Things To Do

Lightopia is slashing ticket prices for the rest of its lantern festival in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 27th December 2021

Lightopia has announced a big discount on tickets for the rest of its season here in Manchester.

The massive light and lantern festival will be offering 25% off event tickets for everyone.

The deal is running until the end of the festival, which is due to wrap up on Monday January 3.

Lightopia returned to Heaton Park for its third year back in November.

Lightopia Festival in Manchester’s Heaton Park. Credit: Supplied

The popular event once again saw the park filled with enchanting lanterns, installations and light shows in an interactive trail.

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This year’s ‘Christmas Fantasy’ at Lightopia includes brand new installations, like the Magic Circus display and the Field of Love, with 50,000 hearts covering the ground.

The Field of Love at Lightopia, which is offering a discount until January. Credit: Supplied

Other zones include the Time Travel section, where there are holographic time portals; the Fantasy Forest, where mythical creatures hide in the woodland; and Dragon’s Land, filled with 40-metre dragons and fabled fairies.

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There’s also street food stalls and a massive fairground to explore at Heaton Park.

Read more: 22 things to look forward to in Greater Manchester in 2022

The much-loved lakeside water show, where magical projections are cast over Heaton Park’s boating lake, has also made a return in 2021.

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Lightopia has shared its Christmas gift over the festive weekend, offering a 25% discount right through to the end of the festival on January 3.

Just use the code XMAS25 at the checkout at lightopiafestival.com.

Featured image: Supplied

Things To Do

Trafford Centre reveals Halloween events lineup with ‘nerve-shredding’ rides, creepy crafts, and more

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Spooky season is nearly upon us, and the Trafford Centre has now announced its lineup of Halloween activities to get stuck into.

With not long to go until schools across Greater Manchester break up for half term, and with Halloween within touching distance, the major shopping centre has revealed an exciting collection of events that’ll be happening over the next couple of weeks – and there’s activities for people of all ages.

From creepy crafts, to hair-raising rides and eerie evening entertainment, there’s something for every brave soul.

Back by popular demand from 25 October is the Halloween Fair, which will pop up outside The Great Hall featuring nerve-shredding rides, a spine-tingling atmosphere, carnival vibes, and loads more, right through until 2 November.

Brand new for 2025 is Fright Night at the fair, which is a truly immersive scare experience for daring teens and adults.

The Trafford Centre has revealed its Halloween events lineup for 2025 / Credit: Supplied

Fright Night will bring three evenings of pure horror from 30 October – 1 November, as creepy characters roam the fairground once the sun’s gone down.

For families wanting half term fun but looking for a gentler kind of magic, there’s a chance to join characters Wanda Web and Jack O’Lantern for some creepy crafts like relaxing pumpkin decorating, eerie face painting, and making your own witches and wizards hats to take home.

The legendary Big Wheel will also be returning for the festive season so you can ascend into the misty night sky high above the Trafford Centre for eerie nighttime views.

And to top it all off, Gandeys will be bringing back the fan-favourite ‘Spooktacular’ for 2025.

There’ll be ‘nerve-shredding’ rides, creepy crafts, and loads more to get involved with / Credit: Trafford Centre

“Halloween is one of the most exciting times of year for us at Trafford Centre, and this year’s lineup is bigger and better than ever,” commented Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre.

“From spine-chilling rides and late-night scares to pumpkin painting for the little ones, we’ve created an experience that everyone can enjoy. We can’t wait to welcome families, friends and thrill-seekers alike for a Halloween celebration like no other.”

Read more:

Tickets for each of the events on Trafford Centre’s Halloween lineup for 2025 are now on sale and you can book them in advance online here.

More information and dates for each of the events can be found here.

Featured Image – Supplied

Things To Do

A groundbreaking new multi-use entertainment and leisure venue is coming to Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones

A new multi-purpose food, drink, entertainment and leisure destination is coming to Manchester city centre and the Salford border this autumn, and you won’t find many places that roll so much into one spot.

Mancs, get ready to welcome ‘Tangerine’.

Conceived by an impressive collective of local creatives, indies and those with plenty of experience catering to the Northern masses, Tangerine is promising everything from multiple resident kitchens, a live music hall, an arthouse stage, a specialist martini bar and more.

Better yet, after a year in the making and quietly chipping away at the striking space, it opens later this month, so you don’t have to wait long to try it for yourselves.

Located on New Bailey Street, just on the edge of Spinningfields and Salford Central, this groundbreaking new venue features two main platforms (utilising the integrated charm of the historic railway arches), each boasting its own selection of attractions.

While platform one will offer a bakery, coffee roastery, wine store and bottle ship, the ‘Canteen Club’ and even a florist, number two will contain the music hall, arthouse stage and the stylish ‘Grand Departures’ bar – serving seven espresso martini alone – Tangerine will deliver a seamless day to night transition.

Arguably, however, the centrepiece is the ‘Cantina Collective’. The food and drink hall promises seven in-house kitchens, showcasing a variety of cuisines.

The opening line-up already confirmed includes Vanda: a family-run Parisian-inspired Ukrainian bakery; Mexican taqueria, PANTERA, burger joint Juicy, as well as Yo Dutchie (a unique fusion of Dutch-Japanese food) and a new Korean/ramen concept from local sushi favourites, Unagi.

Our stomachs are already grumbling just thinking about it.

Tangerine Manchester
tangerine mcr
CGI renders of the completed space. (Credit: Supplied)

Designed not only by the brains behind Northern Quarter’s beloved Mala hidden garden but WANT STUDIOS, who will be ensuring local artists, independents, and traders will be regularly spotlighted, the site will boast a capacity of well over 300 people.

Artyom Dmitrijev, owner of Tangerine and Mala, said in a statement: “Over a year in the making, we’ve used all our experience in design, interiors, architecture and hospitality to create our dream project. A place for all the independents to come together and thrive.”

Andy Windsor, Director of WANT STUDIOS, added: “Tangerine unites the city’s independent kitchens, bar tenders, bakeries and entertainment specialists. It is a unique showcase of what we do in the city. This is a new space for creativity, food, and culture, and we’re proud to be part of it.”

Debuting to the public with a big Halloween weekender on the evening of Friday, 31 October, with another launch event the following Saturday, you can sign up for exclusive early access for free, which could see you score a few freebies to boot.

Read more:

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Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/Tangerine MCR (via Instagram)

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