Highways England tweeted: “#M62 westbound J22 #Denshaw #Ripponden #Saddleworth #A672 to J21 #Milnrow #Shaw #A640 We are currently in the process of closing the carrigeway to assist @HighwaysNWEST with an ongoing vehicle fire.”
Traffic service Inrix is now reporting that there are also delays on Woodhead Pass, as traffic seeks alternative routes across the Pennines.
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StephyC on Twitter wrote: “So far we’ve seen about 8 fire engines, 2 unmarked police, and a number of traffic police cars go past. No sign of the smoke stopping yet.”
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
News
The annual Manchester Remembers Foundation charity football match has shut down
The annual Manchester Remembers charity football match has been cancelled for 2025, and unfortunately, the wider Foundation has also shut downfor the foreseeable.
Set up back in 2020, the Manchester Remembers charity game was created to help raise funds for the families of those lost in the tragic 2017 Manchester Arena attack, raising nearly £200,000 in donations for multiple organisations.
It has been a truly treasured community event across Greater Manchester, welcoming thousands to the likes of Manchester City Academy Stadium and Oldham Athletic‘s Boundary Park, as well as spotlighting local musicians and notable figures volunteering their help for a deeply important cause.
However, the Foundation is now set to hang up its boots. Confirming the news over the bank holiday weekend, founders Aaron Lee and Paul Corrigan shared “a difficult statement to make and a decision not taken lightly.”
— The McrRemembers Foundation™️⚽️🐝 (@McrRemembers) May 3, 2025
As explained in the lengthy and emotional post, it is with a “heavy heart” that this year’s charity match has now been officially cancelled, and tickets already purchased up to this point are now being refunded.
Having played a small part in helping spread awareness around the game and the Foundation since it began, we were gutted to learn of this sad news.
The 2025 MCR Remembers game was scheduled to take place this June at a new venue for the event, Bury FC’s home ground at Gigg Lane, but following what they have labelled “a lack of support” from Greater Manchester leaders and “influential people needed to carry the event forward.”
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Lee – a former police officer turned firefighter who was one of the emergency responders on 22 May, 2017 – went on to share a follow-up video reflecting on the announcement.
As he puts in the piece to camera, he says that even if those who had been reached out to in recent times were to suddenly respond, that it is “sadly too late.”
Taking time to thank not only past sponsors, managers, ex-pros and celebrity players who have been part of the event in the past, but everyone who bought tickets to the event(s) over the past few years, stating simply: “We cant thank you enough.”
Lee, who was given both a Chief Fire Officers Commendation and British Citizen Award in 2024, went on to address those “so-called leaders and influential people” in a subsequent post, adding: “All we needed was a bit of help. But we were ignored. Thanks for the memories.”
Unsurprisingly, the comments on social media have been awash with messages of love, support and sadness upon learning of this year’s cancellation and the end of The Manchester Remembers Foundation after more than half a decade.
There is some hope, though, as he ends the video by saying, “Who knows if this is the end or not? […] I dare say we’ll be back at some point.” We can only keep our fingers crossed he’s right and the MCR Remembers charity game won’t be shut down for good.
Clubland is returning to Manchester this weekend, and we’ve got you sorted with all you need to know so you can let your hair down.
Whether you’re ready to jump up and down for a bit of ‘Everytime We Touch’ or lose it all and go crazy over ‘Now You’re Gone’, you can do both as Clubland is in town.
Instead of waiting months between seeing your favourite artists live, this night brings them all together and pops them on one big stage for a three-hour-long festival, isn’t that handy?
Get ready to live out your Europop dreams, dance the night away and enjoy some feel-good, care-free tunes.
Clubland has toured the UK numerous times and has become a firm staple in some people’s concert calendar every year.
However, fans are in luck as there are just a handful of tickets left to choose from HERE.
Clubland setlist
Basshunter and Cascada are two of the guests lined up for Clubland at AO Arena, Manchester.Credit: Remigiusz Józefowicz via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
The gig at AO Arena in Manchester will be the closing night of the 2025 UK tour, meaning fans will be dancing like nobodies watching and soaking up all those seriously good vibes.
On AO Arena’s website, the concert is set to feature various artists, including Basshunter, Billy Gillies feat. Hannah Boleyn, Cascada; Darren Styles, Flip n Fill feat. Karen Parry, Kelly Llorenna and Ultrabeat.
Although no setlist is confirmed, based on that lineup alone, anyone attending is in for a treat.
What are the stage times for Clubland in Manchester?
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning concertgoers can ‘Evacuate The Dancefloor’ before the clock strikes twelve, but we’re sure if you want to continue the party Manchester is always ready for a party and with an array of bars and clubs nearby, our city centre will be waiting with open arms.
Doors for Clubland are scheduled for 6pm with a start time of 7:30pm. The lineup looks to be complete and intact for now; regardless of any drop-outs/latecomers, we’re sure some of your favourite dance tunes will be pumping out through the arena’s speakers.
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
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Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
Getting there by car and parking
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
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Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
About the AO Arena
The AO Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
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All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
💥 Following the huge success of last year’s tour, Clubland have announced their live return to UK arenas in May 2025!
The Manc -
10th August 2020 
