Is it too early to say the ‘C word’? Never mind, too late, you’ve already clicked on this article.
We’ve only got two more days of August left, and given the fact the weather over these past two months hasn’t exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner – but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas at this point, it’ll soon be tricky to escape from.
Especially not when there’s a free TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop set to relaunch in the UK next week.
You heard that right – Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
A TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 launches in the UK next week / Credit: 20th Century Studios | Universal Pictures
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there’s arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that’s charmed audiences for the last two years running.
ADVERTISEMENT
Not only is GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, but it’s also back “earlier than ever” this year, and is launching in only a few days time.
GREAT! Christmas will replace one of the network’s other channels, GREAT! Romance, bright and early from 8am on Thursday 7 September.
ADVERTISEMENT
Taking over the GREAT! Romance slots on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media, and starting with the 2014 festive film Northpole, the channel will then continue for almost four months with back-to-back seasonal movies.
GREAT! Christmas will be back on air from Thursday 7 September / Credit: Universal Pictures
The 24-hour, feel-good, and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films – including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas from Thursday 7 September on Freeview 52, Freesat channel 303, Sky channel 319, Sky Glass/Stream channel 317, and Virgin Media channel 424.
ADVERTISEMENT
The channel will run until early January.
Featured Image – Warner Bros.
Trending
Manchester has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for student nightlife
Clementine Hall
We already knew Manchester was bursting at the seems with brilliant late-night venues for students, but now it’s officially been confirmed.
Our city is one of the best cities for student nightlife in the UK.
And it’s all down to accommodation provider Canvas, which analysed key nightlife factors such as drink prices, the number and ratings of venues, and local safety scores to reveal the best cities in the UK for a night out.
If you’ve got Manchester as your student city of choice, then you’re in for a brilliant three years, as we claimed second place on the top 10 list. Get in.
Manchester is home to the highest number of bars and clubs on the list overall – with 606 venues, 15 for every 10,000 people, strong average ratings of 4.37 stars, and a pint costing slightly less than Bath – which has claimed the top spot – at £5.50.
In third place was Newcastle, fifth place was York, and Sheffield was at seven, so it’s safe to say that the North dominated the top spots… and rightly so.
Top 10 best cities for student nightlife in the UK
Bath
Manchester
Newcastle
Leeds
York
Coventry
Sheffield
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Leicester
Elsewhere on the list, outside of the North, other major UK cities like Coventry, Leicester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh feature in the top 10.
AO Arena are hosting an ‘Evening 4’ Ricky Hatton in memory of the legendary Manchester boxer
Danny Jones
Manchester is set to host a night of remembrance and celebration in honour of the late, great, local boxer, Ricky Hatton.
Coming this summer, the AO Arena – where Hatton enjoyed so many of his iconic moments – will be holding the first-ever ‘Evening4Ricky’ later this year.
Held at the legendary sports and live entertainment venue just in time for summer, we still know very little about what the actual event will entail.
Sharing the news on social media, AO Arena said: “Join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment as Manchester comes together for Evening4Ricky.
“This will be a spectacular, unique celebration of the life, spirit and legacy of one of the city’s most beloved icons – Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.”
With seats priced at £25, fans are being encouraged to join the early bird sign-up to secure access to discounted tickets.
They go on to add: “Hosted at the legendary AO Arena, home to so many of Ricky’s big fights, featuring a superstar cast of legends from the worlds of boxing, music, comedy and entertainment.”
So, we do at least know there’ll be some famous faces coming along to help make it a memorable Manc moment, just a few months on from the city and beyond uniting for his public funeral procession.
Ricky was beloved not only by the Greater Manchester community but was a popular figure and friend to many in the sporting and showbiz industries.
The homegrown ‘Pride of Hyde‘ tragically left us on 14 September 2025 at the age of just 46, but his passing has once again helped reassert the importance of having more conversations around wellbeing, suicide prevention, and most specifically, men’s mental health.
You can find more information and see how to grab tickets right HERE.
This isn’t the only charitable in memoriam event happening across the region in the coming weeks, either, as Mancs will be gathering to pay tribute to another fellow inspiring sportsman.
Emily Sergeant -
30th August 2023 
