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A massive video game event will return to Manchester this summer

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 25th May 2022

A huge gaming event is set to return to Manchester next month, with more than 160 consoles and hundreds of games to play.

The Power Up event will be back at the Science and Industry Museum for the first time in three years, taking ticket-holders on a journey through five decades of gaming.

Everything from retro arcade games to state-of-the-art virtual reality will be available to play at the hit event – and every ticket includes unlimited play all day.

Power Up will be taking place every weekend and school holiday from 18 June all the way through to December 2023.

Power Up will return to Manchester this summer. Credit: Science Museum Group

Consoles at the museum will include SNES, Wii, Mega Drive, Atari 2600, Playstation 5, N64, Xbox and more.

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Visitors will be able to take a trip down memory lane by playing retro classics like Pong and Pac-Man, rock out on Guitar Hero, and play the wildly popular Fortnite.

Power Up will allow people to follow the development of characters like Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog through the decades.

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Credit: Benjamin Ealovega and Science Museum Group

A new section for this year will celebrate Manchester’s gaming industry, from early success stories like Ocean Software and Software Creations to contemporary indie developers like Acid Nerve.

Young talent will be showcased too, with games made by winners and nominees from the Bafta Young Games Designers Awards, which are open to children and young people.

Mark Cutmore, head of commercial experiences at the Science Museum Group, said: “We are over the moon to welcome POWER UP back to the museum.

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Read more: 100 years of the BBC celebrated in new Science and Industry Museum exhibition

“It has always been a big hit with our visitors so we’re excited to be giving so much time to enjoy and keep returning to this experience during its longest run ever at the museum.

“We’re also really proud to be showcasing our city’s amazing contributions to the industry through the new Manchester Made section.

Credit: Science Museum Group

“POWER UP offers a fun space to enjoy past and present gaming technology, experience the latest developments and reminisce about old favourites. The gaming industry is a key component of Manchester’s creative, digital and tech industries and this interactive exhibition will help to inspire game designers and software engineers of the future.”

Tickets to Power Up include a full day of unlimited gaming, and are priced at £8 for adults, £7 for seniors, and £6 for children and concessions. There’s a £1 discount per ticket for families.

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Tickets are available now at scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/power-up.

Featured image: Science Museum Group

What's On

Electronic icons Kraftwerk announce first Manchester gig since 2017

Danny Jones Danny Jones Kraftwerk O2 Apollo Manchester tickets

Pioneering German band Kraftwerk have announced their first UK tour since 2017, with fans having to wait almost a decade for another Manchester gig.

Thankfully, they’ll be heading back down the Autobahn and across the channel for a return to our shores soon enough with a long-awaited list of British and Irish live dates.

Kraftwerk remains one of the most groundbreaking groups in the electronic scene to this day, having paved the way for generations of new artists to keep experimenting with the genre in the 50+ years since their formation.

Heading back to Manchester early next year, die-hards will no doubt snap these tickets faster than you can say ‘Das Model’.

For anyone unaware of these veritable legends of electronica and the world of alternative/Euro-synth pop, Kraftwerk formed all the way back in 1970 and went on to shape the modern music industry, bridging the gap between music and the digital age.

Best known for tracks like ‘Computer Love’, ‘The Robots’, ‘Pocket Calculator’ and the aforementioned on named after the national motorway network, they spearheaded futurism in the musical landscape from the outset.

It seems only fitting, therefore, that their upcoming highly anticipated return to the UK comes as part of their ‘Multimedia’ tour.

While they have played a number of live shows all over the globe this year, including an extensive run in the US, next spring will be our domestic visit from Kraftwerk in nine long years.

Credit: Press shot (supplied)

You can see the full list of UK and Ireland tour dates – including a handful of Northern gigs – down below:

Kraftwerk UK/IE tour dates 2026

May

  • 17 – Dublin, Bord Gais Energy Theatre
  • 18 – Belfast, Waterfront Hall
  • 21 – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
  • 22 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
  • 25 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
  • 27 – Stockton, Globe
  • 29 – Sheffield, City Hall
  • 30 – Brighton, Centre

June

  • 1 – Bristol, Beacon
  • 2 – Bournemouth, International Centre
  • 4 – London, Royal Albert Hall
  • 5 – London, Royal Albert Hall
  • 7 – Liverpool, Empire Theatre
  • 8 – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
  • 9 – Edinburgh, Playhouse

Spanning a total of 15 UK dates, as you can see, there will also be tickets to see Kraftwerk nearby in the likes of Liverpool and with our mates over in Sheffield.

Kraftwerk legend Ralf Hütter famously played a set inside our city’s velodrome at the National Cycling Centre for Manchester International Festival (MIF) back in 2009, and has collaborated with the event on multiple ocassions.

In fact, that very performance was seen as a turning point for MIF, so the Manc Kraftwerk connection speaks for itself; O2 members can obviously get pre-sale, but general admission tickets go live from 9am this Friday, 10 October.

Get ready to grab yours HERE.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra announce Manchester gig among just a handful of UK dates on European tour
This isn’t the only big alternative/electronic gig we’re looking forward to either…

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Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)

What's On

Dazzling Christmas light trail to return to Chester Zoo with new installations this winter

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Chester Zoo has announced that it’s dazzling Christmas light trail will be returning this winter with some new installations.

Still think it’s a bit too early to mention the ‘C’ word? Well you’ll have to start getting used to it soon, because Chester Zoo‘s massively-popular Christmas lights trail is set to return very soon and organisers are promising this year’s trail will be its ‘brightest ever’ – with a whole raft of new additions.

The zoo has, once again, teamed up with entertainment giants Sony Music to deliver this year’s Lanterns and Light spectacle.

Over the past couple of years, Lanterns and Light has proved to be such a success that it’s developed into one of the North West’s biggest and longest-running festive light trails, and all profits from the event support the zoo’s charitable mission to prevent wildlife extinction.

A dazzling Christmas light trail will be returning to Chester Zoo with new installations this winter / Credit: Chester Zoo

All profits from the event, which will run on selected nights from 14 November 2025 until 3 January 2026, will support the zoo’s charitable mission to prevent wildlife extinction.

This year’s trail will see the zoo transform into a spectacular winter wonderland with colour-changing forests, glowing animals, show-stopping puppets and, brand-new for this year, a host of new immersive installations.

Among the exciting new highlights for 2025 is The Airquarium, which is a dreamlike world filled with floating, glowing sea creatures, and the Bubble Walk which will bring a joyful explosion of light and colour.

All profits support the zoo’s charitable mission to prevent wildlife extinction / Credit: Chester Zoo

Also debuting this year is Submergence – an awe-inspiring walk-through tunnel of light that fully immerses guests in a dazzling, interactive display.

Dozens of life-sized animal puppets, animated by expert performers, will also line the trail.

Alongside all these new additions will be a bunch of returning favourite attractions like giant festive baubles, neon-lit walkways, marshmallow toasting stations, fairground rides, and an enchanting fire garden, as well as a chance to catch a glimpse of Father Christmas hard at work in his toy workshop with his busy team of elves.

“We’re bringing something new and spectacular to Lanterns and Light in 2025, and it’s planned to be our brightest Christmas trail ever,” commented Gemma Wright, who is the Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo.

“What makes Lanterns and Light so special is that it’s not only an unforgettable festive experience, but also one with real purpose behind it.

“Every ticket purchased helps to fund Chester Zoo’s vital conservation work right here at the zoo, where we care for and breed some of the world’s most threatened species, and in more than 20 countries globally where we’re working with partners to prevent extinction.

“By joining us for this magical evening, visitors are also helping to secure a brighter future for wildlife globally.”

Read more:

Lanterns and Light will return to Chester Zoo from Friday 14 November 2025 and will run on selected evenings right through to 3 January 2026 – with tickets now on sale, priced at £19 for adults, £12 for children, £2.50 for toddlers, and free for babies.

You can get your hands on tickets here.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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