Things To Do

An award-winning interactive stage play is coming to Manchester’s new neighbourhood

'Mates' will celebrate the culture and lifestyle of both Manchester and Salford.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 4th November 2021

Get Living and Hope Mill Theatre are teaming up to bring an award-winning interactive stage play celebrating Mancunian friendship and community to New Maker Yards.

Normally you’d find the actors of Ancoats’ very-own Hope Mill Theatre company appearing in packed-out productions of an all-female Shakespeare, or even starring in an acclaimed musical such as RENT or the upcoming revival of The Wiz – but their newest immersive play has a very different setting.

The play is taking place across three apartments at New Maker Yards, in Middlewood Locks – a neighbourhood that’s between Salford and Manchester city centres.

To celebrate the launch of a further 500 homes for rent at New Maker Yards, Get Living – the neighbourhood operator – is inviting Mancunians and Salfordians to experience its newest living spaces like never before, where audience members will begin their interactive theatre experience at apartment 114, and will be welcomed into the lives of three friends to explore the bonds of friendship.

Titled ‘Mates’, the play will celebrate the cities’ culture and lifestyle, and feature immersive mediations, spoken word recitals, and a house party complete with live music and a photo booth.

After the performance, audiences will also be able to enjoy a free pint or burger at Seven Bro7thers beerhouse in the neighbourhood. 

The play is celebrating the launch of a further 500 homes for rent at New Maker Yards / Credit: Get Living

Speaking ahead of the play’s arrival next week, Eoin Thomas – Community and Events Lead at Get Living – said: “New Maker Yards’ has such a distinctive, vibrant community, and with 500 more new homes available to rent this autumn, we wanted to showcase what living at New Maker Yards is all about.

“We’re delighted to be working with the incredible Hope Mill Theatre to take this immersive play out of the theatre and into our living rooms.”

Joseph Houston – Co-Founder and Artistic Director at Hope Mill Theatre – added: “We love creating art, and specifically, art that resonates so strongly with the local community [so] this immersive theatre show at Get Living’s New Maker Yards neighbourhood is so special as we get to celebrate Manchester and the people who live here in a way that lets us connect with both residents and those living nearby.”

‘Mates’ is running between 13 – 21 November 2021, and you can grab tickets for free here.

For more information on the new, fully-furnished homes available to rent with Get Living – with no deposits, no fees, and WiFi included – the New Maker Yards website here, or call 0161 826 5961 to speak to a member of the team. 

Featured Image – Get Living

Things To Do

Chester Zoo’s FREE family festival returns next weekend – with wildlife shows, live music, and more

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Watching live wildlife shows and building dens are just some of the things you can get stuck into at Chester Zoo next weekend.

That’s because the UK’s biggest charity zoo’s free family festival is returning for another year.

Scientists recently revealed that more than half of all UK species are now in decline, including hedgehogs, butterflies, and wildflowers, Chester Zoo has announced that its Nature Fest is back by popular demand next weekend – with the two-day event boasting a jam-packed lineup of interactive events for all ages.

Taking place across the zoo’s six-hectare nature reserve, conservationists hope the weekend-long event will connect festivalgoers with nature, all while raising awareness of precious UK wildlife.

Open to everyone for free of charge, Nature Fest will have hands-on activities, workshops, talks, and performances – including the interactive Hedgehog Hideaway adventure, which teaches participants how to make their gardens more hedgehog friendly.

Chester Zoo’s free family festival returns next weekend / Credit: Chester Zoo

There’s also opportunities to take on conservation volunteering tasks like habitat restoration, take part in interactive wildlife talks at the Picnic Patch, and even blend together art, music, and nature.

Now in its ninth year, the 2025 event is part of Chester Zoo’s Networks for Nature initiative, which recently received a £4 million boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to expand its community-led conservation work across the UK.

“Chester Zoo’s nature reserve is open to people all year round, but Nature Fest is a chance to shine a spotlight on this vital part of the zoo,” commented Ruby Merriman, who is the Estate Biodiversity Manager at Chester Zoo.

“As one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth, British wildlife needs just as much support as species abroad, and Nature Fest offers a way for aspiring conservationists to learn how to get involved.”

There’ll be wildlife shows, interactive hands-on activities, live music, and more / Credit: Chester Zoo

Christopher Ablett, who is the Community Volunteer Coordinator, added: “These experiences help people of all ages build a personal connection with UK wildlife and understand the role they can play in its protection.

“We want people to know that small actions matter, community makes a difference, connectivity is key and that, while UK wildlife is facing serious challenges, everyone can help, and you can find out how at Nature Fest.”

Read more:

Nature Fest takes place on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September from 11:30am to 4:30pm.

The Nature Reserve is located at the far end of Chester Zoo car park and parking is free. You do not need to book either, so you can just turn up on the day.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

Things To Do

Ed Sheeran announces ‘intimate’ Manchester date later this year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Ed Sheeran Manchester December 2025 tickets

The king of contemporary male pop music, Ed Sheeran, is returning to Manchester for one of his biggest dates ever, as well as his venue debut.

Yep, Teddy’s coming to Co-op Live.

The 34-year-old solo star and songwriting extraordinaire hasn’t played a standalone Manchester show since 2023, when he played the legendary AO Arena barely a year on from playing four sold-out nights at the Etihad Stadium.

And now he’s back for more with his first-ever gig at the city’s newest and Europe’s biggest indoor entertainment space.

Confirmed on Wednesday, 3 September, Ed Sheeran is set to play just a small handful of huge headline spaces this winter, including dates in Paris, Munich, Coventry and Dublin, as well as here in Manchester.

Announced ahead of his new LP and eighth studio album, Play, of which we’ve already heard four new tracks: ‘Sapphire’, ‘Old Phone’, ‘A Little More’ and ‘Azizam’ – the latter of which went straight to number one and stayed there for five whole weeks after it dropped.

These upcoming shows will be an extra and rare chance to see Sheeran before his all-new ‘Loop’ stadium tour, which kicks off in Australia next January.

If you saw the scenes at the Etihad, you know how big that one’s going to be.

Revealing details about the limited number of EU dates via his own social media channels, Sheeran wrote: “Coming to play some shows in Europe. These shows will be more intimate than a stadium show, obvz, but still will be incredible.”

We don’t know how he plans to make a room as big as the Co-op Live arena ‘intimate’, but we’re looking forward to seeing what he has in store…

He went on to add that he loves “playing these venues so much”, urging fans to pre-order the new record if they want to get their hands on tickets ASAP.

Play releases on Friday, 12 September, and those who pre-order the album exclusively through Amazon.co.uk before 7pm BST this Sunday, 7 September, can put themselves in with a chance of securing pre-sale tickets.

Elsewhere, early access will also be available to official Co-op members next Wednesday (10/9/25) ahead of general admission going live on Thursday, 11 September.

You can get ready to grab your tickets for Ed Sheeran at Co-op Live on Sunday, 7 December HERE.

Read more:

Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Ed Sheeran (via Instagram)

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