Hundreds of teddy bears and soft toys are set to be thrown onto the ice at the next Manchester Storm home game in a wonderful charity drive for local children.
Manchester‘s premier ice hockey team play the Belfast Giants in Altrincham this weekend and on top of the action inside the rink, supporters watching in the stands are being asked to bring plenty of plush toys for the iconic ‘Air the Bear’ ritual.
A popular tradition throughout hockey around the world during the festive period, Air the Bear is a pretty simple concept: fans bring along teddy bears and other soft toys and once the first point of the game is scored, the toys are thrown onto the ice and collected.
Once they are all gathered up, the mass of toys will then be donated to local charities and hospitals around the Greater Manchester area. You love to see it.
𝗔 𝗦𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗥
Ahead of our '𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗥' league fixture this Saturday evening, we decided to put together a simple guide for all those new to the club! 🧸⛈️
The wholesome tradition began back in the ’90s by WHL team, the Kamloops Blazers. Historically called the ‘Teddy Bear Toss’, the first volley of soft toys was launched on 5 December 1993.
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Organised by the Marketing Director, Don Larson, as a way of helping out families over Christmas, the first goal of the evening was scored by Brad Lukowich and the charitable trend has been carried out by countless teams every year ever since under various monikers.
The biggest-ever Teddy Bear Toss was carried out in 2019 by the appropriately named AHL side, the Hershey Bears, when a world record 45,650 stuffed toys were thrown onto the ice.
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Just look at how mint this looks.
Here’s hoping the popular Manchester hockey team puts in a similarly good showing and managed a massive pile of teddies for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and more.
Most importantly, this unique and heartwarming international toy drive supplies millions of children every year and the Air the Bear is one of hundreds around the world.
Manchester Storm‘s Air the Bear event takes place at 7pm this Saturday, 17 December (doors at 6pm) at their home stadium, Planet Ice Altrincham.
If you want to come along and give the gift of a cuddly toy this holiday season, be sure to wrap your toys in clingfilm so they don’t get wet from the ice and while you can donate your old used teddies, just be sure to give them a clean before bringing them along.
More than 1,000 tickets have already been sold — you can grab yours HERE.
Oasis announce extra 2027 tour dates – including TWO MORE Knebworth shows
Emily Sergeant
Oasis have announced a run of additional tour dates for 2027, including two more Knebworth shows.
In case you need bringing up to speed a little, it was announced last week, following the unprecedented success of the reunion tour, Oasis Live ’25, last year – including five nostalgia-drenched gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park – Oasis would be hitting the road once again in 2027, and this time around, they’re going BIG.
We’re talking 11 nights at the Etihad Stadium and a return to the iconic grounds of Knebworth for four special shows there too, kind of ‘big’.
The iconic Manchester band will also be taking to a range of other world-famous stages across the globe, including five nights at Glasgow’s Celtic Park, and major cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, and Las Vegas.
And now they’ve added some extra dates into the mix due to popular demand.
While there’s no additional Manchester dates on the lineup this time (11 is quite a lot to begin with, after all), they have doubled up on Knebworth instead.
That’s right – the Gallagher brothers and co have now announced two further Knebworth shows on 25 and 26 September, on top of the already-announced dates of 11, 12, 18 and 19 September.
Tickets are being sold through a strict fan registration process this year, with no general onsale and only successful registrants even invited to try and buy them.
Prices will be fixed, however, meaning fans will be able to snap up a ticket for as little as £74.60 for seated tickets, with seats then costing up to £266.60, including fees.
Standing tickets will be priced at either £173.60 or £206.60, and there are also hotel packages, coach packages, and VIP packages available.
Everything you need to know about buying tickets for Oasis Live ’27 is here.
Featured Image – Joshua Halling (Press Image – Supplied)
What's On
Strictly Come Dancing Live to return to Manchester as part of 2027 UK tour
Emily Sergeant
Strictly Come Dancing Live is set to return in 2027 for a spectacular new UK arena tour.
Hot on the heels of last weekend’s dazzling launch show for the 2026 BBC series, audiences are invited to get their dancing shoes on and their ’10’ paddles at the ready, as a new lineup of celebrities and professionals will be taking to the dancefloor for 29 shows across the country – including three shows in Manchester.
Head judge Shirley Ballas will be hitting the road, alongside fellow judges Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood, with Janette Manrara also presenting.
Directed by Craig Revel Horwood himself, Strictly Come Dancing Live takes the magic of the BBC TV show and turns it up to another level.
Expect jaw-dropping group dances, breathtaking routines, stunning costumes, and live music from the legendary Strictly band and singers, all brought together in a first-class arena production.
As always with the Strictly Live Tour, there is one very important decision to be made at every show – which couple will lift the Glitterball Trophy?
And that decision is not in the hands of the judges. The judges are there to critique and provide their invaluable opinions on each dance routine, but they do not hold the power, as this lies with the audience instead, who can vote using their mobile phones to decide who is the winner.
Strictly Come Dancing Live is returning to Manchester as part of its 2027 UK tour / Credit: Supplied
The tour kicks off at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on 22 January for the first of five shows, and will then cha-cha-cha its way across the UK, visiting other major northern cities like Sheffield, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Leeds, before arriving in Manchester at the start of February.
Strictly Come Dancing Live will take to the AO Arena stage on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February 2027, with two shows happening on the Saturday.
Tickets officially go on sale this week, with venue pre-sales beginning at 10am on Thursday 24 September, before general sale starts on Friday (25 September), also at 10am.
Danny Jones -
15th December 2022 
