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.
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.
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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.
Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families who ‘struggle to afford’ a festive day out
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets this Christmas to families who may otherwise struggle to afford a festive day out.
Christmas is a time when many of us feel strapped for cash more than ever before, especially for those families on Universal Credit, which is why Chester Zoo is embracing the season of giving by offering thousands of locals the chance to visit the UK’s largest charity zoo for a fraction of the price of normal entry tickets.
The discounted tickets will be available for anyone claiming Universal Credit on visits from today (18 December) right up until New Year’s Eve (31 December), and they’ll need to be booked online in advance.
This brilliant initiative is a new addition to the zoo’s long-running Community Connections Scheme, which aims to reduce financial barriers to visiting for households and community groups.
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families on Universal Credit this festive season / Credit: Chester Zoo
Tickets priced at £1 will be available to people receiving Universal Credit, including claimants of Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance, and Housing Benefit.
Chester Zoo said the scheme is designed to help families on lower incomes enjoy the zoo during the festive period and connect with nature.
“We know that spending time outdoors and around wildlife can have a really positive impact on people, and we hope this helps more families enjoy a special day out together over the festive period, especially when this time of year can be difficult for many,” commented Charlotte Smith, who is Chester Zoo’s Director of Conservation Education.
“We hope this brightens the season for many more households.”
Emily Sergeant -
15th October 2020 
