An enormous new festival-style outdoor venue opens its doors on First Street in Manchester today, Friday 28th May.
Bringing the likes of Russell Howard down to perform live at its open-air theatre, as well as running a special ‘Manchester’ stage showcasing live performances from some of the city’s finest musical and comedy talents, this is definitely one to put on your list.
Curated by local theatre, film and arts centre HOME, Homeground has taken over a previously disused patch of land that’s three times the size of Albert Square.
Empty no more, it’s now home to three huge arenas: a 400-seat Cabinet of Curiosities-themed theatre space called Showground, a 1,100 capacity food and drink terrace, and a Bruntwood Stage hosting live performances from some of Manchester’s hottest local talents.
Vegan bao buns from street food trader Vertigo
Entry Is free and you won’t need a ticket – with the exception of the theatre shows at Showground, which people are being encouraged to book in advance for.
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Dotted around the site are 11 classic Manchester signs riffing off iconic places in the city, from the Arndale and Dutch Pancake House to Withy Grove Stores and Hulme Hippodrome.
Elsewhere, old Metrolink bus stop signs demarcate the outdoor picnic tables – so if you’re meeting your friends and need a landmark, you can say “meet me at the 192.”
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The Food & Drink Terrace
Street food and drink vendors setting up shop at the site for the summer include vegan eatery Vertigo, wine connoisseurs Cork of the North, Wolf at the Door, Tampopo, Bean and Bubble, Triple B Bagels, and HOME’s own chefs cooking up a selection of pizzas and fried chicken.
On top of all this, there’s. a fun cocktail bar and a Budvar truck selling super-fresh czech beers on tap.
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The Bruntwood Stage
The Bruntwood Stage will host a range of free shows fro local talents throughout the summer
The Bruntwood stage, which will host music and other live performances throughout the summer, is flanked with two giant tiffany lamps borrowed from Blackpool Illuminations.
And more retro pieces from the Blackpool Illuminations collection are spread around the site – as are pieces of work from local artist David Bailey.
All entertainment here is completely free, with a programme spanning comedy, live music, DJ sets and more over the next four months.
Original Hacienda resident DJ Paulette has curated a ‘tea party’ of 50 different DJ’s to carry sets across the summer, including the likes of Clint Boon, Katbrownsugar, Hattie Pearson, Jamie Groovement and Werkha.
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There are also some takeovers on the cards here from the likes of Manchester Camerata, RNCM, and Manchester Jazz Festival, plus appearances from Mr Wilson’s Second Liners, New Order’s Stephen Morris, Contact Theatre, and Bourgeois and Morris.
Showground
Showground: the new 400 capacity, socially-distanced open air theatre venue
HOME has also collaborated with local favourites like Frog & Bucket, Contact theatre, and Trans Creative to contribute to their theatre programme at Showground. These will complement bigger performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice In Wonderland, with a special vogueing performance expected from Manchester’s own Contact theatre.
All events at the venue’s huge socially distanced theatre Showground will be ticketed. These can be bought in advance or at the door, with tables seating up to six people together in line with government guidance.
If that wasn’t enough, Homeground’s also got a few surprises up their sleeves for later this year – including a fourth arena space in which they hope to host some q&as and family events.
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To find out more information and purchase tickets, head over to the Homeground website.
FAQ’s
Homeground on First Street is a socially distanced space a five minute walk away from HOME and is suitable for all ages
All spaces on-site at Homeground will be fully accessible. The site has been working with consultants Attitude is Everything to ensure facilities are suitable for all audiences.
Please be aware that it is an outdoor site, so there may be some uneven ground, however the full space is on one level with no steps.
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Plenty of seating is provided and staff will allocate seating in the Food & Drink Terrace on arrival.
There is a drop-off point for those arriving by car on James Grigor Square off Medlock Street.
There are plenty of toilets available on the site including four accessible cubicles.
Homeground will be adhering to all government guidelines in relation to COVID-19.
News
Local BID board launch new ‘Visit Alty’ app ahead of Taste of Altrincham 2026
Danny Jones
One of Trafford’s resident BID (Business Improvement District) board have officially launched their brand-new ‘Visit Alty’ app for the market town ahead of this year’s A Taste of Altrincham festival.
Set to be a dedicated one-stop where residents can find out what’s going on in and around the area, the platform is already available on the likes of the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android phones.
As A Taste of Alty returns for 2026, this is just the second instalment in the total 10-day food and drink party – with a big opening weekend celebration starting this Friday, 27 February – the latest innovation by Altrincham BID is hoping to keep residents more up to date on their village than ever.
Sponsored by native law firm Myerson Solicitors and supported by various local businesses, the sophomore edition of the now annual festivities serves as the ideal staging event for the fledgling Visit Altrincham app.
Running until Sunday, 8 March, A Taste of Altrincham is even bigger this time around. (Credit: Press shot)
With a full programme events kicking off this weekend, the app itself is ideal for keeping track of everything going.
In addition to workshops, live demos by regional chefs, supper clubs, wine tastings, the latest ‘Ultimate Pudding Competition’ and lots of other special events, it can be hard to keep track of everything.
That why, like any good festival, the app has a full map and guide featuring all the key info.
Beyond just the event itself, the app itself is aimed at supporting local independents and more by helping to increase their exposure, sign-post daytrippers to the old Cheshire holdout’s best bits, and push more and more people to one of the borough’s blossoming suburb in general.
Teaming up with a number of popular locations in and around the town centre, it’s a real come one, come all affair – just as things should be.
Residents and visitors alike can also found physical printed copies of the full Taste of Alty ’26 programme nearby at the likes of Altrincham Library, the Bee Network Interchange, as well as OYEZ Arts at the Town Hall.
Created with digital town hub partners, Loqiva, co-founder Marcus Chidgey said in a statement: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Altrincham BID to support Altrincham’s continued growth.
“With a strong independent business scene, an award-winning Market and excellent transport connections to Manchester, the Visit Altrincham app offers a new way for people to discover and explore the town.”
As for the local BID department, Alty’s director Mandy White added: “If you haven’t downloaded the Visit Altrincham app yet, now is the perfect time. It’s a simple way to find out what’s on, discover local businesses and unlock exclusive offers, especially during A Taste of Altrincham.
“The app helps people get more from their visit while supporting our independent businesses and high street brands.”
The Visit Altrincham app is FREE to download right now – you can find it HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Altrincham BID)
News
The local family and fellow Mancunians campaigning to create ‘Kimberley’s Law’ in the UK
Danny Jones
The name Kimberley Louise McAssey might not be familiar to you, but one Manchester family’s hope is that a law proposed in her honour could see her memory kept alive in the minds of many across Great Britain and beyond.
For anyone who doesn’t know the tragic story, Kimberley McAssey, a young mother of just 29 from Prestwich, sadly died after lying unresponsive for more than 30 hours.
It was during this time that decomposition resulted in coroners being unable to deliver a proper post-mortem, meaning not only did the irresponsible delay in contacting authorities prevent potential life-saving measures from being carried out, but also her cause of death from ever being fully determined.
Now, a whole five years on from her passing, the McAsseys, loved ones, locals, and those who have continued to push for crucial updates to legislation as part of the ‘Kimberley’s Law’ campaign across the UK, are finally starting to receive some promising responses from key figures.
As well as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and his office replying in a lengthy letter to the family, Labour MP for Salford, Rebecca Long Bailey, has also promised to examine proposals put forward to Parliament moving forward.
Colleague Christian Wakeford (Bury South) has also shown his support for the cause in the past.
The most significant part of their calls for change comes down to the fact that, surprisingly, it is not currently against the law to postpone and/or avoid calling for an ambulance entirely – something that they and so many others agree seems shocking, to put it mildly.
As a result, Sheridan wasn’t directly charged regarding her death, though he has since been prosecuted and was sentenced to prison on Class A drug possession charges.
Sheridan also declined to attend Kimberley’s inquest at Rochdale Coroners’ Court back in 2024, despite being summoned to give evidence and being the sole witness to the incident.
Credit: Kimberely’s Law Facebook page.Politicians are finally taking notice, but now they need fellow Mancs to get behind them.
It will never be known whether or not the Prestwich resident could have been rescued, nor will we ever be able to truly and definitively confirm how she died, but those committed to remembering are hoping to make sure that situations like this can be avoided in the future.
With family friend Bonnie Greaves and countless other natives to the area having already helped get behind the cause, a petition to the UK government has now surpassed 10,000 signatures.
However, as always, it requires ten times that amount to guarantee it is brought up in the House of Commons, so nearly half a decade on from her passing, people are once again calling for Kimberely Law’s to be brought forward not just as a bill, but as a matter of morality.
You can find out more and sign the official Kimberley’s Law petition for yourself right HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
28th May 2021 
