Last season Manchester City followed up their iconic treble-winning campaign with a record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title – that being said, there’s really no better time to give one of their already award-winning stadiums tours a go.
Being once again voted not just in the top five stadium experiences in the UK but the 99th percentile of all reviewed Tripadvisor’s global experiences,Man City‘s tours of their home ground and the wider Etihad Campus are literally some of the most highly-rated on the planet.
In fact, the club was actually awarded theTripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award in the category for the second time in three years, delivering not only a perfect family day out for Blues and football fan tourism in general but an experience that goes beyond most other stadium tours.
So what makes them so good? Well, there’s a few things.
There are a lot of unique experiences to be enjoyed on Manchester City stadium tours. (Credit: The Manc Group)
The most immersive stadium tours in the Premier League
First and foremost, you’ll struggle to find a more immersive and interactive stadium tour from any otherPremier League club, as Manchester City use the latest technology to allow fans to fully dive into ‘the City story’.
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Lasting approximately 75 minutes (so you already know you’re getting your money’s worth), there’s something new around every corner, with a whole variety of things to see and do.
From visiting the Blues’ dressing room and sitting with your favourite player’s shirt, to walking down the glass players’ tunnel to the sound of a packed stadium – where countless supporters line up to watch as part ofthe Tunnel Club experience – you get to truly feel what it’s like to walk out at the Etihad.
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You can even sit in the man himselfPep Guardiola‘s actual seat in the home dugout and even meet him virtually, along with various members of the first team including Erling Haaland, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji. They also make sure to throw in the odd surprise from time to time…
‘R Bernard on the job.
Things are only set to get bigger and better
With all that in mind, we think it’s fair to say that the official Manchester City tours of the Etihad Stadium are about much more than just getting a glimpse of the pitch or staring at a trophy cabinet.
Moreover, as the Etihad Campus continues to grow with an expansion of the stadium itself and the launch of the brand-new museum, hotel and other attractions coming in the near future, it’s an exciting time to be a Blue.
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Works are now well underway, so fans can be very excited about visiting the Campus outside of just game day as it bids to become a year-round and industry-leading leisure destination.
Tours at Man City start from only £26 per adult during off-peak times and, with additional looks at the academy andWomen’s team facilities and wider campus costing £45, which also includes the short buggy ride over the Nexen bridge between stadiums.
If you really want to push the boat out you can pay £50 for a guided stadium tour with a club legend or even splash out on an exclusive VIP stadium tour from £70 per adult.
Whatever package you fancy, you won’t be disappointed when it comes to enjoyment, immersion or value for money – and you don’t just take our word for it, Tripadvisor says so too.
To book a solo tour, family and friends trip or group booking of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, you can find out moreHERE.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Man City (supplied)
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A dedicated anime, movie and gaming concert with a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all self-proclaimed otakus, cinephiles and gamers: a huge concert experience will see dozens of musicians bring classic anime, film and gaming soundtracks and scores to life later this year, right here in Manchester.
The city is no stranger to events celebrating these beloved kinds of media, but you’ll struggle to find another bringing all of them together in one place.
Brought to us Mancs by KIN Music Entertainment, a locally founded arts, events and music label, this celebration of all things pop culture – and specifically, the music tied to it.
Entitled ‘The Kin & Fushigi Anime, Film & Videogame Orchestra’, this passionate collective serves as not only a platform for rising artists but also to hear some iconic sonic moments like never before.
KIN have created a large-scale live concert experience which will bring together a 25-piece pop orchestra made up of emerging professional performers and conservatoire graduates.
Aside from the impressive total of people behind this production to begin with, they also form an immersive hybrid orchestral and live band capable of bringing.
Speaking on the upcoming date, KIN Entertainment said in a statement: “We wanted to create the kind of live experience that many anime and videogame fans in Manchester have been waiting for — something cinematic, emotional and community-driven that brings these sound worlds to life with the energy of both an orchestra and a live band.”
Kin was founded by bassist, composer and ensemble performer Alejandro Urbina Diaz, who first brought his talents and wider interests over from Mexico to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) here in the city centre at the age of 23.
Citing Manchester’s multiculturalism and cosmopolitan cultural fabric as a big part of his inspiration, he and his team have ended up carving out this niche for themselves, and now they’ll be playing this beloved music to Mancs at none other than the O2 Ritz.
Credit: KIN Music Entertainment (supplied via Academy Music Group Digital)
With new arrangements inspired by anime, cinematic and videogame culture, not to mention orchestral and even rock crossover twists – including both vocalist and rhythm sections, by the way – it’s set to be a highly unique experience that most will have never come across before.
This event itself is suitable for audiences aged 14+, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, and it’s taking place at the Ritz on Sunday, 26 July.
We’re not going to spoil any more details about the show for you, so which particular pieces of pop culture they reference will just have to be a surprise…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AMG Digital)
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You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Danny Jones -
9th August 2024 
