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Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to Manchester next month

A three-course dinner with a side of mayhem

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 21st January 2026

One of the world’s silliest and most-loved experiences is returning to Manchester this year, offering people the chance to step inside the world of Fawlty Towers.

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience sees immersive theatre blend with a three-course dinner, bringing Britain’s most infamous hotel to life.

Fans of the hit 1970s comedy will enjoy two hours of mayhem led by Basil, Sybil and Manuel, all while tucking into a delicious era-appropriate meal.

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience has become an immersive dining phenomenon, scooping awards and selling out venues across the globe since launching almost 30 years ago.

In the years since, it’s welcomed more than one million guests, celebrated 13 years of its West End residency in London, and hosted celebrations for 50 years of the original BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.

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And now it’s Manchester’s turn, with the event returning to our city between 3 and 15 February.

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to Manchester next month
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to Manchester
The event is hosted by actors playing Basil, Sybil and Manuel
The event is hosted by actors playing Basil, Sybil and Manuel
Around 70% of the action is improvised
Around 70% of the action is improvised
Guests are served a three-course 70s-inspired meal during the Faulty Towers experience
Guests are served a three-course 70s-inspired meal during the Faulty Towers experience
Credit: Rosie Powell

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience will be taking over the Voco hotel on Portland Street for a limited run, starring Aaron Millard as ‘Basil’, Rebecca Norris as ‘Sybil’, and Simon Hourihan as ‘Manuel’.

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You can definitely expect two hours of theatre, chaos, and a 70s-inspired three-course meal, but with around 70% of the performances completely improvised, we can’t tell you much more than that…

Producer Jared Harford said: “It’s such a joy to be bringing Basil and the team back to Manchester. After such an incredible 2025 celebrating 50 years of Fawlty Towers, we can’t wait to continue sharing the laughter, chaos and community spirit that make this show so special.”

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience in Manchester:

  • Tuesday 3 February to Sunday 15 February
  • Tuesday to Saturday – doors open 6.45pm, seating and show starts 7.30pm
  • Saturday and Sunday – doors open 12.45pm, seating and show starts 1.30pm

Ticket prices, all including three-course meal and two hour immersive experience:

  • Tuesday to Thursday dinner, and Saturday or Sunday lunch – £67.50 pp (including fees)
    Friday or Saturday dinner £71.50 pp (including fees).
    Bookings can be made via the box office on (+44) 020 3700 3138 or online at www.faultytowersdining.com

Read more: We’ve found some of the best Chinese food in town – being served out of a snooker hall

Featured image: Rosie Powell

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Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru

Autotrader has teamed up with SpudBros, the UK’s viral jacket potato trader, to open the first jacket potato drive-thru in Manchester.

The UK’s largest automotive marketplace is working with the SpudBros duo on the new Autotater drive-thru, where the duo will be handing out free jacket spuds – and which can also value your car in less than 10 seconds.

You’ll be able to visit the one-of-a-kind drive-thru for one day only next month, picking up a baked potato from an exclusive menu that includes the Autotater (a twist on a classic loaded spud) and the Curry In A Hurry (SpudBros’ signature garlic chicken curry).

You’ll also be able to tune into the Spud FM radio with SpudBros co-founders Jacob and Harley.
Autotrader and SpudBros have teamed up for the drive-thru experience off the back of new research that has shown 44% of UK drivers have no idea what their car is actually worth.

The same research has also revealed that half of those surveyed are unsure how to determine the value of their car.

So now Mancs will be able to have their car instantly valued in less than 10 seconds, by Autotrader’s award-winning valuation service*, simply by visiting the Autotater drive-thru on 12 February.

Autotrader will be dishing out free valuations, to help ensure car owners don’t get small potatoes for their car and are empowered to choose when it’s the right time to sell.

Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru

This will be the first drive-thru for SpudBros, a brand which grew a traditional jacket potato van into a national sensation, finding viral fame on TikTok.

With a cult following of more than 4.8m people on TikTok and Instagram, the pair are now bringing their trademark energy offline for a drive-thru window with free spuds.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Autotrader said: “We know no one loves admin, which is why we want to make it easier and quicker for people to find out the true value of their car, in under 10 seconds.

“There’s something fun about that moment of surprise when you finally see what your car is really worth. Once you have that information, you can decide what to do next – whether that’s selling, upgrading or simply showing off to your mates.”

Jacob and Harley Nelson, the founders of SpudBros commented: “This is a big one for us. We’ve fed people across the country and even internationally, and Manchester is one of our most requested visits, so this is a really exciting opportunity.

“We love doing things that get people talking, and we also love cars, so teaming up with fellow Northern brand Autotrader lets us serve up something new that we feel passionately about – a free spud, a car valuation, and telling the story through social media.”

The Autotrader drive-thru will open in Manchester on 12 February, at Depot Mayfield. Tickets will be available through a draw on the Autotrader website for a limited time only.

To be in with a chance to get on the guestlist and for more details on the event, head HERE, and to join the millions who value their car free with Autotrader, visit HERE.

You can also follow @autotraderuk on Instagram for the latest updates.

*Highly Commended Winner of the 2025 Car Dealer Power Award in the Used Car Valuations category.

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Featured image: Supplied

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MediaCity’s massive Vue cinema has had a comfort upgrade with new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester cinephiles are now able to enjoy the latest movie releases in ultimate comfort.

That’s because, over at the popular MediaCity Vue cinema complex, 75 brand-new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats have been installed across seven screens, offering film fans what is, quite literally, the chance to sit in the best seats in the house.

Each seat provides the very-best view of the big screen and comes with a host of premium features.

Some of these exciting premium features include extra-wide armrests and a personal table for snacks and drinks, your very-own beverage cooler, which is ideal for films with a particularly long run-time, and even a back and legs that recline independently, so you can find the most relaxing viewing position possible.

Vue currently has 93 state-of-the-art cinemas throughout the UK and Ireland, totalling more than 850 screens – and the Quayside cinema is the latest to benefit from upgraded seating.

Ultra Lux seats have arrived at Vue Quayside Manchester / Credit: Vue Gallery / Supplied

This means that anyone heading to the cinema to see some of the latest and upcoming releases like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marty Supreme, The Housemaid, Fackham Hall, Wicked: For Good, and so many more, can experience comfort like never before.

“We have invested in bringing Vue’s best seating option to our venue and are excited for our customers to enhance their experience on their next visit,” commented Darren Tinsley, who is the General Manager at Vue Manchester Quayside.

“It is truly the best way to immerse yourself in a film and to have the most comfortable experience.”

Tickets for Vue Manchester Quayside start from £6.49, with upgrades to Ultra Lux from £3 on selected tickets.

Read more:

January is a month where the temperatures are colder, the days darker, and the social batteries a little lower, so it couldn’t be a better time to lose yourself in the power of cinema – and treat yourself to an Ultra Lux experience.

You can book tickets to upcoming films online by visiting myvue.com.

Featured Image – Supplied

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