Travel advice has now been issued ahead of the Manchester Christmas Markets, with millions of visitors expected to attend the attraction over the coming weeks.
The arrival of the wooden huts and festive teepees signals the start of the Christmas season for the city, with the smell of sizzling sausages and mulled wine in the air.
Every year, the Manchester Christmas Markets attract around nine million visitors from around the region, the UK and beyond.
It’s arguably the biggest visitor attraction in the North West and can get busy – and that often trickles over into the roads and public transport.
So Transport for Greater Manchester has now shared a bit of travel advice to help you soak up all those lovely festive vibes without sitting in a traffic jam.
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The Bee Network is the most convenient way to get around, with fast, frequent and later services running whether you’re Christmas shopping, at your work party or just enjoying all the city centre has to offer.
There are also discounted tickets for families – a group of one to three children with one or two adults are able to enjoy unlimited off-peak travel on any bus for £9, or make use of the full Metrolink network over an entire weekend (from 6pm on a Friday until last services on a Sunday) for £9.50 (now available on the Bee Network app).
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In comparison, four hours parking in the city centre is on average £13.46.
As for car journeys, they’re expected to take on average 20% longer around the city centre in the lead-up to Christmas, especially at the weekends.
Those who do drive are encouraged to use one of the Park and Ride sites across the Metrolink, bus and train network.
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TfGM has stressed that you can use Starling Bank bikes to nip around town itself, as well as the many tram and bus stops.
And the V1 and 36 bus services – connecting Manchester with Leigh and Bolton via Salford – now operate 24 hours a day, meaning you don’t have to worry about missing the last bus home.
TfGM’s Chief Network Officer Danny Vaughan, said: “The opening of the Christmas Markets means the start of the festive season for many people, as the countdown to the big day begins and everywhere gets much busier for a few weeks.
“It can be a hectic time of year, but choosing the Bee Network and leaving the car at home is a smart way for people to save time and money, keeping more cash in their pocket for shopping, nights out and festive treats.
“There is a great range of affordable tickets on offer, including for families. So, get on board with us to take the stress out of things by making your journey as reliable, comfortable and affordable as possible.
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“Our frequent bus and tram services can avoid you sitting in traffic and stressing over finding somewhere to park, and for short journeys consider cycling, walking or wheeling – it is often the quickest, healthiest and most cost-effective way to make your journeys.”
The Manchester Christmas Markets are open from Friday 8 November until Sunday 22 December.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2024 prices – how much is food and drink this year?
Featured image: The Manc Group
Travel & Tourism
Manchester City’s Stadium Tours are back for the summer and bigger than ever
Danny Jones
Manchester City stadium tours are back for summer 2026, with more to see from the home of the Blues than ever, and with 15% off all tickets until the end of August, too.
It’s safe to say that Man City are going through a HUGE period of change right now: embarking on a new era under Enzo Maresca following the dynasty of Pep Guardiola, vast redevelopments of the wider Etihad Campus, a new club hotel, and the expansion of the North Stand – now named after said Catalan coach.
With that in mind, there’s so much new stuff going on over in East Manchester and arguably more of it all happening in one place than we can recall in recent memory, making it the perfect time for Cityzens to return to the famous home ground – indeed, your Etihad debut if you haven’t made one already.
Giving you greater access to areas usually reserved for players and staff only than ever, this exclusive, interactive and virtual tour will take you through the very bones of the storied sporting arena, all the way through to pitchside.
Fans can explore the dressing room and follow in the footsteps of their favourite City players as they walk through the iconic glass players’ tunnel, before walking out into the open air and sitting in the dugout to take in that incredible view.
You can also try out the latest ‘Beyond the Blue Moon’ experience – an immersive VR adventure that sees supporters journey through Manchester City’s past, present, and future.
Following on from Pep lending his likeness, using innovative technology, you can now even have the chance to put your questions to Erling Haaland in the Press Conference Room.
There aren’t many teams on the planet that offer this level of stadium tour, let alone just here in the UK, so it’s no wonder they remain award-winning almost every single year.
Whether you’re a lifelong City fan, a football lover or visiting this wonderful place we call Manchester for the very first time, there’s something for everyone.
For instance, with The Medlock Hotel and accompanying Medlock Square already lining up its maiden events, the City Football Group (CFG) are once again committing to make the wider Etihad Campus an all-year-round entertainment destination.
That being said, plenty of people online have been generating a lot of buzz about the aforementioned Medlock’s new stadium-view rooms since clips appeared on social media.
Pitch view rooms coming to the Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel at #ManCity’s Etihad Stadium. 🤯
As for the tickets themselves, the club have also taken steps to keep the cost affordable.
Standard prices start from just £32 for adults and only £20 for under-16s, with larger family packages available from £60.
BUT, with the 15% discount mentioned earlier, adults currently cost just £27; kids go for just £17, and those family passes start from just £51.
You can find all the options when it comes to stadium tour passes and grab the type of admission that suits you right HERE.
Speaking of tickets, City have also been met with praise for the introduction of new discounted seats for local residents; find out all the details below.
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
8th November 2024 
