Things To Do
Reborn Manchester pub to stay open until 3am as it welcomes new venue space
Boozers will be dancing on the ceiling… literally
The Rat & Pigeon, which only opened in June, has seen great success in the first few months since its big launch – and now it’s about to take that success through to the early hours.
Coined as ‘the backstreet boozer’, this spot is situated on Back Piccadilly just a stone’s throw away from Piccadilly Gardens.
It used to have a gruesome past when it was Mother Macs, but has now been reborn by the team behind the Crown & Kettle pub in Ancoats into a three-storey modern but traditional pub.
The Rat & Pigeon is now extending its opening hours to 3am to make the most of its new first floor space ‘The Red Room’.
In honour of the venue, the pub is hosting a three day free entry party titled ‘FREE AM’ from 12 September til 14 September.
Each night will feature two artists helping celebrate the pub’s new venture. Names like Dead Stilettos, Velma and Truthpaste are headlining the respective Thursday to Saturday dates, giving their warm welcome to the brand-new hotspot upstairs.
After the bands have blessed The Red Room music scene, there are three different themed club offerings for those of you who want to keep the party going.
Thursday is titled as ‘Unknown Treasures’, with Friday claiming ‘First Aid On Wax’ and Saturday’s closer crowned with ‘Funk Yeah!’.
The pub itself will still keep its traditions as a drinking domain, however the self-contained first floor will just extend its legacy as it dips its toe into the club scene.
The Rat & Pigeon are passionate about supporting upcoming bands and acts through the revamped music site, revealing: “We’re aiming to help nurture the Grassroots scene and bring our guests a wide variety of musical and performance content.”
It’s all about the three’s at this independent public house, as not only will they be hosting their three day free entry party and opening til 3am, there are three floors too!
If you’re looking for your next day drink or night out why not give The Rat & Pigeon a cheeky visit, nestled in the heart of Manchester city centre.
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Featured Image: The Manc Group
Things To Do
‘Breathtaking’ new 360° immersive dinosaurs exhibition to open in Manchester later this year
Emily Sergeant
A ‘breathtaking’ new immersive dinosaurs exhibition is set to open in Manchester later this year.
Fresh off the back of announcing its programme of events for the upcoming autumn-winter season last week, Factory International has now revealed that another new Lightroom experience will be arriving later this year, and it’s one any budding paleontologist will want to keep an eye on.
Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs blends iconic moments from Apple TV’s Emmy nominated Prehistoric Planet with never-before seen content.
It’s set to take audiences back in time to experience dinosaurs closer than ever before.
Narrated by critically acclaimed actor, Damian Lewis, the new 360° immersive experience is a celebration of our natural world told through captivating storytelling, breathtaking visuals, and groundbreaking technology, with visitors will be transported back in time, 66 million years ago, to experience dinosaurs up close.
Damian Lewis guides audiences through the fascinating role dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures have played in shaping our world – from Ammonites and Mosasaurs, to the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Lightroom’s state-of-the-art 360 projections will allow viewers to see these majestic animals at an awe-inspiring scale and travel alongside them through volcanoes, soaring skies and the deep sea.
As escapist as it is educational, audiences will not only experience some of the most beloved scenes from seasons one and two of Apple TV’s Prehistoric Planet, but they will also be immersed in exclusive extended CGI sequences and bespoke illustrations that bring the show to life in entirely new ways.
And to make it even better, the experience is set to an original score by multi-Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, alongside Anže Rozman, and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.
The experience joins the previously announced David Bowie: You’re Not Alone, which gives audiences insight into the creative mind and performances of one of the world’s most visionary artists.
Read more:
Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs opens at Aviva Studios, and tickets go on public sale tomorrow (Friday 26 June).
Featured Image – Supplied
Things To Do
Prestigious Edinburgh TV Festival to move to Manchester for first time in 50 years
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester will become the new host city for the TV Festival from 2027 onwards it was announced today.
For the first time in five decades, following an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process – which was launched in 2025 – the prestigious festival is set to move from its home in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh to our region from 2027 onwards, beating out other major northern cities like Newcastle in the process.
As part of a UK-wide strategic review into the event’s long-term future, the Festival’s board of directors say the review was undertaken in order to ‘examine how the TV Festival could continue to grow’ amid increasing challenges around accessibility, affordability, and sustainability across the television industry.
Greater Manchester‘s ‘successful and comprehensive’ bid included commitments around affordability, infrastructure, industry partnership, and long-term growth potential.
Plans include holding the Festival in locations in the newly developed St. John’s creative and cultural district.
“Greater Manchester presented a vision for the Festival that combined genuine creative ambition and future-facing energy with practical accessibility and affordability for delegates,” commented Campbell Glennie, who is the CEO of the TV Festival and The TV Foundation.
“This means we can radically reduce the costs associated with attending the Festival as well as the cost of passes.
“The city reflects the expanding ambition of the UK television industry, while still offering the scale, connectivity and unique cultural identity needed for an event of this significance – it gives us the strongest platform to grow the Festival’s reach and impact in the years ahead.”
Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, said being chosen as TV Festival hosts is ‘brilliant news’ for Greater Manchester, adding: “It speaks to the growth, success and strength of our screen sector in the city region and the strong partnerships and talent we have here.”
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The final Edinburgh edition of the TV Festival will take place this August, and dates and further details for the TV Festival in 2027 will be shared later this year.
Featured Image – PickPik
Thomas Melia -
4th September 2024 
