What's On

A magical ‘dine in the light’ experience is coming to Lightopia in Manchester next month

The 10 dining domes will serve up an imaginative three-course menu of classic seasonal dishes, all with a whimsical touch.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 22nd October 2021

A brand-new intimate and immersive dining experience is coming to Manchester this year as Lightopia takes over Heaton Park once again.

The award-winning light and lantern festival will return to the city’s largest park for the third successive year on 18 November, but this time round, accompanying the enchanting light installations on the illuminated trail is a brand-new dining experience – Dine in the Light.

Nestled in the park’s woodland and surrounded by lanterns, Lightopia’s illuminated ‘Dining Domes’ make for a unique and atmospheric dining experience for families, friends and couples.

The 10 dining domes will serve up an imaginative three-course menu of classic seasonal dishes, all with a whimsical touch and curated by the three-rosette chef former head chef of Alderley Edge Hotel in Cheshire, Chris Holland – who is best known for his traditional British cuisine with a scientific edge.

Chris likes to get experimental with his recipes, so you should expect the unexpected – think smoke, sparklers, and so much more.

Lightopia’s illuminated ‘Dining Domes’ make for a unique and atmospheric dining experience / Credit: Lightopia

Some of the winter-warming starters on the menu include roasted pumpkin soup, Swiss cheese and Riesling fondue served with torn ciabatta for dipping, and vegan Buffalo cauliflower wings, while main courses feature everything from a wide range of hanging kebabs, to slow-cooked chicken dishes and sticky glazed short rib of beef.

For those with a sweet tooth, some of the dessert highlights have to be these two Manc inspired treats – the Manchester Trifle with layers of Vimto jelly, vanilla sponge, and mulled blackberries, or a Heaton Mess Meringue loaded with fresh cream, baked peaches, and raspberries.

The drinks menu include mulled wine, a selection of festival cocktails, wine, craft ales, and lager.

The 10 dining domes will serve up an imaginative three-course menu of classic seasonal dishes / Credit: Lightopia

You can drink, dine, and be merry in your very own private dining dome – which sits up to six or 12 for up to 90 minutes – before or after heading off to discover the enchanting Lightopia light trail in all its glory.

A children’s menu is also on hand, and it’s served with a sprinkling of magic too.

The Dine in the Dark three-course menu and a drink comes to £38 per person, and all dome dining experiences must be pre-booked, with three dining time slots to choose from – 5pm, 6:30pm, or 8pm. 

Also new for Lightopia Manchester 2021, The Stables Courtyard Bar and Dining will offer a more casual dining experience with different food and drink venders taking over converted vintage horseboxes to serve up everything from tasty, gourmet soft shell tacos, to delicious stone-baked pizzas, and festive beverages and theatrical cocktails, all served under a heated canopy in the courtyard.

Walk-in on the evening or to guarantee your spot reserve a seat, and it’s £5 per person – which is fully-redeemable against food and drink on the night. 

Bookings for the Dine in the Light experience are now available here.

You can drink, dine, and be merry in your very own private dining dome for up to 90 minutes / Credit: Lightopia

Lightopia will be open to the public from Thursday 18 November – Monday 3 January. The event is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except during school holidays, and it will also close on Christmas Day.

Opening times are between 5pm to 10pm, and last entry is 8:30pm daily.

Advance tickets are priced at £20 for adults (or £22 on the day), £13 for children (or £15 on the day), and £60 for families of two adults and two children (£68 on the day). Children under three can go free.

Essential carers of disabled visitors can attend for free, the disabled visitor pays the normal admission fee.

You can grab your tickets to Lightopia 2021 here.

Featured Image – Lightopia

What's On

Olivia Rodrigo at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for GUTS: Spilled tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

The wait is finally over, as everyone’s favourite teen-pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo is bringing her GUTS: Spilled tour to Manchester, playing two nights at Co-op Live more than a year after the high-profile postponement.

Poor Olivia Rodrigo found herself caught up in the delayed Co-op Live opening last year, with the popstar postponing her two gigs just days before they were meant to take place.

Fans then went into a meltdown waiting for new dates, which got announced months later – but it’s finally time.

‘Deja vu’, ‘traitor’, ‘All I Want’ singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo is making her long-awaited debut at Co-op Live Manchester for two nights of heartbreak, angst and back to back hits.

Rodrigo may be an ‘All-American B*tch’ but she sure knows a thing or two about our city centre. So much so, she even paid a visit to Manchester dive bar, Bunny Jackson’s, for an impromtu performance.

Now, this 22 year old super star is wearing her heart on her sleeve or as Rodrigo phrases it, spilling her guts, playing songs from her impressive discography right here at Co-op Live.

Olivia Rodrigo gig guide

Olivia Rodrigo last visited Manchester in 2022, when she played O2 Apollo.
Olivia Rodrigo last visited Manchester in 2022, when she played O2 Apollo.

Olivia Rodrigo UK tour dates

  • Fri 27 June – London, UK – Hyde Park
  • Sun 29 June – Glastonbury, UK – Glastonbury Festival
  • Mon 30 June – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Tue 1 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Olivia Rodrigo tickets for Co-op Live gig

If you’re after a way to ‘get him (or anyone) back!’ getting your hands on Olivia Rodrigo tickets might just be the way to do it, and luckily for you there’s a small selection left.

Anyone looking to attend Rodrigo’s 30 June show have a few options, just make sure you don’t get bled dry like a ‘vampire’ trying to buy these prized possessions with exclusive tickets HERE.

For those after tickets to ‘GUTS: Spilled’ night two on 1 July can live out their ‘teenage dream’ in style with a handful of hospitality packages up for grabs HERE.

Olivia Rodrigo setlist

  • obsessed
  • ballad of a homeschooled girl
  • vampire
  • driver’s license
  • traitor
  • bad idea right?
  • love is embarassing
  • pretty isn’t petty
  • happier
  • enough for you
  • so american
  • jealousy, jealousy
  • favourite crime
  • deja vu
  • brutal
  • all-american b*tch
  • good 4 u
  • get him back!

What are the stage times for Olivia Rodrigo in Manchester?

Olivia Rodrigo is visiting Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 June and 1 July.
Olivia Rodrigo is visiting Co-op Live in Manchester on 30 June and 1 July.

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm so rest assured you’ll be tucked up in bed before the early hours and you’ll be asleep faster than you can say ‘ballad of a homeschooled girl’.

Doors to open at 6pm with no confirmed kick off time or support act yet but there is an offical afterparty happening at Co-op Live’s new Backstage Club from 10pm onwards for both dates with tickets HERE.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day, though estimates will obviously vary:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

'GUTS; Spilled' has seen this American super star jet-setting across the globe.
‘GUTS; Spilled’ has seen this American super star jet-setting across the globe.

Read more:

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Featured Images – Supplied via Larissa Hoffman / Nick Walker

What's On

Cult classic 13 Going On 30 to make its musical debut in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Cult classic 13 Going On 30 to make its musical debut in Manchester

Cult classic rom com 13 Going On 30 is preparing for its musical world premiere – and it’s happening right here in Manchester.

The brand-new musical is based on the hit 2004 film of the same name, starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. 

As in the film, 13 Going On 30 The Musical will follow awkward teen Jenna Rink who makes a birthday wish to skip those difficult high school years. 

To her surprise – her wish comes true. 

Jenna wakes up to find herself ‘30, flirty and thriving’ in a dream role as a magazine editor, but still trying to work out what, and who really matters in life. 

The brand new musical will open at the legendary Opera House this September, bringing all the magic of the time-travelling film to life.

For the stage version, Lucie Jones (who you might recognise from X Factor) will star as Jenna, alongside David Hunter (Matt), Grace Mouat (Lucy), Caleb Roberts (Richard), Andrew Berlin (Kyle), and Dominic Andersen (Alex).

Cult classic 13 Going On 30 to make its musical debut in Manchester
Cult classic 13 Going On 30 to make its musical debut in Manchester

The musical is also written by the same duo behind the hit flick.

13 Going On 30 The Musical will have songs by Michael Weiner and Alan Zachary, who wrote for High School Musical: The Musical, and will be directed by Andy Fickman of Heathers and She’s The Man.

Film writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, who have also written the book of the musical, said: “When we wrote the movie 13 Going on 30, we never dreamt that on the film’s 20th anniversary, we’d get the chance to see a whole new generation fall in love with Razzles and feel thirty, flirty, and thriving.

“It’s been a joy to work with ROYO, Revolution Studios, Wendy Federman and Phil Kenny, songwriters Alan Zachary & Michael Weiner, and director Andy Fickman to bring this story to life as a stage musical.

“We were thrilled by the audience’s response to our workshop last year, and now we can’t wait to officially open in Manchester at the legendary Opera House – the launchpad of so many iconic musicals.

“So bring your family, your friends, maybe a date, or just come alone – don’t be shy, we’re all nice. Hope you have as much fun seeing the show as we had making it!”

13 Going On 30 The Musical will be at the Opera House in Manchester between 21 September and 12 October 2025.

Tickets are on sale now HERE.

Read more

Featured image: Publicity picture

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