What's On

Here’s where to find the 16 giant inflatable monsters now looming over Manchester

Our pals are back.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 24th October 2024

Halloween has returned to city, and a gaggle of giant inflatable monsters have taken to the streets and are now looming over buildings.

Spooky season is now officially here in Manchester.

Returning for another year, Halloween in the City – which is organised by Manchester BID and CityCo, and is the country’s biggest Halloween celebration – is back for some more frightful fun, and just as it’s always been known and loved for, the family-friendly festival will be filling the city centre with things that go bump in the night.

Thousands of families are expected to head into the city wearing their spookiest costumes for the two-day free event taking place this weekend.

With the celebrations set to begin at 10am on both days, there’s a jam-packed lineup of events and activities for everyone to get stuck into, including the Monsters Rock! Music Festival, Walk the Plank’s legendary Monster Party Procession, the Team Trick vs Team Treat Challenge, and so much more.

If you’re looking to get in on the action early though, then you’ll be pleased – or frightened – to find out that the iconic MCR Monsters have already arrived and will be sticking around until Halloween itself.

With more new monsters than ever before than this year, the inflatable art trail – created by artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas – has now taken over locations like Manchester Arndale, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Corn Exchange, and New Century, and there’s a total of 16 of them to spot around town.

The legendary MCR Monsters are back and have now invaded the city for 2024 / Credit: The Manc Group

Each with their own name, here’s where you’ll need to head on down to to find them all.

  1. Hellvis, Manchester Arndale
  2. Harry & Gordon, Selfridges on Exchange Square 
  3. Ooey and Gooey, Exchange Square (Saturday 26th – Sunday 27th October only)
  4. Charli XCX-Orcist, Exchange Square (Saturday 26th – Sunday 27th October only)
  5. Terrif-Eyes, inside the Corn Exchange
  6. Horrible Harvey, at Harvey Nichols on New Cathedral Street
  7. Boglin, outside Harvey Nichols on New Cathedral Street (Saturday 26th – Sunday 27th October only)
  8. Ziggy Scar-dust, outside Michael Kors on New Cathedral Street (Saturday 26th – Sunday 27th October only)
  9. Liam & Noel, The Royal Exchange Manchester
  10. Emmeline Planthurst, on Castlefield Viaduct (Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-5pm)
  11. Wibbly Wobbly Williams, AO Arena,
  12. Wailor Swift, New Century at NOMA 
  13. NV (Envy) New Vic 
  14. Krampus, KAMPUS
  15. Medlocktopus, Mayfield Park
  16. Howler, Spinningfields
There’s a total of 16 monsters to spot looming over buildings around town / Credit: The Manc Group

As mentioned, the MCR Monsters are part of the wider annual Halloween in the City celebrations.

Jane Sharrocks, who is the Chair of Manchester BID, said Manchester is set to transform into the “ultimate Halloween playground” this year, and that organisers are planning 2024 to be the “most thrilling year yet”.

“As the first UK city to host these incredible creatures, Manchester has become the ultimate Halloween destination,” Jane added.

Read more:

Halloween in the City officially returns to Manchester for the weekend on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October, with the monsters looming over us from tomorrow (Friday 25 October) and haunting us through to Halloween itself.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

What's On

The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Forever Manchester charity work

There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.

Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.

This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.

Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.

Credit: Forever Manchester

The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.

This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.

The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.

This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.

Credit: Supplied

Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.

Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.

Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.

And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Forever Manchester (supplied)

What's On

Billie Eilish at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Billie Eilish is ready to take over Co-op Live for four nights of tear-jerking, heart-wrenching, belly-aching hits right here in Manchester.

Ms. ‘Ocean Eyes’ herself is coming to Manchester this month, and we’re on hand with all the info you need so you don’t have to ‘Guess’ anything on the day of your show.

Billie Eilish has cemented her position in the music industry as one of the leading hitmakers, and at only 23 years old, this artist has won nine Grammy Awards and racked up three UK number-one singles.

The American star has been grafting since her early teens, dropping her first ever EP, don’t smile at me, in 2017 at only 16 years old and has reached height after height ever since.

Billie Eilish gig guide

Billie Eilish Co-op Live Manchester tickets
Billie Eilish is playing at Co-op Live in Manchester on 19, 20, 22 and 23 July.
Credit: Press shot (supplied)

Her latest album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’, which is also the name of the tour, is Eilish’s third studio album and it’s stacked with bangers like ‘Birds of a Feather’, ‘Lunch’ and ‘Wildflower’, just to name a few.

Now, Eilish is ready to play four nights at Manchester’s largest indoor entertainment venue, Co-op Live, and join a roster of acts in the top 10 biggest gigs in Manchester music history.

Billie Eilish UK tour dates

  • Tue 8 July – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
  • Thu 10 July – London, UK – The O2
  • Fri 11 July – London, UK – The O2
  • Sun 13 July – London, UK – The O2
  • Mon 14 July – London, UK – The O2
  • Wed 16 July – London, UK – The O2
  • Thu 17 July – London, UK – The O2
  • Sat 19 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Sun 20 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Tue 22 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
  • Wed 23 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Are there tickets left for Billie Eilish tickets in Manchester?

Anyone after tickets to any of the upcoming Billie Eilish gigs in Manchester might be in for a ‘not-so-lovely’ surprise, as you can expect, as most general tickets are sold out.

However, anyone who’s missed out on tickets for Billie’s FOUR-gig run in Manchester can still take a look at a variety of premium ticket packages.

You can grab your ‘Birds of a Feather’ and a ticket or two for the Saturday, 19 July show HERE.

Pack your ‘Lunch’ and put on your best outfit because there are exclusive tickets for the Sunday, 20 July gig HERE.

Your friends will be calling you ‘The Greatest’ when you let them know about the premium tickets still left for Tuesday, 22 July right HERE.

Finally, grab ‘L’amour De Ma Vie’ and sing your heart out with a range of hospitality tickets to choose from on Wednesday, 23 July HERE. And breathe…

Billie Eilish setlist

  • Chihiro
  • Lunch
  • NDA
  • Therefore I Am
  • Wildflower
  • when the party’s over
  • The Diner
  • ilomilo
  • bad guy
  • The Greatest
  • Your Power
  • Skinny
  • TV
  • bury a friend
  • Oxytocin
  • Guess
  • everything i wanted
  • lovely / Blue / ocean eyes (Medley)
  • L’amour De Ma Vie
  • What Was I Made For?
  • Happier Than Ever
  • Birds of a Feather

What are the stage times for Billie Eilish in Manchester?

Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be safe knowing ‘when the party’s over’ it won’t be well into the early hours.

Doors for ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour are scheduled for 6pm with support acts Syd and Magdalena Bay on hand to soundtrack your evening and leave you feeling ‘Happier Than Ever’ before Billie at 8pm.

The first act, Syd, is known for co-founding influential R’n’B band, The Internet (big fans, by the way), and has just dropped a new solo single ‘Die For This’ ahead of her Billie Eilish tour stint.

How to get to Co-op Live

Tram

For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.

Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.

Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

The ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour’ will mark Billie Eilish’s first ever Co-op Live appearance.
Credit: William Drumm (supplied)

Bus

You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.

Getting there by car and parking

If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue,e but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.

The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.

Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will vary, obviously:

  • Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
  • Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
  • Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.

There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:

  • Ashton Moss (Ashton line) – 183 spaces and 12 disabled spaces
  • Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
  • Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces

Walk/cycle

Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.

Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.

For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (supplied)

More What's On

Candlelit concert drone show Manchester events

Art & Culture

A candlelit concert and drone show is visiting Manchester later this year

Tram and Bee Network delays Manchester Oasis Heaton Park gigs

Bury

Bee Network trams and buses hit by first wave of delays as thousands flock to Oasis gigs

Art & Culture

14 iconic Oasis locations you need to visit in Manchester

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches