BeeU, a new festival in Manchester that was to be headlined by Steps, has been cancelled.
The festival informed ticket-holders over the weekend that its Platt Fields Park event would no longer take place.
Shortly afterwards, the BeeU website and its Instagram page were taken down.
Organisers said it was ‘not a decision taken lightly’ and thanked everyone who had supported the new event.
Pop group Steps were meant to be performing as part of their 25th anniversary tour around the UK.
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Steps’ statement on BeeU Festival. Credit: Facebook, Steps
The band said they were ‘disappointed’ that the event, along with Party at The Park in Perth, had been called off.
They wrote in a Tweet: “We are disappointed to announce that the promoters of BeeUFest Manchester on Jun 18 and Party at The Park in Perth on Jun 19 are no longer able to proceed with these festival shows. Please contact your point of purchase for refunds.
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“We are sad we won’t be seeing you on those dates but we hope you can make it to other shows in our #Steps25 summer run. All other dates are going ahead as planned.”
A statement from BeeU Festival organisers said: “We are deeply disappointed to have to announce that BeeUFest will not be going ahead this summer.
We are disappointed to announce that the promoters of BeeUFest Manchester on Jun 18 and Party at The Park in Perth on Jun 19 are no longer able to proceed with these festival shows. Please contact your point of purchase for refunds. pic.twitter.com/rs8DybEatk
“We have worked hard over the last few months to bring an exciting and vibrant new event to the centre of Manchester however, sadly, we have been unable to manage this.
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“We appreciate this will be hugely disappointing for our ticket holders, many of whom supported the event from the very beginning.”
All ticket-holders have been contacted and will automatically be issued refunds.
Ticket-holders have also been given free tickets to a Jubilee party in Sackville Gardens, which is being headlined by The Vengaboys, Cheeky Girls, and Cascada.
The replacement tickets also include entry to after-parties at Bar Pop and Churchill’s in the Gay Village.
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A further statement from BeeU Festival said: “We would like to thank everyone for their support that bought tickets.
“Unfortunately with large scale events comes great costs and we understood that at the beginning, we did everything in our means to promote this event and bring a brand new fun festival to Manchester, this summer, but unfortunately we can only do so much our end and due to this had to make the decision to cancel.
“This was not a decision taken lightly but one we had to make. All ticket holders have now been contacted and fully refunded. Once again we thank everyone that was in support of this event and bought tickets.”
Featured image: Steps
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Government announces social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Default overnight curfews are set to be switched on for 16 and 17-year-olds on social media apps.
As the Government looks to take further action to back parents and ‘protect the next generation’ online, following the confirmation of the social media ban for under 16s earlier this year, it has now been announced that curfews will be introduced for 16 and 17-year-olds, as well as a crackdown on so-called ‘addictive features’.
This includes features that can keep users scrolling for longer – such as videos that automatically play one after another, and feeds that continually serve up personalised content.
Late-night curfews are set to run from midnight to 6am.
Late-night scrolling. Endless autoplay. Algorithms designed to keep you hooked.
We're changing that for 16 and 17-year-olds.
New protections will mean overnight social media curfews and addictive features will be switched off by default, helping young people get better sleep,… pic.twitter.com/ykWa9gjNRT
— Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (@SciTechgovuk) July 15, 2026
The new protections are said to be aiming to ‘strike a balance’ between giving older teens greater safeguards online, while still allowing them to change their own settings if they wish.
“These measures will help ensure there is no cliff edge in protections as young people move into their later teenage years,” the Government said in its announcement.
Today’s measures follow a first-of-its-kind Government pilot involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK, with families reporting that overnight curfews quickly became part of their routine and helped improve sleep and concentration.
The Government has announced social media curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds / Credit: Julian Christ (via Unsplash)
“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life,” explained Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall.
“We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.”
Alongside these protections, the Government says it will publish new guidance for children, parents, and guardians on how to use AI ‘safely and confidently’.
Media literacy skills will also be bolstered in schools to teach children how to navigate new types of technology.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
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Trafford Council temporarily bans barbecues, fireworks and more at key local attraction after Dovestone fires
Danny Jones
Trafford Council has issued a limited ban on barbecues, fireworks and more at the beloved public attraction and suburban hotspot, Sale Water Park, following the fires near Dovestone Reservoir.
Wildfires and areas of concern remain around the moorland region, which caught fire last weekend.
After a woman was arrested as part of a wider investigation into a group that accidentally caused the ignition, accidental or not, the Greater Manchester borough’s local authority has temporarily restricted BBQs, fireworks, and any other kinds of naked flame.
This is a proactive and preventive measure by the Council in an effort to avoid similar circumstances as those seen in the Saddleworth and Oldham vicinity, with the sight and smell of the smoke still lingering across the region.
Barbecues, fireworks and naked flames are temporarily restricted at Sale Water Park due to the increased fire risk during the hot and dry weather.
Please help us keep the park safe for visitors, wildlife and nearby communities.
As explained in the official update from Trafford Council, while local residents and tourists alike are welcome to bring picnics and cold beverages as they hope to both beat and enjoy the heat, a serious fire risk is still very much present.
Implementing the ban across Sale Water Park in an effort to protect native visitors, wildlife and nearby communities, increased police patrols will be dispatched across the 152-acre patch of grasslands and artificial lake.
While the Manc nature reserve and popular slice of countryside just beyond the outskirts of the city centre will still be open from “dawn until dusk” throughout the week, security staff will also be on site, ready on standby with water and sand available to safely extinguish any fires.
The Council has also reminded people to park responsibly and avoid blocking access routes in and around the parkland, as recent busy periods during the ongoing UK heatwave have led to congestion in and around the park, which can also delay emergency vehicles.
Visitors are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport where possible.
A Trafford Council spokesperson said in an official statement: “We want everyone to enjoy Sale Water Park safely. However, the current hot and dry conditions mean there is an increased risk of fire, particularly from barbecues, fireworks and naked flames.
“This temporary restriction is a proportionate step to protect people, wildlife and the park itself. Visitors are very welcome to bring cold picnics, but we are asking everyone not to bring or light barbecues while the restriction is in place.
“We’re also asking visitors to park considerately, keep access routes clear and take litter home if bins are full. To avoid the busiest times, people could consider visiting before 9am or later in the evening.”
As for the Dovestone and Tintwistle Moor blaze, the latest is that a suspect’s identity has now been revealed; you can find out more down below.
Daisy Jackson -
17th May 2022 
