A huge Batman experience is swooping into Manchester this summer, offering fans a chance to see real props and costumes from the Warner Bros. archives.
The exclusive event will bring the cinematic world of Batman to life, through a series of themed rooms, exhibitions and a comic book and gaming area.
Batman Unmasked will be packed full of items from this iconic character’s film history, including (to name just a few) The Dark Knight, Joker, and The Batman.
Visitors will wander through a series of themed rooms that will bring Gotham City to life here in Manchester, with the massive Batman experience taking over Depot Mayfield this summer.
Batsuits worn by actors Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale and Michael Keaton will be displayed, alongside an extensive collection of original props and memorabilia.
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Fans will even be able to see original vehicles from the hit franchise, including Tumbler and Batpod from The Dark Knight (2008), and the Batmobile and Batcycle from The Batman.
Then after passing through a series of walkways inspired by the various criminals of Gotham, you’ll arrive at The Rogue’s Gallery, a space devoted to DC Super-Villains.
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The BatbikeBatman Unmasked, which is coming to Manchester this summerThe free-roam comic zone at Batman UnmaskedThe Batcave at Batman Unmasked, which is coming to Manchester this summer
Here there’ll be suits, props and weapons, like Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy ensemble, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn costume, Jim Carrey’s Riddler outfit and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze suit.
Heath Ledger’s infamous nurse uniform from The Dark Night, and Joaquin Phoenix’s red suit from Joker, will also be on display.
And as for younger Batman fans, there’ll be hidden facts to seek out, photo opportunities, and a free-flow comic book and gaming area.
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The Batcave at Batman Unmasked in Manchester
Exclusive Batman Unmasked merchandise will be on sale at the retail store, including special Batman 85th Anniversary items alongside classic Batman items.
Batman Unmasked is coming to Manchester to mark the 85th anniversary of DC’s Caped Crusader, and will take place from 16 July until 26 August.
It will then head down to London’s Covent Garden, where it will be in residence through Batman Day on 21 September.
Ticket prices include discounted concession rates as well as savings for small groups of four, or larger groups of 10.
The Tour de France is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s official: both the male and female Tour de France are coming to Greater Manchester and nine other destinations across the UK in 2027.
As one of the biggest locations on the list, it’s another big sporting landmark for us Mancs.
Confirmed on Thursday, 15 January, the men’s race and the Tour de France Femmes (TdFF) will be passing through our region next summer.
Revealing the news in an exciting announcement video on social media, you can see the other cities and towns that the world-famous endurance event will be hitting here:
With Greater Manchester boasting not only the National Cycling Centre, but having already hosted the Tour of Britain – which has passed through Altrincham on multiple ocassions – we’re well-versed when it comes to the sport.
It’s been more than a decade since the Tour de France last took place in the UK, with London and Yorkshire hosting three stages of the biggest date on the annual cycling calendar back in 2014.
Fast forward a dozen years, and not only will they both be participating again, but Great Britain will see dual Grand Départs for men and women for the very first time.
Not only are we buzzing that the racing will be returning to our friends in Leeds and Sheffield, but also nice to see other Northern regions lending their roads and stunning landscapes, such as the Lake District and wider parts of Cumbria.
You can see the full route map broken down below.
🇬🇧 Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, London 🇬🇧
💛 Grand Départ Great Britain 2027: in the footsteps of the pioneers!
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) January 15, 2026
Speaking in an official press release, race director Christian Prudhomme said: “The UK has always welcomed the Tour with passion and pride, and the route details we are revealing today reflect the beauty and diversity of Britain’s terrain.”
“Bringing both Grand Départs here is a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK.”
TdFF counterpart, Marion Rousse, added: “The UK has played an important role in the history of women’s cycling, with champions such as Lizzie Deignan.
“Starting the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Leeds is a strong choice, closely linked to this heritage and to the enthusiasm of a public that knows and loves the Tour. These stages clearly reflect the race’s ambition: to continue growing women’s cycling and to inspire future generations.”
Manchester Airport to launch seven new ‘exciting’ routes across the world in 2026
Emily Sergeant
Mancs will soon get the chance to travel to some of the most beautiful and underrated places on Earth for the first time.
Now that 2026 is here and well underway, the new year is shaping up to be ‘groundbreaking’ for Manchester Airport – especially with its decade-long, £1.3 billion transformation of Terminal 2 due to be completed in a matter of weeks, and a project to redesign and improve other areas and terminals also rapidly progressing.
But if that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the promise of seven new flight routes to destinations across the world being added into the mix should do it.
Four of the destinations are even completely brand-new to the Airport too.
Manchester Airport has launched seven new routes for 2026 / Credit: Daphne Richard | Denilo | Henrique Ferreira (via Unsplash)
Already described as being ‘the UK’s global gateway in the North’, Manchester Airport offers a route network that’s unparalleled outside London, with more than 200 destinations served by 50 airlines – but that network is set to widen again this year, with seven new services already confirmed from the likes of easyJet, Jet2.com and Ryanair.
From stunning French cities and Italian islands, to Greek landscapes and even the chance to see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, there’s so much to choose from on the roster of new destinations.
easyJet’s service to Montpellier – one of the biggest cities in southern France, offering an array of cultural and archaeological sites, museums, galleries, beaches, and more – launches on Monday 30 March, while Jet2 begins flying to the Canary Island of La Palma form Friday 3 April, and the first direct service from Manchester to Palermo, the largest city on the island of Sicily, starts on Friday 1 May.
2025 has brought exciting developments for our airfield and Terminal 2! ✨
Manchester Airport is looking better than ever and there is still more exciting improvements to come.
Preveza and Samos, both in Greece, the Spanish city loved by locals, Castellon, and the ancient Turkish gem of Bodrum round out the list of new destinations.
More routes are also expected be confirmed over the course of this year too, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements.
“Our route network is unrivalled, with more than 200 destinations across the planet,” commented Chris Woodroofe, who is the Managing Director at Manchester Airport.
“Here we have a list here of what we refer to as our biggest unserved destinations – that’s the destinations that we don’t have direct flights to but have the greatest demand, demonstrated by people from the region travelling to them either on connecting flights or from other airports.”
Daisy Jackson -
6th June 2024 
