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A new festive light maze is heading to Cheshire for the first time this December

I’d happily get lost here…

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 3rd October 2024

A brand new attraction is making its way to Cheshire for the first time ever this December with the hopes to get us all into the festive spirit.

Just outside of Manchester, titled ‘Spectrum: A World of Illumination’, this spectacular never-seen-before trail is lighting up Cheshire with a month-long residency in Knutsford.

Running every day in December besides Christmas Day, plus a few extra dates in November, the spectacular display will be inviting guests along for 30 out of 31 days in the yuletide month. 

The immersive maze will feature moving giant candy canes, overhead Christmas-inspired installations like a laser show, and tunnels of light. 

Visitors are encouraged to get stuck in with hidden objects and handles and buttons which lead to secret rooms and festive treasures to be found and explored throughout the attraction.

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You can even create a Christmas carol medley of your own and sing to your heart’s content with a section of the trail featuring sound tubes.

There’s a mostly open top too, so you can look up into the night sky as you explore the maze. 

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There’s not only a feast for your eyes but also for your Santa bellies too as a selection of hand-picked food vendors will be supplying tons of festive goodies to warm your soul.

A new festive light maze is heading to Cheshire for the first time this December. Credit: Supplied
A new festive light maze is heading to Cheshire for the first time this December. Credit: Supplied

Spectrum: A World of Illumination caters to everyone offering spaces for guide dogs, quieter time slots for those wanting a calmer experience and accessibility all-round where possible.

This is expected to be one of the best Christmas activities of the year, designed by specialists Access Events, who have some impressive feats behind them.

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The multi award winning company has had involvement and created some of the most impressive light features to date including the Weather Project at the Tate, the e-Sports arena build, and turning the Berlin TV Tower into a football. 

They’re so certain this event will do well there’s already news and information about a 2025 event between Access Events and Royal Cheshire Show Grounds.

Tickets for ‘Spectrum: A World of Illumination’ are already on sale and those of you who are eager to start planning your Christmas calendar can get tickets from Eventbrite.

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Featured image: Supplied

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MTV is hosting a week-long venue takeover with some exciting artists to celebrate the EMAs coming to Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones MTV hosting Manchester gig venue takeover for 2024 EMAs

In case you haven’t heard, the MTV EMAs (European Music Awards) is coming to Manchester later this year, and to mark the massive occasion, they’re hosting a huge week-long takeover at some of the city’s best venues.

This may be a first for Manchester but this isn’t the only time the award ceremony has come to the UK, with London, Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast all having hosted it before, and with the world-leading Co-op Live now attracting endless global artists, the state-of-the-art venue was a no-brainer.

However, they’re no muppets, these MTV lot: they know that Manchester has one of if not the best music scenes on the planet and has some of the most influential venues to back it up, so they’ve decided to partner with several of them for a celebratory gig takeover.

Running from 5-9 November (Tuesday to Saturday), MTV Music Week will host a series of live music nights at some of the city’s best concert spots and nightlife destinations.

Showcasing both rising and well-established artists from Manchester and beyond, MTV‘s annual Music Week for the 2024 EMAs isn’t just sponsoring a few extra shows ahead of the awards do, they’ll also be spotlighting homegrown artists, hosting unforgettable performances as well as industry workshops.

With the likes of Rebellion, Band on the Wall and Soup Kitchen, as well as Depot Mayfield and Aviva Studios – home to The Warehouse Project and Factory International, respectively – all taking part, this is effectively a week-long tour of some Manc’s most magical music venues.

Acts that we’re excited to see include homegrown indie and alternative lads, Larkins; fast-rising electronic cult favourite, salute, as well as drum and bass duo Piri and Tommy, just to name a few.

Better still, with sub-brands like MTV Push Live, Club MTV and YO! MTV Raps hosting several of these stages, you can rest assured that there’s plenty of variety when it comes to genres.

You can see the full lineup of events HERE.

This one is our pick of the bunch. (Credit: MTV)

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Alongside MTV Music Week and the 2024 MTV EMAs, Paramount’s Creators House is also heading to Manchester that same week.

As part of their ‘Content for Change’ event series, this company-wide, social impact-led initiative will take place across between 7-9 November, with a packed slate of programming and networking opportunities aimed at Manchester’s creative community.

Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said of the event series: “Our music scene in Manchester is the stuff of legend and we’re known the world over for our brilliant musicians and iconic venues.

“Music Week will be a great showcase for our city and the stage is set for an incredible Manchester music takeover. A boost for the industry, our economy, and fantastic opportunities for some of our best homegrown artists as well as unforgettable performances for audiences to enjoy.”

The EMAs land on 10 November but before then, you can grab tickets for any of the 10 exciting events happening over MTV Music Week Manchester 2024 HERE. Catch you there!

Larkins
Salute
Credit: Press Images (supplied)

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Press Images (supplied)

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Ultimate Performance: the global gym group living up to their name and thriving here in Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones is ultimate performance manchester a good gym?

Gyms are ten a penny here in Greater Manchester, but there’s something to be said for a fitness brand that can operate on a global scale whilst still delivering that smaller, more bespoke feel that you only get from personal trainer-focused facilities – say hello to Ultimate Performance.

With a total of 24 locations all over the world, the Ultimate Performance gym group is much more than just another chain; the UP approach is becoming its own fitness phenomenon, with countless high-profile clients, write-ups in health and wellness outlets and consistent results across the board.

Better still, if you’re a Manc looking to get in the best shape of your life, their Manchester location is based right in the heart of the city and of the centre’s most exciting districts, so you’re well-placed to get your transformation underway whenever you ready.

Priding themselves on not only being the “home of the world’s leading personal trainers in Manchester” but also delivering value for money by the time you’ve achieved your fitness goals. So, what exactly is it that sets them apart?

ultimate performance manchester gym
Credit: Supplied

Well, for starters, given the scope of the company and its growing reputation, Ultimate Performance locations are typically much bigger than most and their programmes are more comprehensive than most other gyms where you pay a monthly membership fee.

At the other end of the spectrum, they also promise a much more expansive offering than regular PTs and boutique gyms, both in terms of the facilities and infrastructure as well as in how their clients are looked after.

Rather than just being paired with an available instructor, time is taken to ensure you find the right match when it comes to your trainer and the workouts you take on, with clients being given proper supervision/programming that is geared towards very specific outcomes without being babied.

You only have to hear it from the numerous testimonials taken from their Manchester clients alone to understand the kind of experience you’ll receive at an Ultimate Performance gym.

They’ve had a fair share of famous faces vouch for the quality of coaching too, from the likes of Hollywood A-lister Glen Powell over in the States to Gemma Atkinson here in Manchester.

To put things into perspective when you simply Google ‘best gym Manchester‘ you’ll not only find round-up articles like ours but also several results for Ultimate Performance specifically.

If you Google “best gym Manchester” which is how we found you guys! UP make most of the other lists, if you wanna read a few to get more of a sense this might help – we didn’t pay for these they happened naturally.

From personalised UP free weights, high-end equipment and other little touches that let you know they mean business, they give you everything you need to transform your body or lay the foundations for lifelong health.

The only question left is are you ready and how seriously are you willing to take it?

UP fitness gym manchester reviews
Credit: Ultimate Performance

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Ultimate Performance is the gym in Manchester to join if you want to stick to your plan and achieve whatever goals you set yourself, from fat loss to muscle building to general health, with some of the world’s best personal trainers coaching from here.

The transformation photos of previous and current U.P clients speak for themselves – you will get results here.

You can find out more or enquire HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Ultimate Performance (supplied)

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