Man City Women are hosting one of the biggest fixtures in the football calendar and the third Manchester derby of this season already at the Etihad Stadium next month.
The Barclays Women’s Super League title race is seriously starting to hot up now. Both Manc teams went close to lifting the trophy in the 2022/23 campaign and have been setting record-breaking crowds every time derby day rolls around, so the excitement ahead of this huge fixture feels bigger than ever.
Blue vs Red is as old as it gets and simply cannot be missed.
Better still, as more eyes continue to tune into the WSL and matchdays at the Etihad and Old Trafford continue to deliver some of the best matchday atmospheres and value-for-money days out, with Man City set to make the pre-match excitement the best it’s ever been.
With top-level football from two of the best teams in the country and countless Lionesses on show, more family-friendly entertainment than ever, adult tickets starting at just £10 and under-18s admission for just a fiver, you’d be a fool not to get your colours on and soak in the matchday splendour.
The Manchester derby will be the fourth time the Women’s team have graced the Etihad. (Credit: Supplied/Man City via X)
Gareth Taylor’s side took home bragging rights in both of the last two meetings between the teams, with an all-time record attendance for the derby at Old Trafford back in November 2023 and a huge win in the Conti Cup for the Blues last month.
The Joie Stadium has been a bit of a fortress for the home side but it goes without saying that playing under the lights across the campus at the Etihad itself, with what is no doubt going to be the largest and most pulsating crowd of the season, will serve as a huge motivation for City.
From the pyros and light shows, thumping music and drummers in the stands, to some of the best matchday scran and drinks you’ll find on-site anywhere in Greater Manchester for two-and-a-half hours up until kick-off at 12:30pm, we genuinely can’t wait for derby day on Saturday, 23 March.
City have now won eight on the bounce in the league but the big question is, can they make it three from three in the derby? A treble, if you will. Here’s how they faired in the reverse fixture in the Conti Cup:
The Etihad Campus fan zone has more on offer than ever too, taking the dedicated pre and mid-match festivities from league fixtures at Joie’s Stadium and doubling it at the men’s ground — there’s even going to be a dedicated kid’s fan zone this year too.
With soft play for the children and a dedicated kids’ fan zone on the indoor pitch at the City Football Academy itself; quizzes and interactive competitions where there are great prizes to be won, not to mention the chance to meet the much-loved Man City mascots, ‘Moonbeam’ and ‘Moonchester’, they’re going to have a blast and so are you.
Once again, even on derby day, watching Manchester City Women remains one of the most affordable ways to watch live sport and some of the best female talent anywhere in the region. It’s no wonder season tickets sold out but you still have time to grab a derby day seat on Saturday, 23 March HERE.
Aspiring artists can get their work displayed on one of the biggest digital screens in Manchester
Danny Jones
Are you a budding artist looking to get your work seen or know some who is? Well, you might want to pay attention because there’s an opportunity to have your creation seen by countless passers-by and on one of the biggest displays in the entire UK over at the Printworks.
If you’ve passed through the much-loved hospitality and leisure complex over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed their roof is now no longer a roof at all, really; the striking ceiling is now a constantly moving image and the largest of its kind in all of Europe.
Meaning that anyone who got their artworks on there would effectively be securing one of the biggest displays and public installations on the continent.
As Printworks themselves put it: “This isn’t just a screen; it’s an artistic stage viewed by millions of visitors every year, with the power to turn a single artwork into a 360-degree sensory experience.”
With that in mind, they’re giving one lucky individual the chance to grab the spotlight and see their creative expression plastered on the 1,000m² wraparound LED canvas.
“Supporting emerging talent and seeing fresh, creative perspectives is always inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what these young artists bring to the table! It was so surreal seeing my artwork on the digital.”
Past installations have included the ‘Spaces Up-Above’ exhibition by world-renowned light artist, Rupert Newman, as well as an International Women’s Day showcase by Heitzman herself, as a fellow Manchester-based creative.
In case you need a better idea of the sheer scale of this screen and why this is such an exciting opportunity for up-and-coming local artists, here’s how they celebrated Oasis returning to Manchester for their Heaton Park reunion gigs this week:
Synchronised with sound and added motion effects, the competition is now open to students who are currently enrolled in college, university or art school.
Better still, you don’t even have to be from or based in the area to take part – this is a nationwide competition hoping to spotlight the best talents in the UK.
All you have to do to enter this exciting competition in Manchester is simply provide Printworks your details and upload your artwork of choice HERE by Sunday, 3 August.
Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade
Daisy Jackson
An iconic ready-to-drink favourite has launched back into the UK – oh yes, Breezer is back.
First launched in the 1990s, Breezers – then pitched as an ‘alcopop’ – were a staple on dancefloors and at barbecues right across the UK.
And now Bacardi has decided to bring these delicious, fruity, easy-drinking bottles back to British shores.
There are three new flavours to try as Breezers return to your fridges – Zesty Orange, Zingy Lime, and Crisp Watermelon.
And Breezer launched back into Manchester last night with a suitably memorable party, turning a spot in the Northern Quarter into a corner shop.
The ‘local Cornerbop’ was stacked with your usual essentials, plus shelf after shelf of these colourful glass ready-to-drink bottles.
Inside the Breezer ‘Cornerbop’ corner shop in ManchesterBreezer is back, in three new flavours
The Breezer relaunch party saw Tarsza and Rennie Peters spinning nostalgic anthems with a modern twist at a pop-up party in a corner shop.
Steve Young, business unit director for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland, said: “We know there is a lot of love for Breezer in the UK, and we are confident a new generation of consumers will fall in love with the new Breezer.
“RTDs are booming, however, the Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages category could do with a bit more excitement. By bringing back Breezer we’re definitely putting the fruity taste into FAB.”
The iconic ready-to-drink classic is back – and better than ever.
Danny Jones -
21st February 2024 
