A huge new festival-style temporary outdoor venue that’s three times the size of Albert Square is preparing to open in Manchester city centre.
In an attempt to provide an outdoor summer destination for those looking for a safe and fun night out as lockdown eases even further over the next couple of months, local theatre and arts centre HOME Manchester is launching its latest venture, Homeground, on a disused patch of land close to the First Street venue itself on Friday 28th May.
Building on a ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ theme, Homeground is set to boast theatre shows on two stages, alongside pop-up street food vendors, comedy clubs, DJ sets and more.
Partnering with other cultural institutions such as Frog & Bucket, Contact Theatre, and Trans Creative to bring a programme of events to the city centre, the first two Homeground shows to be announced are Filter’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – which was first seen at Latitude Festival – and a brand-new production of Alice in Wonderland, which has been created by Stockroom Productions especially for Manchester.
We're super excited to be able to finally announce our brand new outdoor venue for culture, cocktail and food! Introducing Homeground. Located on First Street and featuring a 400-seat socially distanced theatre. Opening Friday 28 May! Find out more here: https://t.co/XUlS8qvvfepic.twitter.com/9JUeauJUHq
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – a remixed and reworked version of Shakespeare’s tale of young lovers and warring fairies – will run from 3rd June – 26th June.
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The brand-new production of Alice In Wonderland – running from 15th July – 7th August – features classic anthems and catchy new songs, and will follow Alice and her little brother Lewis as they tumble into an alternative world full of magic and mayhem as Manchester turns to Madchester.
Tickets for both shows will be just £10 for adults.
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A second stage, to be known as ‘The Manchester Stage’, will feature DJ slots that have been curated by DJ Paulette, as well as a Manchester Folk Festival takeover and several other free events.
Street food venders will include cocktails by Wolf at the Door, Tibetan Kitchen, Black Market Espresso, and Basilico pizza.
Speaking ahead of the launch of Homeground, Dave Moutrey – Director and CEO at HOME Manchester – said: “As we start to emerge from the strangest year many of us have ever experienced, arts and culture play a vital role in the recovery of the country [so] I’m delighted to announce Homeground.
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“[It will be] a safe and enjoyable space for the people of Manchester to have fun, reconnect and celebrate the city’s artistic talent in all its forms”.
HOME Manchester & Homeground / Drew Forsyth
The site has been designed by Cordelia Ashwell, of Decordia Events, who added: “The idea behind the overall site design grew from a collaboration with HOME’s Curator, Bren O’Callaghan.
“From the outset, we felt that rather than try to disguise the brownfield nature of the site, we would lean into the detritus that accumulates in pockets of the urban fabric [so] influenced by scrapyards, the neon graveyard of Las Vegas and remnants of stories that attach themselves to architectural salvage, we settled upon a method of display popularised by the Victorians and in municipal museums – the Wunderkammer, or Cabinet of Curiosities.
“In this way, seemingly random and otherwise ordinary objects become extra-ordinary.
“Bren and I have been hunting down key iconic artefacts, some of which we think the public will recognise, and others may come as a bit of a surprise”.
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More shows and events will be announced over the coming months.
You can find more information ahead of the venue’s launch on Friday 28th May via the HOME Manchester website here, and by following @homegroundmcr on Instagram.
Manchester Airport releases list of its 10 fastest-growing holiday hotspots – including ‘Maldives of Europe’
Emily Sergeant
Holiday season is well underway, and now Manchester Airport has released a list of its 10 fastest-growing beach destinations.
Want to visit somewhere new? Destinations in Portugal, Greece, and Croatia are among the 10 fastest-growing summer holiday hotspots on Manchester Airport’s route network.
Following the completion of the £1.3bn Terminal 2 transformation, and a major project to redevelop Terminal 3 also now in the works, the airport is expecting a record summer season this year, which is why, with a couple of weeks left, a list of the top 10 fastest-growing destinations has been revealed, so if you’re short of some travel inspiration, this is it.
Sunseekers’ favourites are all expected to see extra visitors from Manchester this summer, but other lesser-known destinations are seeing an even greater surge in popularity – with the number of people travelling there this summer versus last summer set to double (or even triple) in some cases.
Manchester Airport has released a list of its 10 fastest-growing holiday destinations / Credit: Marie Volkert | Northleg Official (via Unsplash)
These destinations are spread across the Mediterranean, and all offer a rich blend of sun, sea, sand, history, culture, and foodie delights.
As you’d expect, there are a number of Spanish spots on the list, including the emerging Canary Islands favourite of La Palma, Jerez de la Frontera near the historic city of Cadiz, and the popular Valencia.
Elsewhere, you’ll also find the major cities of Marseille in France, Porto in Portugal, and Verona in Italy on the list, but if you’re keen to visit somewhere a little more off the beaten track, why not try and trip to Zadar in Croatia or Preveza in Greece, which both appear to be growing in popularity.
One of the real stand-out gems on the list though has to be what is dubbed the ‘Maldives of Europe’.
Holiday season is well underway at Manchester Airport / Credit: Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
Albania’s capital Tirana is not only a great candidate for a city break, but it’s also the starting point for intrepid explorers seeking out the stunning beaches on the Albanian Riviera – which have become famous on social media over the past couple of years, and have drawn comparisons to the bucket list destination of the Maldives.
“Sometimes, a destination will go viral on social media or see a spike in demand as adventurous travellers discover it,” explained Stephen Turner, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport. “And we then see that translate into airlines adding extra flights or flying larger aircraft to those destinations to meet that demand.
“We keep our finger on the pulse to analyse these trends and we work with our airline partners to ensure that if a particular destination is in vogue, or emerging as a new favourite, you can get there from Manchester.”
See the full list of stunning destinations and get booking your next trip here.
Featured Image – Nick Karvounis (via Unsplash)
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SpudBros are returning to the Trafford Centre following HUGELY successful debut
Emily Sergeant
Viral internet sensation SpudBros are returning to the Trafford Centre following their hugely successful debut.
Following the ‘overwhelming’ success of their first Trafford Centre residency earlier this summer, the UK’s most-followed jacket potato creators SpudBros are returning to the iconic retail destination for a second pop-up later this month.
Shoppers will once again be able to tuck into freshly prepared, fully loaded jacket potatoes served up in minutes, all without compromising on quality, flavour, or portion size.
The SpudBros – also known as Jacob and Harley Nelson – will, once again, be returning as part of Trafford Centre‘s annual summer fair.
At the pop-up, you’ll be able to pick from fan favourites like the Tram Classic, which is loaded with garlic butter, the signature three-cheese mix, beans, crispy onions, and world-famous ‘tram’ sauce, to the Spudfather topped with chilli con carne, tuna, and coleslaw.
There’s also a range of other flavour-packed options to tuck into, alongside the option to build your own potato, allowing every customer to create their perfect lunch.
“The response to our first week at Trafford Centre was incredible, so we couldn’t be more excited to return,” commented SpudBros co-founder, Jacob Nelson.
Viral internet sensation SpudBros are launching a special pop-up at Trafford Centre this summer / Credit: The Manc Group
“Manchester has always shown us so much support online and it was amazing to finally bring SpudBros to the city. We’re looking forward to serving even more visitors and welcoming back everyone who came to see us the first time around.”
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “SpudBros was a fantastic addition to our summer line-up and proved hugely popular with our visitors, so we’re delighted to welcome the team back for a second pop-up.”
The SpudBros pop-up will be located outside The Great Hall next week from Monday 24 to Saturday 29 August, serving signature loaded potatoes daily from 12-8pm.
Emily Sergeant -
8th April 2021 
