The UK’s biggest indoor Christmas theme park is returning to Manchester after a four-year break – bringing the magic of Christmas back to be enjoyed by families across the region.
The original Christmas spectacular Winter Wonderland will be coming home to Trafford’s indoor venue EventCity for 2021, having become a top attraction in the city in the years from 2013-2017.
The event will be bringing with it some magical Christmas experiences, with real reindeer on-site and elves and fairies on hand to greet little ones as they arrive to visit Santa in his grotto.
Image: Winter Wonderland
Organisers Kingpin Events will transform the indoor 22,000 sq m exhibition space into an “unbelievable and magical winter wonderland” with over 50 family rides on hand to enjoy, including popular favourites like the dodgems, roller coasters, waltzers and more.
They’ll also be bringing a huge array of children’s theatre to the fore this Christmas, with plenty of child-friendly shows taking place on the main stage with daily performances held throughout the Christmas period.
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And as a special thank you to families, organisers will be introducing reduced ticket prices on certain days throughout the festive period to celebrate their return to Manchester.
Image: Winter Wonderland
Featuring TV stars Daisy and Ollie, families can head down to enjoy shows like the Ice Princess Show, Christmas Meltdown and the return of Winter Wonderland’s spectacular Christmas Circus.
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There’ll be festive foods aplenty to enjoy too, from German bratwursts to waffles and crepes, plus lots of Christmassy games stalls to keep the kids happily entertained. Elsewhere, a German bar will serving up fresh Bavarian beers and other festive drinks and adult refreshments.
The magical festive bonanza has taken over Trafford’s EventCity every Christmas until 2017, at which point it was replaced with similar concept Winter Funland.
Image: Winter Wonderland
However, after a brief hiatus, the original spectacular Christmas event is back – and organisers still say they’ve more surprises up their sleeve that are still to be announced. Personally, we can’t wait.
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Speaking on their return, organisersTammy and Billy Silcock of Kingpin Events said “We are absolutely delighted to be returning to Manchester this Christmas after a four-year gap, after the last 18 months we all need to create magical memories with our families, and we hope the return of the event will spread joy across the region.
Image: Winter Wonderland
“As a special thank you for the hard work of our NHS and Armed Forces we are introducing reduced ticket prices on specific days throughout the run.”
Located at Event City next to the Intu Trafford Centre, this year’s Winter Wonderland event runs from Saturday 4th December 2021 to Sunday 2nd January 2022.
Tickets are on sale now, priced at £29.50 for adults and children off-peak and £35 at peak times. OAPs are priced at £20 and £27.50 respectively, and under-threes can visit for free at any time.
Neighbourhood Weekender reveals second wave of HUGE acts for summer lineup
Thomas Melia
Neighbourhood Weekender has just dropped another list of names for its 2025 lineup.
The Warrington-based festival is always stacked with mega acts, with this summer’s lineup being absolutely no different, and a whole new bunch of famous faces have just been announced this week too.
This new batch of bands and artists sees the addition of some rising stars, as well as some much-loved favourites.
First up on the impressive roster is Dylan John Thomas, who may be known for his rockstar tunes, but he also loves to break it up with a performance of ABBA classic ‘Mamma Mia’ from time to time.
Villanelle are also ready to raise the roof, and if that name sounds familiar to you, then that’s because the band is fronted by none other than Liam Gallagher’s son, Gene, while another big highlight on the lineup just announced is The Slow Readers Club.
Neighbourhood Weekender reveals second wave of HUGE acts for summer lineup / Credit: Supplied
This list doesn’t end there either, as busker-turned-overnight-star Alex Spencer is on the bill and is already proclaimed as one of the UK’s most promising songwriters.
Previously, this popular indie rock festival – which is taking place this May bank holiday weekend on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May – had already announced huge names like James, Stereophonics, The Wombats, and The Reytons as some of the acts performing across this two-day event.
If this second wave of names didn’t convince you enough to get a ticket already though, worry not, as more names are soon to be revealed.
Manchester to get ANOTHER new city centre park as plans get green light
Emily Sergeant
You wait 100 years for a new city centre park, and then two come along one after the other.
That’s right, merely a few years after Mayfield Park finally opened to the Manchester public after more than a century without one, it’s now been revealed that another park is planned for the city centre, as the Government has given the green light to a major new ‘digital campus’ bringing 7,000 civil service jobs to the region.
The new state-of-the-art hub, which will be known as Manchester Digital Campus, will be constructed on the site of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats, alongside the new park.
As mentioned, the campus will bring together a number of Civil Service departments, all with a focus around digital skills, and the Government claims it will create ‘significant employment opportunities’ and ‘economic benefits’ in the region.
Ultimately, Government ministers say these ambitious plans are set to boost Manchester’s digital and tech sector.
Our proposed plans for the Manchester Digital Campus have received the green light!
The state-of-the-art campus in Ancoats will bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills.
— Government Property Agency (the GPA) (@UKGovPropAgency) February 20, 2025
Alongside the new campus, however, is the perhaps even-more-exciting addition of a new urban park, which is aiming to improve access to quality green space for city centre residents and visitors, while also creating a connection to the existing Cotton Field Park behind and through to Ancoats and New Islington.
The park space has been designed in collaboration with landscape architects Planit-IE following public consultation.
According to Manchester City Council, a central lawn and plaza will create a ‘green buffer’ to Great Ancoats Street, with various tiered gardens navigating the different level changes across the site, alongside play areas, paths, and tranquil areas to escape the noise of the city.
The park has also been designed to make sure that it’s fully accessible for all.
A new digital campus by @UKGovPropAgency bringing 7,000 quality jobs to Manchester has been approved.
The campus will transform a derelict former retail site alongside a new city centre park in Ancoats.
The site will accommodate new walking and cycling routes, helping to link to other city centre active travel investment in Ancoats, Northern Quarter, and out towards the Etihad Campus.
“The new park is a welcome addition to our city centre green spaces,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“It’s a reimagining of the former retail site that has for many years acted only as a barrier to the community behind – and an eyesore in one of the most exciting parts of our city.”
Georgina Pellant -
21st September 2021 
