A huge taco and tequila festival is coming to Manchester for the very first time this September, bringing more than 30 street food tacos and 50 types of tequila with it.
Combining cultural live entertainment with an array of authentic Mexican flavours, those heading down to Taco Town can expect to find an array of different dishes on offer at the event, which will take place at new city centre venue Love Factory later this year.
With room to host more than 5,000 taco and tequila fans at once, it is being branded as the UK’s largest taco and tequila festival.
The festival will spread across four arenas and boast a vast array of different dishes. In addition to the 30 different taco stalls, guests will also be able to tuck into traditional burritos, nachos and tostadas, with plenty of vegan options and even a variety of sweet ‘dessert’ tacos to choose from.
As for drinks, expect plenty of cocktails including hundreds of different margaritas that will range from sweet to spicy, frozen to classic.
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Image: Taco Town
Image: Taco Town
Entertainment-wise, festival-goers can expect to find Mariachi bands, Lucha Libre Wrestling, Chilli eating contests and rodeo rides, plus a Pinata beating championship, Mexican bingo, tequila tasting sessions and even games of cactus hoopla.
Due to take place on 23 September at new Manchester venue Love Factory, the festival will be split into two sessions. The first in the afternoon will run from 12-5pm, followed by an evening session running from 6-11pm.
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Tickets are on sale now, and early birds have the option to sign up early to get £10 off tickets and a free branded shot glass on entry.
Tom Cullen, Marketing Manager of Taco Town, said: “We are excited to bring Taco Town to Manchester for the first time, to share their delicious variety of tacos and tequila.
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“With an array of entertainment including Mariachi bands and Lucha Libre wrestling, this will be an unmissable event with a truly loco atmosphere.”
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Georgina Pellant -
10th May 2023 
