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There’s a huge Halloween fancy dress competition happening in Manchester city centre this weekend

It's just one of the spooky events happening for this year's 'Halloween in the City' celebrations.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 25th October 2022

The spooky season is finally here, and Halloween in the City is returning to Manchester this weekend to celebrate.

With so much happening over the two-day festival as part of the annual Halloween in the City celebrations – which is organised by CityCo and Manchester Business Improvement Distict (BID) – people making their way to the city centre this weekend are being encouraged to “dress up, join in, and get gruesome” to look the part.

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Ghastly ghouls, wicked witches, curious cats, and more will all be welcome in Manchester city centre this Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October.

The more people in spooky fancy dress, the better.

Dressing up is all part of the fun, but if you’re feeling pretty confident about your costume this year, then there’s actually a huge fancy dress competition happening across the weekend, and this is your time to join either ‘Team Trick’ or ‘Team Treat’.

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All you’ll need to do is head to the one of the wristband exchanges at Market Street, Exchange Street, or Exchange Square to collect your team wristband, and this’ll unlock all your VIP experiences

Once you have your wristband, you’ll then get to take part in dance offs, screaming competitions, spooky challenges, and of course, the Halloween costume catwalk extravaganza to earn points for your team and win even win some special spot prizes too.

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Then you’ll want to make your way to the dance tent in Exchange Square at 4pm to find out which team is crowned the winner and celebrate at the glow in the dark disco.

There’s a huge Halloween fancy dress competition happening in Manchester city centre / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
Families are being encouraged to “dress up, join in, and get gruesome” / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID

While the Halloween in the City celebrations will be largely taking place over this weekend, if you’ve got a keen eye, then you may have already noticed that giant inflatable monsters with hanging tentacles, fanged teeth, and bloodshot eyes have already been starting to take over the rooftops of Manchester this week.

Dotted at 14 different locations across the city centre, you’ll be able to go on adventure to discover them at places like Selfridges, Manchester Arndale, Great Northern Warehouse, AO Arena and The Royal Exchange, AO Arena, Spinningfields, and even at the ‘spooktacular’ outdoor ice rink in Cathedral Gardens.

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And then on Halloween weekend itself, there’ll be even more monsters set to pop up on the ground, so keep your eyes peeled around Exchange Square.

The monsters are just the tip of the iceberg of events happening at Halloween in the City this weekend though – think a welcome procession of roaming monsters, a monster carnival, top monster bands, monster DJs, a monstrous photo trail across the city, and so much more.

Here’s just a handful of other activities you can get involved with.

MCR Monsters have also begun popping up across the city centre / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID

Monsters Rock! Party Procession

Spooky creatures will be on the move and weave through Manchester Arndale and Market Street. 

The roaming performance comes from Walk the Plank, the same creative minds behind the Manchester Day Parade, and you can expect stilt walkers, monster puppets, and a five-piece band mingling with shoppers on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October, with performances at 12pm, 2pm, and 3pm.

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Creepy Carnival & Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World

A Creepy Carnival, made up of a carousel, helter skelter, street food and circus performers, is going to sprawl across New Cathedral Street. 

Plus, Studiotech and Treacle Studio have discovered a mystical machine made by Queen Elizabeth I’s court scientist and magician – and Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World provides a gateway for all the friendly monsters who arrive in Manchester for Halloween in the City. 

This interactive light display will invite Mancs to see if the portal works in reverse and could lead to the world where the monsters roam. 

Scare Skate

A massive spooky ice rink has been built in Cathedral Gardens, where skaters will whizz past a huge monster and the ice will be brought to life with Halloween-inspired music and lighting. 

The Scare Skate rink is now open, and will stay in place until Halloween itself.

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Read more:

Monsters Rock! Music Festival

Rock on with your mini monster at the Monsters Rock! Music Festival, with live bands and spooky DJs all weekend, like Fat Boy Slime, Grave Haslam, and the Blessed Medusa, as well as air guitar contests, zombie aerobics, and a glow-in-the-dark disco, across three stages. 

Spooky creatures will be on the move and weave through Manchester this weekend / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID
Halloween is taking over the city all week / Credit: CityCo & Manchester BID

Halloween in the City 2022 full lineup

  • MCR Monsters: 25 to 31 October – Across the city centre
  • Monsters Rock! Music Festival: 29 and 30 October, 10am-8pm Saturday; 10am-5pm Sunday – Exchange Square, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square and Market Street
  • Fancy Dress Challenge: Team Trick vs Team Treat: – 29 and 30 October, 10am-4pm – Various locations
  • Monsters Rock! Party Procession: 29 to 30 October, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm – Manchester Arndale amd Market Street
  • Creepy Carnival: 29 and 30 October, 10am-8pm Saturday; 10am-5pm Sunday – New Cathedral Street
  • Dr Dee’s Portal to Another World: 28 to 30 October, 4pm-8pm Friday; 10am-8pm Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday – St Ann’s Square, Manchester
  • Scare Skate: 21 to 31 October, 11am-8pm – Cathedral Gardens

Featured Image – CityCo & Manchester BID

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Deliveroo is knocking 25% off takeaways for parts of Greater Manchester this month

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Deliveroo is going to be slashing takeaway bills by 25% for people in parts of Greater Manchester.

The delivery giant is offering up the discount from today all the way through to the new year.

It means that locals in the city centre, as well as Chorlton, Didsbury and Rusholme, will be able to save 25% on their Deliveroo order.

The deal follows Deliveroo’s Black Friday discount which was offered up to customers last week.

There are loads of local restaurants and cafes taking part, including the ever-popular burger and shake joint Archie’s and long-standing favourite Tampopo.

Archie’s. Credit: The Manc Group
Yum Cha. Credit: The Manc Group

Yum Cha, which opened at Kampus this summer after 11 hugely successful years in Liverpool, is also taking part, with its incredible roast meats cooked for 24 hours in a custom-made roasting oven, plus Chinese small plates and dim sum.

Manc favourite Rudy’s, home of arguably the country’s best pizza, are included in Deliveroo’s 25% discount, alongside chicken legends Yard & Coop.

Read more: New restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this December

Then there’s Zumuku Sushi, Bondi Bowls and Zaxx Fried Chicken, to name a few.

The 25% discount applies to residents in Manchester city centre, Didsbury, Chorlton and Rusholme, and applies to order of £20 or over.

The deal is available between 5 December and 2 January.

Featured image: The Manc Group

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Watch live: Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Steve Rotheram and more take part in DJ battle

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Andy Burnham is set to take to the DJ decks again, facing off against Angela Rayner, Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram, and Manc legends including Clint Boon and Rowetta.

The huge event has been created with the support of Warehouse Project to raise funds for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity for A Bed Every Night.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has now been added to the bill and will be getting behind the decks at the charity event, alongside Manc music legends.

The event will see Burnham battling against Steve Rotheram in a musical head-to-head between Manchester and Liverpool.

It’s taking place at Depot Mayfield, the home of Warehouse Project, on Friday 2 December – and we’ve got an exclusive discount for £1 tickets for The Manc readers.

All proceeds from bar sales on the night will go to support those who are experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping in Greater Manchester.

The line-up will be headlined by Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram (who first battled behind the DJ decks in lockdown), with guest appearances from Angela Rayner, Nihal Arthanayake, Stanley Chow, Clint Boon and Rowetta, plus guest DJs from the Warehouse Project.

Andy Burnham doing a live-streamed DJ set during lockdown. Credit: GMCA

Angela said: “I can’t wait to get on the decks and show everyone why Manchester is clearly the best city when it comes to music. I’ve got a lot of love for Scousers, but Team Liverpool will be second best on Saturday night.

“I’m delighted to be taking part in this event and helping to raise money for such a fantastic cause. I hope you like the songs I’ve picked. It was hard to narrow it down to three because there are so many Manchester music legends!”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “We all know Manchester has the greatest musical heritage and I’ll be giving it my all in the set to prove that point once and for all. There’s serious pride at stake here.

“But competition aside, our passion for music unites our two city regions. What better way to put on an amazing celebration of our region’s culture and raise money for important causes, to support those who need it most at what is a really difficult time.”

Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram said: “There can be no debate: the Liverpool City Region is the undisputed home of British music. We’ve given the world some of the greatest artists, albums and songs of all time – no area has had more number one hits than us.

“The fact we beat off competition from cities across the UK to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine speaks to our world-leading reputation as the UK’s premier music scene – and it’s a legacy we’re continuing today.”

The battle is supported by The Warehouse Project, Elevate and Badger & Combes.

Read more

Launched in 2018 by Andy Burnham and supported by the Charity, A Bed Every Night provides emergency accommodation for anyone rough sleeping across the city-region, regardless of status, as well as vital personal support.

Since its launch, A Bed Every Night has helped over 4,000 people and been instrumental in reducing rough sleeping in the region since its peak in 2017. But due to the current cost of living and energy crisis, there is an increased need to offer support this winter.

Currently, there are 619 people in A Bed Every Night accommodation across Greater Manchester who would otherwise be at risk of rough sleeping, with 21 organisations across the region providing accommodation.

To get your ticket for £1 (plus fees), use the code: TheManc – get yours here.

Featured image: Ramona / Supplied

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