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.
“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.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
Manchester’s biggest comedy festival returns this week and you can STILL get tickets
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s most popular comedy festival is back this week, and there’s still time to get tickets if you’re up for a laugh.
That’s right – Laughterama is back in Manchester from today (2 September), and will once again be taking over the iconic Castlefield Bowl in the heart of the city centre for five days of fun.
Thousands of comedy lovers attend Laughterama each year to enjoy countless sell-out stand-up sets, and this year will be no different, as festivalgoers are in for an ‘explosive series of shows‘ from some of the hottest names on the comedy circuit.
Jack Dee, Nick Mohammed, Sara Pascoe, Fern Brady, and Chris McCausland are just some of the famous names on this year’s jam-packed lineup.
They’ll be joined by other big names like Michelle De Swarte, Stewart Lee, Nina Conti, Ivo Graham, Ellis James, and Harriett Kemsley when they all take to the Castlefield Bowl stage over the five-day festival from Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 September.
Some of the other names you can expect are BAFTA nominee Rose Matafeo, stand-up marvel Sarah Keyworth, Plebs and Friday Night Dinner star Tom Rosenthal, and podcast hero John Robbins.
It wouldn’t be Laughterama without some newcomers and breakthrough stars, of course, and on the lineup this year are viral sensation Vittorio Angelone, fast-rising talents Kiran Saggu and Jen Nolan, and BBC New Comedy Award finalist Evaldas Karosas.
Laughterama returns to Manchester later this week, and you still / Credit: Matt Eachus | Supplied
And aside from the comedy, as always, you can expect the very-best eats from Manchester’s street food scene will also be on site to tuck into, as well as an exciting selection of bars serving signature beers, cocktails, and more.
Laughterama 2026 is landing at Castlefield Bowl this week from Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 September, with tickets now on sale at £29 per person.
Daisy Jackson -
25th May 2022 
