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Haunted maze, ghost train, and more coming to the Trafford Centre this Halloween for ‘Spookfest’

SPOOKFEST is bringing a "spooky spectacle" of hair-raising horrors and tasty treats to the shopping centre.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 29th September 2021

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

What's On

Huge line-up revealed for Leeds International Festival of Ideas

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith

The 2023 line-up for Leeds International Festival of Ideas has been released, and it’s all taking place in a brand new venue.

The huge event will bring together some of the most thought-provoking speakers of our time and is well worth the trip across to our neighbouring city.

Taking over the Leeds Playhouse will be a diverse programme and educational discussions, The Hoot reports.

Giving a glimpse of what we’re in store for this year, LIFI has announced the first of its highly-anticipated speakers.

Best-selling author and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax will be bringing  her unique brand of humour to the festival as she takes the audience on her journey to address the importance of mental wellness.

Ruby Wax portrait.
Ruby Wax is “thrilled to be a part of the line-up”. / Image: Supplied

The author, performer and activist is excited about joining the festival: “Leeds International Festival of ideas 2023 looks really exciting and I’m thrilled to be part of the line-up this year. I can’t wait to visit Leeds again and take audiences on my journey to mindfulness.”

Steven Bartlett, perhaps most notably known as the podcaster Diary of a CEO, co-Founder of Social Chain, and also as an investor on Dragon’s Den, amongst other business endeavours, will be taking to the stag to share an insight into ‘how he spots the next big thing’.

Steven Bartlett portrait.
Steven Bartlett will be telling Leeds how he ‘spots the next big thing’. / Image: Supplied

Bringing an insight into representation and inclusivity in the media, reality TV star and LGBTQ+ activist Bimini, will also be a key speaker at the International Festival of Ideas.

And this is just the beginning.

The four day festival promises to host a programme of panels and keynotes which focus on topics such as grief, political systems, womxn’s health inequalities and self-sufficiency, among others from Wednesday 27 September – Saturday 30 September 2023.

Bimini portrait.
Bimini is bringing a wealth of knowledge to LIFI23. / Image: Supplied

And what better venue than the Leeds Playhouse?

The award-winning cultural hub was recently recognised at the UK Theatre Awards as the Most Welcoming Theatre in 2022. With a mission to seek out the best companies and artists to create inspirational theatre in the heart of Yorkshire, Leeds Internationals Festival of Ideas, will be joining the long list of exciting productions, festivals and events that Leeds Playhouse have hosted over the past 50 years.

Martin Dickson, Leeds International Festival of Ideas has commented: “We are thrilled with the programme we are bringing to the city for LIFI23, built on the outstanding success of last year, we think it is our strongest speaker line-up yet.

“We’re also hugely excited to be presenting the festival at the incredible Leeds Playhouse, on of the most famous theatre venue in the city, a privilege and an honour.

“LIFI23 will once again address some of the most important social issues affecting us all, taking them on over 4 inspirational days across 11 events and shining an outspoken light on Leeds, projecting the city once again as a bold, innovative thought-leading city.”

The full lineups and tickets will be available from Tuesday 4 April but in the meantime those wanting to grab tickets are encouraged to visit the Leeds International Festival of Ideas website to sign up for announcements and ticket updates.

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Featured image – The Hoot Leeds

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Ricky Gervais adds ANOTHER Manchester date to Armageddon tour – how to get tickets

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Ricky Gervais has added a third gig in Manchester on his upcoming Armageddon stand-up tour due to phenomenal demand.

The comedy legend announced this week that he’ll be playing the O2 Apollo on 24 and 25 April, plus the new date on 30 May.

The first two nights sold out in a flash, and tickets for that third date go on sale this week.

Armageddon is the award-winning comedian’s seventh international tour.

Ricky Gervais is famed for his TV shows, including the record-breaking After Life, The Office, and Extras.

He further cemented his global reputation with his dry sense of humour and sharp wit while presenting the Golden Globes.

The comedian is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most downloaded internet show of all time – and is known for his satirical comedy that often divides opinions.

After performing Armageddon in London last year, the comedian took to Twitter to say he’d have his fans ‘reported for hate crimes’ for laughing at the new material, according to The Independent – just to give you an idea of what may lie ahead.

The tour has already sold out its first five dates, with the rest (including a Leeds stop) going on sale this week.

You can get tickets from 10am on Friday 31 March through Ticketmaster.

New Ricky Gervais Armageddon tour dates

  • 22 May 2023 – Cambridge Corn Exchange
  • 25 May 2023 – Leeds First Direct Arena
  • 30 May 2023 – Manchester O2 Apollo
  • 14 June 2023 – Cardiff International Arena
  • 21 June 2023 – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
  • 20 July 2023 – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
  • 4 September 2023 – Birmingham Utilita Arena
  • 13 – 16 September 2023 – London Palladium
  • 6 October 2023 – London OVO Wembley Arena
  • 11 – 12 December 2023 – Bristol Beacon

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Feature Image- Ricky Gervais via Twitter

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