Blackpool Pleasure Beach has announced that late-night riding is returning once again for three nights only this summer.
With the summer officially here, the temperatures hotting up, and the nights staying lighter for longer, the Lancashire seaside town’s beloved theme park has announced that it will be bringing back its popular Late Night Riding hours for the next three Saturdays.
On Saturday 23 and Saturday 30 July, and Saturday 6 August, Blackpool Pleasure Beach will be open from 10am until late, so thrill-seekers can enjoy their favourite rides throughout the warm evenings.
With schools across the North West now out for six-week summer holidays, and the theme park gearing up for what is always one of its busiest times of the year, Late Night Riding means that there’s now more hours to ride into the night on the UK’s tallest rollercoaster, the Big One, check out the twists and turns of ICON at twilight, enjoy a night race on the Grand National, and ride on the the Big Dipper at dusk.
Younger riders can also meet up with Paw Patrol and other characters at the UK’s-only Nickelodeon Land with its 12 amazing rides.
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They can also check out the world’s first Wallace & Gromit ride, Thrill-O-Matic.
If riding thrilling rides late into the evening wasn’t enough, SLIMETIME is also taking place at the FY4 area of Blackpool Pleasure Beach daily between midday and 4pm throughout July and August, and it means you can join the Slime Squad for slime games and competitions, while the resident Slime Sounds DJ provides the tunes.
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And in true Nickelodeon tradition, you can even get totally covered in green slime in the Slime Tank too, if you fancy it.
If you need a break from the summer heat, guests can cool off with a visit to Hot Ice – with this year’s show, Rapture, being the world’s longest-running ice show, and starring a cast of world championship performers, complete with stunning costumes and mesmerising special FX.
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The spectacular show will be running on selected dates until 10 September.
The fun always shines here @Pleasure_Beach so make the most of the warmer weather and celebrate your summer with us!
Booking 7 days or more in advance online saves £5 pp, including all of our remaining LATE NIGHT RIDING events!
Taking advantage of Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s ‘Celebrate Summer’ offer means guests can receive £5 off an eTicket when they book at least seven days in advance of their visit – which is a saving of up to £14 on the gate price.
All you’ll need to do to redeem this limited-time offer is simply select a date seven or more days in advance and book on the Blackpool Pleasure Beach website here.
The discount will automatically be added to the booking.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær says just three players have spoken to him since leaving Manchester United
Danny Jones
Club legend and ex-Manchester United player turned manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, has revealed that just three of his former players have been in touch since leaving Old Trafford.
Solskjær was sacked from the role as Man United head coach back in November 2021 after having been given the job permanently following an impressive winning run as interim manager.
The practically perfect start back at the helm of the club – where he starred as the ‘super sub’ during his playing days – was followed by a big slump, and the final decision was ultimately made in the wake of a 4-1 loss to Watford.
However, the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’s’ popularity among the players and the fans alike was never in question, so it’s come as somewhat of a surprise to many fans that Solskjær has said only a specific trio of United players have got in touch with him since his dream job came to an end.
At least two of the names read out might not surprise fans, as not only was then-club captain Harry Maguire one of his first statement signings, but so was Bruno Fernandes, who now has the armband, and both have remained key players and leadership figures pretty much ever since.
Speaking to BBC Sport on the senior duo, Ole said, “For me, Harry has always been a leader and a fighter”, and never had any doubts about him deputising for him on the pitch, before going on to label both the centre-back and Bruno as “top human beings.”
As for the third, although Victor Lindelöf looks set to leave the club this summer, he’s actually been a long-serving squad member, having joined back in 2017 and been a seemingly popular figure around the dressing room, even if injury problems have sometimes hampered his minutes.
He also went on to discuss other matters regarding the club, including confessing that it’s “hard to watch” United amidst their present struggles, both under previous manager Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim – even with a potential Europa League trophy consolation on the cards.
The retired striker also stated that he found the decision to let midfielder Scott McTominay go more than surprising, especially given the incredible performances he’s put on display since moving to Serie A.
Co-op Live has been named the number one arena in Europe following its debut year
Danny Jones
Despite a rocky opening month or so, Manchester’s Co-op Live made the ultimate instant recovery and has now been named the number one arena not just in the UK but all of Europe.
Manc music venues being best in class? Sounds about right.
Yes, even despite some obstacles, delays and early hiccups, Co-op Live‘s debut year as a live music and indoor entertainment venue has seen it beat out the likes of the long-established and iconic O2 in London to take the top spot.
The inaugural 12 months of the arena have not only seen it welcome all manner of music legends, as well as live sporting events such as the UFC and WWE, but the arena welcomed more visitors than any other venue across the continent during that time.
Names to have graced the industry-leading stage so far include Liam Gallagher, Stevie Nicks and Take That; Peter Kay, Elbow, Sabrina Carpenter, Paul McCartney, and so many more.
Commenting on the successful start, Tim Leiweke (CEO and chairman of the Oak View Groupbehind the venue) said: “Our ambition was to bring the world’s best music arena to one of the world’s greatest music cities and we are thrilled with the reaction from fans and artists alike over this past year.
“Co-op Live’s revolutionary acoustics investment has already attracted some of the world’s biggest artists and events to Manchester, with many more to come. And our sustainability commitment will ensure we remain responsible contributors to Manchester and the planet for years to come.
“We believe that amazing venues can transform cities for the better, and Co-op Live has done just that.”
It’s fair to say we’ve had some truly unforgettable nights in there already – and that’s just in the last month alone. Case and point:
With a continued commitment to achieving ‘Net Zero’ status too, the venue’s carbon reduction technologies, solar panels, heat pumps and rainwater harvesting, not to mention the recently refreshed CityLink walking in partnership with the Climate Pledge, are all things we can be proud of.
Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, went on to add: “We are delighted with the success of Co-op Live’s first year, and to see it taking the top spot off London.
“It shows Manchester is the home of live music in the UK, with Co-op Live bringing so many exclusives from artists like Bruce Springsteen to the city and Oasis playing massive hometown shows this summer – 2025 is going to be one of the biggest ever for our city’s music scene.”
Meanwhile, things are feeling less fortunate at the grassroots end of the spectrum, as the Music Venue Trust is imploring people to get behind a vulnerable Manc music institution.
Emily Sergeant -
21st July 2022 
