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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
The top nerdy places in Manchester to get your geek on
Dean Hadcock
There are so many different types of nerds. From comic and manga readers, to the tabletop players, to lovers of video and arcade games.
So even if you’re DC or Marvel, in Manchester there’s a bit of something for everyone.
We’ve rounded up everything from board game cafes to comic book shops to arcade bars.
Whether you’re looking to buy or play, here are some of the nerdiest places you NEED to check out in Manchester.
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet in the Northern Quarter, Manchester
This place is like the Big Tescos for nerds. It’s your one-stop shop for everything geeky.
Upstairs has everything like pop funks, figurines, collectables and fun merch from your favourite shows and games.
Downstairs is where the magic happens, and if you’re looking to get into comics or manga, this is the place to be. It’s got all the classics you’d expect with, of course, the brand-new comic releases.
Travelling Man
Travelling Man in Manchester is one of the city’s best havens for nerds
This Dale Street shop is like the previous but with a smaller, independent feel and is always a lovely shop to browse in.
It’s our personal favourite and it’s got all you need including comics, manga and loads of tabletop games to browse and purchase.
Looking for people to play board games with? This is the place to go. It was voted the UK’s favourite board game store in 2019.
You can join D&D and Warhammer games or just nip in for a browse, just try not to end up spending copious amounts of money on a new Warhammer army.
Afflecks
You can now get married at Afflecks in Manchester
This gigantic shopping emporium is the home of all things alt, but there are also plenty of shops inside to get your geek on.
Here are just a few standouts. There’s Card Empire specialising in Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon Cards. The Animaid Cafe for lovers of all things kawaii. And we couldn’t forget Star Wars Man on the third floor with his huge collection of nostalgic TV and film collectables.
NQ64
Arcade games at NQ64’s new site in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Now if you’re looking to play instead of buy, the next three will be right up your street. Starting with NQ64, specifically the massive new site in the Northern Quarter.
They’ve got loads of classic arcade machines, themed cocktails and grub for when you get the mid-gaming munchies. We highly recommend playing Ice Cold Beer and beating our high score of 7 (trust us it’s hard).
Pixel Bar
Pixel Bar in ManchesterPixel Bar in Manchester
Fancy something less retro and more modern? Try Pixel Bar, which is open past midnight every day.
If you want to grab some mates and have a couple of drinks while you crush them on games like Smash, Fifa or Tony Hawk, this is the place to be.
Bury Arcade Club
This place is the Mecca of all things arcade. It’s a multi-level video arcade featuring classic and modern games.
The best thing about it is you pay one standard fee (under £20) and you get to play everything inside for free and as much as you want.
The downside is Bury is a bit of a trek from the city centre and you’ll probably have to drive to get there.
Busted at Manchester’s AO Arena — tickets, support acts, stage times and more
Danny Jones
Guys, we don’t know if you heard but Busted are back on tour— or, more accurately, back on top and they’re bringing all the hits and unparalleled energy levels to Manchester’s AO Arena for a second night in less than a week.
The Busted boys played an initial sold-out show last weekend but had to add a second Manchester date due to the massive demand and although they received rave reviews the first time around, it might as well have been a warm-up for the main event which is already shaping up to be a belter.
With some seriously good supports, another soon-to-sell-out crowd of 20,000+ and the trio now having had a ridiculously good practice run only a few days ago, Busted at the AO Arena night two is going to be insane.
That being said, here’s everything you need to know about their 20th-anniversary tour date and greatest hits show.
If you’re still scrambling around in the hope of getting a last-minute ticket to hear the likes of ‘Year 3000’ and ‘What I Go to School For’ live, you’re in luck: there’s still a very small handful of tickets to be snapped up if you’re quick enough.
There are still a few seats floating about, ranging from £42.50 to £53.50 on Ticketmaster, and you can obviously splurge on the AO Arena’s Champagne Experiences in the Electric Lounge if you fancy it.
As always, if you end up missing out you can also check out resale sites like Twickets and TicketSwap, we advise steering clear from ticket touts at all costs.
You better do one better if you’re going to night two — don’t let us down!
Support acts
Busted have brought some truly great support acts along with them this time, including 90s and 2000s US pop favourites, Hanson — remember them?
As well as the equally iconic trio, Manc pop band New Hope Club are playing the home crowd too. Go on the local lads!
Throwing together some of the era’s most iconic pop-rock together with another three-piece from the modern generation, you’re getting a proper value-for-money and for-all-ages show this Saturday.
As for when you can expect to see each of these fantastic acts take the stage, doors will open from 6pm and New Hope Club will be getting things started at 7:30pm.
Finishing a quickfire set just a few minutes before Hanson, the American throwback best-known for ‘MMMBop’ with be playing from 8pm until 8:30pm — and you might even have a surprise in store. We’re saying nothing else…
Then, at 9pm, the main event gets underway with Busted set to play up until curfew around 11pm and we literally can’t wait.
20th Anniversary and Greatest Hits setlist
Thanks to the ever-reliable Setlist.fm (and the fact we already had multiple members of The Manc office go along to the first night), we even know what they’ll be playing:
Air Hostess
Meet You There
Loser Kid
You Said No
Everything I Knew
MMMBop (Hanson cover)
Sleeping With the Light On
Good One
What I Go to School For
Who’s David
Falling for You
Thunderbirds Are Go
She Wants to Be Me
3am
Crashed the Wedding
Encore
Video (Brit Awards 2004)
Teenage Kicks (The Undertones cover)
Interlude
Year 3000
All the hits — what more could you ask for? Oh yeah, and did we mention they’re number one!?
Emily Sergeant -
15th October 2020 
