A haunted maze, ghastly ghost train, spooky big top show, lots of tasty treats, and more are all arriving at the Trafford Centre next month just in time for Halloween.
Now that autumn’s officially arrived, and the spookiest time of the year is just around the corner with Halloween only a few weeks away, the Trafford Centre has announced that its next large-scale outdoor event – a “spooky spectacle of hair-raising horrors” known as SPOOKFEST – will be here in just a few weeks time.
SPOOKFEST follows the success of ‘Summer Social’ – which saw in excess of 200,000 visitors and local celebrities enjoy some fun in the sun this past August and September.
Not only will thrill seekers get the chance to try out a scary selection of rides, including a ghost train, escape rooms, hook a pumpkin, and a spooky hay bale maze that are ideal for all the family, but there’ll also be Independent food and drink traders serving up some “deliciously devilish dishes”.
Epic Pizza, Old School Dogs, and Cha Cha Chai will all be setting up shop over the festival’s three-week stay outside The Orient.
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The “spooky spectacle of hair-raising horrors” will be here in just a few weeks time / Credit: Trafford Centre
Also as part of SPOOKFEST, there will be a handful of other activities taking place across the shopping centre, including show dances over Halloween weekend, as well as creepy cocktails and exclusive treats to try at some of the centre’s restaurants.
Gandeys Circus – the creators of Cirque Surreal and the Chinese State Circus – will also be returning with an action-packed ‘Halloween Spooktacular Big Top show’ from 15 – 31 October.
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The Trafford Centre Trick or Treat Trail – which has been carefully risk assessed and designed in line with COVID-19 safety measures – returns on 28 October, and kids are invited to pick up a free Halloween bucket from the customer service desk and scour the shops and restaurants across the centre for lots of tasty treats.
“SPOOKFEST promises some frightful fun for both grown-up thrill seekers and little monsters, offering something for everyone this Halloween,” explains Centre Director Zoe Inman.
“SPOOKFEST promises some frightful fun for both grown-up thrill seekers and little monsters, offering something for everyone this Halloween” / Credit: Trafford Centre
SPOOKFEST will be open every day from 11 – 31 October.
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There’s a £3.50 entry fee – booking in advance recommended – and some rides are priced individually, with token packages available to buy here.
Featured Image – Trafford Centre
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Science and Industry Museum announces new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’
Emily Sergeant
A major new exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ is making its world premiere in Manchester next year.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will invite visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System when it launches at the Science and Industry Museum next February.
Fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition will encourage visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition will propel families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
Left teetering on the edge of our Solar System, explorers will then find themselves staring into the dark depths of space, on the lookout for any extra-terrestrial life that could be staring back.
Whether its sniffing astronauts’ smelly socks, dancing on an alien disco planet, feeling the tremors from a mysterious moonquake, or launching a space rocket, organisers say this new adventure will engage all the senses in a truly immersive experience.
This is the first time Horrible Science has been brought to life as a major exhibition.
The Science and Industry Museum has announced a new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ / Credit: BBC | Science Museum Group
Visitors will get to see familiar characters from the BBC series – like Dr Big Brain, in particular – on their mission to find out more about our fascinating Solar System through interactive experiments, playful challenges, and sensory exploration.
The exhibition is being developed by the Science and Industry Museum in collaboration with producers of the Horrible Science TV show, BBC Children’s and Education, and Lion Television, together with Scholastic, who are publishers of the much-loved Horrible Science book series by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles.
‘Unmissable’ objects from the Science Museum Group’s world-class space collection will also be on show when the exhibition premieres.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 13 February 2026 for an 11-month run before heading down to London, and tickets are now on sale priced at £10 – with family discounts available, and under-threes going free.
Manchester Cathedral to host charity Christmas carols service to raise money for local NHS hospitals
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Cathedral will be hosting a charity Christmas carols service to raise money for our local NHS hospitals.
Organised by Manchester NHS Foundation Trust Charity and now in its twelfth year, Christmas Carols in the City will take place in the spectacular surroundings of Manchester Cathedral in a couple of weeks time, and it’s sounding set to be an enchanting experience for the whole family to be involved with this festive season.
The Grade I-listed Manchester Cathedral is one of our city’s most unique buildings, with the Gothic architecture truly being a thing to behold.
Christmas Carols in the City is being described as a ‘great way’ to start the festive season in style.
Hosted by Hits Radio’s Mike Toolan and sponsored by PG Tips, performances on the night will come from local Manchester choirs.
The event is family-friendly and festive fun for everyone, all while raising funds for the Foundation Trust’s family of NHS Manchester hospitals.
Every penny raised from this year’s event will help to build and run a MediCinema on the Oxford Road hospital campus, which will aim to bring the ‘therapeutic magic of the movies’ to patients of all ages cared for by hospitals such as Manchester Royal Infirmary, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Manchester Cathedral is hosting a charity Christmas carols service to raise money for our local NHS hospitals / Credit: Supplied
With room for wheelchairs, hospital beds, and medical equipment, and supported by dedicated nurses and trained volunteers, the new MediCinema will offer 260 screenings a year of the latest releases, alongside much loved film favourites.
In recognition of the MediCinema Appeal, Christmas Carols in the City will feature some much-loved Christmas movie classics at this year’s concert too.
Christmas Carols in the City will return to Manchester Cathedral for 2025 on Tuesday 11 December, with doors opening from 7pm and tickets now on sale.
Emily Sergeant -
29th September 2021 
