Manchester Rum Festival is set to return to Manchester this month, but this time, things are ramping up.
There’ll be more than 50 rum brands bringing the calypso vibes to New Century, serving cocktails and rum tastings.
The huge event is taking over New Century for the first time, happily falling on World Rum Day (13 July).
The bigger venue also means a larger-than-ever line-up of rums and brands, with tastings all included in the ticket price.
Cocktail creations will come from local bars like Exhibition, Hold Fast, Northern Monk Refectory and New Century Kitchen, with the official cocktail bar headed up by MONIN.
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Authentic Caribbean food will come from Nyammin’, who will have their world-famous rum cake in abundance, while Manchester legend DJ Dom will be keeping the party going all day with a mix of Reggae and Soca from the decks.
Rum names making their Manchester debut at the Manchester Rum Festival include O Reizinho, an agricultural rum from Madeira; Casa Tarasco from Mexico; Renegade Cane Rum from Grenada; Ron Carúpano, a Venezuelan brand with the only female Master Blender in the country; Rhum Depaz from the volcanic terroir of Martinique; and Don Q from Puerto Rico.
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Manchester Rum Festival – Tiki paradise lands at New Century this month
Bristol Classic, a rum firm that produces limited quantity rums from countries including Guyana and Mauritius, as well as Trinidad and the Dominican Republic, will also be making its first appearance at the festival.
Other much-loved brands making an appearance include Chairman’s Reserve, Pusser’s, Worthy Park, Cockspur, Damoiseau, Don Papa, Ninefold and Aluna, plus Manchester-based One-Eyed Rebel from the Spirit of Manchester Distillery.
And if you fancy switching from the rum for a brief while, there’s also going to be Caribbean lager Carib heading to Manchester for the very first time.
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London Essence will be the official mixer partner for 2024, bringing their distinctive drinks, including tonics, crafted sodas and lemonades, to the festival.
This year, founder and Manchester rum expert Dave Marsland and special guests will also be running three ‘Rum Ramble’ seminars.
These will include a ‘From Grass to Glass, the making of a Rum Brand’ showcase with Equiano Rum and Ian Burrell; a talk and tasting surrounding the world of rum cocktails with MONIN; and finally, a ‘Make your own Arranges’ class (the first time this has been run at a European festival) hosted by Damoiseau of Guadeloupe and ambassador, Danilo Grenci.
Ticket-holders will have the chance to book their places on these exclusive seminars in advance.
Dave Marsland said: “The festival brings together renowned distilleries from all over the world, and ticket holders are in for an even bigger treat this year as we relocate to New Century Hall – what an incredible, iconic central city venue it is!
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“The event really has gone from strength to strength over the last eight years and we are now one of the biggest rum festivals in the country outside London.
“We can’t wait to welcome the rum lovers to the event, which is set to host more rum brands than ever before, meaning the ticket price is even better value for money.”
Manchester’s The Grosvenor pub set to host huge England fan zone with Fireball for 2026 World Cup
Danny Jones
With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, there’ll obviously be tonnes of places showing the game, but there’s only one place that’s promising big screens, ball pits, pool tables, ping pong, a ‘peep show’ and plenty more right from the off: The Grosvenor.
It doesn’t hurt that they’re teaming up with beloved booze brand Fireball to spice things up.
We hope the goals come easily for England this tournament, but we can assure the drinks will be free-flowing regardless, over at The Grosvenor on Oxford Road Corridor here in Manchester city centre.
Located just on the corner of (you guessed it) Grosvenor St and the busy Oxford Rd stretch, they’re already getting geared up for tournament time…
Teaming up with the famous cinnamon whisky liqueur, the popular student and matchday spot is set to be busier than ever for this year’s World Cup.
As for what they have in store for the North American edition of FIFA’s biggest competition and the ultimate celebration of the beautiful game, besides numerous England flags hanging from the walls and that beautiful ceiling, there’ll be plenty of music, England anthems, giveaways and top-tier atmosphere.
In addition to lots of chanting from yourselves, no doubt, there’ll be DJ sets and merch up for grabs, as well as lots of big wigs, St George’s glasses and foam hands floating around the room.
Credit: The Grosvenor (supplied)
Of course, there will also be wall-to-wall coverage of the games across their many screens around the venue, not least of all the big box sitting pride of place above the bar itself.
With two large floors and more intimate seating options upstairs, there are plenty of ways to watch Thomas Tuchel’s team fly the flag.
Kicking off with the Three Lions’ opening clash against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June, the venue will be transformed into a sea of red and white, and guests will also be treated to a completely FREE shot of Fireball every single time England score.
Don’t mind if we do.
Naturally, with stuff like this on offer, fans are encouraged to grab their tickets for the fixtures as early as possible so as not to miss out.
In their words AND ours, “From the first whistle to the final anthem, The Grosvenor is set to become one of Manchester’s home ends for the World Cup.”
You can reserve your tickets from just £3 for The Grosvenor Fireball Fanzone – along with plenty of cheap pints and affordable food and drink packages – right HERE.
(Don’t say, don’t say it, don’t say it) It’s coming home…
Featured Images — The Grosvenor (supplied)/The Manc Group
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Sustainable clothing brand Lucy & Yak to host first-ever PreLoved Weekender in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Popular sustainable brand Lucy & Yak is set to host its first ever pre-loved clothing event this bank holiday weekend.
Lucy & Yak is turning its stores into dedicated PreLoved hubs for an entire weekend – celebrating second-hand shopping with communities across the UK.
Since 2023, Lucy & Yak – which is an independent, people-focused brand with all items made using organic, natural, recycled, or deadstock fabrics – has kept more than 42,000 items, also known affectionately as ‘Yaks’, in circulation through its PreLoved scheme, where customers bring in and return their old pieces, and once processed, will then receive a money-off voucher to put towards their next purchase.
Damaged pieces are repaired or upcycled by the Re:Yak Studio team in Yorkshire, before being sold on in-store to find their new homes.
While Lucy & Yak stores carry a dedicated PreLoved rail year-round, this late May bank holiday weekend from Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, the whole Manchester store experience will be transformed – with a much larger, expanded PreLoved section.
There’ll be everything from old gems to one-off pieces available to get your hands on – all still wearable, all still loveable.
As well as here in Manchester city centre, the PreLoved Weekender will also be taking place at Lucy & Yak stores in Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chester, Edinburgh, Exeter, London, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Portsmouth, so no matter where you are in the country this bank holiday, you don’t have to miss out.
What’s more is that fashion lovers in Manchester will also get to take part in a series of upcycling workshops in store on Bank Holiday Monday, with more events planned in the coming weeks.
The brand says its stores are ‘more than just shops’ – they’re spaces for the community to connect, and where Lucy & Yak’s values come to life in person.
Lucy & Yak’s first-ever PreLoved Weekender is coming to Manchester this bank holiday / Credit: Supplied
“We’re so excited to bring the PreLoved Weekender to our stores this May,” commented Lydia Coley, who is the Managing Director at Lucy & Yak.
“Lucy & Yak has always been built around community, creativity, and doing things a little differently, and PreLoved brings all of that together. We’re incredibly proud of keeping over 42,000 Yaks in circulation. Every second-hand Yak has a story, and this weekend is about helping those pieces find their next home in a fun way.”
The PreLoved Weekender will be taking place at Lucy & Yak’s Manchester store in the Northern Quarter this Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, and you can find out more here.
Daisy Jackson -
11th July 2024 
