The iconic Manchester worker bee is to feature on a new eco-friendly takeaway cup that’ll soon be available throughout the city.
In a bid to celebrate and champion the city’s identity, all while helping the region cut back on the consumption of single-use plastics, family-run Stockport-based catering equipment business, Stephensons, has created a new environmentally friendly takeaway cup that you’ll soon be able to buy from a wide range of places across Manchester.
And around 5% of all the sales will be donated to the life-changing We Love MCR Charity too.
The certified plastic-free cup is fully compostable, and is designed to be recycled along with paper and card after use.
It will be available in 8oz and 12oz sizes, with 16oz soon to follow, and is to be sold to hospitality outlets, venues, and event organisers, alongside independent coffee shops, universities, museums, and everywhere in between.
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Iconic worker bee to appear on new eco-friendly takeaway cups across Manchester / Credit: Supplied
The iconic Manchester worker bee – which is a symbol of the city’s resilience and work ethic, and the embodiment of the Mancunian spirit – takes centre stage on the cup, with the design originating from the striking mosaic in the Town Hall that can also be spotted throughout the city, on everything from lampposts and street art, to bins and beyond.
The launch of the new cup comes after the success of Stephensons’ – which is one of the few companies to have the official rights from Manchester City Council to use the iconic bee symbol – now widely-recognised 100% recyclable bee straws.
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The bee straws were notably introduced back in 2018 as part of the first step of a Greater Manchester initiative to eradicate avoidable single-use plastic, ahead of the government-imposed ban on plastic straws.
Just like the new bee cups, a percentage of the sales of the bee straws were donated to the We Love MCR Charity – with over £5,000 of vital funds raised to date.
“We came up with the idea of putting the bee mosaic on a disposable cup when we launched the straw back in 2018,” Stephensons’ Managing Director, Henry Stephenson, explained ahead of the cup’s official launch next week.
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“But it was only until recently that the technology finally arrived, allowing us to put the bee on a truly sustainable, certified plastic-free cup.
“We’re proud to see both the cup and the straw as a simple but powerful statement from the city’s hospitality industry, reflecting its collective commitment to sustainability.
“As a Manchester-based business since 1868, we understand the pride and identity people associate with the Manchester bee, so to have the bee as a continued symbol of the city’s desire to limit single-use plastics is fantastic.”
The new plastic-free cups will soon be available across the city / Credit: Supplied
Lord Mayor of Manchester, Donna Ludford – who is also Chair of the We Love MCR Charity – says she “can’t wait to see the beautiful cups in cafes, bars, and venues throughout Manchester”, and added that they’ll make “a great impact in helping reduce waste”, while the donations made to We Love MCR Charity will help “improve more lives across Manchester.”
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, also says she welcomes the bee cup initiative.
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“The Manchester worker bee positively represents Manchester, so to see it on biodegradable coffee cups across the city will be a great way to celebrate our heritage whilst making a positive difference to our communities and our environment,” she added.
The official launch of the cup will take place at the Northern Restaurant and Bar show at Manchester Central on Tuesday 14 March, before being distributed across the city.
Featured Image – Supplied
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New details released ahead of world-premiere exhibition taking visitors on ‘epic space adventure’
Emily Sergeant
Some exciting new details of a major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ in Manchester next month have been revealed.
Making its world premiere, Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will invite visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System when it launches at the Science and Industry Museum in a few weeks time.
Announced in November last year fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition will encourage visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition will propel families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
Left teetering on the edge of our Solar System, explorers will then find themselves staring into the dark depths of space, on the lookout for any extra-terrestrial life that could be staring back.
Whether its sniffing astronauts’ smelly socks, dancing on an alien disco planet, feeling the tremors from a mysterious moonquake, or launching a space rocket, organisers say this new adventure will engage all the senses in a truly immersive experience.
This is the first time Horrible Science has been brought to life as a major exhibition.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos opens in a few weeks time / Credit: Drew Forsyth (Science Museum Group)
Visitors will get to see familiar characters from the BBC series – like Dr Big Brain, in particular – on their mission to find out more about our fascinating Solar System through interactive experiments, playful challenges, and sensory exploration.
Newly announced are the names of some of the different exciting areas of the exhibition, like ‘Awesome Astronauts’, where life aboard the International Space Station is revealed, and ‘Mysterious Moon’ where visitors explore the only place beyond Earth ever visited by humans.
There’s also ‘Sizzling Sun’, ‘Weird Worlds’, and sensory spaces like the ‘Cosy Crater’ and ‘Dreadful Deep Space’ to make the most of.
The exhibition is being developed by the Science and Industry Museum in collaboration with producers of the Horrible Science TV show, BBC Children’s and Education, and Lion Television, together with Scholastic, who are publishers of the much-loved Horrible Science book series by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles.
‘Unmissable’ objects from the Science Museum Group’s world-class space collection will also be on show when the exhibition premieres.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 13 February 2026 for an 11-month run before heading down to London, and tickets are now on sale priced at £10 – with family discounts available, and under-threes going free.
Featured Image – Drew Forsyth (Science Museum Group)
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Printworks set to host a FREE music festival headlined by local music veterans
Danny Jones
You heard us right, Printworks is expanding its wide-ranging calendar of entertainment and leisure in 2026 with its very own completely free music festival here in Manchester.
Better still, it’s set to be headlined by some cult favourites.
The one-off event will debut next month to celebrate the arrival of the 2026 BRIT Awards, with the annual ceremony and accompanying seven days of intimate live shows coming to the city of Manchester for the very first time.
Set to take place from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening, 27-28 February (4-10pm and 2-10, respectively), the open access weekender has been dubbed ‘Live and Loud’.
Judging by the lineup of artists announced for Printworks’ debut music festival, we have every faith it will live up to the name.
As well as Manchester DJ Matt Hydes kicking things off, followed by the likes of R’n’B soul artist, KingFast, resident Reform Radio MC Urbi will also be joining the lineup, as well as regional dance veteran, Gareth James, and an intimate set by Sabira Jade.
That’s just a small handful of those who signed up to play the inaugural Live & Loud 2025.
As for your headliners, we’re buzzing to confirm that local house legends K-Klass are topping the bill; they may be from Chester, but they’ve been based here for ages and are practically part of the cultural fabric at this point.
You can see the full Live and Loud lineup and Printworks artist spotlight down below:
Friday, 27 Feb, 2026
Tristan Walsh
2Vibe
Urbi
KingFast
Honey Bee Jazz Band
Matt Hydes
Sat, 28
K-Klass
Matt Walsh & Jay Murt
Sabira Jade
Gareth James
Kick Back Sundays
Jorge Martin
Guy Connor
Emma Ellis
Printworks general manager, Dan Davis, said in an official statement: “Manchester is renowned for its musical heritage, and we are excited to bring music to life here at Printworks.
“Live & Loud will place Manchester artists front and centre, with an eclectic line-up that is diverse in genre, background and generation – reflecting our commitment to championing a wide range of local and upcoming artistic talent for a must-attend weekend of live music.”
In case you missed it, this brand-new event also comes amid a raft of small-capacity fundraising shows across the country.
Colette Burroughs-Rose, Director at Genre Music, added: “Live & Loud is Manchester in full voice – familiar faces and new names coming together under one roof across two standout days.
“This is Genre Music’s home city, and we’re proud to be partnering with Printworks on a music programme that welcomes everyone: family-friendly by day, great for evenings with friends.
“Alongside curating a truly eclectic mix of the city’s incredible DJs and live acts, we’re also capturing the artists’ stories on film to help amplify their voices and creativity beyond the stage.”
With the BRIT Awards being hosted at the Co-op Live arena not just this Feb but until 2027 as well, here’s hoping this is just the inaugural ‘L&L Fest and we at least get a sophomore edition next year.
There’s plenty of other music festivals happening in Greater Manchester throughout the year, especially this summer.
Sounds From The Other City has released its 2026 lineup, and there's set to be more than 100 exciting acts playing on 17 stages across #Salford. 🎶🎸
Emily Sergeant -
9th March 2023 
