For the first time ever, Chester Zoo is going to stay open after hours so visitors can see its 27,000 animals once the sun has gone down.
If you’ve ever wondered what an elephant’s evening routine looks like, how a cheetah chills out after a long day, or what it’s like to sail the Lazy River as the sun sets, then now’s your chance to find out – because the UK’s biggest charity zoo giving you the chance to spend an enchanting evening exploring everything it has to offer.
The brand-new Into the Night sessions are running on an exclusive handful of evenings across July and August from 5:30pm – 9pm.
During the exclusive after hours sessions, animal lovers will get access to the whole zoo.
Into The Night is the first time Chester Zoo ever offered unlimited access to the zoo after hours, and this means that all visitors’ favourite parts of the zoo will be open – including animal habitats, indoor areas, and restaurants too
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The zoo says its animal houses will close at 8pm on event evenings.
As well getting to see all the fan-favourite animals in a whole new light as the sun starts to set, staff say visitors can also expect to be able to see some of the zoo’s nocturnal animals too, like aardvarks, bats, and more.
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🐻☀️VISIT THE ZOO AT SUNSET!☀️🦁
For the first time EVER, we're inviting you to FOUR special evenings this summer where you can see what the animals get up to after hours!⏰ pic.twitter.com/1j9uLFJFlo
The new Into The Night experience is being launched to raise money for the zoo’s vital efforts to prevent extinction in the UK and around the world.
If seeing the animals wasn’t exciting enough as it is, during the exclusive nights, there’ll also be the chance to tuck into some delicious themed food and drink, all while you watch a thrilling lineup of entertainment.
Some of the performances will include amazing acrobatics, dance, and upbeat African music by Tanzanian Acrobats – who have previously performed at the Glastonbury Festival – and Global Grooves will also bring playful puppetry and vibrant costumes to the zoo.
Chester Zoo is staying open after hours so visitors can see its 27,000 animals once the sun has gone down / Credit: Chester ZooThe brand-new Into the Night sessions are running on an exclusive handful of evenings across July and August / Credit: Chester Zoo
Fancy it then? Into The Night sessions are taking place on Friday 29 July, Saturday 30 July, Friday 12 August and Saturday 13 August, and given this is an extremely rare opportunity that’s never happened before, it’s expected to be popular.
Only a limited number of tickets are available each night, and will set you back £15 for adults and £10 for children aged three-17.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
News
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Emily Sergeant -
14th July 2022 
