Travel & Tourism

A massive Batman experience, featuring original props, costumes and vehicles, is coming to Manchester

A journey through the Caped Crusader’s legendary history - yes please

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 6th June 2024

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 Batbike
The Batbike
Batman Unmasked, which is coming to Manchester this summer
Batman Unmasked, which is coming to Manchester this summer
The free-roam comic zone at Batman Unmasked
The free-roam comic zone at Batman Unmasked
The Batcave at Batman Unmasked, which is coming to Manchester this summer
The 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
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.

Sign up to the waitlist on 6 June and get priority access to ticket sales on 12 June before general on sale, 13 June. 

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Featured image: Supplied

Travel & Tourism

Coronation Street-themed tram travelling around Greater Manchester officially hits the tracks

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A special themed tram celebrating the greatest TV soap of all time has officially hit the Metrolink tracks today.

And it’s “the most Manc tram ever” too, apparently.

It’s pretty well-known at this point that Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) constantly gets contacted by Coronation Street fans asking where the TV show’s dedicated tram stop is – which doesn’t actually exist, by the way – and is not helped by the fact there’s a CGI tram in the programme’s titles and a ‘tram stop’ on the soap’s set too.

In fact, after the infamous tram crash in 2010’s 50th Anniversary episode, TfGM had almost 300 queries asking if the trams were still running in Manchester… genuinely.

Over here in the ‘real world’, fans looking to head to the Coronation Street Experience for a special visit of the show’s set will need to hop off at the nearest stop, which is the IWM North, just a short wander away – but as of today (19 June), all that has now changed.

A special Coronation Street-themed tram has officially hit the Metrolink tracks / Credit: ITV Studios

That’s because, in true Corrie style, ITV Studios has proudly revealed what it’s calling “the most Manc transport ever” with the launch of the first-ever ‘Coronation Street Experience’ tram.

The unique homage to the show will meander across the Metrolink network for the next 12 months.

Created using special visuals from Manchester-based agency, Meanwhile, the so-called ‘Insta-trammable’ tram can be seen all dressed-up with gorgeous illustrations from the cobbles to give passengers the change to head to Rochdale through the legendary ‘Rovers doors’, arrive at Kingsway through the Kabin, make their way to the Velopark via Vera and Jack’s infamously-clad ‘No. 9 door’, or rock up at Radcliffe through the entrance to Roys Rolls.

As summer settles on our city, the ITV and TfGM teams also briefly snuck into the ‘real world’ earlier on today to turn the IWM Metrolink stop into ‘Weatherfield North’, especially for the themed tram’s official launch.

It’ll be travelling across Greater Manchester from today for the next 12 months / Credit: TfGM

“We’ve got our very own Weatherfield tram stop, where our characters catch a handy tram ‘into town’, and we’ve even very-occasionally got a virtual tram going past over our bridge, commented John Whiston, who is the MD for Continuing Drama at ITV Studios, as the tram officially hit the region’s tracks today.

“However, we’ve never actually ventured onto Manchester’s Metrolink other than fictionally, so it’s exciting that an actual tram will sport some fine Coronation Street livery.”

Mr Whiston added that the point of the new themed tram is to show visitors just “how easy it is to journey to the Coronation Street Experience on a real tram.”

Urging Mancs and Greater Manchester visitors to “keep an eye out” for the new Corrie-themed tram across the Metrolink network over the next 12 months, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Interim Metrolink Network Director, added: “Metrolink, like Corrie, is an iconic symbol of Greater Manchester that has gone from strength to strength over the years, so we are delighted to be supporting ITV Studios and the Coronation Street Experience.

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“Passengers will also have the chance to board the Corrie-themed tram out on the network over the coming months, so I’d urge people to keep an eye out.”

Featured Image – ITV Studios

Travel & Tourism

‘Essential’ track replacement work means no trams will run between two key Manchester stops this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

No trams will run between two key Manchester city centre stops this summer while “essential” track replacement work is carried out.

In what is another part of Transport for Greater Manchester‘s (TfGM) ongoing programme of works intended to “maintain and improve” the Metrolink system and ensure tram journeys in Greater Manchester remain “safe, reliable, and accessible”, it’s been confirmed that trams will not be run between Piccadilly and Piccadilly Gardens for a total of 17 days.

Beginning from this Saturday (22 June), a replacement service will instead operate between the two stops up until Tuesday 9 July.

A signposted walking route will also be put in place, taking pedestrians about five minutes.

Trams on the Ashton line will operate between Ashton and Piccadilly station, and then any passengers wanting to make an onward journey will need to walk or use the bus replacement service to get themselves over to Piccadilly Gardens.  ​  

On top of this, London Road will also be closed to traffic leaving the city centre where the Metrolink tracks cross the street close to Piccadilly station, and although a signed diversion will be in place for all traffic heading away from the city centre, via Portland Street and Princess Street, with an alternative diversion via Store Street, TfGM say people should expect there to be “increased traffic”.

A higher volume of traffic is anticipated on Fairfield Street, Store Street, Princess Street, Newton Street, and on the inner ring road, while the works are carried out.

In a bid to mitigate the impact on some of the region’s busiest and most-frequent bus services during the 17-days of track replacement works, TfGM has confirmed that the buses that normally use London Road to leave the city centre will, instead, be re-routed.

They’ll be re-routed via Chorlton Street and Fairfield Street to “avoid congestion hotspots”.

‘Essential’ track replacement work means no trams will run between two key Manchester stops / Credit: TfGM

Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Metrolink Director, is encouraging anyone travelling to “plan ahead” and “leave plenty of time” for any journeys.

“During these essential works, we will be doing everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum with replacement bus services and signed diversions for vehicles and pedestrians,” Mr Sommers continued.

“We also have support from our traffic signals team to ensure city centre traffic flows as freely as possible.”

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Find out more about the planned tram improvement works on the TfGM website here.

Featured Image – TfGM

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