The Bridgewater Hall has unveiled its series of Christmas events, featuring family-friendly events, Christmas carol sing-alongs, and magical ballet.
The festive season at the beautiful arts venue will be absolutely packed with seasonal cheer and incredible performances.
Several of the events are geared towards younger theatre-goers, including Raymond Briggs’ animated classic The Snowman and the Halle’s Family Concert.
On Christmas Eve, people will be invited to sing along to Christmas classics, with an orchestra and a choir.
Here’s everything included in The Bridgewater Hall’s Christmas events series.
ADVERTISEMENT
A Dickensian Christmas – 11 December
A Dickensian Christmas at Bridgewater Hall. Credit: Publicity picture
This event will feature a selection of Victorian carols, classics, and readings from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Songs will include Joy to the World, Ding Dong Merrily on High, and In the Bleak Midwinter, plus carols like Good King Wenceslas and O Come All Ye Faithful.
The soundtracks from the greatest Christmas films of all time will be brought to life by the Manchester Concert Orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall this month.
Songs will come from the likes of Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Snowman, Gremlins, White Christmas, The Polar Express, E.T., and Miracle on 34th Street.
It’ll be festive overload when the ultimate Christmas party returns to The Bridgewater Hall, with special guest singers Kerry Ellis and Ricardo Afonso.
They’ll be joined by Jingle Bell dancers for an extravaganza of music, song and dance, including Step Into Christmas, Fairytale of New York, and Let It Snow.
Horrible Histories – Horrible Christmas – 20 December
Hit children’s brand Horrible Histories will be back on the stage with a Christmas tale this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
They say: “When Christmas comes under threat from a jolly man dressed in red, it’s up to one young boy to save the day – but can he save Christmas?
“From Victorian villains to Medieval monks, Puritan parties to Tudor treats, join us on a hair-raising adventure through the history of Christmas in the company of Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, King Henry VIII and St Nicholas as they all join forces to save the festive season!”
Warm up your vocal cords and get ready for the biggest, most festive sing-along of the year.
Jonathan Cohen will lead audiences through Christmas songs and seasonal classics like Frosty the Snowman, Merry Christmas Everyone, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and a whole host of carols too.
The UK’s most renowned big band is returning, swinging back in time playing Glenn Miller’s own arrangements of favourite wartime chart toppers and hits from the forties, directed by legendary band leader Ray McVay.
Expect songs like In the Mood, Little Brown Jug, Moonlight Serenade, American Patrol and The Dam Busters March.
One of the world’s best-loved ballets will be back at The Bridgewater Hall, sweeping audiences away to a fairytale world where toy dolls spring to life, the Mouse-king and his mouse-army battle with the Nutcracker Prince and we travel through the Land of Snow to an enchanted place where the magic really begins.
It’s the first time the critically acclaimed Varna International Ballet have performed in the UK.
The Great Manchester Run is back for 2025
Danny Jones
Get your trainers at the ready, 0161, because the Great Manchester Run is back once again this year and you’ll be glad to hear nothing’s changed: it’s still one of the best days on the sporting calendar.
Taking place in its usual spring slot on Sunday, 18 May, the 2025 Great Manchester Run will once again see thousands of locals and people from all over take on two terrific distances, not to mention thousands raised for charity in what remains a day which shows us Mancs in our best light.
With more than 30,000 runners set to take part and more than 100k spectators expected to line the streets with their signs – and hopefully, some sugary sweets to keep the energy high – we can’t wait to see the crowds gathering throughout the city.
Starting on the long stretch of Portland Street for the half-marathon route and running past both Manchester City and Man United’s home grounds, passing through the likes of Trafford and near Salford Quays, it’s a route many regular racers will be familiar with.
Better still, if you’re running Manchester’s 10k course Great Run, you get to avoid the long incline over and Mancunian Way and back (thank the lord), although the entire race is largely considered to be fantastically flat compared to many others in the UK.
One thing that both the HM and 10k runs have in common, though, is the grandstand finish towards Deansgate and if you’ve never soaked in the glory and non-stop cheering in that moment before, it should be more than enough to convince you that this is your time.
Set to be televised on the BBC as it is every year, as well as music zones to keep the tunes and blood pumping throughout the day; multiple designated cheer squads along the route
You only have to take it from those who ran last year to hear how special a day it is:
It’s also a brilliant way to raise money for important causes — read more HERE.
Junior and Mini MCR Runs
But it doesn’t stop there…
Even more excitingly for the young ones who want to lace up their fastest pair of shoes, children can also get involved with this year’s Great Manchester Run as kids aged three and upwards can take part.
Offering both the mini 1.6km dash for 3 to 8-year-olds and a 2.5k supercharged sprint race available for the juniors (8-15), the 2025 event really is a weekend for everyone. Taking place on Saturday 17th May, the day before the main event, it’s the kids’ chance to take centre stage!
If the crowd cheering their names isn’t incentive enough, a shiny new medal and finishers t-shirt should do the trick.
With the main event on Sunday, 18 May 2025 and with runners getting started from as early as 8:20am, it’s going to be an action-packed day and one you won’t forget. There are eventraining plans to help get you up to speed for race day.
Now into its 22nd year – with the likes of Eilish McColgan and Sir Mo Farah having taken part in the momentous 20th anniversary back in 2023 – the pedigree, support and all-round vibes surrounding this event only get bigger and better each time it returns.
We tend to find that many who come along watch from the sidelines inevitably get swept up in the spirit of it all and end up entering themselves the following year, so you might as well just take the plunge and join us this year.
You can sign up for the 2025 Great Manchester Run HERE – see you at the start line!
Featured Images — AJ Bell Great Manchester Run (supplied)
Sponsored
‘The world’s biggest Eurovision festival’ and celebration is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
An absolutely massive Eurovision festival and all-around celebration is coming to Manchester this year ahead of the Finals in Switzerland this May – in fact, it claiming to be the biggest in the world.
Taking place in our city for the first time ever, the official ‘MancHagen Eurovision Party’ is heading to 0161 for the annual festival’s 20th anniversary and it’s promising a huge programme of events, live music, entertainment and, most importantly, it’s all for a good cause.
Kicking off one of the best weekends of the year on Thursday, 10 April, MancHagen has partnered with the Gay Village district and some Canal Street favourites to offer a safe and exciting destination for all eventgoers to meet up.
You can expect live cabaret and singing, drag performers and DJ sets, as well as non-stop partying until the early hours. We cannot wait.
Credit: Silvester Belt via AP Media (supplied)/The Manc Group
The Canal St venues making up ‘Eurovision Village’ include EVA, Iconic Bar, New York New York, The Eagle and Cruz 101, all of which host an exclusive series of Eurovision programming and parties.
For instance, MancHagen’s Official Festival Euroclub opening party will be housed at Cruz 101, with eclectic sets from veteran Eurovision DJ David Horton and friends, followed by a weekend of performances from the likes of Choriza May (RuPaul’s Drag Race) in collaboration with Lady Olé.
Then, on the following Friday (11 April), the first half of the two-day All Stars Concertwill take place at Manchester Arcade Arena, our premier immersive augmented reality venue, from 6pm onwards.
Hosted by the UK’s 2001 Eurovision entrant Lindsay Dracassand Leeds‘ very own ‘Quality Street Queen’, Mamma Bear,the night will showcase Manchester’s leading cultural icons and look back at the thrilling history of the iconic song contest.
With show-stopping performances from the 2025 cohort, previous contestants and more, such as Eurovision 1993 winner, Niamh Kavanagh, Canal St queen Tonya Kneez; Beverly Tight-Lipps, Hera Björk and others, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about MancHagen.
Our interview with Danny BeardCanal Street in full swing during Pride 2024There’ll be plenty of watch parties around Greater Manchester, but a Eurovision Festival warm-up is even better (The Manc Group)
The celebration continues into Saturday (12 April), with an all-day programme at Depot Mayfield, a much-loved multiuse venue and home to The Warehouse Project as well as Europe’s largest indoor LGBTQIA+ celebration, Homobloc.
An exclusiveArtist Yellow Carpet Parade will then spotlight some of the UK’s leading Queer and creative pioneers, including appearances from Manchester’s own Drag icon and MancHagen ambassador Banksie, North West drag icon Danny Beard and more.
And that’s just the day-time: come nightfall, The Depot will transform into a wonderland of fashion, music and performance as the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK will take over the room for a never-before-seen competition dubbed ‘Drag-A-Vision 2025’, with the likes of Marmalade, Rilesea Slaves, Alexis Saint-Pete; Charra Tea, Actavia and Chanel O Connor taking to the stage.
Oh, and of course there’s all the after-party action that Gay Village does so well – it is the part of the city that never sleeps, after all…
Besides the obvious excitement and fanfare surrounding this huge Eurovision festival, it is not only a welcome space for people from all walks of life but, above all else, being held for some vital charities.
Working alongside the Ukrainian Cultural Organization and United For You to host this year’s event, donations from each ticket sold will go towards Ukrainian Children and the George House Trust, as well as LGBTQIA+ groups like Sahir House, Manchester Pride and FSTB Danish Children.
The MancHagen co-founders say: “Our team is proud to announce the biggest celebration of Eurovision countries, cultures, fashion, music, dance and the diverse communities together in joy through music…
“There is nowhere more suited to host such an event than the UK’s inclusive capital of Manchester and capital of the North.” Dubbing itself the biggest party celebrating the annual event aside from the competition itself, if you’re a fan of the famous song contest, you don’t want to miss this.
Packages start at just £45, with VIP add-ons, affordable family tickets and VIP Backstage also available. Find out more about the ground-breaking Eurovision Festival and grab tickets for the Manchester celebration right HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
7th December 2022 
