What's On

Huge fairground, splash park, and beach return to Trafford Centre this summer – and tickets are only £2.50

New name, same beloved family event.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 10th July 2024

A huge fairground, splash park, and beach are just some of the attractions returning to the Trafford Centre this summer.

After proving to be massively-popular over the past couple of years, with thousands of families travelling from across Greater Manchester and beyond to bask in the sunshine and make the most of all the fun and games, the Trafford Centre is getting ready to welcome back “the much-anticipated event of the summer” in a couple of weeks time.

And this year, the beloved family event has got itself a new name, and sounds set to be bigger and better than ever.

The best bit? Tickets will only set you back just £2.50 each.

A huge fairground, splash park, and beach are returning to Trafford Centre for the summer / Credit: Trafford Centre

Set to open from Friday 26 July, and run right the way through until early September, the newly-named summer event, Bright Lights, Big Fun, will see a massive 600sqm beach ready for sunbathing and sandcastles pop up outside the shopping centre, alongside a splash park with loads of water jets, and loads more.

Not only that, but the much-loved retro funfair will also be making a comeback too, with dozens of fairground rides to try out – including two newbies for 2024, the ‘Pirate Ship’ and ‘Freak Out’.

As well as some returning favourites like ‘Star Flyer’ and ‘Zero Gravity’, there’ll also be a handful of rides especially for the littlest Mancs, such as ‘Waterballs’, ‘Bumper Boats’, and a large inflatable area, to make sure there’s something for everyone in the family of all ages to enjoy.

Then, if all that action gets you feeling a bit peckish, you’ll be able to fill your rumbling belly with a feast from an impressive selection of on-site food traders.

Think burgers, ice cream, doughnuts, crepes, sweets, and more.

There’s something for everyone of all ages to get involved with / Credit: Trafford Centre (via Facebook)

Bright Lights, Big Fun is popping up outside The Orient, opposite The Great Hall entrance, from Friday 26 July right through until 1 September, and will be open every day from 12-8pm.

Tickets are now on sale – with pre-booking “recommended to avoid disappointment” – and will set you back just £2.50 per person if booked in advance (includes booking fee) and £3.50 on the gate, while ride tokens must be purchased separately for £1 each.

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Find out more and grab tickets here.

Featured Image – Trafford Centre

What's On

Local LGBTQIA+ football team Manchester Laces are set to play in the FA Cup for the first time ever

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Laces playing in Women's FA Cup for the first-time ever

Inclusive football team Manchester Laces are set to break even more new ground are they prepare to compete in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup for the first time ever.

What a truly incredible few years it’s been for the club.

Set to play their maiden match in the female division of the sport’s oldest competition this weekend, Manchester Laces’ Yellows squad will be taking on rival Greater Manchester Women’s Football League (GMWFL) side, Northwich Victoria, in another historic milestone for the local outfit.

Announced last month, the game is now fast approaching, and they’re hoping that plenty of Manc natives will turn up in support.

For anyone unfamiliar with the story, Manchester Laces has grown to become the leading women’s, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ positive sporting bodies in the region.

In fact, as part of a wider family – which includes clubs in Hackney, South London and Limehouse Laces, not to mention players over in Canada too – they’re comfortably one of the biggest in the entire country.

Sticking with MCR Laces alone, founded by Helen Hardy, they have grown so much in reputation and size that they have six different teams besides just the Yellows: the other Manchester squads include the Blues, Greens, Oranges, Purples, as well as the budding new Reds and Blacks.

It’s this kind of impressive expansion and, crucially, representation that has seen them win two Football v Homophobia Awards and Grassroots Initiative of the Year back in 2023.

Side-note: they also happen to have one of our favourite fooy kits of the entire year so far…

Boasting a new regular stadium at Timpson Road and set to take part not only in the North West Women’s Regional Football League (NWWFL)/GMWFL, but now FA Cup and county cup games, 2025 could be their most momentous year yet.

Providing access to countless women and people from within the queer and non-binary community who love the beautiful game and may have otherwise struggled to find an outlet, their work has been crucial in and around Greater Manchester.

With that in mind, taking part in an inaugural run within the prestigious knockout tournament feels like yet another watershed moment for the organisation.

Speaking ahead of the fixture, the club wrote on social media: “In 2021, we started our journey in Div 2 of the GMWFL with the aim of creating an inclusive and welcoming space for all. After winning consecutive league titles and earning back-to-back promotions, we are now a Tier 6 team.

“Yellows are delighted to be stepping into the magic of the FA Cup for the very first time, and we would love to see you there!

Taking place at both Wythenshawe Town FC’s and the Yellows’ own new home ground of Ericstan Park on Sunday, 7 September (2pm KO), we wish them the best of luck.

Manchester Laces: the non-binary football club leading the charge on inclusivity in sport
Tickets for Manchester Laces’ debut FA Cup game are just £2 and can be purchased on entry

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Featured Images — Wythenshawe Town FC/Manchester Laces (via Instagram/Facebook)

What's On

The Last Dinner Party have announced a huge 35-date tour, including a big Manchester gig

Danny Jones Danny Jones The Last Dinner Party Manchester tickets 2025

Multi-award-winning indie and alternative rock band, The Last Dinner Party, have just announced what is set to be one of their biggest globe-trotting tours ever, with a momentous Manchester gig included on the UK run.

The much-celebrated five-piece have revealed their latest run of shows will span the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, Australia AND New Zealand, confirming a total of 35 live dates.

After coming somewhat under fire in 2024 following a series of cancelled concerts, the Londoners have responded in the best way possible: by putting their money where their mouth is and coming back with a bang ahead of their highly anticipated sophomore release.

We have every faith they’ll have the stamina to fulfil their live commitments this time around, and you best believe we’ll be going for tickets.

TLDP2

Speaking in the build-up to the release of the second album, From The Pyre – which is set to drop on 17 October – the band said of their latest material: “This record is a collection of stories, and the concept of album-as-mythos binds them.

‘The Pyre‘ itself is an allegorical place in which these tales originate, a place of violence and destruction but also regeneration, passion and light. The songs are character-driven but still deeply personal, a commonplace life event pushed to a pathological extreme.

“Being ghosted becomes a Western dance with a killer, and heartbreak laughs into the face of the apocalypse. Lyrics invoke rifles, scythes, sailors, saints, cowboys, floods, Mother Earth, Joan of Arc, and blazing infernos. We found this kind of evocative imagery to be the most honest and truthful way to discuss the way our experiences felt, giving each the emotional weight it deserves.”

Going on to describe the follow-up to their seminal debut, Prelude to Ecstasy (which saw them sweep up multiple BRIT and NME Awards, as well as a Mercury Prize nomination), as “darker, more raw and more earthy”, you’re definitely in for a heavily intellectualised experience with this one.

Their performances are certainly much more than a group of musicians getting up on stage too; having seen them last October ourselves, the LGBTQ+ icons definitely revel in the artistic expression of a live show, and have been praised for celebrating the female queer gaze too.

The Last Dinner Party aren’t ‘industry plants’, they just got real good real quick – Victoria Warehouse, Manchester

The Last Dinner Party UK tour dates

As you can see in the social post shared by the band, they’re about to have a very busy end to 2025, plus plenty of travelling in the new year, but for now, you can see The Last Dinner Party’s upcoming UK tour dates in full down below:

  • 14 November – 3Arena, Dublin
  • 17 November – Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
  • 20 November – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
  • 23 November – Bridlington Spa, Bridlington
  • 26 November – Aviva Studios, Manchester
  • 29 November – The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
  • 30 November – The Prospect Building, Bristol
  • 2 December – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
  • 4 December – Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth
  • 5 December – Brighton Centre, Brighton
  • 7 December – O2 Academy Brixton, London
  • 8 December – O2 Academy Brixton, London

Yes, set to visit Aviva Studios – a.k.a. the home of Greater Manchester’s ever-growing artistic hub – for the very first time, we couldn’t think of a more fitting act to play the stunning dynamic space.

General admission for The Last Dinner Party tour goes live from 10am GMT on Friday, 12 September, but fans who pre-order the album can gain early access.

You can get ready to grab your tickets right HERE.

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

Featured Images — Press shots (supplied)/The Manc Group

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