Manchester’s newest social experience Escape to Freight Island has just announced its ‘next stage of evolution’ at Depot Mayfield.
After what has been the monumental success of the summer, the team behind Escape to Freight Island – currently housed at Depot Mayfield – are “proud to announce the true vision for this unique urban destination” with the addition of ‘The Ticket Hall’.
The Ticket Hall is the next chapter of Escape to Freight Island’s story, which started with the extraordinary arrival of Platform 15 – the original outdoor area that opened in the summer – and from Friday 30th October, will see a whole host of new food vendors descend on the venue and take over the industrial indoor space.
The fully-heated new opening will feature table seating, a wine shop, bars and a bike cloakroom.
The Ticket Hall is positioned underneath the original and striking roof structure within Depot Mayfield, and will see the vision for Escape to Freight Island unfold into a sprawling indoor market, which captures the atmospheric charm of the imposing building.
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Food vendors joining the original and much-loved Baratxuri, Voodoo Rays, Patty Queen and Madre will be:
Sugo Pasta Kitchen – The critically acclaimed Manchester-born pasta restaurant that takes its inspiration from its deep-rooted southern Italian heritage.
Mi & Pho – The award-winning family-run restaurant, which will offer authentic Vietnamese dishes.
Plant Grill– A vegan offering of modern cuisine created by Dan Hope of Fire Bird Hope and Krum fame.
El Boleto – A San Sebastian-style Deli selling small plates and the freshest produce to enjoy at home or on site.
The Jane Eyre – A cocktail bar serving classic drinks with a twist.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzKzhXA6HU/
The Ticket Hall will have two tap rooms – Camden Town and Pomona – serving a tasty range of beers, plus the independent wine shop Forever Changes will add to the market takeaway vibes.
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Another addition to the multifaceted urban space, and a first for the city of Manchester, is a bike cloakroom, which is brought to Escape to Freight Island in partnership with world-renowned cyclewear brand Rapha, and it will enable visitors to safely park their bikes while they enjoy the full experience.
Co-creator Luke Cowdrey said: “When we launched Platform 15 at Escape to Freight Island this summer, we created one of the most forward-thinking venues of its time, in this country. It’s a place of positivity; somewhere that people can safely meet with their family and friends and experience some of the most beautifully crafted food and drink with world-class entertainment.
“The Ticket Hall is the next phase in our long and interesting journey developing Escape to Freight Island.”
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James Heather – Development Director at U+I for the Mayfield Partnership – added: “The extraordinary success of Escape to Freight Island this summer has underlined Mayfield’s role as an outstanding location for culture and entertainment.
“With Freight Island expanding further into Depot Mayfield, we’re excited to welcome yet more visitors to enjoy this distinctive space and contribute to the soulful regeneration of Mayfield.”
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.
Platform 15 is also set to change, with more information on this to be announced soon.
You can find more information and book tickets via the Escape to Freight Island website here and you can follow Escape to Freight Island on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What's On
A candlelit Queen tribute concert is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
Yes, you read that right: a candlelit tribute concert to the one and only Queen is coming to Manchester city centre.
In fact, it’s coming home, as this wonderful event started right here in 0161 back in 2021.
Concerts by Candlelight themselves host concerts up and down the country at various points throughout the year, but their much-loved ‘Queen by Candlelight‘ special knows all about lighting up Manc venues.
Having since gone on to become an internationally acclaimed live concert experience, we’re glad we still get to see the ‘Princes of the Universe’ on our doorstep.
Credit: Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
With the likes of Bridgewater Hall and the magical Manchester Monastery all having played host to the promotion on many ocassions, this time Queen by Candlelight is coming to the legendary Manchester Opera House in the new year.
One of our most historic and legendary theatres, it’s only fitting, really, that they be chosen to welcome a night of equally iconic tunes.
But it’s worth reminding more casual fans that these aren’t just British rock and pop anthems; Queen‘s discography is one that still has global recognition to this day.
That’s why this specific show has been taken to virtually every corner of the world, with the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians delighting audiences in Dubai, Australia, New Zealand and New York, to domestic crowds here in town and down in London’s West End.
‘Queenies’ or ‘Darlings’, as Freddie Mercury used to call them, can expect all the big hits, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, to ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and plenty more from the back catalogue.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store this coming January:
With tickets already flying out fast, we really would recommend securing your seats early before they inevitably sell out.
To quote the promoters themselves, “this spectacular celebration of Queen’s biggest hits is guaranteed to rock you.”
Coming to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 6 January, you can book your tickets for Queen by Candlelight right HERE.
And if you’ve never been to one of their candlelit events before, you only need to see how much of a ball we had at their country event earlier this year to find out how much fun they are…
Featured Images — Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
What's On
An ‘extraordinary’ new Live Aid musical is coming to Manchester on its UK tour
Emily Sergeant
An ‘extraordinary’ new musical based on Live Aid is coming to Manchester as part of an upcoming UK and Ireland tour.
Producers Jamie Wilson Productions say they’re ‘thrilled’ to announce that Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical will head out on a big UK and Ireland tour starting out in March 2027, and visiting loads of major cities along the way – including Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Nottingham, and plenty more.
The production take us back to 13 July 1985 – the day music united the world.
Live Aid was an unprecedented global music event that brought 1.5 billion people together, and they all have a story to tell about ‘the day rock ‘n’ roll changed the world’.
Now, more than 40 years on from that famous day, audiences in Manchester will get to discover the behind-the-scenes story of Live Aid in a whole new way, as Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical is the story behind the greatest gig in music history.
What makes Just For One Day special? Nostalgia, relevance to today and a message for the new generation 🤘 pic.twitter.com/wRBV4Ar1Hv
— Just For One Day | The Live Aid Musical (@liveaidmusical) June 9, 2025
With hit songs by Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, and more all featuring, these iconic artists made history at simultaneous charitable concerts in London and Philadelphia.
The musical is written by John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard, with musical supervision, arrangements and orchestration by Matthew Brind, choreography by Ebony Molina, and casting by Stuart Burt.
“Just For One Day brilliantly reimagines why Live Aid worked then and why the humanity of that day still matters now,” commented Bob Geldoff.
“I’m delighted that more of the UK and Ireland will finally get to see this extraordinary and compelling musical. The reaction the show gets continually surprises and amazes me, standing ovations and people come back time and again, introducing the Live Aid story to new generations.”
Emily Sergeant -
1st October 2020 
