City Centre
Snappy Runners
AJ Handley-Rowe -
16th June 2022
AJ Handley-Rowe -
16th June 2022 City Centre
We Are Football Festival – Europe’s largest World Cup fan park gets even bigger for the final eight
Daisy Jackson
The largest World Cup fan park not just in Manchester or the UK but all of Europe just got even bigger, as the latest ambitious project from 4TheFans is seeing them expand from Freight Island into Depot Mayfield,
We Are Football Festival, in partnership with Freight Island and Broadwick, will bring together 13,000 football fans in front of the biggest screens in the country to cheer on England as they continue their race for World Cup glory.
The already enormous fan park opened at Freight in June, but now they’ll be opening up the iconic Depot next door, further transforming the space into an unrivalled celebration of football.
Fans have been utterly immersed in the action thanks to a massive sound system, pyrotechnics, CO2 cannons, DJs, and entertainment around the games themselves – providing just about the closest thing you can get to a big game atmosphere.
The venue is open for all late kick-offs, too, and with England now through to the quarter-final stages following that dramatic 3-2 thriller against Mexico, the heat is really starting to ramp up.
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Fans can head to Freight, as well as the rooftop or garden at Depot Mayfield from 5pm kick-off on matchdays in the sunshine, now with room for even more supporters to flood into the famous Manc Warehouse for those late-night games in the warehouse.
Here’s hoping it doesn’t get much later than a 4am full-time whistle again, eh?
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There’s also the dedicated ‘Footy Fun Village’, which includes sponsored activations, games zones, and more family-friendly areas, creating a safe space for fans of all ages to enjoy the tournament no matter the time of day.
4TheFans and Freight Island have also hand-picked a great selection of food traders from around the world, not to mention a top-shelf bar selection.
We Are Football Fest’s 2026 World Cup coverage also comes with dedicated 4TheFans hosts, plus Sky Sports presenters, and the matches thus far have even seen England football legends providing quality match analysis at each screening.
Since launching, 4TheFans has welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans, and camera crews from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, Sky Sports, England TV, and Match of the Day, to fan parks across the UK.
It’s now chosen Depot Mayfield for its World Cup fan park, where they can fill the huge space at Freight Island first before scaling into the rest of the Depot as the fan community grows and the Three Lions march on.
4TheFans is the UK’s original and biggest fan park brand, and it’s working with Freight Island and Broadwick to deliver this game-changing We Are Football Festival – the biggest and best fan park in Europe.
5,000 early bird tickets are available from just £4.50 per person, each coming with one beer included, and are on sale right HERE.
4TheFans presents We Are Football Festival runs at Depot Mayfield until 19 July 2026.
General admission tickets include
- 4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
- Football legend in attendance
- Guaranteed entry to the event
- The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
- Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
- Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
- Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
VIP table tickets include
- VIP table section with the best view of the giant screens and the event
- Meet and greet with a football legend
- 4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
- Guaranteed entry to the event
- The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
- Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
- Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
- Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
Read more:
- Wayne Rooney ‘agrees’ to bizarre bet ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals
- Here’s our petition for ‘Wonderwall’ to become England’s new football anthem
- Where to watch the 2026 World Cup in Manchester city centre
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE
Featured Images – Press shots by Vision Seven (supplied via 4TheFans)
City Centre
Cult-classic musical Hairspray to kick off UK tour in Manchester next year
Emily Sergeant
An undeniable cult-classic of a musical is set to kick off its next UK tour right here in Manchester next year.
That’s right, you can’t stop the beat… or Hairspray The Musical from heading back to our city.
There’s no denying that Hairspray is known and loved by millions worldwide since it first opened on Broadway all the way back in 2002, and has had audiences tapping their feet on the West End and in countless other cities and countries across the globe ever since.
The eight Tony Award wins and the record-breaking 11 Olivier Award nominations prove that all too well, as does the smash-hit success of the 2007 film adaptation too.
After a triumphant return to the stage in 2024, it’s now been announced that Hairspray The Musical is heading out on a major national tour of the UK and Ireland once again in 2027 – with theatre lovers able to get their hands on tickets when they go on sale today (6 July).
Oh, and what better way to kick things off than right here in Manchester?
In case you’re unfamiliar, the timeless story of Hairspray centres around heroine Tracy Turnblad, who has “big hair, a big heart, and big dreams” and wants to dance her way onto national TV, and into the heart of teen idol Link Larkin.
When Tracy becomes a local star, she is able to use her newfound fame to fight for liberation, tolerance, and interracial unity in Baltimore.
But the real question is, can she win equality – and Link’s heart -without denting her ’do?
Audiences in Manchester will be the first to hear some of musical theatre’s most well-known songs, including ‘Welcome To The 60s’, ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’, and ‘Good Morning Baltimore’, before it heads out to other major cities across the country.
Liverpool, Bradford, York, and Sunderland are just a few of the fellow northern cities where the tour will be stopping off at in 2027.
The show’s original production team of Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale, and Laurence Myers will return, alongside Brenda Edwards and Paul Kerryson as directors.
Meanwhile, choreography will come from Olivier Award winner Drew McOnie, and music is provided by the Academy Award, Tony, and Emmy-winning duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Hairspray The Musical will take to the stage at Manchester’s Palace Theatre from 2 – 19 July 2027.
Tickets are going on general sale today at 10am, and although prices haven’t been revealed yet, it’s expected they’ll be available in a range of prices so it’s affordable for everyone looking to make the most of the all-singing-all-dancing experience.
Book your tickets HERE.
Read more:
- Multi award-winning musical Hadestown is coming to Manchester on its UK tour
- Pretty Woman The Musical will be returning to the stage in Manchester next year
- Award-winning musical Back to the Future is returning to Manchester
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE
Featured Image – Pamela Raith (Supplied)
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