The floor of the AO Arena will be transformed into a giant street party for a star-studded show in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The National Lottery will bring together some massive names from the worlds of music and comedy for the one-off free party.
Taking place on Thursday 12 May, The National Lottery’s Big Jubilee Street Party will be hosted by Jason Manford and Fleur East.
Organisers say the show will combine performances, archive footage, and music from the likes of the Kaiser Chiefs, Becky Hill, Steps, Tom Grennan, House Gospel Choir, Calum Scott, Nathan Dawe and Ella Henderson.
It will also celebrate the organisations and individuals that played an important part in Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
ADVERTISEMENT
Jason Manford. Credit: Publicity picture
Fleur East. Credit: Supplied
Jason Manford and Fleur East will host the Big Jubilee Street Party
The floor of Manchester’s largest indoor gig venue will be decorated with lights, trestle tables, and colourful bunting to create a street party atmosphere.
The Queen will be marking 70 years of service this June, and Brits will be given a four-day weekend to celebrate.
ADVERTISEMENT
The event has been created to celebrate Her Majesty’s historic reign, with more than £22m of National Lottery funds earmarked to help communities commemorate the Platinum Jubilee.
10,000 tickets will be given away free to National Lottery players, with another 1000 set aside for community groups in the north west and charities funded by the National Lottery.
Credit: Unsplash
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Jason Manford said: “I’m delighted to be hosting The National Lottery’s Big Jubilee Street Party at Manchester’s AO Arena in honour of The Queen. It’ll be a huge celebration of our monarch’s extraordinary reign and a night of fantastic entertainment. The audience is in for a real treat.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Fleur East added: “The National Lottery’s Big Jubilee Street Party is going be the perfect way to kick start the Jubilee celebrations and we’re looking forward to keeping you company for the night, so get your family and friends involved for what will be a wonderful evening.
“With such an excellent star-studded line-up, and some special audience guests too, it is going to be such an exciting evening of celebrations!”
Nigel Railton, CEO of National Lottery operator Camelot, said: “The National Lottery is incredibly proud to be hosting the UK’s biggest street party for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in Manchester.
“It is going to be a superb evening that everyone will be able to see and enjoy on ITV soon after. The National Lottery will be celebrating the incredible role our monarch has played in bringing communities together, something very close to the hearts of everyone involved with The National Lottery and something players have helped make possible for more than 27 years.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets are available on a first-come, first serve basis here, with a £2 booking fee and proof of purchase of a National Lottery product required.
ITV and ITV Hub will also air the concert for those who miss out on tickets.
The ENTIRE Manchester Village Pride lineup cost £20k less to book than ONE headliner last year
Daisy Jackson
Bosses behind Manchester Village Pride have revealed that the entire lineup has cost significantly less than the amount spent on just one headliner last year.
In a statement promising transparency, organisers said that the entire weekend of artists has cost less than one single headliner from 2025.
And by some margin – £20,000.
The announcement comes less than a year after the previous Manchester Pride organisation entered voluntary liquidation amid rising costs, declining ticket sales and an ‘ambitious refresh’ of the festival format.
That refresh included moving the main music portion of the annual LGBTQ+ celebration away from the Gay Village itself, and over to Depot Mayfield.
The collapse of Manchester Pride followed reports that performers from the 2025 event were still waiting to be paid, with entertainment union Equity later saying its members were more than £70,000 out of pocket.
Manchester Village Pride was subsequently established as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, with organisers promising a more community-focused approach and greater transparency around finances.
The 2026 event is being delivered with unpaid directors, while organisers have also signed an Equity agreement guaranteeing fair pay and professional standards for performers – the first UK union agreement of its kind for a Pride event.
Performing at Manchester Village Pride this year are major artists like Nadine Coyle, Danny Beard, Gareth Gates, Kate Nash, Cascada, and Rowetta.
They’re joined by a lineup of fantastic home-grown talent, including artists, DJs, and drag queens, taking our city’s Pride celebrations back to their roots, and keeping things firmly in the Gay Village.
In their statement, Manchester Village Pride said: “Transparency time! Booking this entire weekend of fabulous artists cost us £20k UNDER what was spent on a single headliner last year. This is what community Pride looks like!”
Manchester Village Pride will once again take place over the August bank holiday weekend, with the party running for four days from Friday to Monday.
The celebrations will culminate in the moving candlelit vigil in Sackville Gardens.
Ticket prices this year, even with just over a week to go, are only £40 for the full three-day festival, or £25 for one day. Monday will be free to attend.
You can ALREADY book tickets for Greater Manchester’s beloved Santa steam trains this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s beloved Santa steam train rides are back for more festive fun this Christmas, and tickets are already on sale… genuinely.
Sure, it’s literally the middle of August, and we’ve still got the rest of summer, and the small matter of a bank holiday weekend, Halloween, and Bonfire Night to get through first, but East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is already looking ahead to the most magical time of year.
The iconic heritage railway has announced that its hugely-popular ‘Santa Specials’ steam trains are back once again from late November.
The famous festive steam trains have become an essential part of Christmas for many families in the North West.
Santa Specials are your chance to hop on board an old-school steam train and travel through the magical Irwell Valley to make ‘enchanted memories’ that last a lifetime.
You can ALREADY book tickets for Greater Manchester’s beloved Santa steam trains this Christmas / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography (via ELR)
The truly special Christmas day out starts as you make your way through a winter wonderland at Bury Bolton Street Station, and first get to meet some old favourites and new characters – including the magical talking Christmas tree, Mrs Claus, and ELR’s very own Ice Princess – all before before having a singalong with a chorus of musical polar bears.
The festive fun then continues on the Santa Special steam trains themselves – with an 80-minute ‘enchanting voyage’ through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
And, of course, you can expect a special visit from Santa while you’re on board.
After you’ve grabbed a selfie or two with the big man himself, the grown-ups can look forward to mince pies and festive tipples, while little Mancs can enjoy a soft drink, some chocolate, and take a festive-themed activity pack home with them.
Daisy Jackson -
13th April 2022 
