Winter Island adds to the site’s recently-announced Ticket Hall annex, which has been the much-anticipated second phase for the indoor food market and entertainment space and is heralded as a carefully-planned and exciting expansion towards the “true vision” of what is fast becoming the most talked about and innovative venue in the UK.
Winter is indeed coming, but the warmth of Escape to Freight Island remains.
The Island’s favourite independent food and drink traders – Voodoo Ray’s, Patty Queen, Baratxuri, Madre and Krum – will move into The Ticket Hall on Friday 30th October, and then on Thursday 12th November, Winter Island will take over the outdoor space of Platform 15, where more than 80,000 people have visited safely since it opened in July.
ADVERTISEMENT
Winter Island will be the UK’s largest fully outdoor, heated winter seated market, with the installation of its new 1500 sqft heated Garden Tent sat underneath a picture-perfect festive setting.
It will also welcome a whole host of new festive traders and stalls.
ADVERTISEMENT
Winter Island at Escape to Freight Island
These include Great North Pie, a Bratwurst Grill, Traditional Hog Roast, a Mulled Wine & Hot Cider Hut, Local Chocolatier and Artisanal cheese stall, and everything else you could wish for as the winter nights draw in and the Christmas season begins.
The Ticket Hall will also welcome Grace Dent’s favourite Belzan Pasta Kitchen and The Jane Eyre cocktail bar, which will bring classic and signature cocktails set up high in the heart of the Ticket Hall, and offering a view from above in a small cosy bar serving the best mixed drinks in town.
There will also be Plant Grill, Forever Changes wine bar, shop and continental deli, and the Rapha-partnered bike cloakroom, all alongside a huge entertainment stage.
ADVERTISEMENT
The entertainment programme includes headline acts such as Hot Chip, Rhys from The Horrors and Huey Morgan DJ sets, and there are festival collaborations from the likes of We Out Here festival, with line-ups that include ALFOS, Dave Haslam and PRB Street Gang.
Entertainment will continue with its Sunday Drag spectacular with special guests Charlotte Church’s Pop Dungeon.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGUQli5g0Zg/
Festive entertainment comes from Thursday’s cabaret shows, featuring everything from big band Motown and Jazz performances, to Songs around the Campfire curated by Ríognach Connolly. There will also be a weekly Christmas Cabaret from The Untold Orchestra, performing David Bowie and Stevie Wonder favourites.
For the kids, there will be a big brass band Disney sing-along and some events from The Playhouse Project, and Born to be Wild Child.
The Ticket Hall has undergone a massive transformation.
ADVERTISEMENT
The industrial space we all associate with Depot Mayfield has been filled with buzzing bars and restaurants, and for the festive season, a 45ft Christmas tree will be installed as the centrepiece, there’ll be a Christmas light projection in the circle area of Winter Island, and a very special installation feature by Lightopia – the stunning light festival from Heaton Park – will extend into Escape To Freight Island for a one off collaboration.
Also, with an additional seasonal spectacular, The Ticket Hall will also become home the city’s first Winter Ice Curling Rink.
The Safe + Social Manifesto means Escape to Freight Island has been designed as a space where you are able to socialise safely with your party, maintain social distance from others, and remain alert to the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19), while being part of the overall urban festival atmosphere.
You can find more information about Winter Island and book your tickets in advance via the Escape to Freight Island website here.
Jane McDonald at AO Arena, Manchester – tickets, times and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
The lovely people of Manchester are ‘Living The Dream’ because Wakefield wonder-woman Jane McDonald is bringing her tour to AO Arena.
Making her British TV screen debut nearly 30 years ago on The Cruise, before joining the Loose Women panel and going on to present a whole host of travel shows including Cruising with Jane McDonald, now this Wakefield legend returns to AO Arena.
This latest tour, named after her 2026 LP Living The Dream, will see Jane singing hits from both past and present including a couple of covers too.
Earlier this year, Jane’s Mighty Hoopla performance went viral online after she commanded the stage in a red leather jacket, donning a singular rainbow hair extension while belting out RAYE’s ‘Where Is My Husband!’
Audio North even got the opportunity to interview this legendary lady when she visited her hometown HMV store in Wakefield for an exclusive album signing – Oh look, it’s me!
The Wakefield wonder-woman’s latest album Living The Dream was released in March and considering the tour is named after this impressive LP, we’re sure fans can expect to hear quite a few tracks from this album.
Living The Dream
I’ll Not Be Beaten
You Don’t Know What You Got
Don’t Mind If I Do
The Hand That Leads Me
Ain’t Gonna Beg
I Will Always Love You
Islands in the Stream
Jolene
9 to 5
You’re My World
Where Is My Husband!
Let the Light In
Cake by the Ocean
Jai Ho!
APT.
Right Where I Belong
How Do I Move On
Beautiful Soul
All By Myself
You Still Lead Me
Of course, Jane also loves to cover a tune or two, and we’ll never forget her renditions of ‘Cake By The Ocean’, ‘Jai Ho’ or ‘APT.’.
What are the stage times for Jane McDonald in Manchester?
The doors for Jane McDonald’s Living The Dream Tour in Manchester are set for 6.30pm with the event set to start at 7.30pm.
AO Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you have enough time to dash home and eat ‘Cake by the (Sofa)’ before ringing in the new day.
Getting to AO Arena
Tram
For those of you heading to AO Arena, luckily, it’s connected to Manchester Victoria Station, and it has an integrated Metrolink stop to make your life even easier.
Head along the pink, light blue or yellow lines directly to the Victoria stop, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Train
Considering this live entertainment venue is situated right in the middle of one of Manchester’s most frequented stations, concertgoers should find no problem getting to the arena, wherever they are.
Bus
A variety of buses cover AO Arena andVictoria Station on their route, such as the 2 bus, which stops just a one-minute walk away from the venue.
A full list of buses and their routes can be found HERE.
The Arena has its own official CitiPark, with 958 car parking spaces, including 40 Blue Badge parking bays, which can be booked in advance.
Alternatively, anyone attending a gig can park at their nearest train station and jump on a train service or the various Metrolink park and ride facilities.
Walk/cycle
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app.
Chester Zoo’s popular FREE Nature Fest returns this weekend with its biggest event yet
Emily Sergeant
A free festival helping people connect to nature is returning for its 10th anniversary, and organisers say it will be their biggest event yet.
Nature Fest is returning to Chester Zoo this weekend, and is set to explore the relationship between nature and wellbeing, with lots of new activities designed to help festivalgoers experience the benefits of connecting with the natural world
Around 4,000 people, and lots of families, are expected to attend across the weekend.
Visitors can take part in animal yoga sessions, relax in a zen den, and explore an interactive nature adventure based around the five pathways to nature connection, traveling along tunnels and through a tree along the way.
There will also be live music, puppetry, crafts, workshops and talks, alongside opportunities to discover how conservationists work to protect wildlife.
Chester Zoo’s popular Nature Fest returns this weekend with its biggest event yet / Credit: Chester Zoo
On top of that, the festival will feature stands from various nature organisations and community groups across the North West, talks and tips from nature professionals, and wildlife-friendly gardening sessions with the zoo’s schools team.
Chester Zoo has also teamed up with Outside Lives Ltd on the festival, giving visitors the chance to take part in other activities like crazy golf, den building, and willow weaving.
“We’re hoping our 10th Nature Fest will be the biggest yet,” commented Chris Ablett, who is the Community Volunteer Assistant Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Chester Zoo is well known for supporting conservation across the world but protecting nature here in the UK is just as important.
“We want people to know there are simple things they can do to help wildlife at home, and Nature Fest is a great way to link up with people and learn new skills you can put into practice in your community, all while enjoying a great day out.”
Chester Zoo’s Nature Fest returns for 2026 this weekend on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September. It’s free to attend, parking is also free, and no booking is required.
Emily Sergeant -
15th October 2020 
