An accessible rave created for adults with learning disabilities is returning to Manchester this month.
The Under One Roof rave will take over the basement at YES on Charles Street.
The Fat Britney – one half of the Fatcamp DJ collective – will be DJing the event when it takes place on Thursday 21 July.
Under One Roof is fully wheelchair-accessible and creates a safe space with plenty of room for those with disabilities to rave the night away.
Under One Roof. Credit: Supplied
YES will operate at a reduced capacity for the occasion.
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Under One Roof said of its event, and headliner The Fat Britney: “Manchester’s only accessible rave returns to YES Basement on Thursday 21st July for a summer party!
“This time round, they welcome the very talented THE FAT BRITNEY behind the decks.
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Under One Roof. Credit: Supplied
“Aptly described as a curvy curator of camp, they make up one half of FATCAMP collective, she believes in baseline supremacy, disco edits, buffet dining and in the enduring power of the Macarena.
“Resident of PREACH club, Rainy City Radio and Steam FM THE FAT BRITNEY refuses to take herself seriously and doesn’t encourage you to either.”
The Fat Britney said: “If parties won’t make themselves accessible, we’ll throw our own. Smash every door in and put a ramp down! See you on the dance floor!!”
‘Northern Lights’ to be visible in Bolton as popular FREE light art festival returns next month
Emily Sergeant
Bolton’s festival full of fantastic immersive light art installations is set to shine on the town centre next month.
Back by popular demand after proving to be such a success during its inaugural year in 2023, with the first-of-its-kind event attracting more than 50,000 visitors, Put Big Light On Festival is returning for another year of festive magic, and there’s some huge and impressive art installations set to descend on the Greater Manchester town’s centre.
Curated by artistic events company, Things That Go On Things, the festival will take place right across Bolton in late November.
This year’s lineup will feature magical creations from a diverse range of artists.
A free festival of immersive light installations will shine on Bolton again next month / Credit: Bolton Council
Returning in 2025 for what’s said to be ‘the final time’, Dan Acher’s fan-favourite Borealis will illuminate Victoria Square by recreating one of planet Earth’s most incredible natural phenomena, the Northern Lights, in the most immersive way possible.
As beams of light travel through particle clouds, visitors can look up to see the show above their heads, and as the particle clouds are moved by wind, over which there is no control, this means they’ll never see the same pattern twice.
Other installations this year include Mars by the critically-acclaimed artist Luke Jerram, which is a six-metre diameter sculpture featuring high-resolution NASA imagery of the Martian surface, and Submergence by Squidsoup – a walkthrough experience with thousands of suspended lights creating an immersive sense of movement.
Wave by Are You Playing Out, The Garden by Ant Dickinson, Celestial Carousel by Eye of Newt, and Beacon of Hope by Craig Morrison are a handful of the other installations.
As well as the festival itself, there will also be plenty of vibrant street entertainment over the four-day event too, and residents can expect lots of family activities in the run-up to the festive season.
“Put Big Light On is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of Bolton’s creativity, resilience, and community spirit,” commented Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Nadeem Ayub.
“We’re proud to welcome world-class artists and local talent to light up our town and bring people together in a truly magical way.
“Visitors can expect a family-friendly event packed full of entertainment and moving light art displays designed to inspire wonder.”
Put Big Light On Festival returns to Bolton town centre this winter from Thursday 20 and Sunday 23 November, and it’s free for all to visit.
Featured Image – Joel Chester Fildes (via Bolton Council)
Things To Do
A massive social for Manchester runners is happening in the city centre this winter
Danny Jones
With the bulk of race season nearly over, the local running community is finally starting to wind down and indulge in some well-deserved rest and relaxation – well, that and a sprinkle of clubbing, as the massive Cross Club Social for Manchester runners is back for 2025.
Following a successful sophomore edition last winter, the MCR Cross Club Social is returning for another proper good bash and looks to be shaping up nicely.
Hosted at a brand new venue, with sets from Manc-based DJs, karaoke and even giveaways on the night, the runners are going BIG this year.
So, if you’re part of a local running club or even just a Greater Mancunian who’s partial to a bit of jogging and looking for a night out, you’d best keep 8 November free.
Credit: Cross Club Social
Combining forces once again, the third iteration of the Cross Club Social sees multiple Manchester running clubs putting on one of the biggest parties of the year, with people from all over the community turning up to swap their trainers for dancing shoes.
Ticket prices have crept ever so slightly this year, mainly because of just how well attended the 2025 event was, but also to help raise money for their official charity partner.
However, it goes without saying that all newcomer clubs and solo runners in general and welcome to come along to this year’s event, which is also the first to be held at Fairfield Social Club near Angel Meadows Park – the more the merrier, as far as these lot are concerned.
For example, here’s a taste of the kind of turnout it got last year…
Speaking to The Manc, organiser and resident MC Dave ‘Macca’ McLaughlin said of Cross Club Social 2025: “This event is a celebration of the local running community, by the local running community.
“It’s a great chance to get some of the biggest running clubs in Manchester together to celebrate their achievements of the year without the running kit or carbon-plated trainers.
“It’s a pleasure to organise an event that local runners seemingly love, alongside some of Manchester’s biggest running clubs, all while raising money for our charity partner. Last year, we were able to contribute nearly £400 to their fundraiser, and we’re aiming for even higher this year.
“The demand has been huge – our first event sold out in under 50 minutes, last year was just under two hours at a bigger venue. This year we’re going even bigger to handle the demand, with more clubs than ever and a venue with three separate rooms for different kinds of entertainment.
“Me and Sophie [de Greenlaw – fellow DJ and co-founder] hope to continue expanding the event into a day-long running festival; we’d love to book bigger venues, get more clubs and sponsors involved, and make this a day that every local runner has marked on their calendar. See you there.”
Credit: Supplied
Early bird access will be on sale from 10am this Friday, 10 October, with the general admission tickets going live at the same time next week (17 Oct).
The social itself will run from 5pm until midnight, with last entry at 8:30pm, and you can bank on there being some kind of after-party elsewhere on the night. Get ready to grab your tickets HERE.
It’s also worth noting that the two previous years sold out fast, so make sure you put in a PB-worthy performance when it comes to that online shopping basket if you want to be there.
Once again, the Manchester Runners Cross-club social is a completely non-profit event; all funds from ticket sales go directly towards setting up the next one, back into the running clubs who take part, and to charitable organisations like The MCR 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness.
Daisy Jackson -
5th July 2022 
