TV & Showbiz

Beloved cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender is coming to concert in Manchester for special anniversary

It was still the third most watched animated show on Netflix last year, decades after its release.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 20th February 2026

Much-loved American cartoon and global smash-hit, Avatar: The Last Airbender, is coming to Manchester for a special screening live in concert.

The cult favourite Nickelodeon show turned worldwide phenomenon remains one of the most iconic animated TV franchises of all time, with a series of stunning scores that people still listen to on Spotify, YouTube and, crucially, in person to this day.

With that in mind, The Last Airbender In Concert is coming to mainland Europe and the UK, with the beautiful Bridgewater Hall set to host the special live show to celebrate a very important milestone.

You can see a short trailer of how the most recent world tour dates of Avatar Live here:

20 years since we first met Aang and the world of Avatar

With last February marking the 20th anniversary of the show’s original release date, creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, along with lead composer Jeremy Zuckerman, decided to take the show on the road with some exclusive screenings in some major rooms.

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Having boxed off plenty of performances already, Avatar: The Last Airbender heads to Europe later this year, with the shows getting underway at the start of autumn.

And where else to begin but Manchester?

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Heading to one of the most gorgeous theatres, not just in the city centre but the region as a whole, Bridgwater Hall is no stranger to hosting live orchestral adaptations like this.

You see the full list of Avatar live shows here in Britain on the extensive European leg of their world tour down below – we’ve even highlighted the other Northern stops for you.

The Last Airbender In Concert UK tour dates | 2026

  • 5 October 2026 – Manchester Bridgewater Hall
  • 6 October 2026 – Edinburgh Usher Hall
  • 8 October 2026 – York Barbican
  • 9 October 2026 – Sheffield City Hall
  • 10 October 2026 – Birmingham Symphony Hall
  • 11 October 2026 – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
  • 13 October 2026 – Swansea Building Society Arena
  • 14 October 2026 – Bath The Forum
  • 15 October 2026 – Portsmouth Guildhall
  • 16 October 2026 – Poole Lighthouse 
  • 17 October 2026 – London Eventim Apollo
  • 18 October 2026 – Bristol Beacon
watch avatar last airbender live in concert with a full orchestra band
aang avatar last airbender
Credit: Press shots (supplied)

It’s hard to believe more than two decades have passed since it first hit screens over in the US in 2005 (21 February and later that same year here in the UK); we still remember sitting cross-legged in front of the telly after school and losing ourselves in this incredible world – and now a new film is on the way, too.

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As well as the heavily anime-esque art style and East Asian influences throughout, the music was always a big part of that experience, so we can’t wait to see how it translates in the flesh.

With that in mind, not to mention the wider Avatar story being continued with the next expansion in Avatar lore, ‘Seven Havens’ – a direct sequel to the original programme – it’s a great time to dive back into the world.

Tickets to see and hear The Last Airbender soundtracked live and brought to life in all its glory here in Manchester, general admission on sale already, with the showing starting from 7:30pm.

You can grab yours now right HERE.

And for those parents among you looking to introduce your little ones to the next big animation, we’d start with the new one that’s set right here in our hometown and has just aired.

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New ‘warm and funny’ animated children’s show set in Manchester airs on CBeebies

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied)

TV & Showbiz

Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.

Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.

The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.

If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.

Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.

Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.

The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.

Read more:

24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.

Featured Image – Altitude

TV & Showbiz

Bury actress Kate O’Flynn wins big at 2026 Emmys with record-breaking comedy show

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Did you know that one of the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards last night was actually an actress from Bury?

In case it wasn’t on your radar, American television‘s biggest night, the Emmys, took place yesterday evening over in Los Angeles, and several records were broken in the process – including Apple TV’s comedy horror Widow’s Bay taking home the most Emmys ever for a single series of a comedy show, with 14 of them.

Widow’s Bay tells the story of mayor Tom Loftis, played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who is trying to boost tourism on his rugged New England island, but must navigate several strange events that suggest it might be cursed.

Created by Katie Dippold, and executive produced and directed by Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay was released in late April to widespread critical acclaim.

At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last night, the show scooped a record 14 awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, several acting wins, and wins for directing and writing too.

One of those acting wins was Kate O’Flynn for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – an actress who hails from the Greater Manchester town of Bury.

Kate stars as Patricia Moyer, mayor Tom’s eccentric assistant in the show.

She grew up in Holcombe Brook near Ramsbottom, and was educated at Bury Grammar School, before she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.

Taking to the stage to accept her award last night, Kate said in her speech: “I want to thank our mayor [Matthew Rhys] and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera – you’re amazing. This is the role of a lifetime, thank you Katie and Hiro for trusting a Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia. And thank you Apple [TV] for saying yes.

“Thank you Nicky and Tony for looking after me, my family back home, my mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my husband and our darling daughter – another sassy broad in the making.

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“This is for all the Patricias out there, see you at Sunset Cocktails to celebrate. Thank you.”

Featured Image – The Television Academy (via YouTube)

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