One of winter’s top events will return to Tatton Park Gardens this year, with another season announced for Yuletide.
The magical winter adventure will once again bring a glittering light trail and theatrical, immersive performance to the famous beauty spot.
This unique fusion of Christmas light trail and winter family festival is now in its third year, and will debut brand-new features and performances for 2025.
As visitors wander the Yuletide event, you’ll be treated to everything from sparkling light installations to impressive fire juggling shows.
Audiences are invited to step into a world of winter folklore, filled with live music, cosy campfire stories, and plenty more.
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New this year will be a troupe of leaping acrobats, plus a new live music stage in the woods, and brand-new enchanting characters to meet around every corner.
Another new element is the wild Wassail, inspired by a centuries-old Twelfth Night tradition of singing and banging pots and pans together to bring good fortune for the coming year.
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Wild Rumpus launch of Yuletide at Tatton ParkYultide returns to Tatton Park. Credit: Cat DineleyYultide returns to Tatton Park. Credit: Emma Croman
As night falls, Tatton Park Gardens will be transformed into a family-friendly winter escape.
Magical memories to be made include the chance to sip hot chocolates and toast marshmallows over a campfire, as a traditional storyteller weaves tales for the whole family.
And the glittering light trail includes interactive installations, glowing puppets, and characters inspired by festive tales.
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There’ll also be food vendors serving up tasty festive treats and mulled wine.
Yuletide comes from Cheshire-based event producers Wild Rumpus, who’ll be unlocking new parts of the grounds this year.
Credit: Emma CromanCredit: Anna Hornby
Wild Rumpus’ Director Rowan Cannon said: “This year is a fresh and enchanting adventure for the whole family, with a twist of wild creativity.
“There’s loads of never-before-seen elements, including spellbinding acrobats performing as people arrive, a music stage in the woodland with performances from amazing live bands, and a dreamy Shadow Forest where you can cast shadows against beautiful backdrops.
“The trail is taking a new route through Tatton Park Gardens this year, so people can explore parts of the grounds they’ve never seen at night before.”
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Yuletide will run at Tatton Park Gardens on selected evenings between Saturday 15 November and Tuesday 23 December 2026.
Tickets start from £19 for adults and £11 for children, but under 2s go free, with selected dates offering off-peak tickets.
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.
Daisy Jackson -
4th November 2025 
