Did you know that a massive interactive gaming experience has returned to Manchester for the first time in three years?
With more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play, Power UP is now back at the Science and Industry Museum in the heart of the city centre and it’s already been taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming.
Everything from retro arcade games to state-of-the-art virtual reality are available to play at the hit event – and every ticket includes unlimited play all day too.
Power UP is taking place every weekend and school holiday up until December 2023.
From the Atari 2600 and the Dreamcast, to the Playstation 5 and the latest in virtual reality technology, Power UP is giving visitors of all levels the chance to live their best gaming life and experience first-hand how far games and gaming technologies have advanced over the years.
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Some of the other consoles at the museum include SNES, Wii, Mega Drive, N64, Xbox, and more.
Power UP is now back at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
Visitors to the ultimate new interactive gaming experience can take a trip down memory lane by playing retro classics like Pong and Pac-Man, rocking out on Guitar Hero, and also trying their hand at the wildly-popular Fortnite.
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Power UP is also giving gaming fans the chance to follow the development of some iconic characters like Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog through the decades.
Visitors will also get to discover games made by winners and nominees from the annual BAFTA Young Games Designers Awards – which are open to children and young people, and celebrate the creativity, skill, and imagination of young games makers.
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The interactive experience has more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play / Credit: Science Museum Group
And new for 2022, you can also be inspired by the local people behind the games and companies who have made a splash in the world of gaming in the new section dedicated to Manchester’s gaming industry.
From early success stories like Ocean Software and Software Creations, to contemporary indie developers like Acid Nerve.
“Power UP has always been a big hit with our visitors,” said Mark Cutmore – Head of Commercial Experiences at the Science Museum Group.
“[The experience] offers a fun space to enjoy past and present gaming technology, experience the latest developments and reminisce about old favourites as the gaming industry is a key component of Manchester’s creative, digital and tech industries.
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You can experience first-hand how far games and gaming technologies have advanced over the years / Credit: Science Museum Group
“This interactive exhibition will help to inspire game designers and software engineers of the future.
“We’re excited to be giving so much time to enjoy and keep returning to this experience during its longest run ever at the museum [and] we’re also really proud to be showcasing our city’s amazing contributions to the industry through the new Manchester Made section.
Tickets to Power UP grant each person unlimited access to the gaming experience on the day booked.
Tickets will set you back £6 per child and concession, £8 per adult, £7 per senior, and there is a £1 discount per ticket for families.
Grab yours on the Science and Industry Museum website here.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to Manchester next month
Daisy Jackson
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.
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 ManchesterThe event is hosted by actors playing Basil, Sybil and ManuelAround 70% of the action is improvisedGuests are served a three-course 70s-inspired meal during the Faulty Towers experienceCredit: 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’.
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
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
Daisy Jackson
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
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.
Emily Sergeant -
31st August 2022 
