Things To Do

A free festival with Glasto screenings, a spritz bar, and live music is coming to Kampus in Manchester

And the weather forecast looks stunning.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 25th June 2024

A huge free summer festival will take over the Kampus neighbourhood in Manchester this weekend.

Kampus Fest will bring together immaculate summer vibes in the form of ice cream stalls, a spritz bar, and Glastonbury live streams.

It’s been created by one of the leafy neighbourhood’s original operators, Nell’s Pizza (who also just announced a new restaurant in Altrincham, like they’re not busy enough already).

Nell’s will be teaming up with Kampus itself and Love From, an alcohol-free bar, to put on a big summer weekender between 28 and 30 June – all served with a slice of Nell’s New York-style pizzas, obviously.

Untold Orchestra will be delivering a ‘Best Of Glastonbury’ live performance on Saturday from 6.30pm, while Born to be Wild Child will host family-friendly activities on Sunday.

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Kampus Fest will be the headline event for the neighbourhood’s summer event series, but there’s plenty more to come.

Still to come during the warmer months we’ll have Euros screenings, Makers Markets on the third Sunday of every month, a queer disco, live music, DJ sets and more.

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Jonny Heyes, co-founder of Nell’s, said: “We were blown away by the reaction to Kampus Fest last year. We saw lots of new faces come down to the garden to enjoy not only the music and food, but the atmosphere too. We just had to bring it back for a second year.”

Kampus fest is back with free entertainment in Manchester this weekend. Credit: Supplied, Kampus
Kampus fest is back with free entertainment in Manchester this weekend. Credit: Supplied, Kampus

Karl, of Love From, says: “I am so excited that Love From gets to be part of summer at Kampus. Since starting our residency in January we have loved working with Nell’s and the broader Kampus community so to get to host lots of cool events together over the summer whilst bringing gorgey nonalc summer drinks is a dream!”

Adam Higgins, of Capital+Centric, the co-developer of Kampus says: “When we set out with KAMPUS we knew we wanted it to be a space for people to come together and enjoy the neighbourhood.

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“We’re lucky to have one of the best and greenest spaces in the city centre, with businesses that are able to bring that space to life with a fun and dynamic events calendar”

Sponsored by We Road Travel, there will be opportunities across the summer to win huge prizes, luxury adventures and more.

You can reserve a free spot at Kampus Fest here.

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Featured image: Supplied

Things To Do

The all-new Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz is coming to the AO Arena in 2025

Danny Jones Danny Jones Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz Manchester tickets

Something Wicked comes this way but not as you know because a high-flying twist on the Wizard of Oz lands in Manchester next year – only this time, make it Cirque!

That’s right, AO Arena is set to welcome the Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz: an acrobatic take on the classic children’s story and much-loved 1939 film starring Judy Garland.

With Wicked fever having taken over the global zeitgeist following the release of this year’s feature-length adaption and even more people, theatre fans or not, going along to see the long-hailed theatre production that inspired it, it seems there’s no better time to announce this latest entry into the universe.

Set to embark on its inaugural tour in 2025, the experience is being described as ‘cirque meets panto’ and is set to deliver a magical retelling of the iconic tale like never before.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NOW ON SALE!⚡ CIRQUE WICKED WIZARD OF OZ!<br><br>Panto meets Cirque... Be amazed by a brand-new, breath-taking, Cirque staging… of the Wicked Wizard of Oz, coming to the AO Arena next year on Tuesday 23rd December 2025! 💫✨ <br><br>Buy tickets now: <a href="https://t.co/uQTPa3YJqW">https://t.co/uQTPa3YJqW</a> <a href="https://t.co/kTctGVXZIn">pic.twitter.com/kTctGVXZIn</a></p>&mdash; AO Arena (@AOArena) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOArena/status/1870046804659568980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Turning the Emerald City into the Emerald Circus, World’s Biggest Productions (the same team behind Elf: The Musical, Peter Pan and many other pantomime hits) are bringing this new concept to the masses starting in Autumn 2025, with a Manchester date pencilled in for the following winter.

Featuring a cast of more than 60, including already familiar audience favourites like Jordan Conway, Kelly Banlaki and Kev Orkian in starring roles, anyone who has seen one of their productions before will know how big and bold an affair they are.

Combine that with one of the most well-known stories on the planet and what do you get? Well, what we can only expect to be a supremely energetic, colourful and heartfelt spectacle on a huge scale.

Promising aerial stunts, amazing special effects and the big-budget perks of an arena as legendary as the AO, this is not one you’ll want to miss if you’re a musical theatre fan.

It’s also not the show the theatre company are bringing to the stage next year either, as their hugely successful run of Elf will be returning alongside Scrooge – yes, another circus spin, only this time on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

world biggest productions musicals manchester
Credit: Press Image (via World’s Biggest Productions)

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Most importantly, all of these shows are fundamentally family-friendly, meaning not only can they be enjoyed by people of all ages but they’ll make for a perfect day out come the festive period.

Cirque Wicked Wizard of Oz comes to Manchester for one night only on Tuesday, 23 December 2025 with the fun starting from 7pm.

You can grab your tickets HERE.

In the meantime, if you’re still in need of a musical theatre of fantasy fix, you can read all about what we made of the most recent showings of Wicked at the Palace Theatre down below.

Wicked at the Palace Theatre – the magical musical EVERYONE is talking about arrives in Manchester

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Featured Images — Press Image (supplied)

Things To Do

Spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks display confirmed for Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Spectacular New Year's Eve firework display confirmed for Manchester

Manchester will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a spectacular FREE fireworks display, the council has confirmed.

This year, the dazzling display to ring in the new year will be set off from the roof of the city’s landmark Central Library building.

Mancs will be able to gather in St Peter’s Square as the city waves goodbye to 2024 and welcomes a new year.

The family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration has never taken place at St Peter’s Square before, nor has the iconic Manchester Central library hosted any sort of fireworks display.

The fireworks spectacular and New Year countdown will take place on Tuesday 31 December between 10pm and 12.30am, hosted by local radio presenter and DJ Joe McGrath.

With a rough capacity of 20,000 people, there’ll be a festive atmosphere in the city centre – but Manchester City Council has stressed that alcohol is not permitted at the New Year’s Eve fireworks event.

Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas and New Year spokesperson for Manchester City Council, said: “If there’s something we do well in Manchester, it’s getting together for a big celebration – and there’s no better time for a big do than New Year’s Eve.

“This is the time to remember the year we’ve just had and to look ahead to the new one and all it may bring, surrounded by the people we love.

“Mancunians of all ages love a party, and this New Year’s Eve is going to be fantastic – a chance to dance the night away, with one of the biggest fireworks displays in the region for everyone to enjoy.

“All you need is your dancing shoes, party spirit and your nearest and dearest. Grab hold of those and we can’t wait to see you in St Peter’s Square for the last party of 2024.”

Manchester New Year's Eve fireworks
Spectacular New Year’s Eve firework display confirmed for Manchester. Credit: Unsplash, designecologist

There are a few things you need to know ahead of the event – attendees are asked to limit bag sizes to no larger than A4 in size, with bag searches in operation at the entrances.

It will be a standing room only event though there’ll be a managed designated accessible viewing area located on the Metrolink tram platform closest to Central Library, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Portaloos, public toilets until 1am, and hot drinks and food will all be available on site.

Event staff will make sure St Peter’s Square is cleared promptly after the event and once the fireworks are over to minimise disruption to local residents.

Councillor Pat Karney added: “We want everyone to be able to enjoy New Year’s Eve, including the growing number of local residents who live in town.

“I will therefore be working closely with local councillors and others to ensure that we minimise any nuisance for city centre residents.”

Important road closures and event information for the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Manchester

A number of temporary but necessary traffic management measures will be put in place in the run-up to and on the day itself so the event can go ahead.

Road closures – 31 December 2024 

7.30pm–2am

  • Peter Street westbound (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)
  • Peter Street eastbound (Deansgate to Lower Mosley Street)
  • Oxford Street (Peter Street to Portland Street)
  • George Street (Oxford Street to Dickinson Street)
  • St James Street (Oxford Street to Dickinson Street)
  • Bale Street (Lower Mosley Street to Hall Street)
  • Hall Street (Bale Street to Oxford Street)

9pm–2am

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  • Lower Mosley Street (Windmill Street to St Peter’s Square)
  • Princess Street (Cooper Street to George Street)
  • Back George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)

Parking suspensions from 8am on 29 December until 6am on 2 January

  • Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)

Parking suspensions from 6pm on 30 December until 6am on 1 January

  • Oxford Street (Lower Mosley Street to Portland Street)
  • Lower Mosley Street (Windmill Street to St Peter’s Square)
  • Princess Street (Cooper Street to George Street)
  • George Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
  • Back George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)
  • Museum Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
  • Southmill (Windmill Street to Bootle Street)

Accessible parking

  • Unreserved accessible event parking is available on Mount Street.

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Featured image: Unsplash, Chris Curry

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