the opening of Booking.com’s new Trips headquarters right here in Manchester.
Having had a presence in the city since 2005, Booking.com has a strong affection for Manchester and the people who live there, and designed the house to recognise Mancunians’ passion for football, as well as everything else which personifies the city.
Matthias Schmid, Senior Vice President of Booking.com’s Trips Division, said: “Whenever Mancunians travel the globe, often the first thing they are asked is whether they are a ‘red or a blue’. They are brought together by their love of football.
Image: Supplied
“There’s a warmth and vibrancy in Manchester that is unrivalled anywhere else in the world. Even in rare circumstances of apparent division, there is always an underlying unity. Manchester is one, no matter which side you’re on.
“We’ve called this city home for some time, and now have the second biggest Booking.com office in the world here, with a fantastic team from over 70 different countries coming together to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.
“With Manchester making this all possible, we naturally wanted to create a buzz around the city and celebrate the people who live here.”
Journalist and author Andy Mitten, Editor of the iconic United We Stand magazine and an expert on the cultural impact of football in Manchester and author of a book on derbies around the world, said: “The Manchester derby is one of the biggest in world football and it’s the fans who are at the heart of making it such a spectacle, be it at the stadium or watching from around the globe.
“The derby is tribal, but most Reds have mates who are Blues and vice versa. We may have different loyalties in football but it’s the fans who help make the derby what it, bring the atmosphere and make Manchester such a great football city and place to visit.
“So many people around the world associate the word ‘Manchester’ with football and the derby is when it all comes to a head. Both sets of fans can’t be happy at the end of the game, which adds to the tension and excitement in the build-up…”
With the red and blue house set to be removed soon after full time of the derby, Booking.com is donating the vibrant celebration of the city to Manchester’s Scouts for use at its Worsley camp.
The one-night Manchester Half-and-Half Experience is available for a lucky pair of bookers on 12 January, 2023. The stay will become bookable exclusively on Booking.com on 11 January 2023 at 10am.
The room will be secured on a first come first serve basis. You can book your stay HERE.
Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light
Daisy Jackson
The chance to live in Manchester city centre’s newest park (and one of its only green spaces) has taken a step closer, with plans for new Mayfield Park homes given the green light.
879 apartments have been approved this week, which will have ‘the ultimate front garden’.
The Mayfield district has been undergoing major changes in the last few years, including the redevelopment of Depot Mayfield (into Freight Island, plus a music venue for events like Warehouse Project) and the opening of the beautiful Mayfield Park.
And now hundreds of new one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes will be added to the area, as well as a 40% increase in the size of the park.
The plans for the first homes at Mayfield Park were met with unanimous approval by the City Council’s Planning Committee.
The residences will span across four buildings, with low-rise elements peppered in amongst the taller blocks, and will also be home to restaurants, cafes, and health and wellness facilities.
A new tree-lined road through the development will enhance walking and cycling connectivity from east Manchester into the city centre.
More than 880 jobs will be generated during the construction phase, plus 120 full-time jobs when operational.
Hundreds of new homes in Mayfield Park given green light. Credit: Assembly Studios
The proposals suggest that the apartments will contribute £2 million annually in Council Tax and a major £10 million boost to local businesses through increased spending.
The high-quality homes are designed by Studio Egret West and shedkm, designed to reflect the industrial heritage of the area, including distinctive arches.
20% of the first phase of homes are intended to be classed as affordable housing and will be prioritised for key workers in Manchester.
Henrietta Nowne, Development Director at Landsec, representing The Mayfield Partnership, said: “For the first time, Mancunians will have the ultimate back garden within the award-winning Mayfield Park.
“An opportunity like this hasn’t existed before in Manchester. Since starting on site earlier this month, there’s real momentum building as we continue to grow a green, healthy and connected district in the heart of Manchester.”
The approval marks the next chapter of the continued transformation of the Mayfield district near Piccadilly Station, led by Manchester City Council, TfGM, London Continental Railways (LCR), and Landsec.
Revenue from Manchester’s ‘big gigs’ to go towards supporting local grassroots music venues
Emily Sergeant
Manchester City Council is set to earmark almost £250,000 to support grassroots music venues in the city.
Following on from the success of the city’s huge summer of music, which in recent weeks has seen hundreds of thousands of fans converge in the city to see massive names like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Charlie XCX, Elbow, and Robbie Williams, as well as other talents like Fontaines D.C. and Sam Fender still yet to come.
Oh yeah, and there was also that small matter of Oasis reuniting for five nostalgia-drenched gigs in Manchester’s Heaton Park earlier last month.
Over the course of the summer, it has been estimated that Manchester will have attracted a whopping 1.3 million music tourists, which is being described as a ‘tremendous’ boost for the city’s economy as a whole, especially the hospitality industry.
Revenue made from Manchester’s ‘big gigs’ this summer is to go towards supporting local grassroots music venues / Credit: Eldhose Kuriyan | Joshua Hanson (via Unsplash)
These huge events are also generating income for the Council too, either by being hosted in the city’s largest parks with commercial arrangements for their use, or through the business rates paid by major venues – and it’s this income that has been earmarked to go towards supporting grassroots music venues throughout the city.
As well as reinvesting part of this revenue into parks and greenspaces, the Council is planning to set aside £245,000 to be made available in financial support for Manchester’s grassroots venues.
While exact details are in the process of being finalised, the intention is that the scheme will be administered by the Music Venue Trust to ensure that the money gets to where it is needed as ‘quickly and effectively’ as possible.
It’s estimated that Manchester will have welcomed 1.3 million music tourists before summer’s out / Credit: Nathan Mullet (via Unsplash)
“Manchester is a big noise in the music world,” commented Councillor Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, “and this summer, all eyes have been on the city as we’ve hosted some huge concerts and seen unprecedented success in our large venues.
“But while the biggest gigs might dominate the headlines, we know they are only possible because they are part of a wider ecosystem, with grassroots venues providing the launchpads for acts to develop and grow.
It's been a BIG summer of music in Manchester.
We've got pioneering plans to use money raised by some of the biggest gigs to support our grassroots venues – a vital ingredient of the city's amazing music scene: https://t.co/8ekQN7AmGBpic.twitter.com/MpVWpeHqbk
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 31, 2025
“We know that across the country, grassroots venues are struggling. That’s why we want to ensure that our grassroots venues can share some of the benefit from the success of those big events.
“We’re blessed in Manchester with an array of great smaller venues.
Georgina Pellant -
11th January 2023 
