Manchester Airport has announced that passengers will once again be able to catch a direct flight to Las Vegas from next year.
The bright lights of the fabulous Las Vegas are calling.
When it comes to non-stop flights, those jetting off on holiday from Manchester Airport currently have over 169 exciting destinations in 50 countries to choose from – but now, you can add the party capital of the US to that list, as Virgin Atlantic has confirmed that its latest direct route from the Northern hub is Las Vegas.
The Nevada hotspot has always been a popular travel destination, not only because of its legendary nightlife scene, but also thanks to the fact it provides a gateway to the wide range of attractions in America’s West.
The stunning scenery of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park, the Pacific Highway, and the major cities of San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles, are all within reaching distance from the desert city – which is presumably why Virgin Atlantic has chosen it as its next direct route from Manchester.
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🚨✈️ Flights from Manchester to Las Vegas are returning with @VirginAtlantic 🎉
Operating on their newest Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, passengers will be able to choose from 3 flights a week from June 2024, with tickets going on sale from July 2023.
Starting from 2 June 2024, three flights a week will depart from Manchester Airport Las Vegas.
Flights to Las Vegas will operate on Virgin Atlantic’s newest Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, and will be added to the US routes already available through the airline from Manchester Airport to Orlando, New York, and Atlanta
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The new Las Vegas route makes Manchester the only airport in the UK outside London to fly directly to America’s West Coast.
“It’s hugely exciting to see the return of Virgin Atlantic’s direct service to Las Vegas, which has always been one of our most popular long-haul routes,” Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, Chris Woodroofe, said of the new flight destination.
Manchester Airport announces direct flights to Las Vegas from 2024 / Credit: WallpaperFlare
“As the UK’s global gateway in the North, it’s great to work with airline partners like Virgin Atlantic to connect the region directly to as many destinations around the globe as possible.
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“I am sure this service will be really popular with passengers and we look forward to continuing our work with Virgin Atlantic to further grow its route network from its Northern home in Manchester in the years to come.”
20 of the best Father’s Day deals in and around Greater Manchester | 2025
Danny Jones
This weekend is festivals galore with Parklife and Outbreak, as well as National Beer Day here in the Uk, but most importantly for lots of us, it’s Father’s Day, i.e. that one specific time of year when you can spoil the bloke who ‘never asks for anything’, is ‘always looking after the rest of us’and so on.
You know the drill.
Every year, when it comes round to Mother’s Day, we always get the usual suspects commenting, ‘What about Father’s Day?’ – well, for what we hope is the final time, the date is the third Sunday in June and in 2025, it happens to be this coming Sunday, 15 June.
Now we’ve got all the tedious housekeeping out of the way, we’re going to channel our inner non-nonsense dad energy and tell you a few deals and offers that you can score for your pops this Father’s Day in a handy little round-up. We think they’d be proud of that already.
Great Father’s Day deals and offers for Greater Manchester dads
The Black Friar – Salford: ‘Bottomless Boddingtons’ deal; book a table this Sunday and when you buy your pops a pint, he gets free refills.
The Black Friar’s Father Day offer has to be one of the best deals around, if you ask us.Boddies is the ultimate Mancunian dad beer.Credit: The Manc Group
1.Lane7 – Great Northern Warehouse: Free pint when booking and using the codeCHEERSDAD at checkout online.
2.J. W. Lees – Various: Sunday roast with all the trimmings, bottomless gravy and unlimited Yorkshire puddings at all J. W. Lees locations.
3.Greene King – Various: Free pint of any Greene King-brewed beer for dads when booking a table for food at any Greene King pub.
Credit: The MancA Greene King great.Greene King is keeping their Father’s Day deals special for 2025: free pints, init.
4.Spirit of Manchester Distillery – City centre: Complimentary rum negroni for all dads. Feasting boards + a bottle of wine for £50 are also available.
5.Stock Exchange Hotel – City centre: Limited-edition Afternoon Tea and Sunday Lunch all Father’s Day weekend. Afternoon teas are available all weekend from 12:30pm until 5pm (4:30pm on Saturday). Book now to secure your spot.
6.Sexy Fish – Spinningfields: ‘Roll the dice’ offer, where fathers can win prizes, including an extra game, free beer, raffle entry, and dad eats free. There is a catch, though, as you can also land yourself a trick, which means dad pays for everything… You can book HERE.
7.Pip – Deansgate: Add a welcome drink and complimentary massage from specialists Ruuby before or after food when reserving a table for Sunday lunch. Bookings HERE.
8.Albert’s Schloss – City centre: Every dad dining ‘in-haus’ will receive a branded stein and a bottle of Krombacher to take home; they can even have it engraved from 1-4pm when booking in advance. There will also be a ‘Rise + Shine Brunch’, where dads can take control of the playlist.
9.Zouk – Oxford Road Corridor: Brunch and Sunday roast sharing platters, close-up magic with Daniel Maze, as well as Zouk BBQ Banquet Kits and Masterclasses.
As far as deals and offers go, Zouk has some of the best in Manchester as it is, let alone on Father’s Day. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
10.The Ivy – Spinningfields: Cowboy-themed Father’s Day set menus on Saturday, 14 and Sunday, 15 June. Top-quality meat and fish are the stars of the show, and dads will also take home a limited edition set of The Ivy playing cards as a souvenir. More info on the menu and bookings HERE.
11.TGI Fridays – Central and Trafford Centre: Free pint of Hofmeister (or alcohol-free version) with any portion of wings purchased.
12.TheRefuge/Kimpton Clocktower Hotel – Oxford Road: Free pint on Manchester Union Lager when booking a meal this Sunday.
13.Cockfield’s Farm Park – Oldham/Ashton: Free entry for dads with every child ticket. In addition to the usual resident animals, kids’ playground, cafe and gift shop, there will also be a ‘Machine Madness’ event this weekend. Find out more HERE.
14.Seven Brothers – Ancoats, Media City, Salford Brewery and Taproom: Father’s Day Bundle (12 cans from £34.95) and Gift Pack (£9.95) as well as other discounted items available to order online.
15.Forbici – City centre: Free haircut for all fathers at Urban Gent when settling the bill.
One of the most random Father’s Day deals in Manchester, we’ll admit, but we rate it.
16.The Lead Station – Chorlton: Free pint of beer and branded Shindigger pint glass. Set Sunday menus are also available for booking.
17.The Martlet Kitchen – Rochdale: Special Father’s Day menu; as well as the usual stunning Sunday roast, dads can also share a ‘Tomahawk Rib Eye for Two’ or ‘The Lancashire Mixed Grill’ – both built for big boys. You can find out more details and reserve your table HERE.
It really is a Greater Manchester gem, and its Father’s Day menu offers plenty of variety, plus quality too.
18.Manchester Airport – GM Ringway: Hangar and aircraft showcase tours at the Runway Visitor Park as well as a free sausage or bacon barm. Now, if this Father’s Day offer isn’t the most dad deal on this list, we don’t know what is. You can book online or over the phone on 0161 489 3932.
19. Maya – Gay Village: Bottomless brunch promising 90 minutes of free-flowing drinks as well as a ‘Quiz & Cocktails’ event from 6:30pm onwards. The prize? £50 bar tab.
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20.meetspaceVR – Trafford Park: 25% off all gift cards when using code BONUSTIME at checkout, and those who spend £50 or more can claim a bonus Black Card, which gets you 25% off all future bookings. As in forever.
Now, obviously, this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the Father’s Day deals and offers that there in and around Greater Manchester this year, but it’s a bloody good start.
And on a very serious note, if this particular annual observance is one that you’re also guilty of perhaps overlooking, then let’s make 2025 the last year that is the case.
Happy Father’s Day to all the proper good pops out there – we love you. Cheers.
Yellow weather warning issued for Parklife weekend with thunderstorms forecast
Daisy Jackson
A yellow weather warning has been issued for Greater Manchester over the weekend – just as Parklife festival gets underway.
The Met Office has predicted thunderstorms may hit the region on Saturday, the first day of the two-day party up at Heaton Park.
There’s a yellow weather warning in place across much of the UK over the coming days, but it doesn’t come into force in Greater Manchester until Saturday.
The Met Office is currently predicting wet weather for Parklife festival-goers on day one, with a 70% chance of light rain from the time the gates open until early evening.
It’s then might to brighten up and is likely to be dry, if a little cloudy, into the evening.
The yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place from midnight until 6pm on Saturday 14 June.
Temperatures are expected to peak at around 21°C
As for Sunday at Parklife, which will be headlined by none other than Charli XCX, the weather is looking a lot more settled, if a bit cooler.
There are forecasted highs of 18°C and lows of 12°.
While the day will begin quite overcast, it’s expected to really brighten up with sunny intervals in the afternoon and into the evening.
Back in 2023, when thunderstorms hit Manchester during Parklife, the entire festival had to be momentarily halted.
On that occasion, festival-goers were told to ‘keep away from metal structures’ and all the live music was paused.
Emily Sergeant -
6th June 2023 
