After an unprecedented year of cancellations and rescheduling, Queen by Candlelight is finally bringing a rock music celebration to Manchester this weekend.
The music of legendary British rock band Queen has been blasting through speakers right across the UK for over 30 years now, so there’s no better time to celebrate and sing your heart out to some of their greatest hits.
Think Bohemian Rhapsody, It’s a Kind of Magic, We Are The Champions, Who Wants to Live Forever, and so many more.
Featuring an incredible rock band and cast of West End performers, Queen by Candlelight will be one of the first live music concerts to take place in Manchester since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with the venue being fully COVID-secure and at half capacity with social distancing between bubbles.
This epic rock concert is arriving in central Manchester to play at Audacious this Friday and Saturday night, as well at the same time next Saturday (5th June).
And there’s still time to bag yourself a ticket.
The show will feature an incredible rock band and cast of West End performers / Credit: Queen by Candlelight
“We have had this show ready to go for nearly 18 months and so to finally get our fantastic cast back to work and in front of a live audience is just brilliant.” said the show’s producer, Daniel Wood.
“The show should have been taking place last week at DriveINSIDE at the Trafford Centre, but unfortunately we were let down by the venue and the whole thing was cancelled 24 hours before our opening night
“We managed to find a new venue and move all of our audience bookings over in less than 48 hours.
“It’s been bonkers – but we are ready to go and the show will go on.”
The show will take place at Audacious Church in Salford / Credit: Queen by Candlelight
The show will now take place at Audacious Church – which is a church and events space on Trinity Way in the heart of central Manchester that features an incredible arena style set-up.
“It will have the feel of a rock arena concert.” Daniel adds.
“High-tech video walls, an incredible sound system and loads of space for our audience, all lit by candlelight.”
It’s expected to be a “brilliant night out after a year without live music”.
Although this Saturday’s event has already sold out, you can still grab yourself some tickets to the show on Friday 28th May and Saturday 5th June, so make sure to book early if you want to avoid disappointment.
All tickets are general admission and will set you back £25, with seats allocated once the doors open at 6:30pm on the night.
There’s a World Gravy Wrestling Championship near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Just on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, there’s a country pub set in a rural village that hosts a world gravy wrestling championship.
Leave it to us northerners to organise a world gravy wrestling championship because let’s face it, there’s nothing more northern than plummeting yourself into bucket loads of gravy.
At The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in the village of Stacksteads, it’s not just their meals they’re drenching in the brown nectar; they drench any willing guest in this beige saucy goodness too as part of the World Gravy Wrestling Championships.
Here’s a little taster from nearly a decade ago.
Participants are expected to wrestle in the gravy for two minutes, with the winner being judged not only on their play-fighting skills but also on their choice of fancy dress, comedy effect and entertainment.
Past wrestlers have rocked up as zebras, racehorse jockeys and famous TV characters like Ali G and Mickey Mouse.
Each wrestler is encouraged to raise money on behalf of a charity of their choice, but if you don’t have one, donations will be sent to East Lancashire Hospice, which has helped people countywide suffering from life-limiting illness for the past 30 years.
The World Gravy Wrestling Championships have been held outside this very pub for over a decade, with the first ever event taking place at a car park in Wigan before it found a permanent home outside The Rose ‘N’ Bowl.
And if swimming in a pool of gravy isn’t for you, don’t fret because there’s a handful of sauce-free activities you can get involved with spread throughout the pub’s car park.
Fret not, past events have included bouncy castles, cheerleading performances, craft beer stalls, cake and tombola stands and even a BB gun shooting range that are all completely gravy-free.
There will even be help from a local fire brigade who will be on hand to wash down wrestlers in between their gravy-filled tournament, so they can wander round all the stalls too.
The 2025 World Gravy Wrestling Championships are coming to The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in Stacksteads on 25 August, with tickets available in person only, but plenty of information about the event HERE.
If you’re after signing up to be one of the wrestlers at this event, applications are still open and you can get stuck in with all the details you need HERE.
And if that wasn’t enough Northern food competitive action, we’ll catch you at the World Black Pudding Hurling Championships, innabit.
Manchester’s wine festival dedicated to all things rosé is back by popular demand this summer
Emily Sergeant
Nothing says Saturdays in summer quite like sipping on a chilled glass of wine in the garden.
It’s a simple pleasure but not one that’s always possible for those who live in the city centre, or aren’t lucky enough to have some outside space of their own where they live… but luckily, Manchester’s very-own wine festival dedicated to all things rosé is back by popular demand next month, and it’s set to be a sparkling summer celebration.
The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival will be returning to the gardens of the stunning canalside Kampus neighbourhood, offering an afternoon of pink-hued indulgence, live music, and good vibes under the Manchester sun.
The Rosé Festival invites wine lovers to sip their way through more than 20 rosé and sparkling wines, from crisp Provençe pours to playful pét-nats.
All wines are handpicked by The Beeswing team, alongside some of their favourite wine suppliers.
Festivalgoers can meet the experts behind the bottles on offer, enjoy exclusive event-only discounts on orders placed during the afternoon, and discover some new favourites along the way.
Some of the festival’s participating partners and pourers include Boutinot Wines, Raymond Reynolds Portuguese Wines, Graft Wine Company, and Alliance Wines – with the lineup showcasing a diverse and delicious range of styles, meaning there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Manchester’s popular Rose Festival is returning this summer / Credit: The Beeswing | Corina Rainer (via Unsplash)
There’ll also he live music from singer Lucy Hope to listen to while you’re sipping on your rosés, creating a laid-back mini festival atmosphere.
The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival takes over the leafy Kampus Gardens on Saturday 9 August, from 1pm through to 3pm.
Tickets are now on sale at £30 per person, which includes all wine tastings, so not matter whether you’re a rosé aficionado or you’re just wine-curious, this is a summer Saturday not to be missed.
Emily Sergeant -
26th May 2021 
