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.
One of Manchester’s grandest restaurants has finally reopened TWO YEARS after fire
Daisy Jackson
One of the most historic restaurants in Manchester has reopened at last, two years after a fire forced its closure.
Mount Street Dining Room & Bar – which many of us may remember as Mr Cooper’s – stands within the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel.
The grand dining room dates all the way back to 1903, when it opened with the hotel as the Grill Room.
The restaurant was at the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution and was frequented by railway travellers, perhaps best-known for hosting a lunch between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904, who went on to form the world-famous Rolls-Royce brand.
The Midland’s restaurants has gone through several changes in the decades since, undergoing a major £14 million refurb in 2020 to relaunch as Mount Street Dining Room & Bar.
Its interiors are inspired by the hotel’s early 1900s art deco and railway heritage, with a menu that focuses on locally-sourced British produce.
But the restaurant has been shut since early 2024, when a fire damaged the entrance and trellising around its main entrance on Mount Street.
The beautiful bar areaA glimpse of the menu at Mount StreetCocktails and British food
The Midland has finally managed to get the restaurant back open again this month, with a new food and cocktail menus, which aims to offer refined but simple British dining.
Expect dishes like pork and black pudding bonbons, white onion soup with crispy potatoes, smoked British salmon with lemon gel and dill mascarpone, and slow cooked beef daube with confit garlic mash.
Plus desserts such as rice pudding with Anise glazed pearsand Bakewell pudding with cherry syrup.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen inside this beautiful, storied dining room – and it looks just as beautiful as we remember.
The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
Daisy Jackson -
6th June 2024 
