Manchester Rum Festival is back once again next week, and it’s all looking set to be the event’s “biggest and best” year yet.
Known for bringing a massive selection of rare rums and from all over the world to Manchester each year, the beloved festival is back in a few days time, and organisers are gearing up to transform one city centre hotel into the tropics.
As always, visitors to the beloved festival can not only expect to get to sample some of the best rum brands and buy bottles of their favourites to take home, but they’ll also get to taste some limited-edition drink collaborations, and tuck into delicious Caribbean street food from some of the region‘s best traders.
For the first time ever, anyone who grabs a ticket to this year’s event will get the chance to buy a limited-edition bottle of the official Manchester Rum Festival rum – which is a collaboration with Outlier Distilling Company of the Isle of Man.
Other brands making their much-anticipated debut at this year’s festival include Rhum JM from Martinique in the Caribbean, Takamaka – which is the the first ever rum from the Seychelles – two rums from the Portuguese island of Madeira, 970 and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and Ron Piet from Panama.
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Tilambic from Mauritius, Eminente from Cuba, Paranubes from the mountainous Oaxaca region in Mexico, Bone Idyll from closer to home in Kingston-upon-Thames will also be making their Manchester debuts.
Manchester Rum Festival for its “biggest and best” event yet next week / Credit: Supplied
Organisers are, quite rightly, calling it a “truly global representation of rum”.
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Also for the very first time, MONIN will be at this year’s festival with the official cocktail bar for all those who fancy sipping on a Pina Colada, Mojito, or Daiquiri while they make their way around the event, with festival sponsors Stratford Sodas also set to serve up the perfect rum mixers.
And to top it all off, there’s even set to be a handful of local DJs spinning calypso-inspired sets all throughout the day to really bring those “tiki vibes”.
Visitors will get to sample some of the rarest rums from all over the world / Credit: Manchester Rum Festival
“The 2023 festival is set to be the biggest and best yet, with rum brands from all over the planet descending on Manchester for what has become a must-have diary date for rum lovers,” Manchester Rum Festival founder, Dave Marsland, said ahead of this year’s event.
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“It really is a fantastic day out, and has cemented itself as a brilliant annual event for rum fans across the UK and beyond.”
Manchester Rum Festival 2023 is taking over the Mercure Manchester hotel in Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday 8 July from 12pm right through to 7pm – with tickets already on sale and setting you back £25 each.
An unmissable Whitney Houston tribute event is returning to Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
A much-adored and cherished Whitney Houston tribute show is returning to Greater Manchester later this year for not one but two different shows, each channelling the charisma and energy of the pop legend.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the phenomenal theatre production, ‘Queen of the Night’, the show is visiting a multitude of stages and venues all across the UK.
0161 had to receive at least one date on this tour, partly due to being the music capital of the North and also due to the fact that this is a city many fans of the 80s diva will forever hold close to their hearts.
Houston played her final ever concert performance of her career here in this very city back in 2010, taking up residence in AO Arena for two nights of world-renowned ballads and mesmerising live vocals.
This tribute show is set to include some of the diva’s biggest and much-loved hits like ‘I Will Always Love You’, ‘How Will I Know’ and ‘The Greatest Love of All’, the audience is sure to be singing along.
Adenike Adewale is taking on the role of the American R’n’B Pop singer and is no stranger to the stage or TV, featuring on The Voice in 2021 where she sang a Whitney classic, making it to the semi-finals.
Fast forward to 1 June and the tour returns to Greater Manchester and legendary city centre space, Bridgewater Hall: an incredible room more than fit for renditions of the powerhouse vocalist.
A pair of stunning venues, two stunning shows and one incomparable voice.
It’s not only our lovely region the Queen of the Night experience will be visiting; our friends over at The Hoot have plenty of nearby opportunities to sing along too, with Yorkshire dates in Hull, Halifax, Harrogate and Bradford to name a few.
I’m definitely saving all my love for when this show visits us later this year in March, and after I buy out the front row for all my friends I’ll certainly relate to the smash 1993 single ‘I Have Nothing’.
Tickets are on sale already now – you can grab yours HERE.
Charlotte Dawson will be handing out compliments and big prizes in Manchester to brighten Blue Monday
Daisy Jackson
TV star Charlotte Dawson will be cheering up Blue Monday in Manchester, dishing out compliments to strangers and awarding some big prizes too.
The actress, who is the daughter of the legendary late Les Dawson, will be bringing her signature sunny energy to Printworks on Monday 20 January.
Otherwise known as Blue Monday, it’s believed that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year – so she’s here to nip that in the bud.
Between 1pm and 3pm on the huge gaming screen inside Printworks – part of its £21m transformation that included adding a huge digital ceiling – Charlotte Dawson will be spreading joy and laughter.
She’ll be live streaming straight to passers-by, spreading smiles and dishing out compliments.
Charlotte will also be treating visitors to some amazing prizes from Printworks’ collection of bars, restaurants and leisure venues.
These prizes will include free brunch for four at Walkabout, gaming sessions at Bierkeller, or family cinema tickets with Ice Blasts at VUE. Other prizes include Nando’s vouchers, a drink and activity for two at the new Trax Social, and much more.
And the top prize will be a luxury overnight stay for two at Hotel Indigo, just across the road in the very heart of Manchester.
Charlotte Dawson will take part in Blue Monday at Printworks, Manchester
There’ll even be free coffee vouchers for Todd St Cafe on offer to brighten your Blue Monday.
Kristian Brennan, Marketing Manager at Printworks, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to have Charlotte at Printworks this Blue Monday.
“As a true Mancunian icon, her vibrant personality is exactly what we need to brighten up the most depressing day of the year and we know she’ll bring plenty of laughs and smiles to everyone who stops by.
“What makes this event truly unique is the opportunity for the public to chat with Charlotte under Europe’s largest digital ceiling, which will showcase new mood-boosting content.
“It’s an innovative and exciting way for people to connect, and we can’t wait to see families and friends come together to create joyful memories in this truly unique setting!”
Emily Sergeant -
28th June 2023 
