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.
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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.
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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.
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“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…”
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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.
A local Manchester run club is holding two special running routes to see the total eclipse
Danny Jones
With the highly anticipated total eclipse fast approaching, people not just here in Greater Manchester but all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world are gearing up to try and watch it – but this native running club are doing it a bit differently.
Eclipses occur once every 12-18 months, but this is set to be the biggest since 1999.
The moon is set to cover approximately 96-98% of the sun this coming Wednesday, 12 August, 2026, and rather than try to watch it from a window at home or drive to somewhere with supposedly ‘the best view’, local sports club Manchester Road Runners are turning it into their latest one-off event.
Sharing details online, the free-to-join local organisation, which boasts thousands of members on Facebook and various other platforms, will be timing things to make sure they catch the phenomenon.
Writing in the accompanying caption, the Road Runners say: “We’ve pulled some strings and have a very special event taking place on August 12th, a solar eclipse! Come run with us under a darkened sun next Wednesday from The Wharf at 18:30, with peak moon coverage expected at around 19:10.”
Better still, they’re also teaming up with their trail running spin-off club for an even more scenic twist on the evening excursion.
“If you prefer to experience your solar phenomena under the wide open skies”, they go on to write, “our friends over at Trail Division will be holding a hike/run off road, meet at Piccadilly Station at 18:00 to get shady in the great outdoors.”
Fortunately, they have issued an important disclaimer, going on to remind runners that “while beautiful and majestic, the sun should NEVER be directly looked at in the face unprotected”, signing off by adding, “Respect the sun, respect your peepers, stay ocularly safe out there.”
If you’ve never come across MRR before, they’re probably the biggest run club in the entire Greater Manchester region and their social-first jogs, intervals, track sessions and more revolve around meeting back up with your mates for a wholesome pint and a chat.
For many, it’s the biggest and the best in the city.
As for the eclipse run, it’s set to be a very magical variation on their usual Wednesday evening meets.
Quite rightly, they also point out in the post that you can actually buy certain glasses to view eclipses on these rare occasions, with search traffic often ramping up in and around these events.
Meanwhile, the Trail Division branch is yet to confirm the route for their run/hike, but it will most likely remain in the nearby North West vicinity; keep your eyes peeled on their social media pages (linked above) for more information and other upcoming trail events.
Speaking of trail runs, there’s a pretty beautiful albeit challenging one coming up next month…
Stunning vistas, walkers welcome, and multiple distances available.🏃♂️🥾
And the best part? It's less than 90 minutes away from Manchester. 🏞️
Oasis promoters drop biggest Knebworth hint yet after securing license around key date
Danny Jones
Not that we’re the type to get carried away, but we’ll confess that our curiosity, interest and general levels of anticipation have been piqued, as Oasis’ main promoters have recently renewed the license to host events at the infamous Knebworth.
My word, is this it? Like the reunion, is it ACTUALLY going to happen?…
We’re sure the raw, uncontrollable excitement will come should it be fully confirmed, but for now, all we know is that our colleagues in music media, SJM Concerts, have renewed the land in and around Knebworth Park and House for live entertainment once again.
Moreover, the company have also done so on a rather fitting date decades on from the original and legendary outdoor gigs.
As can be found on the planning application section of the North Hertfordshire Council website – the county in which the storied Britpop gigs took place – a fresh license to hold new events.
If/when the announcement happens, the already granted permission will allow for a capacity of up to 125,000 and a curfew of 3am.
We know the original Knebworth shows were beyond iconic, but let’s say this would be nailed on to be nothing short of absolutely box office.
Besides having also helped promote Oasis’ colossal Live ’25 reunion tour last summer, it’s also worth noting that they secured said license just over a week before the 30th anniversary of the pair of nights back in 1996: 10-11 August, to be specific.
The licence is said to have come into effect this past Saturday (1 Aug) and is believed to be indefinite.
What added even more fuel to the fire of these well-established rumours over the past year was when Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage told the House of Lords the band would be playing FIVE whole nights at Knebworth in the future, before later clarifying that she was speaking in “hypothetical terms.”
All that being said, it’s fair to say we’ll be keeping a very keen eye on socials over the next few days, in particular, just in case.
The Manc has reached out to SJM for an official comment (surprise, surprise), but we are yet to receive a response regarding the matter.
Your silence speaks volumes, just saying.
This coming Monday, 10 August 2026, will mark the official 30th anniversary of Oasis at Knebworth 1996, and with the likes of ‘Wonderwall’ seeing a chart resurgence as the go-to England anthem at this year’s World Cup, we’re choosing to be optimistic. What about you?
Georgina Pellant -
11th January 2023 
