Spread over two floors and spanning 4,000 sq metres, the first Urban Playground site is set to open on 10 February.
Urban Playground in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
ITV’s The Cube will be brought to life at Urban Playground, with teams of four taking on deceptively simple tasks inside the high-pressure confines of the familiar perspex box.
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There are seven games to try, like taking on obstacles blindfolded and collecting balls in a set time window.
Tickets for The Cube Live range from £30 to £45.
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Urban Playground is also home to Putters, a mini golf experience made up of three themed nine-hole challenges, where screens and animations bring every hole to life.
Putters at Urban Playground. Credit: Supplied
The Butcher at Urban Playground in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Putters can be played in groups of up to six, with tickets priced between £7 and £20.
Cocktail bar Putters Bar will serve a range of premium beers, wines, spirits and cocktails.
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The Butcher, which has a number of high-end restaurants in The Netherlands, Germany and Ibiza, will be serving top-quality burgers.
The brand uses Aberdeen Angus beef, fresh vegetables, signature sauces and semi-brioche buns to created a ‘high-end yet casual burger bar with an international charisma’.
Putters. Credit: Supplied
Yossi Eliyahoo, founder and co-owner at The Entourage Group said: “Over the past years, within The Entourage Group, The Butcher has developed into a successful brand with a lot of potential for further growth.”
Mellors Group, which is behind Urban Playground, is also responsible for some of the biggest theme parts and attractions in the world.
Edward Mellors, director of Urban Playground, said: “Mellors Group are thrilled to launch Urban Playground at Manchester Arndale. The Cube Live is the first of its kind along with a state-of-the-art Tech-Infused Putters mini golf and food franchise, The Butcher.
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“We hope this is the first of many Urban Playground attractions to be produced across the UK and cannot wait for doors to open to the public for the very first time.”
Holly Pye, commercial director at Objective Media Group, said: “We are very excited that The Cube is joining Urban Playground. At last members of the public will get the opportunity to play these iconic games for themselves and get a taste of the adrenaline that has had viewers hooked for over 11 series.”
Colin Finn, spokesperson for Manchester Arndale said: “It is great news that Urban Playground – which includes The Cube Live – has chosen Manchester Arndale as its first location in the UK.
“Urban Playground is a truly exciting, high-profile use with a unique experiential offer and a key addition to the centre’s leisure provision.
“Experiential attractions are rapidly becoming key features of UK shopping destinations and are helping to draw in more visitors from a broader catchment tempted by a multi-purpose visit.
“This, in turn, attracts other occupiers enhancing the centre’s appeal and vibrancy. Urban Playground will be a huge asset to Manchester Arndale, reinforcing the centre’s position as one of the premier shopping destinations in the north west.”
The full 2026 MOBOs Fringe programme for the first-ever awards in Manchester has been revealed
Danny Jones
Now the BRITs have been and gone, it’s time to switch our focus to the next big awards show: the 2026 MOBOs, which is also coming to Manchester for the very first time, and they’re bringing the popular Fringe event along with it.
Get ready for more big showbiz hustle and bustle to hit the city centre before you know it; we, for one, are so ready.
Similar to the aforementioned BRIT Awards, the MOBOs also hold a regular ‘Fringe’ music, arts and cultural festival with each annual edition.
You can see the full range of this year’s largely free-to-attend MOBOs Fringe lineup and the extensive schedule in its entirety down below.
Manchester, it’s your time.
The full #MOBOFringe 2026 programme is here – nine days of music, culture, panels, parties and showcases across the city ahead of the #MOBOAwards on 26 March.
As you can see, there’s a lot on the cards this year, with different activities and activations happening all over central Manchester.
Featuring everything from exclusive live sets, sport and other entertainment, to various selectors and even a creative summit, it’s jam-packed with countless aspects beyond just that music that help make the industry as a whole tick.
Venues involved include The Whitworth Gallery, faithful Green Island Festival partners, the Niamos Centre, multi-purpose bars and events spaces like Side Street and Renae, as well as important music venues like The Deaf Institute and Aviva Studios – a.k.a. the home of Factory International.
Each hosting a variety of different dates over the course of its nearly week-long duration ahead of the MOBO Awards themselves, there’s something for everyone and anyone interested not just in Black music and entertainment but Black-British culture and more.
For instance, we already heard about the exclusive basketball match between Manchester and a fellow European competitor, and tickets are live as we speak. You can see the full Fringe programme in more detail online.
Running from Thursday 19 to Tuesday 24 March, the event week is shaping up to be a cracker.
As for the inaugural Manc MOBOs ceremony at Co-op Live, it gets underway just a couple of days later on the following Thursday (26 Mar).
serving as the perfect way to close the Fringe and this year’s edition as a whole.
Tickets for the MOBO Awards Manchester debut are live as we speak, with general admission prices starting from less than £30. You can grab yours HERE.
As for those expected to be in attendance, the likes of Olivia Dean and local rapper Aitch have already been confirmed for the live music lineup, and to see the full list of nominees, look no further…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via MOBO Awards)
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The Christie cancer patients’ artwork to be displayed at Manchester’s new Banksy-inspired exhibition
Emily Sergeant
Cancer patients will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their artwork exhibited in Manchester this month.
The Christie Charity has partnered with the upcoming immersive exhibition, The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind – which is opening down at Depot Mayfield this week, making its UK debut – meaning that patients currently being treated at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust will have a chance to prove just how powerful and transformative art can be.
The Christie has been invited to showcase a selection of artwork, all with the aim of highlighting the role art plays in supporting cancer patients.
The new exhibition – which is set to celebrate the powerful, visual storytelling associated with Banksy – will feature more than 200 Banksy-inspired works under one roof, and the Christie patients’ pieces will now accompany them.
At present, The Christie is the only hospital in the UK that offers a dedicated art service for patients.
Funded by The Christie Charity, the hospital provides a relaxed and welcoming space for patients between treatments.
The Christie cancer patients’ artwork to be displayed at Manchester’s new Banksy-inspired exhibition / Credit: Supplied
Led by artist in residence Pat Mountford and supported by volunteers, the art sessions are informal, accessible, and open to all – with no previous artistic experience required to join, and patients being given the option to drop-in as and when they choose.
The art room offers patients a place to unwind during what is often of the most challenging period of their lives, as through painting, drawing, and collaborative projects with one another, they’re encouraged to explore their creativity and take time away from the clinical environment.
“Art has an extraordinary ability to help people process what they’re going through,” commented Pat Mountford.
“For many patients, the art room becomes a place of calm, creativity and connection at a time when life can feel overwhelming. Seeing their work showcased in a public exhibition is incredibly empowering.”
Visitors to the exhibition will also have the opportunity to bid on the Christie patient artwork.
A QR code displayed alongside the artwork will allow members of the public to place bids, with all proceeds supporting fundraising efforts for the Total Body PET-CT Scanner. Additional pieces created by patients will be displayed throughout The Christie’s hospital corridors and will also be available to bid on as part of the auction.
The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind is set to open this Friday 13 March and will run through to 5 July 2026 at Depot Mayfield.
Tickets are now on sale, with standard adult tickets starting at £22, children under six going free, and a range of concession tickets also available for 7-16 year olds, seniors, and all NHS workers to benefit from.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd February 2022 
