Ambitious £24 million plans for a brand-new home for Oldham Coliseum have officially been submitted this week.
After the historic theatre in the heart of Oldham announced its shock closure with a heartbreaking statement due to a loss of funding earlier this year, Oldham Council went on to unveil its vision for the future of Oldham Coliseum back in June, and even shared a few photos of what the impressive new cultural hub could look like.
With a design that’s been influenced by surrounding historical buildings, and using materials to “complement” the town’s current architecture, the Council says the plans for the “modern and accessible” theatre make it both suitable for the audiences of today, all while in keeping with Oldham’s proud history.
A main auditorium with seating for more than 300 people, a 120-seat studio theatre, an education suite, and a number of all-day café bar areas – which can also be used as additional performance spaces – all form part of the £24 million masterplan.
Plans for Oldham Coliseum’s £24m ‘new home’ have officially been submitted / Credit: Oldham Council
And now, those “ambitious” plans have officially been submitted this week – with a decision due to be made on the application by November.
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Set to take shape and form a focal point of Oldham’s new outdoor arts and performance space, the “new home” for Oldham Coliseum would be open from morning into the evening, and won’t just be a place for performances and theatre, according to the Council, but also a place where people can “meet up and socialise”.
The Council also hopes the exciting new theatre will boost the town’s night time economy.
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The plans form a focal point of Oldham’s new outdoor arts and performance space / Credit: Oldham Council
Speaking as the £24 million plans were submitted for approval this week, Cllr Arooj Shah, who is the Leader of Oldham Council, said: “This is such an exciting next step for Oldham Coliseum, theatregoers in Oldham and beyond, and everyone involved who has helped bring this new theatre to life.
“Oldham has such a fantastic heritage of theatre and production spanning back decades, so it’s important we continue this for future generations.
“It’s also important to remember that this new space won’t just be a theatre.
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“It will be a place that encourages people to come together with friends and family to get creative, socialise with one another and celebrate the arts [and] I personally can’t wait to see our new theatre throw open its doors.”
A formal decision is due to be made on the plans by November 2023 / Credit: Oldham Council
Duncan Craig OBE, Chair of Trustees, Oldham Coliseum’s Chair of Trustees, Duncan Craig, has also called the formal submitting of the plans this week “another exciting step forward”.
But he admitted that there’s “still a journey ahead”.
“The success of the theatre will only happen if we work together and show just exactly what a mighty Coliseum can be,” he concluded.
Featured Image – Oldham Council
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The Tour de France is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s official: both the male and female Tour de France are coming to Greater Manchester and nine other destinations across the UK in 2027.
As one of the biggest locations on the list, it’s another big sporting landmark for us Mancs.
Confirmed on Thursday, 15 January, the men’s race and the Tour de France Femmes (TdFF) will be passing through our region next summer.
Revealing the news in an exciting announcement video on social media, you can see the other cities and towns that the world-famous endurance event will be hitting here:
With Greater Manchester boasting not only the National Cycling Centre, but having already hosted the Tour of Britain – which has passed through Altrincham on multiple ocassions – we’re well-versed when it comes to the sport.
It’s been more than a decade since the Tour de France last took place in the UK, with London and Yorkshire hosting three stages of the biggest date on the annual cycling calendar back in 2014.
Fast forward a dozen years, and not only will they both be participating again, but Great Britain will see dual Grand Départs for men and women for the very first time.
Not only are we buzzing that the racing will be returning to our friends in Leeds and Sheffield, but also nice to see other Northern regions lending their roads and stunning landscapes, such as the Lake District and wider parts of Cumbria.
You can see the full route map broken down below.
🇬🇧 Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, London 🇬🇧
💛 Grand Départ Great Britain 2027: in the footsteps of the pioneers!
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) January 15, 2026
Speaking in an official press release, race director Christian Prudhomme said: “The UK has always welcomed the Tour with passion and pride, and the route details we are revealing today reflect the beauty and diversity of Britain’s terrain.”
“Bringing both Grand Départs here is a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK.”
TdFF counterpart, Marion Rousse, added: “The UK has played an important role in the history of women’s cycling, with champions such as Lizzie Deignan.
“Starting the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Leeds is a strong choice, closely linked to this heritage and to the enthusiasm of a public that knows and loves the Tour. These stages clearly reflect the race’s ambition: to continue growing women’s cycling and to inspire future generations.”
Manchester Airport to launch seven new ‘exciting’ routes across the world in 2026
Emily Sergeant
Mancs will soon get the chance to travel to some of the most beautiful and underrated places on Earth for the first time.
Now that 2026 is here and well underway, the new year is shaping up to be ‘groundbreaking’ for Manchester Airport – especially with its decade-long, £1.3 billion transformation of Terminal 2 due to be completed in a matter of weeks, and a project to redesign and improve other areas and terminals also rapidly progressing.
But if that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the promise of seven new flight routes to destinations across the world being added into the mix should do it.
Four of the destinations are even completely brand-new to the Airport too.
Manchester Airport has launched seven new routes for 2026 / Credit: Daphne Richard | Denilo | Henrique Ferreira (via Unsplash)
Already described as being ‘the UK’s global gateway in the North’, Manchester Airport offers a route network that’s unparalleled outside London, with more than 200 destinations served by 50 airlines – but that network is set to widen again this year, with seven new services already confirmed from the likes of easyJet, Jet2.com and Ryanair.
From stunning French cities and Italian islands, to Greek landscapes and even the chance to see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, there’s so much to choose from on the roster of new destinations.
easyJet’s service to Montpellier – one of the biggest cities in southern France, offering an array of cultural and archaeological sites, museums, galleries, beaches, and more – launches on Monday 30 March, while Jet2 begins flying to the Canary Island of La Palma form Friday 3 April, and the first direct service from Manchester to Palermo, the largest city on the island of Sicily, starts on Friday 1 May.
2025 has brought exciting developments for our airfield and Terminal 2! ✨
Manchester Airport is looking better than ever and there is still more exciting improvements to come.
Preveza and Samos, both in Greece, the Spanish city loved by locals, Castellon, and the ancient Turkish gem of Bodrum round out the list of new destinations.
More routes are also expected be confirmed over the course of this year too, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements.
“Our route network is unrivalled, with more than 200 destinations across the planet,” commented Chris Woodroofe, who is the Managing Director at Manchester Airport.
“Here we have a list here of what we refer to as our biggest unserved destinations – that’s the destinations that we don’t have direct flights to but have the greatest demand, demonstrated by people from the region travelling to them either on connecting flights or from other airports.”
Emily Sergeant -
30th August 2023 
